Union Area’s Bid for Title Comes Up Short 22-8

Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

Phil Myers | December 8, 2022

Braylon Thomas accounted for 134 yards and a touchdown for the Scotties.

The Union Area Scotties came up on the short end of the championship stick as they lost a tough, hard-fought game to the Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers Thursday afternoon.  This game was anybody’s game to win until the last five minutes and thirty seconds of the fourth when Steelton stretched their tenuous 13-8 lead to 22-8 thanks to a touchdown and safety within a minute and a half of each other.

The Scotties came out smoking and totally dominated the first quarter in yardage and time of possession.  The opening drive of the game found them getting to the one, but a penalty on the play backed them up to the 17 where the drive fizzled.  The second possession saw the Scotties at the Rollers’ 19, but a dropped pass on fourth down ended that drive.  Union’s head coach, Kim Niedbala said, “We had the ball down there (in the red zone) three times in the first half and couldn’t get it in.”

Steelton-Highspire initiated the game’s scoring when they drove 81 yards on 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead.  The big play of the drive, and possible turning point of the game, came on a third and sixteen position from the Roller 13-yard line.  Alex Erby, the talented Steel High quarterback, dropped back and lofted a 39-yard pass to Jaeion Perry who leapt above the defender to come down with the ball.  From there the Union defense gave ground grudgingly, but the Rollers kept getting enough yardage to extend the drive.  Finally, Ronald Burnette ran three yards for the touchdown with 7:53 left in the half to give the defending state champs a lead they never relinquished.

Late in the half Union embarked on another drive that presented a scoring opportunity.  A couple of nice runs by quarterback Braylon Thomas put the ball at the Steamroller thirteen, but on second down from the ten Bamm Appleby intercepted Thomas’ pass in the end zone to thwart the Scotties’ third venture into the red zone.  The half ended with Steel High clinging to the one score advantage.  “They’re good up front.  They’re big and physical.  That’s probably the main thing,” Niedbala said when he was asked what he thought was the key to the game.

Steelton came out in the second half and drove to Union’s 37 before the Scottie ‘D’ came up with a huge 4^th down stop.  Union Area then got things going.  A little luck on a tipped fourth down pass that was caught by Maddox Thompson gave the Scotties life in Roller real estate.  Then a 30-yard third down pass to Dayne Johnke over the middle put the ball at Steel High’s inch-line.  Thomas called his own number and plunged in for the score to make it 7-6 Steelton at the 2:21 mark.  That completed the 14-play 63-yard drive for Union.  The 2-point conversion pass to Mike Gunn appeared to give the Scotties the lead, but an illegal shift nullified the play.  The second 2-point attempt was no good as the pass fluttered incomplete.

Steelton then answered with a score to go back on top by seven.  First, Perry returned the kickoff to Union’s 32.  Then with the help of a pass interference call, the Rollers scored three plays later when Burnette garnered his second touchdown, plowing in from the one pushing the lead to 13-6 after the missed PAT.

A nice punt by Thomas was downed by his Scottie teammates at the Roller nine to begin the fourth and final quarter.  A couple plays later Erby was called for intentional grounding in the end zone which resulted in a safety and the shrinkage of Steel High’s lead to 13-8.  But ultimately Union could not take advantage and with 5:33 remaining Burnette tacked on his third touchdown of the game by scampering 19 yards to pay dirt.  A safety by Steelton at the 4:01 mark finished the game’s scoring, making it 22-8.

“I didn’t come from a 6A school (Mt. Lebanon) to a 1A school just to coach, I knew what they (Union Area) had.  They have some athletes.  We return most of our skill players including Thomas and some linemen next year.  Obviously, I’m proud of these kids.  They’ve done a lot of things they’ve never done before as far as football goes.  A lot of kids came out that hadn’t played since 7^th/8^th grade.  Our kids battled, that’s a good football team,” Niedbala commented after the game.

Click HERE for photo gallery.

SCORING SUMMARY
2nd Quarter				UAHS	SHHS
	TD	07:53	Ronald Burnette 3 YD RUN (Judah Hernandez kick). (13 plays, 91 yards, 5:34 T.O.P)	0	7
3rd Quarter				UAHS	SHHS
	TD	02:21	Braylon Thomas 1 YD RUN (Two-Point Conversion No Good). (14 plays, 63 yards, 6:17 T.O.P)	6	7
	TD	01:07	Ronald Burnette 1 YD RUN (Judah Hernandez kick missed). (3 plays, 16 yards, 1:14 T.O.P)	6	13
4th Quarter				UAHS	SHHS
	S	11:13	DEFENSIVE SAFETY	8	13
	TD	05:33	Ronald Burnette 19 YD RUN (Judah Hernandez kick). (7 plays, 54 yards, 3:04 T.O.P)	8	20
	S	04:02	DEFENSIVE SAFETY	8	22

Follow Phil Myers on Twitter: @Protime_PFN

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews