The pieces are there for Marian.

Gregory Tirpak is putting them together.

The junior quarterback has continued to grow in his command of the Colts’ offense.

Friday night, the Colts were in good hands.

Tirpak completed 13-of-21 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Minersville, earning Times News Football Player of the Week honors.

“He did a good job making the right reads and getting the ball in the right spot to those guys,” Marian coach Billy O’Gurek said.

O’Gurek has likened Tirpak’s role to that of a point guard.

“When he’s playing the proverbial point guard and he’s distributing the ball and mixing it up, that’s when we’re at our best,” O’Gurek said. “It’s tough to focus on one thing as a defense and say, ‘Hey, we got to take away this from Marian,’ because, you know, if we can throw the ball like we did on Friday night against Minersville and that complements our running game, then we feel like we’d be in a good spot for most games.”

And Tirpak has plenty to work with.

Tyler Price leads the Times News area with 652 rushing yards on 83 carries, and ranks fourth with 206 receiving yards. Rocco Griguoli leads area receivers with 355 yards on 17 catches.

Tirpak, meanwhile, enters this week third among area quarterbacks with 657 passing yards.

Tyler Rebarchak, Nolan Marsh and Jason Ashfield all give him even more options.

“We have some great skill players,” Tirpak said. “Tyler, Rocco, Rebarchak — they’re all great players. It gives the defense problems when you have three guys who can really spread them out and score touchdowns whenever you need them, especially Tyler.”

Minersville got a firsthand look at the problem Friday.

With the game tied 7-7 at halftime, the Miners had been loading the box in an effort to slow Marian’s running game. O’Gurek and his staff responded by looking to the air more often on first down.

“They were loading the box up on us on first down, and we talked about throwing the ball on first down a little bit, trying to loosen it up,” O’Gurek said. “To his credit, and to our receivers’ credit, they executed it well.”

The response was immediate.

On Marian’s first offensive play of the second half, Tirpak connected with Rebarchak for a 58-yard touchdown. The Colts went on to score 42 points after halftime and turn a close game into a convincing victory.

Tirpak’s 284 passing yards were the most by a Marian quarterback since Stan Dakosty Jr. threw for 304 on Nov. 13, 1999. Dakosty Jr. is the son of longtime Marian coach Stan Dakosty, whose name now adorns the field at Men of Marian Stadium.

Tirpak appreciated the significance of putting his name alongside a piece of Marian football history, but didn’t dwell on it.

“I think it’s cool, especially that such a great player was in ’99 who threw for that many yards,” Tirpak said. “But honestly, the only thing that matters right now is the team and what we do for the rest of the season.

“Whether I don’t score a single touchdown for the rest of the games, as long as we win our next games and we are successful in the season. But it’s nice to have, I won’t lie.”

That approach is part of the growth O’Gurek has seen from his quarterback.

“I think the biggest thing is the maturity that, over the last year, he has shown,” O’Gurek said. “Nothing really fazes him. And that’s a good thing to have as a trait in a quarterback.

“No matter what’s going on on the field or off the field, in the locker room, he just knows what he needs to do. He goes about it. That’s a pretty good trait to have, that he doesn’t get rattled.”

Tirpak has changed physically, too. He said he entered last season at around 225 pounds, and now weighs around 180-185. The difference has been noticeable in both his mobility and conditioning.

“I feel a lot lighter on the field,” Tirpak said. “I feel like I could really run if I need to. … My stamina, I feel, is amazing.”

That conditioning has become particularly valuable with Tirpak contributing on both sides of the ball. He has taken on a role at what Marian calls its “dog” position, an outside linebacker/strong safety hybrid.

“I think it’s awesome,” Tirpak said. “Just to be out there on defense, make tackles, be a game changer on offense and defense, I think it’s pretty awesome.”

O’Gurek believes those defensive snaps can actually help Tirpak stay engaged at quarterback.

“We think as a staff that when he’s involved defensively, that it helps keep him sharper throughout the game,” O’Gurek said. “Being in the game defensively, both of our quarterbacks, I think that helps them stay sharper and stay more in the flow of the game.”

Even after a performance that put his name alongside one from Marian’s past, Tirpak is more interested in what the Colts can do next.

Marian hosts Shenandoah Valley on Saturday.

“I just hope to get my guys more yards, more touchdowns and hopefully a successful season,” Tirpak said, “and make a run in districts.”