When Hanover Area pushed back, Marian Catholic turned to its junior captain.

And Rory Dixon delivered.

The standout running back scored five touchdowns, picked off a pass, and tipped another that teammate Jake Tom intercepted as Marian pulled away for a 42-24 win over Hanover Area Friday, earning him Times News Football Player of the Week honors.

“It was huge for us last week to get started the way we did,” Dixon said. “We’re a younger team — a lot of juniors, some sophomores, even some freshmen — so starting out with a win like that and putting that many points on the board, that’s huge for us.”

Dixon wasted little time making that statement. He scored on a 15-yard run to cap Marian’s opening drive, added a 23-yard touchdown run following an interception of his own, and then hauled in a 47-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Greg Tirpak to make it 21-0 with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

“It feels great knowing I have an impact like that,” Dixon said. “But I can’t have that impact without the guys I play with. The runs that I had and breaking all those runs, I couldn’t do that without my guys (Dominick Rodino, Jah Bushati, Damian Rodino, Walker Sheer, Billy Ebert) blocking for me up front. I’m just doing my part and they’re all doing theirs, and it just comes together like that.”

The Colts appeared poised to run away with it after Dominick Rodino’s 85-yard interception return stretched the lead to 28-7 in the second quarter. Rodino also recovered a fumble, while Ebert added another recovery as Marian forced five turnovers in the contest.

But Hanover battled back with two scores before halftime, and added a touchdown and field goal in the third to pull within 28-24 with 3:57 left in the quarter. The comeback unfolded in humid conditions that left both teams shuffling lineups because of frequent cramps. Through it all, Dixon stayed steady — and tough.

That’s when he again answered the call. Dixon carried eight times for 62 yards on a 70-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run at the 9:07 mark of the fourth quarter. On the Hawkeyes’ next possession, he tipped a pass that Tom intercepted. Dixon followed with a 31-yard run to the Hanover 16, and finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge with 5:54 remaining to seal the victory.

Dixon finished with 25 carries for 226 yards and four rushing touchdowns, along with two receptions for 48 yards and another score. On defense, he recorded an interception and tipped another pass that led to Tom’s pick. His 30 points led all Times News area scorers after Week 1.

“Rory is like the ultimate example of being team-first,” Marian coach Billy O’Gurek said. “He’s accomplished so much the last two years, and when he comes off the field the first thing he does is thank his offensive line. That’s the kind of leader he is, and that’s why he was elected a captain as a junior — the first junior captain here in like 25 or 30 years.”

O’Gurek also noted that Marian’s balance helped keep Dixon fresh for the decisive fourth quarter. “When it got to 28-24, Rory only had about 10 or 12 carries at that point,” he said. “So when we needed to ride him in the fourth, he was ready, and it showed.”

Dixon rushed for 1,229 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall as a sophomore, and has already totaled more than 2,100 rushing yards and 22 scores in his first two seasons. He is knocking on the door of the top-five on Marian’s all-time rushing list with two years still to go, and was also a state qualifier in wrestling last season, competing for Mahanoy Area through the schools’ co-op.

“I’m a lot more confident, and a lot happier that I have the ability to play,” Dixon said, who has battled back from knee injuries in his career. “I know what it’s like to have the game taken from you, so every opportunity I get I’m just grateful. I want to go to the best of my ability every time I step on the field.”

With Dixon setting the tone — and teammates like Bushati (sack, two quarterback hurries, pass deflected, team-leading 15 total tackles), Tom, Rodino (11 total tackles, two for a loss) and Ebert stepping up on defense to fuel a five-turnover night — Marian will look to carry its momentum into Friday’s home opener against Tri-Valley (1-0).

“Our goal is to just keep it rolling,” Dixon said. “We had a good game, yeah we had some mistakes. Let’s cut down on the mistakes, focus on the good parts of the game, and every week just keep getting better little by little.”