When push came to shove, it was a typical coal region rivalry game Friday night on Stan Dakosty Field at Men of Marian Stadium.

The opening game of Schuylkill Football League Division II play was tightly contested for a half. But the second half took a dramatic turn in favor of Marian.

A 7-7 tie at halftime quickly turned into a scoring parade as the Colts (2-2, 1-0) exploded for 42 second-half points in a 49-14 victory over Minersville.

Few saw it coming.

Not the coaches. Not the players. Not the fans. Even the officials appeared surprised.

Marian played with purpose and remained under control while taking over the game. The Colts got big performances from quarterback Greg Tirpak and tight end Rocco Griguoli. Defensively, Marian forced five turnovers: three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

“That turned things around in our favor,” Marian coach Billy O’Gurek said.

One of those turnovers came when Griguoli intercepted a pass from his defensive end position and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. It was one of three touchdowns on a career night for the All-State candidate and Division I prospect.

“I just seen the ball coming and got my hands up and the next thing you know I just ran straight to the end zone,” said the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Griguoli.

Tirpak was equally impressive. The junior completed 12 of 17 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. His first scoring throw was a 58-yard strike to Tyler Rebarchak to open the second half. Rebarchak read the safety perfectly on a skinny post route, and Tirpak delivered the ball on target.

“That was a great read by Rebarchak and the throw was the way you draw it up,” O’Gurek said.

Minersville (1-3, 0-1) had answers early.

The Battlin’ Miners matched Marian after Tyler Price broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Derek Derenzo later connected with athletic 6-foot-4 senior receiver Jordan Bowers for a touchdown that tied the game 7-7 at halftime.

Derenzo and Bowers were the driving force behind Minersville’s offense. They struck again after halftime when Bowers returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 14-14.

Tirpak and the Colts responded.

Marian scored on five consecutive possessions. Price, who rushed for 156 yards, capped a six-play, 71-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.

On the next possession, the Tirpak-Griguoli connection delivered again. Rolling left under heavy pressure, Tirpak released a pass just before hitting the ground. Griguoli hauled it in for a 20-yard touchdown.

“Somehow my man made that catch, and to be honest I never saw him make the catch,” said Tirpak, who was hitting the ground. “Greg is such a phenomenal receiver. All I have to do is get it to him and he makes things happen.”

Moments later, Marian’s defense came up with another takeaway as Dante Tate intercepted a pass, stopping any Minersville momentum.

Early in the fourth quarter, Price broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run, his third score of the game.

“I just found a hole, and I broke free, a few (defenders) hit me, then I was able to break away,” Price said of his run, which gave Marian a commanding lead with 10:31 remaining.

Just 22 seconds later, Griguoli added his interception return for a touchdown.

The final score came on a familiar connection. Tirpak found Griguoli for a 40-yard touchdown, and kicker Vinnie Miranda converted his seventh PAT to trigger the running clock.

For senior two-way lineman Dominick Rodino, the difference came after halftime.

“The first half we got kind of gassed,” Rodino admitted. “Our coaches made some adjustments and we stayed with the game plan.”

The momentum shift was obvious to O’Gurek.

“(Mentally) we came off that tough loss (to Tamaqua), so I could kind of tell that we weren’t in it during that first half,” the coach said. “We told the kids to calm down and start to make plays.”

Marian responded by scoring six touchdowns in the final 24 minutes.

BY THE NUMBERS ... Marian finished with 16 first downs; Minersville had 11. The Colts totaled 450 yards of offense, compared with 260 for the Battlin’ Miners.

SUPER STUD ... Bowers showcased his size and speed, finishing with five receptions for 80 yards and an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown.

THE WAY IT STARTED ... The game was a defensive battle through the first two quarters before Marian found its rhythm behind Price, Griguoli and Tirpak.

DEFENDING ... Marian’s interceptions by Tate and Rebarchak highlighted a strong defensive performance that helped fuel the second-half surge.

Marian 49, Minersville 14

Minersville 0 7 7 0 – 14

Marian 7 0 14 28 – 49

MC - Price 27 run (Miranda kick)

M - Bowers 16 pass from Derenzo (Bowers kick)

MC - Rebarchak 58 pass from Tirpak (Miranda kick)

M - Bowers 85 kick return (Bowers kick)

MC - Price 10 run (Miranda kick)

MC - Griguoli 20 pass from Tirpak (Miranda kick)

MC - Price 72 run (Miranda kick)

MC - Griguoli 30 interception (Miranda kick)

MC - Griguoli 40 pass from Tirpak (Miranda kick)