Scotties unable to capitalize against Laurel
Union (6) vs. Laurel (50)
Written: Oct 10, 2009
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Last night’s Laurel at Union Big Seven Conference game was all about two plays.
That might seem a little crazy considering Laurel spoiled Union’s Homecoming, winning 50-7 on a damp and dreary evening. But two plays can make a difference.
The first one came on the third snap from center. Faced with third-and-10 at its 28, Union quarterback Anthony Forletta dropped back to pass and spotted a wide open Andre Jones deep down the left side. Forletta launched a pass that looked as if it would connect for big yardage, but Laurel’s Jake Dando made up ground on Jones and managed to knock the ball away.
Would the outcome of the contest been different if Forletta had hit Jones with the ball? Probably not given the way Laurel (3-1, 5-1) handled the Scotties in the second half, but the final score might have been closer.
“We have to capitalize when the opportunities are there,” Union coach Stacy Robinson said after watching the Scotties (0-4, 1-5) lose their fourth consecutive game. “Laurel is a good football team. You’re not going to catch them twice. You’ve got to get them while you can.
“Who knows? We score there and get them on their heels a little.”
The other play came on the first snap from center in the second half. Union went into the intermission trailing by a 13-6 margin. The Scotties dodged a bullet at the end of the second quarter when Laurel fumbled at the Union 4 and Damian Trott recovered for the Scotties with 1:42 left in the first half.
Union was a big play away from tying the score or maybe even taking the lead. But it was Laurel that came up big.
On the play, Spartan sophomore running back Dylan Jones darted over the left side, made a quick cut to the outside and took off on a 53-yard touchdown jaunt that gave Laurel a 21-6 lead.
“It was 20 quick trap, and the line did an awesome job blocking,” Jones said. “The line did it all for me. It all starts with those guys.”
Laurel’s offensive line was outstanding. A team doesn’t rush for 385 yards without the linemen paving the way. But Jones, who is a compact 6 feet, 170 pounds, also had something to do with the Spartans’ rushing total.
He carried 21 times for 203 yards and scored on a 4-yard run. Jones said he never had run for 200 yards in a game before last night.
“He read that play real well,” Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser said, referring to the 53-yard scamper. “It didn’t look like there was much there. He made a great cut at the line of scrimmage.
“He’s got good moves for a running back, and he’s surprisingly strong. He looks like he’s light but in the weight room he’s strong.”
Jones’ long touchdown run was the spark Laurel needed. The next time the Spartans got the football they marched 48 yards in eight plays with Jones scoring on a 7-yard run. That gave Laurel a 28-6 lead with 6:31 left in the third quarter and the route was on.
“That was a back-breaker,” Robinson said of the 53-yard touchdown run. “You come out (for the second half) excited, with a chance. … Every game we’re in, I feel like we’ve got a shot to win. Call me crazy if you want. We looked at film and thought there were some thing we could do. We were with them for a while.”
“We had our hands full the first half,” Holzhauser said. “We just came out the second half and executed.”
Laurel didn’t have to punt and attempted just three passes. Quarterback Tyler Forbes also had a good night running the ball, rushing for 79 yards on six carries and scoring on runs of 17 and 26 yards. Fullback Caleb Weisenstein had 60 yards on 12 carries.
The Spartans victory sets up a Big Seven showdown Friday at home against Monaca, a 27-13 winner against South Side Beaver. Laurel and Monaca are both 3-1 in the conference and in second place behind Rochester, which plays at Shenango tonight.
LAUREL UNION
18 First downs 9
393 Yards Rushing 65
8 Yards Lost 13
385 Net Rushing 52
3 Passes Attempted 17
1 Passes Completed 6
0 Passes Intercepted 2
6 Yards Passing 58
391 Total Yards 110
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
0-0 Punts-Average 4-26.5
7-65 Penalties-Yards 1-5
LAUREL 7 6 15 22 — 50
UNION 6 0 0 0 — 6
Scoring plays
LAUREL — Caleb Weisenstein, 1-yard run (Jonathan Johnson kick).
UNION — Anthony Forletta, 1-yard run (kick failed).
LAUREL — Dylan Jones, 4-yard run (kick failed).
LAUREL — Jones, 53-yard run (Jake Dando run).
LAUREL — Jones, 7-yard run (Johnson kick).
LAUREL — Tyler Forbes, 17-yard run (Johnson kick).
LAUREL — Forbes, 26-yard run (Johnson kick).
LAUREL — Shane Caldararo, 75-yard interception return (Weisenstein pass from Forbes).
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