Neshannock hangs on to beat Union
Union (13) vs. Neshannock (14)
Written: Oct 25, 2008
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Final regular-season games between two teams not headed for the postseason can be ugly. This one wasn’t.
Neshannock and Union played a thriller in the rain last night at a rain-soaked Socs Roussos Field, with Neshannock edging the Scotties, 14-13.
The difference in the Class A Big Seven Conference contest was a missed extra-point attempt by Jordan Izzo. And while neither team will be playing next weekend, the outcome did have playoff implications.
Neshannock’s victory put South Side Beaver, which plays today, in the playoffs and ended Laurel’s slim playoff hopes.
Union, which finished 0-7 in the conference and 1-8 overall, certainly had its chances against the Lancers. The Scotties were first-and-goal at the 4 in the second quarter with the score tied 7-7 and came up empty.
And at the end of the game, Union was driving when Neshannock’s Jake Tappe jumped in front of Scotties receiver Damian Trott and made an interception with 1:31 left. That play secured the victory for the Lancers, who ended the season 3-4 in the conference and 4-5 overall.
“You can throw the records out when these two football teams are playing,” Neshannock coach Pat Cuba said. “Union has a nice team … they’re a scrappy bunch.”
“We had our shot early and we had a little bit going at the end,” Union coach Stacy Robinson said. “That’s been our story all year, we can’t put it all together.”
The player who had it together was Neshannock senior quarterback Josh Brown.
He rushed 20 times for 132 yards, going over 1,000 yards rushing for the season in the process, and scored on runs of 39 and 1 yards.
He gave Union’s defense fits the first two times he carried on the option, gaining 28 and then 39 yards as the Lancers scored in two plays to take a 7-0 lead.
“We took those from Navy’s offense,” Brown said. “The (option) offense creates so many holes to pick from. That’s why I like running this offense.”
But Union came right back, driving 59 yards in seven plays. Jason Burkes scored from 14 yards out after gaining 18 on a fourth-and-three play from the Neshannock 18. Izzo’s kick tied the score 7-7 at 7:50 of the first quarter.
The Scotties looked as if they would take the lead when Burkes, who rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries and caught two passes for 81 yards, took off down the right side after hauling in a quick pass from quarterback Mike Pelto. Neshannock’s Tony Kirkwood made a touchdown saving tackle and the 75-yard pass play carried to the Lancers’ 17. Union got as close as the 4, but a motion penalty pushed the Scotties back and then two pass plays from the 3 on third and fourth downs fell incomplete.
“We play in spurts and it ends up costing us,” Robinson said.
Neshannock, which snapped a four-game losing streak with the win, took a 14-7 lead with 10:14 remaining, driving 63 yards in 12 plays. Brown, who injured an ankle in the third quarter and limped around for a time, scored from the 1 on what was a busted play.
“To tell you the truth, I ran the wrong play,” Brown said. “I turned the wrong way and was like, ‘Oops,’ and I kept it and followed my one guard and everything opened up.”
Again, Union answered back. The Scotties got a 49-yard kickoff return by Matt Moore to put the ball on the Neshannock 36. Seven plays later, on a fourth-and-3, Trott caught a quick pass from Pelto on the right side, dodged a couple of would-be tacklers and scored from 16 yards out.
On the extra-point attempt, Neshannock had a heavy rush.
“I saw we had the possibility of blocking it and the pressure got in there,” Cuba said. “No, we didn’t block it … just the pressure.”
Tappe then sent the Senior Night crowd to their cars with his the interception.
“For some reason, we couldn’t pull games out this season,” Robinson said.
“It’s been frustrating that way.”
NESHANNOCK UNION
10 First downs 11
223 Yards Rushing 150
0 Yards Lost 0
223 Net Rushing 150
4 Passes Attempted 15
2 Passes Completed 7
0 Passes Intercepted 1
16 Yards Passing 134
239 Total Yards 284
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
5-31.2 Punts-Average 3-33.3
10-55 Penalties-Yards 10-57
NESHANNOCK 7 0 0 7 — 14
UNION 7 0 0 6 — 13
Scoring plays
NESHANNOCK — Josh Brown, 39-yard run (Chase Falba kick).
UNION — Jason Burkes 14-yard run (Jordan Izzo kick).
NESHANNOCK — Brown 1-yard run (Falba kick).
UNION — Damian Trott, 16-yard pass from Mike Pelto (kick failed).
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