Minersville's Dante Carr races to the end zone Friday night against Nativity. (Photo by Kelly Wiley)

MINERSVILLE — Everybody’s going to talk about Dante Carr’s seven touchdowns — how can you not? — but the unsung hero of Minersville’s 49-28 victory over Nativity on Friday night was the Miners’ defense.

That’s right, the defense.

In the first quarter, the “D’’ stopped the Green Wave twice on downs deep in Minersville territory. In the fourth, Logan Rizzardi and Derek Derenzo intercepted passes to halt Nativity drives and lock down a victory in the annual Battle in the Backyard, a Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“The defense was awesome,’’ Minersville coach Justin Frantz said. “I know you look at the score and it’s 49-28 and you think it was a shootout, which it kind of was, but I couldn’t be any happier with the defensive effort. They were flying around; the pursuit was phenomenal.’’

While the defense kept Nativity off the scoreboard in the first quarter, Carr and the offense went to work building a lead.

After punting on its first series, Minersville (5-3, 4-3 Blue) scored touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions to eventually subdue the Green Wave (6-2, 5-2 Blue).

 “It’s always fun playing Nativity,’’ Frantz said. “The kids are excited, and that intensity was awesome. There was something in the air. We got to the field. All the kids were dialed in, fantastic warmup, the locker room was great before. They were showing what they could do. It’s fun when they get rolling and come out firing like that.’’

From the start, the Miners had an edge about them that on this night, they would not be denied.

 “I was not surprised at all, but I was impressed with the intensity they came to play with from the start,’’ Nativity coach Pat Mason said. “I told our guys there (in the postgame huddle), ‘You’ve got to match their intensity.’ … We struggled a little bit early, and we just couldn’t get it clicking when we wanted to get it clicking.

“We fought (in the second half),’’ Mason added. “Hats off to them. They played well. Dante is obviously a great player. … We’re going to rebound. Everything we want to accomplish is still out there for us.’’

Carr had a hand in all seven Minersville TDs — five rushing, two passing. The numbers are eye-popping: 15 carries for 207 yards on the ground and 11-of-19 passing for 171 yards and two scores. Carr was selected as the Minersville MVP of the game, winning the Brian Laudeman Memorial Award.

Nativity’s Sam Spolski, who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, won the John Lieberman Memorial Award as the Green Wave’s MVP.

Minersville hit the explosive, splash plays it’s known for and engineered 15- and 12-play scoring drives, too.

Carr got the Miners off to a fast start with a pair of scintillating runs for a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. On the initial burst, a 71-yarder, Carr broke numerous tackles on a determined run to the end zone. On the second, a 51-yarder, Carr made a sharp cut to elude a Nativity defender and turned on the jets as he swept around right end.

In the second quarter, Nativity put together its best drive of the night, a 15-play, 65-yard march that took 8:38 off the clock. Spolski capped the march with a 6-yard run.

Minersville answered quickly. Carr hit Logan Hutsko for 34 yards to get the Miners close, and Carr capped the five-play drive with a 5-yard run.

On Minersville’s next drive, Carr and Hutsko combined on another 34-yard pass-and-catch. With 21 seconds left, Carr found Hutsko again for a 17-yard score and a 28-7 halftime lead.

Nativity made a game of it in the second half, scoring twice to cut the deficit to 28-21 after three quarters. Sam Walborn scored on a 10-yard run, and after a Minersville fumble on a kickoff, Spolski cashed in with a 9-yard TD run.

Again, the Miners would not be denied. They responded with one of their best drives of the season: 15 plays, 66 yards, in 9 minutes, 50 seconds off the clock. The march started with 9:46 left in the third quarter and ended with Carr’s 1-yard plunge on the first play of the fourth period.

That gave Minersville a 35-21 lead.

It didn’t last long, as Mike Stank raced 89 yards on the ensuing kickoff for a TD that cut the Green Wave’s deficit to 35-28.

Minersville went back to work, marching 63 yards on 12 plays in 6:09 to push the margin back to two touchdowns. A 10-yard bubble screen from Carr to Paiten LaPoint put Minersville up 42-28 with 5:37 left in the game.

After Rizzardi’s interception, Carr rushed 28 yards for his seventh touchdown of the night.

After losing three straight at midseason, Minersville has won two in a row to improve its District 11 Class 2A rating.

“Unfortunately, you get stuck with injuries like everybody does,’’ Frantz said. “A couple weeks they were really hitting us hard, and we told the kids: ‘Stay the course. Trust in what we do. Trust in yourselves.’ We’re getting healthy. We almost had everybody back tonight, and I think we’re a pretty dangerous team when everybody’s healthy.’’

Both teams go on the road next Friday night. Nativity will travel to Schuylkill Haven; Minersville will visit Tri-Valley.

Game Summary

Minersville 49, Nativity 28 

Nat (6-2, 5-2)     0       7       14     7  — 28

Min (5-3, 4-3)    14     14     0       21  — 49

Min — Carr 71 run (Bowers kick)

Min — Carr 51 run (Bowers kick)

Nat — Spolski 7 run (Stank kick)

Min — Carr 5 run (Bowers kick)

Min — Hutsko 17 pass from Carr (Bowers kick)

Nat — Walborn 10 run (Stank kick)

Nat — Spolski 9 run (Stank kick)

Min — Carr 1 run (Bowers kick)

Nat — Stank 89 kickoff return (Stank kick)

Min — LaPoint 10 pass from Carr (Bowers kick)

Min — Carr 28 run (Bowers kick)

Team Statistics

Nat-Min

First Downs —- 12      19

Rushes-Yards — 28-134      33-263

Passes —- 6-21-2      11-19-0

Passing Yards —- 135      171

Total Yards —- 269      434

Fumbles/Lost —- 0-0      2-1

Penalties — 4-20      1-5

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Nativity — Spolski 14-76, Walborn 9-26, Stank 2-14, Kreitzer 2-9, Dolbin 1-9. Minersville — Carr 15-207, Schultz 17-47, Rizzardi 1-9

PASSING: Nativity —- Kreitzer 6-21-2, 135. Minersville —- Carr 11-19-0, 171

RECEIVING: Nativity — Dolbin 5-94, Walborn 1-41. Minersville — Hutsko 4-97, LaPoint 4-29, Kavanaugh 2-29, Dube 1-16

INTERCEPTIONS: Minersville — Rizzardi, Derenzo