Slivka helps get Upper Dublin to 2-0 with win over Central
UPPER DUBLIN >> Early risers all week, the Cardinals came out ready, controlling the ball for 20 of the game’s first 24 minutes.
“My o-line was pushing them,” Upper Dublin quarterback Mike Slivka said, “and then we came out in the second half and kind of caught fire.”
Slivka threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, the Cardinal offensive line opened up plenty of daylight on a rain-swept afternoon on the turf, and Upper Dublin led from start to finish in a 32-12 non-league victory over Central.
“We have a long way to go yet,” said Cardinal coach Bret Stover, who saw his squad raise its record to 2-0. “We had two good wins and we got better this week. We’re still making mistakes but we have a bye, and we’re gonna have a good, hard week of practice.
“This week was just a mess, with the heat and the weather. We were in at 5:30 in the morning so we could practice. The kids did a great job and the parents did a great job of getting everybody in here.”
Upper Dublin’s first possession was a 15-play drive that moved the Cardinals from their 38-yard line to the Central five. Power runs by Mason Novak and quick cuts by Lucas Roselli allowed the Cards to gain ground in chunks.
Central would come up with a sack on 4th-and-4 from the five, but soon after, Upper Dublin found the end zone.
The Cardinals used an eight-play drive this time, capping it off with a two-yard burst by Roselli, giving Upper Dublin a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. A 22-yard field goal by Chris Barbera would extend the margin to 10-0 at the break.
The Upper Dublin defense, which didn’t allow a first down in the opening half, would add to the lead in the third quarter, when Jason Scott crashed in and sacked Lancer quarterback Aquil Robinson in the end zone, making it 12-0.
And then Slivka’s arm got going.
“I kind of settled down. The rain stopped, the ball wasn’t as slippery and I just saw Johnny (Kohlbrenner), our running back — he was open,” said Slivka, who would complete 7-of-13 passes for 119 yards and two scores. “We were running a lot because of the rain, and our o-line was just pushing and pushing…”
Slivka’s 21-yard touchdown throw to Kohlbrenner widened the gap to 19-0. An offensive line that includes 6-foot-4 senior Quinton Derr was dominating, allowing the Cardinals to rack up 19 first downs to Central’s five.
Slivka soon hit another running back for a score, throwing to Novak for a 25-yard touchdown and a 25-0 lead late in the third quarter.
Central (0-2) showed off its speed with a 67-yard TD run by Deshawn Wiggins, cutting the margin to 25-6, but then Upper Dublin answered right back when Slivka faked a handoff, found a seam, and sprinted 39 yards for the clinching touchdown.
An 81-yard kickoff return by Wiggins completed the scoring. On Upper Dublin’s next series, running back Jacob Rossman charged forward for four yards, then dragged two defenders for four more, helping the Cards to control the ball for the final seven minutes.
