Thriller
Union (18) vs. Shenango (19)
Written: Oct 28, 2016
  By Clayton Sauertieg
New Castle News
It was a game so close that it almost had to come down to a final heart-stopping play.
And that is exactly what happened when the Union High football team traveled to Shenango with a playoff berth on the line Friday night.
Scotties running back Rissaun McKnight came inches short of late two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, and the Wildcats hung on for a 19-18 Class 1A Big Seven Conference victory that vaulted them into the WPIAL playoffs.
Shenango (4-4 conference, 4-5 overall) takes the fifth and final playoff spot in the conference, while Union (2-6, 3-7) falls one game short of a postseason appearance.
"It was great by both sides and you just had a feeling it was going to come down to the two-point conversion," Wildcats coach Mike Commesso said. "I didn't watch it, so I don't know what happened other than I heard our fans get excited. So it's a great win for us and our seniors on senior night, and I feel fortunate to come away with a victory tonight."
The contest was as tight and tense as one would expect from two conference rivals vying for a playoff spot on the final night of the regular season. The Wildcats started the game cold, going three-and-out on their opening drive and punting the ball away. A Lou Domenick 47-yard punt with no return pinned the Scotties deep, but that's when junior running back Tre'von Charles went to work.
Charles carried the ball five straight times, racking up 46 yards and moving Union from the shadow of its own goal line to near midfield. A few plays later, he picked up a fumble after a toss on a reverse from McKnight, switched direction, ran back to midfield and dashed down the far sideline for a touchdown that was officially scored as 32 yards. Just like that the Scotties were in the lead.
The Wildcats woke up midway through the second quarter. A 44-yard run by junior running back Young set them up at the Union 6. Following a 4-yard loss, a Domenick drop on what would have been a walk-in touchdown, and a incomplete pass on third down, the Wildcats finally converted. On fourth-and-goal, junior quarterback Maxwell Reamer faked a hand off to Young, rolled to his right and threw back across the field to hit Young on a wheel route from 10 yards out for the score. Domenick added the extra point and suddenly Shenango had a 7-6 lead.
Union drove right back down the field, once again on the back of Charles. The Scotties' playmaker ripped off a 56-yard run down the sideline to set them up with first-and-10 at the Wildcats' 14. After a 4-yard run by Charles, a penalty by Union left it facing a second-and-11 from the 15. Junior quarterback Evan Pinkerton threw an incomplete pass followed by two runs of his own as the Scotties turned the ball over on downs.
"We tried to mix it up," Union coach Stacy Robinson said. "You don't want to be one-dimensional. In hindsight, everybody has 20-20 vision."
The Wildcats extended their lead midway through the third quarter, as Domenick hauled in a tipped pass from Reamer and streaked down the sideline to score from 59 yards out. The extra point, however, was no good and Union stayed within one possession, 13-6.
The Scotties pulled even closer early in the fourth quarter as McKnight barreled in from eight yards out on a halfback dive. The Shenango defense stiffened, however, and kept Union out on a two-point conversion attempt as McKnight was hauled down short of the goal line, leaving the score at 13-12.
The Wildcats' offense came right back, driving 70 yards, highlighted by an 18-yard halfback pass from Young back to Reamer and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Reamer to junior wideout Matt McMillen. Shenango missed the extra point to keep the game within one possession, 19-12, and a mishit by Domenick on the ensuing kickoff set up the Scotties with first-and-10 at their own 47 with 6:16 remaining in the fourth.
"He just missed it," Commesso said. "He just missed the ball. (He) Didn't kick it solid. It wasn't supposed to be onside, which put them in great field position."
Once again the Wildcats defense responded, forcing a fourth-and-seven from midfield. But Union had an answer, as a tunnel screen from Pinkerton to Charles went for 20 yards and put the Scotties back in business. Shenango had a chance to seal the win when McKnight fumbled at the 10. But Scotties' lineman Zach Montswil recovered. Two plays later, McKnight dashed up the middle for a 5-yard TD run with 1:35 remaining. With his team down 19-18 and facing a two-point conversion attempt to take the lead, Robinson called timeout. On the following conversion attempt, McKnight dashed right and looked bound for the end zone before being met at the goal line by Shenango senior linebacker Bret Hoover, who brought down McKnight inches before he crossed the line.
"It meant a lot," Robinson said. "I mean, it's a game of inches and according to the referees, we came up a few inches short. I don't know, we thought he was over a couple times, even on the first two-point conversion. But, you know, wherever they spot it, that's how it has to go."
Moments later, a McKnight onside kick attempt was covered by freshman Carlton Sluder.
The play by Hoover was one of his many on the night for the Shenango defense. The senior made two sacks earlier in the contest and tracked Charles across the field all night.
"Yeah, he (Hoover) was amazing," Commesso said. "He was playing with an ankle injury. He really didn't play at all last week after the first couple plays. So we weren't even sure if he was gonna go. But he was certainly a difference-maker tonight. He just played his guts out with that ankle and was a big reason we won."
(Email: csauertieg@ncnewsonline.com)
UNION SHENANGO
13 First downs 7
254 Yards Rushing 117
17 Yards Lost 9
237 Net Rushing 108
12 Passes Attempted 13
8 Passes Completed 7
0 Passes Intercepted 0
67 Yards Passing 124
304 Total Yards 232
2-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
35.3 Punts-Average 3-35.6
8-54 Penalties-Yards 1-5
UNION 6 0 0 12 — 18
SHENANGO 0 7 6 6 — 19
Scoring plays
UNION – Tre'von Charles, 32-yard run (kick failed).
SHENANGO – Josh Young, 10-yard pass from Maxwell Reamer (Lou Domenick kick).
SHENANGO – Domenick, 59-yard pass from Reamer (kick failed).
UNION – Rissaun McKnight, 8-yard run (run failed).
SHENANGO – Matt McMillen, 16-yard pass from Reamer (kick failed).
UNION – McKnight, 5-yard run (run failed).
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