MAROA - Maroa-Forsyth's first goal-line stand, in the first quarter, was a much-needed shot of momentum at a time when the Trojans couldn't take two steps without tripping themselves up.

The second goal-line stand, late in the fourth, was for nothing but pride and pizza.

Maroa will get both after Friday's 31-0 victory over Tuscola. The pride comes from picking up the fourth shutout of the season. It was also the first time the Warriors were blanked since the second round of the 1995 playoffs, a span of some 150 games.

The pizza? Well, that's just an added bonus, and it means that dinner plans aren't necessary on Thursday.

"We go for that every week," said Maroa linebacker Dalton Coventry, who led the team with 15 tackles. "And everybody gets pretty hungry."

"We just like to shut people out, period," Maroa coach Josh Jostes said. "But the pizza's a little bonus."

In that case, it's time to fire up the ovens now.

The Trojans (6-1, 3-0 Okaw Valley Blue) played like they hadn't eaten since the previous week's shutout of Argenta.

Tuscola's new-look power running game went nowhere, compiling just 59 yards on 39 carries. Only one of those carries went for more than 10 yards.

"Tuscola is a very physical team. We prepared all week for this game, and we came out and brought it to them like we were supposed to," Coventry said.

Throwing the ball didn't work either. Gunnar Edwards had trouble getting open, and Caleb Little often didn't have the time to find him.

"Every once in awhile, the fact that we have three sophomores on the offensive line comes out. Then (Little) falls down in the locker room at halftime and he can barely walk. We can't even get somebody out of the locker room without getting hurt," Tuscola coach Rick Reinhart said. "But my hat's off to them. They did a nice job. We didn't pick up the blitz how we should."

Maroa sputtered for the first 12-plus minutes, managing just the field goal, but that was before the option, and more specifically quarterback Justin Barnes, got going.

The Trojans spread the field and let their lanky signal caller go to work. The last Maroa offensive play of the first half was his 19-yard scoring scamper.

The third play of the second half was a 49-yard run, which was sprung by a fantastic block from Michael Scott.

He finished with 167 yards rushing and two touchdowns, all while throwing for 162 yards and two more scores.

"It helps out, especially with the run," Barnes said of the option. "It stretches the defense out and makes it easier on me, which is really good, so I don't have to think as hard."

There was no question that the offense got going as soon as Barnes' legs started pumping.

"He's pretty special with his legs or his arms. When we're facing somebody like him, it puts us in a real bind to make plays against him," Jostes said. "We're going to get him out there and use him. He's probably a better runner than passer, and we'll take him either way."

Tuscola (5-2, 2-1) has plenty to work on. But even after the Warriors' seemingly worst day in almost 13 years, Reinhart still found a glimmer of silver in an otherwise jet-black cloud.

"We got beat by this team last year and made it to the state finals," Reinhart said. "So hopefully history will repeat itself."

tengle@herald-review.com|421-7970