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PORTAGE -- A stellar defensive effort from Marion Center propelled the Stingers to a 27-0 shutout victory over Portage in a Heritage Conference matchup Friday night.
The Stingers' defense forced four turnovers on downs and five punts, as the Mustangs were unable to cash in on four separate trips into the Marion Center red zone.
"We were able to move the ball and get some good field position, but then we had some breakdowns," Portage coach Marty Slanoc said. "But credit to them, because it wasn't just that. They have some guys that can really get off blocks. They have some experience. They were co-champions last year, and they're right at that caliber again."
Plays of the game: Marion Center senior Trent Slovinsky scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter to give the Stingers a 21-0 lead at halftime.
Slovinsky found the end zone on runs of 42, 15 and 15 yards.
Player of the game: Slovinsky finished with 115 rushing yards on 12 carries to go along with his three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 13 yards.
Unsung heroes: The Marion Center defense thwarted four Portage drives that reached inside the Stingers' 20 yard line, including two that started inside the 30.
All four possessions resulted in turnovers on downs.
Most vital statistic: Marion Center outgained Portage 464-134 offensively, including 341-87 on the ground.
The Stingers' strong defensive pressure forced Portage into 16 rushing plays resulting in negative yards.
Marion Center coach Adam Rising: "We take pride in playing our brand of football, playing physical. We were able to keep a zero on the board last week. We're keeping a zero on the board tonight. We felt pretty confident that they were gonna have a tough time driving the field on us tonight, and that was pretty evident."
Slanoc: "We're going to take a look at ourselves and see what we have to do to improve. Every game is a learning opportunity. We're going to have to bear down and try to rebound here at home."
Slovinsky: "Our line really stepped it up.
They were unbelievable. With our run game, they were moving amazingly, getting everyone they were supposed to get and just playing hard. They really got us into positions to score, and we took care of the rest."
Notable: Portage's defense forced five fumbles, recovering three ... Mustangs sophomore Ty Burkett recorded an interception and returned it 50 yards to set up a scoring opportunity ... Marion Center has outscored its two opponents this season by a combined 83-0 mark.
Records: Marion Center (2-0), Portage (1-1)
Next week: Marion Center travels to Homer-Center, Portage hosts Conemaugh Valley Homer-Center beat United Valley, 42-0, Friday night while Conemaugh Valley lost 51-26 to Penns Manor, also on Friday night.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Marion Center 0 21 6 0 -- 27
Portage 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Second Quarter
MC -- Tre. Slovinsky 42 run (Haggerty kick), 9:14.
MC -- Tre. Slovinsky 15 run (Haggerty kick), 4:23.
MC -- Tre. Slovinsky 15 run (Haggerty kick), 1:21.
Third Quarter
MC -- Tro. Slovinsky 5 run (Kick failed), 1:26.
TEAM STATISTICS MC P
First downs 22 10
Total yards 464 134
Rushes-yards 42-341 40-87
Yards passing 123 47
Pass (comp.-att.-int.) 8-15-1 6-15-0
Punts-avg. 0-0 5-26
Fumbles-lost 5-3 1-0
Penalties-yards 9-80 2-25
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Marion Center, Phillips 11-120, Tro. Slovinsky 11-77, Haggerty 8-29, Tre. Slovinsky 12-115. Portage, Burkett 8-2, Berardinelli 13-(-10), Simala 9-24, Walker 7-41, Shaffer 3-30.
PASSING–Marion Center, Tro. Slovinsky 8-14-123-0-1, Tre. Slovinsky 0-1-0-0-0. Portage, Burkett 6-15-47-0-0.
RECEIVING–Marion Center, Brudnock 4-76, Phillips 2-44, Tre. Slovinsky 2-13. Portage, Slanoc 3-22, Walker 1-7, Sciko 1-11, Simala 1-7.