Martins Ferry beats Uniontown in improbable meeting
Neither Uniontown nor Martins Ferry expected to be on the field together for Week Five of the high school football season.
A strange set of circumstances brought the two teams to Bill Cowher Stadium on Friday night after their original opponents backed out of playing on Wednesday.
Walkquem Cox had 15 carries for 172 yards and three touchdowns as the Purple Riders out of Ohio rolled to a 59-13 victory over the Red Raiders.
No matter what the outcome, both coaches were just happy to play a game.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been coaching 34 years. It无毛视频檚 a first,无毛视频� Uniontown coach Tim Bukowski said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e never seen it before where you无毛视频檙e preparing during the week for one opponent and then, boom, you无毛视频檙e playing somebody else the next day.
无毛视频淭hey had to do the same.无毛视频�
The Red Raiders originally were to host Carrick, but after a stabbing took place at the school on Wednesday officials there decided it in the best interest of the students and community to cancel the game.
Meanwhile Martins Ferry got word on Wednesday that Brownsville opted to cancel its scheduled trip there. The Purple Riders were set to hold their senior night.
Martins Ferry coach Justin Kropka echoed Bukowski无毛视频檚 comments.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been coaching for nearly 30 years. I无毛视频檝e never experienced a week like that in my entire coaching career or my playing career for that matter,无毛视频� Kropka said. 无毛视频淲e had Brownsville originally scheduled and they called us on Wednesday night after practice and cancelled. Our kids were already gone. So then we had Windber signed, but then they couldn无毛视频檛 make it.
无毛视频淪o Thursday at one o无毛视频檆lock I called Uniontown and God bless them they bailed us out. I couldn无毛视频檛 have more respect for this place. Classy bunch of kids, classy coaches, a great stadium. We owe Uniontown a lot. I really appreciate what they did.无毛视频�
The Red Raiders might not have appreciated what Martins Ferry did to them on the field.
The Purple Riders (3-2) racked up 393 total yards to 138 for Uniontown and rolled to a 47-0 halftime advantage.
Martins Ferry took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs of 18 and 3 yards by Cox, then exploded for 34 points in the second.
Colby Kropka, the coach无毛视频檚 son, got the second-quarter barrage going with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Barnett at the 11:34 mark.
Martins Ferry then put up four touchdowns in a span of 4:14 starting with Cox无毛视频檚 3-yard run at 5:50.
Gunner Disher followed a minute later with a 27-yard interception return for a score and after a fumble recovery by Malachi Giles, Javis Johnson Jr.无毛视频檚 3-yard run two plays later made it 40-0.
After a high punt snap gave the Purple Riders the ball at the Uniontown 2-yard line, Disher plowed in on the next play to give the visitors a 47-0 halftime lead.
无毛视频淎t halftime I told them go out and have fun,无毛视频� Bukowski said. 无毛视频淧lay football. Don无毛视频檛 do anything stupid. Keep your heads.无毛视频�
Uniontown got on the board after Marcus Evans recovered a fumble on the Martins Ferry 24-yard line. Tayshawn Jackson covered that in two carries of 19 and 5 yards and Nick Smith无毛视频檚 extra point made it 47-7.
Martins Ferry answered with 1-yard touchdown runs by Derek Lucas late in the third quarter and Cole Patterson with 3:27 left in the game. The Purple Riders took a knee on a two-point conversion try after both of their final two touchdowns.
The Red Raiders capped the scoring with Zyon Hope无毛视频檚 exhilarating 77-yard kickoff return after Patterson无毛视频檚 TD.
Coach Kropka was pleased at the way his players responded to such a less-than-ideal scenario.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got a veteran group so it was a little easier to handle all that happened because of that,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hey dealt with the situation fantastically. We watched some film on these guys last night and had a special five o无毛视频檆lock practice so we could get the game plan together. It was like cramming for a test.
无毛视频淏ut they handled it beautifully. I无毛视频檓 very proud of them.无毛视频�
Colby Kropka threw just four passes but completed three of them for 82 yards and a touchdown. Johnson had seven carries for 66 yards and Patterson ran the ball four times for 60 yards.
The Red Raiders were again hurt by their inability to hold onto the ball for potential big plays on pinpoint passes by Brayden Hinzy, who still completed 7 of 19 throws for 121 yards, although he was intercepted three times, once each by Disher, Barnett and Johnson.
无毛视频淓very game we seem to drop a big pass where we无毛视频檙e wide open and we should score,无毛视频� Bukowski said.
Cam Dugan led Uniontown with three receptions for 75 yards, Jackson had two for 28 and Evans and Nate Hice had one catch apiece for 10 and seven yards, respectively.
Jackson had nine carries for 37 yards to lead a Uniontown ground game that was limited to 17 yards as its other six rushing attempts resulted in minus-20 yards.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 physicality right now,无毛视频� Bukowski said. 无毛视频淗onestly, 75 percent of this is physicality. We need a weight program. That无毛视频檚 two weeks in a row we just got physically manhandled.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e just not physically capable of competing with these teams we无毛视频檙e playing on Friday nights. They无毛视频檙e just stronger than us and it shows. You got physically beat. You无毛视频檝e got to accept it and come back next week and practice harder.无毛视频�