Rockets notch second playoff win in 158 years

It's not hard to imagine the Titusville football players are feeling pretty happy after accomplishing something only one other Rocket's team had done 35 years ago - they won a playoff game.

They shutout Fairview a week after the Tigers cancelled on the Rocket's senior night game.

They are hoping to parlay that into second win with an upset over Sharon this Friday night at Franklin High School. The two squads met in week nine with the state ranked 10-1 Tigers running all over the Rockets 63-22. Sharon's only loss came in an early matchup with perennial powerhouse Cathedral Prep. 
Their high powered offense averages nearly 40 points per game. Titusville is also a prolific scoring machine  only being held under 30 points three times this season. All three of those were their only losses.

"There were a lot of mistakes we made that we can fix," Titusville's star running back Jaxon Covell said about the first meeting with Sharon, "It's a playoff game now, anything can happen. We can reel this game in and hopefully bring home the win."

Coach Mike Reynolds knows this is going to be a mountain to climb, but repeats how this team rises together and performs beyond expectations.
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"That kid... holy smokes... makes a lot of kids right," Reynolds said about his punter Kameron Mong. Yes his punter. "If I could show you just a highlight reel of his punting. Its doesn't matter if the snap is left, right or over his head he he tracks it down and still kicks it 40 yards down the field."

Mong's name is mentioned over and over again on defense, as a leading blocker, often the second leader in total yards behind Covell, he has caught many passes and even thrown for a touchdown or two. 

But it was his punting, which he hasn't done a lot of this season, that really made a difference in last weeks win. Pinned deep with Mong twice punting from the endzone, Fairview was looking at good field position when Mong boomed a 76-yarder and later a 41-yarder that was closer 60 yards in the air. He also added another 36-yarder to push Fairview back.

Kickers, like lineman, don't always get the press. Besides Mong, Max Chatham has had a solid year with almost a guaranteed extra point after ever touchdown, but more importantly his kickoffs well placed often lead to no return and often pinned behind the 20. 

To beat Sharon they will need all aspects of their game working, including clock management and keeping the Tigers high powered offense off the field.

The Rockets are hoping for big community turnout with the game just down the road in Franklin.

The game starts at 7 p.m. Friday at Franklin High School. The Rocket Football Facebook page also put out a message to the community for support of Stream TV (www.facebook.com/oilregionstream) that has broadcast the Rockets all season. Playoff broadcasting is more expensive making it more difficult for small businesses to do what they did all season.

If you missed last week's historic playoff win, you can read the story at the Titusville News-Journal.

See more photos from this season at www.weebly.com/editor/main.php#/

As Covell put it earlier this season when his team was cruising and he was taken out in the fourth quarter after another monster game. "Our goal is bigger (than just one game.)" 

​They achieved one of their goals and now this next game is huge for them to extend their goal further.