Union’s brush with perfection dooms Lancers
Union (33) vs. Neshannock (14)
Written: Oct 30, 2009
 By TODD KRISE
t_krise@ncnewsonline.com
The Union High football team has been anything but perfect this season.
But for one quarter last night, the Scotties were exactly that.
Two possessions, two scores.
Six pass attempts, six completions.
Six running plays, 24 yards.
Union’s flawless second quarter propelled it to a 33-14 win over rival Neshannock, giving the Scotties (1-6, 2-7) their first Big Seven Conference win since rejoining the league in 2008.
“It was good execution, that’s all,” Union coach Stacy Robinson said. “The line was blocking; receivers were catching the ball; quarterback making the right reads and the right calls. We were clicking on all cylinders.”
Union gained its first possession of the second quarter on Neshannock’s third of 10 fumbles in the game (four of which it lost).
Quarterback Anthony Forletta slammed in from a yard out to complete a 10-play, 65-yard drive.
Forletta then hooked up with receiver Andre Jones on a 64-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds left in the half.
“The safety bailed,” Forletta said. “I saw him open at the last second. The line gave me a lot of time.”
Added Jones, “He put it right there.”
Neshannock (1-6, 2-7) made it a one-score game in the third when quarterback John Sansone rushed in from a yard out, but the Scotties answered with another long drive.
On the 12th play, Forletta found Jones again on third-and-27. The pass was tipped by a Neshannock defender, but Jones took it away at the last second.
“They’re our bread and butter plays,” Robinson said of the two long pass completions. “We drill them to death. It was good to see them finally work.”
Things turned sour for the Lancers on their next possession when a botched punt snap turned into a 25-yard Nate Majors touchdown return, giving Union a 26-6 lead.
“We were outcoached and outplayed,” Neshannock coach Pat Cuba said. “They outplayed us and Stacy outcoached me. We weren’t ready.”
Sansone added a second rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Union’s Devonta Thomas’ 16-yard run three possessions later put the game out of hand.
The win snaps a six-game losing streak for the Scotties, who scored more points last night than they did in the previous six games (27).
“To go out with a win, it’s like the greatest feeling,” Forletta said, “especially against our rival.”
“The kids always seem to get fired up for Neshannock,” Robinson said. “After we traveled that long, hard road we’ve had this year, you don’t know how they would come out and respond. I’m proud of them.”
The Lancers end the season on a three-game losing streak after defeating Western Beaver, 17-6, on Oct. 9.
“It’s been like a rollercoaster,” Cuba said of his team’s season. “We’ve had so many injuries that we tried to put people in and patch things together.”
UNION NESHANNOCK
15 First downs 20
161 Yards Rushing 269
28 Yards Lost 31
133 Net Rushing 238
17 Passes Attempted 14
10 Passes Completed 7
0 Passes Intercepted 2
152 Yards Passing 88
285 Total Yards 326
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 10-4
3-24 Punts-Average 1-28
8-85 Penalties-Yards 5-35
UNION 0 14 12 7 — 33
NESHANNOCK 0 0 6 8 — 14
Scoring plays
UNION — Anthony Forletta, 1-yard run (kick blocked).
UNION — Andre Jones, 64-yard pass from Forletta (Damian Trott pass from Forletta).
NESHANNOCK — John Sansone, 1-yard run (kick failed).
UNION — Jones, 27-yard pass from Forletta (pass failed).
UNION — Nate Majors, 25-yard fumble return (run failed).
NESHANNOCK — Sansone, 4-yard run (Nick Graziani pass from Sansone).
UNION — Devonta Thomas, 16-yard run (Trott kick).
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