Robinson makes the right choice in Union triumph
Union (20) vs. Rochester (6)
Written: Sep 05, 2015
By Andrew Koob
New Castle News
Stacy Robinson had to make a decision.
The Union High football coach needed to choose who would line up at quarterback from three players — Logan Schuller, Randy DeJohn and New Castle transfer Joe Gunn — for the Scotties’ season opener against Rochester.
Robinson decided to go with the new face in Gunn. It turned out to be the right selection, as Gunn and running back Jordan Best propelled Union to a 20-6 Big Seven Conference win over host Rochester on Friday.
Gunn finished the game with 86 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, as well as completing 5 of 7 throws for 82 yards.
“He produced,” Robinson said. “I’d say I’m mildly surprised because I haven’t really coached him before. But it’s what I expect of him. I tell everyone, if you want to be a star, you have to be able to answer the bell when the pressure is on. They responded, the whole team responded well.”
Gunn, who primarily was a running back with New Castle, was able to step up when the Scotties needed it most. Facing a fourth-and-eight, Gunn rushed for 13 yards, setting up Best’s second score of the night.
A third-quarter, 59-yard pass to Schuller put Union into position for Gunn’s one-yard plunge into the end zone later in the drive.
“It was a little different, wearing that blue and white,” Gunn said. “But you have to do what you have to do. I’m here, I’m going to contribute to the team any way I can. I’m a ball player, I’m going to play ball.”
Best finished the game as the Scotties’ top rusher with 111 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Schuller made the most of his opportunities as a wide receiver with two catches for 70 yards.
Overall, Union amassed 279 yards of offense.
Yet the Scotties’ defense did just as much as the offensive unit to preserve the victory.
Union held the Rams to just 109 passing yards, all coming in the final quarter, and 235 total yards.
Anthony Bertolino and Tre’Von Charles each recorded an interception, with Charles’ pick coming in the end zone in the third quarter to thwart a Rochester offense gaining momentum.
“Everybody took their turn stepping up and making big plays,” Robinson said. “That’s what you have to do to try and sustain it throughout the season. You can’t count on one person carrying the whole load because the load gets heavy.”
The Scotties now find themselves in a similar situation as last year.
Union bested Rochester in the season opener last year, a 26-22 victory. That would be the only victory of the year for the Scotties, who finished the year at 1-8.
“We’ve got some people that can put the ball in the end zone from anywhere on the field,” Robinson said. “That’s a blessing we have, we just have to keep them all healthy. We started out 1-0 last year the same way, the next week we had a couple injuries and it wiped out our season.
“It’s always my philosophy to take the highs on an even keel and take the valleys on an even keel. We’ll just get back to work in the morning and try and get better.”
There’s also plenty of work to do at the quarterback position, especially from the player who seems to have locked up the starting role.
“I’m still in the process of learning the offense, figuring out where everyone has to go and all of the patterns,” Gunn said. “As a running back, you just have to know what you’re doing but, as a quarterback, you have to know what everyone is doing.
“I have to get a better feel for the offense. Coach Rob is on the field yelling at me, he probably doesn’t have a voice after yelling at me all night. I have to progress and hopefully we’ll be right on track.”
(Email: AKoob@ncnewsonline.com)
UNION ROCHESTER
9 First downs 12
211 Yards Rushing 132
14 Yards Lost 6
197 Net Rushing 126
7 Passes Attempted 21
5 Passes Completed 7
0 Passes Intercepted 2
82 Yards Passing 109
279 Total Yards 235
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 2-0
4-31.5 Punts-Average 6-24.3
10-73 Penalties-Yards 6-50
UNION 6 8 6 0 — 20
ROCHESTER 6 0 0 0 — 6
Scoring plays
UNION — Jordan Best, 48-yard run (kick failed).
ROCHESTER — Jared Waxler, 4-yard run (kick failed).
UNION — Best, 3-yard run (Logan Schuller, pass from Joe Gunn).
UNION — Gunn, 1-yard run (pass failed).
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