The specialists
Kickoff return for TD; onside recovery key in LH win over Uniontown
There were many 无毛视频渟pecial无毛视频� instances in Laurel Highlands无毛视频� 27-0 non-conference victory over Uniontown on Friday night in Week Zero play at Bill Power Stadium.
For starters, any win over their cross-town rivals is special for the Mustangs. In addition, the triumph was the first, in what he hopes is many, victories for Laurel Highlands head coach Aaron Raffle, who was making his debut for the Mustangs.
The 1991 graduate of Laurel Highlands was able to witness, first-hand, as the Mustangs took a 23-22 lead in the series between the two schools who are separated by less than two miles.
无毛视频淚 am glad to be a part of this and we finally caught them in the series,无毛视频� Raffle said. 无毛视频淚 thought we played a good, clean game. Of course, we have things to work on, but you always do, and we look forward to those teaching moments during the week to prepare for next Friday.无毛视频�
Everything that was 无毛视频渟pecial无毛视频� about Friday night for those associated with Laurel Highlands football may not have been possible if the Mustangs didn无毛视频檛 have two huge plays occur on special teams that turned a competitive game into a comfortable win.
Laurel Highlands has had Uniontown无毛视频檚 number in the last decade, as it won for a sixth time in a row Friday evening, but the Red Raiders battled in the first half and trailed 7-0 at the break.
Whatever Raffle and his staff said in the locker room worked because the Mustangs increased their lead to 13-0 after Nick Crouch took the second-half kickoff 88 yards into the end zone. Jackson Nairn made the first of three extra points for a 14-0 advantage at 11:44 of the third quarter.
Nairn pooched the ensuing kickoff high into the air and Scott McClay recovered at the Uniontown 29. Gio Guerriere无毛视频檚 three-yard touchdown run extended Laurel Highlands无毛视频� lead to 20-0 with 7:53 remaining in the third quarter.
无毛视频淚 was so excited about how we executed that play (the onside kick),无毛视频� Raffle said. 无毛视频淕etting our foot under us in the first half was kind of a big thing, and the fact that we didn无毛视频檛 break down and give everything up in that first half showed me something about these guys.无毛视频�
The Red Raiders had a penalty negate a solid kickoff return, and following David Settles 10-yard run, a penalty and two sacks by the Mustangs forced a punt. Settles gained 38 yards rushing on five carries.
Laurel Highlands went to work on its next drive, which was capped off by Guerriere无毛视频檚 two-yard run with 11:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. Guerriere was the game无毛视频檚 leading rusher with 72 yards on 11 attempts.
The drive started with LH quarterback Noah Lion passing to Alafia Calloway for five yards before McClay pulled in a 19-yard reception for a first down.
Guerriere gained 13 yards after receiving a pitch on the option from Lion and Crouch took a screen pass 21 yards to the Uniontown two-yard line before Guerriere capped off the drive.
Uniontown coach Tim Bukowski and his staff stressed the importance of tackling in the preseason, and the Red Raiders wrapped up the Mustangs on more than one occasion.
Uniontown无毛视频檚 Jacob Smith was a key contributor in sacking Lion several times and taking up a lot of space on the defensive line.
无毛视频淲e were able to get to him (Lion) a few times and I thought Smith had a nice game,无毛视频� Bukowski said. 无毛视频淭here were some positives out there.无毛视频�
Smith recovered a fumble at the Laurel Highlands无毛视频� 45 with 2:25 left to set up a final drive to get on the scoreboard.
Settles rushed for 16 yards and quarterback Brayden Hinzy ran for seven, but the Mustangs无毛视频� defense held the Red Raiders for a turnover-on-downs and a shutout.
Uniontown believed it had scored the game无毛视频檚 first points with 1:54 left in the first quarter after Hinzy flipped a lateral to Anthony Sheffey, who found Marcus Evans in the end zone for a touchdown, but the Red Raiders were penalized for a facemask and the drive stalled.
Taylor Galloway无毛视频檚 27-yard run on a jet sweep helped Uniontown enter Laurel Highlands territory.
无毛视频淚n the first half, we played them tough,无毛视频� Bukowski said. 无毛视频淲e had a touchdown called back on an odd call. The play worked, but we didn无毛视频檛 execute it all the way through.无毛视频�
Lion scored on a one-yard run with 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter. A key play on the drive that put the Mustangs in good position to score occurred when Lion connected with Josh Reed for a first down and the Red Raiders were penalized for roughing-the-passer, which moved the ball half the distance to the goal line.
Lion was 8 of 11 for 92 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Crouch caught two passes for 36 yards.
Uniontown was penalized seven times for 69 yards and fumbled six times. The Red Raiders were able to recover all six, and several came on snaps from the center to quarterback out of the shotgun formation.
无毛视频淚 thought we played very poorly up front,无毛视频� Bukowski said. 无毛视频淐redit to them, they were blowing up off the ball. We had several bad snaps and several missed assignments. If you don无毛视频檛 block, you are not going to score.无毛视频�
Laurel Highlands hosts Ambridge (0-1) next week while Uniontown plays Perry Traditional Academy (0-1) at Cupples Stadium in Pittsburgh.