MINERSVILLE - No one could possibly see this coming.

Not the coach ... not the fans ... not even the most optimistic seer.Actually, let's back track a bit. Maybe the football players from Minersville believed it could happen.Surely, Marian wasn't expecting what it got at Veterans Memorial Stadium - a stunning 13-7 loss.Yes the witches, ghouls and goblins arrived a week earlier and spooked the Schuylkill Football League Division II pecking order when the Battlin' Miners pulled off an upset of major proportions Friday evening on a soggy and rainy night.Using an early running attack led by Kei'dre Taylor (11 carries, 98 yards), Minersville jacked up a usual tough Marian defense for a pair of first half touchdowns, then needed to hold off a late charge to clamp down for a signature win for first year coach Damian Buggy.There was nothing fancy the way the Miners took it right at the heart of the Colts' defense. "We can't get fancy, we're not good enough," smiled Buggy. "We had to hit them quick."It was a trap play that sprung Taylor for a huge 65-yard run to the Marian 13. Five plays later, Bryce Miklesavage squirted the final three yards before Garrett Boyle made his only PAT kick.Yet the bottom line came down to defense with Buggy knowing his team had to play its best game of the season."Our kids made sure they kept the ball in front of them… no big plays. Their quarterback (Ethan Kuczynski) is a heck of an athlete."The Miners (4-5) hit Marian with a second touchdown and a second quick-hitter inside. This time Aaron Beach slithered through a trap hole and raced 35 yards down to the Marian 14. It took a 13-yard pass play to finish the drive when Steele Fekette hit Gehrig Hossler for a 13-0 lead.Marian's offense kept sputtering throughout the damp evening. By halftime it had only 30 rushing yards and 45 passing yards."We weren't prepared to play and that rests on my shoulders," said a Marian coach Stan Dakosty. "But give coach Buggy all the credit and his staff for getting their team ready. They came out and dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage. Hats off to Minersville."A huge key to the Minersville win was the way it kept the ball out of the hands of Marian's offense. The Colts were limited to nine offensive plays in the third quarter and didn't hit the end zone until there was 6:24 showing in the fourth.Marian's defense set the offense up in great field position forcing a punt that traveled only 17 yards. Moving from the Minersville 37, Seth Paluck eventually bulled his way into the end zone from five yards out and Jarod Paisley kicked the PAT to give the Colts hope.Then late in the game, Marian forced a punt with 2:04 to play, but the Minersville defense stepped up and preserved the victory"You got to show up and play. Our last drive epitomized it," said Dakosty. "We start off with a clip on the punt return ... we get 50 yards on penalties … you're not going to win."RHYTHM... Marian's inability to sustain any type of drive, especially early in the game, had it searching for a way to move the ball the better part of the night.PLAYOFF PICTURE... Minersville's win opens the window for it to secure a District 11 Class AA berth. Marian is assured a Class A spot and should meet Williams Valley.UP NEXT... Marian hosts rival Tamaqua Friday. Minersville is at Panther Valley.