H.S. FOOTBALL: Bears knock off Tigers for first win of season

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September 15, 2012

H.S. FOOTBALL: Bears knock off Tigers for first win of season

By Dan Walk Meadville Tribune The Meadville Tribune Sat Sep 15, 2012, 12:51 PM EDT

UNION CITY — The odds were not in Union City’s favor during its Region 2 game versus Maplewood on Friday night at Bears Stadium.

The Bears were coming off last week’s forfeit loss to Mercyhurst Prep due to the lack of enough healthy players. On Friday, Union City had just 19 players in uniform and nine of them played all 48 minutes.

Union City even trailed 14-0 in the second quarter, 24-14 early in the fourth and 31-22 with fewer than seven minutes remaining. Yet, the Bears never quit.

Sophomore quarterback Brody Mangel and senior Josh Reinke hooked up for two touchdown passes during the final five minutes of the game to help short-handed Union City defeat Maplewood 34-31 on Friday.

How did they do it?

“With a lot of Band-Aids and tape,” Union City first-year head coach Randy Gunther said. “They played from their heart. I saw for the first time a desire to play this game. And if they just keep doing that, it doesn’t matter what else happens. We’re going to be just fine.”

Reinke, who amassed more than 200 yards on 23 touches and caught three touchdown passes and ran for one, said he grew tired of the things said about his team following last week’s forfeit. He wanted to prove that his team may be down but certainly isn’t out.

“This is huge after we had to quit a game last week,” Reinke said. “We had to deal with all this criticism, everyone talking down on us. I just wanted to come up today and shut them all up. We certainly did that tonight.”

Reinke carried the ball 16 times for 105 yards and caught seven balls for 106 yards for Union City (1-2, 1-1 Region 2). His last two catches went for 20-yard TDs with 4:47 and 2:44 left in the game.

“Josh has the ability to do that every week,” Gunther said. “We just keep asking him to do it and he keeps delivering. He’s our playmaker and everybody here knows it. However far he’s going to take us, we’re going to ride him.”

The Tigers (0-3, 0-2) had one last chance with 2:37 left in the game, but they were unable to move the ball on four plays and turned the ball over on downs.

Mangel rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries. He added a 9-for-15, 140-yard passing game. Mangel had four TD passes in the second half after going 1-for-4 with two interceptions in the first half.

Union City had success running the ball outside and throwing the ball deep into one-on-one coverage as the game transpired.

“They kept eight people in the box and we kept telling guys all week long if they stay there they can’t take care of the edges,” Gunther said. “And finally, we were able to get to the edges. ... That was the difference in the game for sure.”

Maplewood had a head full of steam at the start of the game. Ethan Moody scored from 30 yards out on the second play from scrimmage. Tigers quarterback Nate Klingler then hooked up with Josh Kohnen from 20 yards out to push Maplewood ahead 14-0 with 1:53 left in the first half.

Three plays into Union City’s ensuing drive, Mangel was falling to the ground as he optioned the ball to Reinke, who scampered for a 40-yard score with 48 seconds left in the first half.

Thanks to a 52-yard kickoff return by first-year senior Austin Kinney, Union City was in prime position to start the second half. Reinke was then wide open when he caught a 33-yard TD pass on fourth-and-seven.

Maplewood was quick to answer after a huge 39-yard pass from Klinger to Noah Marvin. Two plays later, Kohnen scored from seven yards away.

A turnover on downs by Union City was followed by a short drive from Maplewood that stalled at the 7-yard line. Justin Dahl then kicked a 20-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 24-14 Tigers.

Back came the Bears, who received big plays by Reinke on the ground before Mangel completed an 8-yard touchdown pass with Kinney to make it 24-22. But the Tigers quickly added seven more points of their own when Logan Battin scored from 75 yards out on a well-timed screen pass.

After Union City cut the deficit to 31-28, Kohnen tried to pitch the ball to a teammate as he was returning the ensuing kickoff. The Bears jumped on the fumble and scored the go-ahead touchdown two minutes later.

“I have no idea how we pulled the game out,” Reinke said. “There’s no way I can explain it. It’s magic. It’s football.”

The Bears dedicated the game to former Union City coach and teacher Ed Margie, who died unexpectedly on Aug. 31.

“I think coach Margie was with us,” Gunther said. “I have no other way to explain it. I think coach put his hand on us tonight and we certainly are thankful for that.”

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H.S. FOOTBALL: Bears knock off Tigers for first win of season

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