Union’s lack of offense costly against OLSH
Union (0) vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (20)
Written: Aug 31, 2013
By Shawn Fox
New Castle News
MOON TOWNSHIP — It wasn’t exactly the start to the 2013 season the Union High football team hoped for.
On the plus side last night, the Scotties’ defense kept the team in the game. Offensively … well, that was a different story.
Union managed just two first downs and was held to minus 13 yards of total offense in a 20-0 loss to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference action at Robert Morris University’s Joe Walton Stadium.
“We’re not looking for moral victories,” Union coach Stacy Robinson said. “It was a game I thought we could have won and should have won, but we didn’t get the job done. OLSH did a better job than us.
“When you aggressively block noone, you’re not going to get any yards,” he continued. “We didn’t put a hat on anybody.”
Neither team could get much offense going in the first quarter. OLSH looked to get on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, but Union’s Jordan Best blocked a 26-yard field goal attempt by the Chargers’ Greg Strong.
After forcing the Scotties to punt on their next possession, the Chargers broke the scoreless deadlock as quarterback Bill Mulcahey scored on a 1-yard run to cap a seven-play, 46-yard drive. Strong’s PAT kick gave the hosts a 7-0 lead with 4:51 to go before the half.
Benjamin Young provided the Scotties’ offense a much-needed boost, as he returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the OLSH 21-yard line.
“Ben Young is a heck of a ballplayer for them,” OLSH coach Bill Daniels said. “We obviously focused on him and made sure he didn’t beat us. But he certainly tried to in the first half.”
Young looked to have tied the game on fourth-and-one from the 12 by running around the left side and into the end zone. However, the play was called back due to a holding penalty. On fourth-and-16 from the 19-yard line, Anthony Rush was stopped at the 14, giving the ball back to the Chargers
“We tied it up with a great play by Benjamin Young, and then we get it called back,” Robinson said. “That changes the mindset. Right then, it would have given us some wind behind our sails, and I think we were going to be able to overtake them then. But that touchdown being called back was big.”
The OLSH defense set up the offense for its next score late in the third quarter as Cedric Gray picked off a pass from Clarence Parchman.
“Our defense did a heck of a job,” said Daniels, whose team sacked Union quarterbacks seven times. “We just played hard. It was our base defense, and the kids just did a real good job.”
From there, the Chargers marched 36 yards in 10 plays, capped by another 1-yard run by Mulcahey. Strong’s kick made it 14-0 with 11:16 remaining in the game.
Union picked up its initial first down of the contest on Parchman’s 11-yard run at the 10:06 mark of the fourth quarter. The Scotties’ other first down came on a 15-yard personal foul penalty.
John Truskowski closed out the scoring with 3:13 remaining in the game with a 4-yard scoring run. The PAT kick was blocked by Parchman.
The Scotties will try to bounce back Friday when they host Leechburg.
“We’ve got to try to get better,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to show up (this) morning and put this one behind us and reach for what’s in front of us.”
(Email: ncsports@ncnewsonline.com)
UNION OLSH
2 First downs 11
56 Yards Rushing 141
95 Yards Lost 7
-39 Net Rushing 134
13 Passes Attempted 19
4 Passes Completed 6
1 Passes Intercepted 0
26 Yards Passing 92
-13 Total Yards 226
4-1 Fumbles-Lost 2-2
5-36.8 Punts-Average 4-25
7-55 Penalties-Yards 6-50
UNION 0 0 0 0 — 0
OLSH 0 77 6 — 20
Scoring plays
OLSH — Bill Mulcahey, 1-yard run (Greg Strong kick).
OLSH — Mulcahey, 1-yard run (Strong kick).
OLSH — John Trushkowski, 4-yard run (kick blocked).
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