He wasn't even a football player before August. That's when the senior came out for the Overbrook team after not playing as a sophomore and junior.

"I wanted to try and see what I could do my senior year," Sloan said.

Sloan had the game of his brief career as Overbrook defeated Gateway, 30-8, in a Colonial Conference interdivision clash on a warm, windy, and wet afternoon.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior ran 16 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He returned a fumble 90 yards for another touchdown. He ran for a two-point conversion and completed passes for two others.

He also slashed prices at the concession stand.

After Sloan's fumble return for a touchdown and two-point conversion pass finished the scoring, the public-address announcer at Overbrook's Larry Mauriello Football Complex declared a sudden sale on pulled-pork and meatball sandwiches.

"Thanks to that touchdown by Mike Sloan, prices on hot food at the concession stand have been cut in half," said the announcer, who also might have been motivated by the fact that there was less than five minutes to play.

Gateway coach Mike Karp wasn't surprised by Sloan's performance, only by his position.

"We spent most of the week preparing for 20," Karp said, referring to Sloan's jersey number. "He's usually a running back, but he was the guy we were concerned about. He's an athlete. Hats off to him."

It was a strange game. Gateway (0-6) ran 65 plays to Overbrook's 29. The Gators ran 50 of those plays in Rams territory, including an astounding 26 inside the 25-yard line.

Know how many times Overbrook snapped the football in Gateway territory? All game? Three.

"When you only punt once, and you only score eight points, something is wrong," Karp said. "This was our best offensive day, but we made so many mistakes. We have to learn how to finish those drives."

Gateway committed seven turnovers. Two of them became long touchdowns for Overbrook (3-4) as Rams sophomore Devon Dredden returned a fumble 75 yards for a score, and Sloan returned another the length of the field for another score.

"The ball just popped up to me and I took off," Sloan said of his fumble recovery and return. "It was a little tiring at the end."

Overbrook coach Mitch Brown said Sloan has made big plays for the Rams in every game this season.

"He's had a run of over 25 yards in every game," he said. "I'm the stupid coach who doesn't get him the ball enough."

Sloan was pressed into duty at quarterback because the Rams' regular signal-caller was unavailable for personal reasons. Sloan operated strictly in the shotgun formation. He ran the football on 10 of Overbrook's 16 plays in the first half, and on six of its 13 plays in the second half.

Sloan said he had never completed a pass before tossing a strike to Devon Dredden for a two-point conversion in the second quarter. He completed another one for another two-point conversion to Deandra Dredden, Devon's brother, in the fourth quarter.

"It wasn't too bad," Sloan said of playing quarterback. "I got used to it as the game went along."

Gateway 0 8 0 0 - 8

Overbrook 0 16 0 14 - 30

O: Devon Dredden 75 fumble return (Mike Sloan run)

G: Joe Sesko 16 pass from Nick Rutter (Sesko pass from John Leamy)

O: Sloan 8 run (Devon Dredden pass from Sloan)

O: Sloan 78 run (run fail)

O: Sloan 90 fumble return (Deandra Dredden pass from Sloan)