Robinson keys Scotties’ romp over Shenango
Union (33) vs. Shenango (7)
Written: Oct 15, 2012
  By Dan Irwin
New Castle News
For much of the season, Union High’s Drew Robinson has been part decoy, part ball-carrier.
And Saturday night, the senior running back showed why defenses bite on all the fakes.
Robinson assumed primary weapon status in the Scotties’ WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference game at Shenango, rushing for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries to lift his team to a 33-7 win.
Union (4-2 conference, 5-2 overall) now needs only a win Friday over South Side Beaver (1-5, 2-5) or a Laurel loss to Sto-Rox that same night to wrap up its first playoff berth since 2003.
After averaging 12 carries and 78 yards per game the first five weeks of the season, Robinson has carried 13 times in each of Union’s last two contests for an average of 178 yards.
“I’ve talked with Drew at home and told him he’s going to have to carry the load,” said Stacy Robinson, Drew’s father and head coach. “But Drew’s paid the cost to be the boss. A lot of it has to do with his offseason weight training. He got stronger.
“He works hard, he’s trying to be more powerful. We stressed the power exercises so he can explode through tackles and things like that.”
Robinson scored on breakaways of 73 and 48 yards. Both came on one-play drives.
Also making himself known was junior Benjamin Young, who intercepted a first-quarter pass to set up his own 3-yard touchdown run six plays later; returned a punt 44 yards to preface a 17-yard scoring pass from Joe Salmen to Tre Major; and had a 42-yard pick-six in the final frame.
“Ben’s one of those splash players, they make the splash plays,” Stacy Robinson said. “They make a big noise when they hit the water. We got a bunch of them. It’s just whoever steps up whatever night we’re playing.”
Shenango (2-4, 3-4) opened the game with a successful onside kick and marched to the Union 26 before Young’s first interception. In the second quarter, Brent McCormick recovered a Scotties fumble to set the Wildcats up at Union’s 30, and Shenango marched all the way to the 2 before a personal foul penalty stalled the drive and resulted in a missed 36-yard field goal try by Ronald Davis.
“Things unfolded the way we wanted them to unfold,” Shenango head coach Ryan Mayo said. “We made a play on special teams, created a turnover, were able to move the ball, but we couldn’t score. We talk about it all the time how penalties are drive killers, and that one was.”
Shenango displayed a wildcat offense for most of the night and used it following an interception by McCormick to put up its only score, a 25-yard pass from Anthony Prestopine to Brendon Booher. Still, after rushing for 82 yards in the first half, the Wildcats had managed just 17 more by the time Union had notched its final TD with 5:48 to go.
“We like the wildcat look,” Mayo said. “When you have that run threat at quarterback, it puts defenses in conflict. It’s tough to prepare for. They can load up on the run and not give that corner any help or they can give the corner help and not have the extra guy in the box. So it’s a decent chunk of our offense.
“Union made the adjustment at halftime to make us throw it. We were able to do it, but then we fell behind, we turned the ball over and it just snowballs on you once you do that.”
*****
UNION SHENANGO
12 First downs 15
261 Yards Rushing 170
2 Yards Lost 26
259 Net Rushing 144
6 Passes Attempted 17
2 Passes Completed 5
1 Passes Intercepted 2
41Yards Passing 62
300 Total Yards 206
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 2-0
2-35 Punts-Average 4-38.7
4-40 Penalties-Yards 3-24
UNION 7 0 13 13 — 33
SHENANGO 0 0 7 0 — 7
Scoring plays
UNION — Benjamin Young, 3-yard run (Joe Salmen kick).
UNION — Tre Major, 17-yard pass from Salmen (Salmen kick).
UNION — Drew Robinson, 73-yard run (kick failed).
SHENANGO — Brenton Booher, 25-yard pass from Anthony Prestopine (Ronald Davis kick).
UNION — Young, 42-yard interception return (kick failed).
UNION — Robinson, 48-yard run (Salmen kick).
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