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Adjustment period over for NP’s Gross
Senior transfer dominates Rams
ROACHDALE — Early in the season, North Putnam newcomer Solomon Gross was having a little trouble adjusting to the terminology and offense run by coach Greg Barrett.
Gross, whose family moved to northern Putnam County last summer from Pennsylvania, seems to have it figured out now.
Gross carried the ball 28 times on Friday night for 187 yards and five touchdowns, continuing his monster season as the Cougars eliminated Paoli from the playoffs for the second straight year with a 42-20 victory.
So is the 6-2, 230-pounder getting the hang of things now?
“I’m starting to,” he said. “It’s a whole different program and plays to get used to.”
Gross deflected praise for his efforts to his teammates.
“We have a lot of good guys on the team, and good blocking all around,” he said. “Our guys work hard and they know what to do.”
Gross played last season at Warren Area High School in western Pennsylvania, a notable hotbed for high school football.
He ran for more than 1,000 yards last season and scored 14 touchdowns, earning team Most Valuable Players honors.
Gross noted that Warren was a little bit bigger school, and he is happy with where he landed.
“This team is a lot better bonded and has better coaching,” he said. “We do more things together and seems like an all-around better team.”
Barrett is thrilled to have such a big, mobile, tenacious present fall into his lap last summer, but knows his workhorse still has improving to do.
“With him, he’s just got to learn to be 100 percent 24/7,” Barrett said. “He’s used to being able to let guys bounce off him, but as we go deeper in the playoffs he’s got to lower that shoulder and knock people over.”
Barrett was concerned with Paoli’s kicking game and overall special teams play, and those factors showed up.
“Paoli is a very good football team, and gave us a battle,” he said. “Their special teams hurt us, as we thought they might, and it was a great test for us.”
North Putnam scored on its opening drive as Gross carried the ball in from 19 yards out just 3:15 into the game.
Defenses took over for a while, with the teams exchanging punts and stopping each other on downs until the second quarter, when a key 36-yard pass play from Hayden Rudes to Max Haste set up a 5-yard Gross TD run to make it 13-0 with eight minutes left in the first half.
Paoli then drove into North Putnam territory, but was stopped on downs at the Cougar 34.
Rudes hit Haste for another 22-yard pass play on the ensuing drive, but the Cougars were halted on downs.
Paoli’s sophomore speedster Ian Strange, one of the fastest player the Cougars have seen all season, then brought his team to a score early in the third period.
Strange ran the second half kickoff back to the Cougar 43, threw a 21-yard halfback pass and then scored on a six-yard run to make it 13-6.
Chris Murray of North Putnam returned the favor, bringing the ensuing kickoff back to the Paoli 26.
Gross scored from three yards out, and while it seemed the Cougars were in control the game was far from over.
Paoli got another long kickoff return and started at the Cougar 45, with quarterback Ty Lawson scoring from 11 yards out to keep his team in the game.
Gross had a pair of big runs, Rudes hit Haste for a 31-yard pass play and then hit Luke Mitchell for an 11-yard score with 1:04 left in the third period.
The fourth quarter saw Paoli get a 22-yard score from Dietrich Sears sandwiched between Gross TD runs of 27 and two yards, and the Cougars advanced to the second round.
Haste caught four passes for 104 yards, and while he did not get a touchdown he picked up lots of valuable yards for the Cougars.
“Max is a guy we go to when we need big plays,” Barrett said. “He was disappointed when he dropped one in the end zone on a halfback pass, but we use him in a lot of places and does a great job.
“Luke Mitchell does a great job of blocking on the outside for us, and caught a touchdown pass,” Barrett added. “Our line played well also.”
The Cougars have been looking forward to a rematch with Monrovia, which routed North Putnam 50-0 last year on its way to the state championship.
“It’s going to be tough,” Barrett said. “We know what they’re going to do, and they know what we’re going to do. It’s all about matchups and execution. I know our guys have been looking forward to this game for a long time.”
Gross is new to the rivalry, but admits having heard all about Monrovia ever since he got to North Putnam.
“I think we’ll be able to beat them,” he said. “It’ll be tough, but I think we’ll get them.”
Paoli 0 0 12 8 — 20
North Putnam 6 7 14 15 — 42
First quarter
NP — Gross 19 run (kick failed)
Second quarter
NP — Gross 5 run (Bell kick)
Third quarter
P — Baker 6 run (kick blocked)
NP — Gross 3 run (Bell kick)
P — Lawson 11 run (run failed)
NP — Mitchell 11 pass from Rudes (Bell kick)
Fourth quarter
NP — Gross 27 run (Bell run)
P — Sears 22 run (Strange run)
NP — Gross 2 run (Bell kick)
P NP
First downs 10 14
Rushes-yards 39-281 51-251
Passing yards 27 134
Passing 2-4-0 8-11-0
Penalties-yds 3-30 6-52
Punts-avg. 2-27.0 2-34.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Individual statistics
Rushing — Paoli: Smith 7-28, Lawson 9-69, Sears 1-22, Carmickle 1-2, Strange 18-123, Burton 4-39. North Putnam: Gross 26-187, Rudes 8-6, Judy 6-17, Haste 6-7, Chdristy 5-34.
Passing — Paoli: Lawson 0-1-0 0, Strange 2-3-0 27. North Putnam: Rudes 8-11-0 134.
Receiving — Paoli: Easterday 1-21, Lawson 1-6. North Putnam: Christy 1-7, Judy 2-12, Haste 4-104, Mitchell 1-11.