Uniontown routs Carrick for 500th victory, 34-0
Uniontown rode a solid team effort to a historic football victory on Friday night.
Five different players found the end zone and the defense turned in a dominating effort as the Red Raiders romped over Carrick, 34-0, at Cupples Stadium to earn their program无毛视频檚 500th career win.
Notorious Grooms and Mike Thomas scored on punt returns, Cam Dugan and David Ranitu each ran for a touchdown and Dugan also threw a long TD pass to David Winfrey III as Uniontown won its second straight game to improve to 2-1.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a huge win, a great honor for the school,无毛视频� Red Raiders coach Keith Jeffries said of the milestone.
无毛视频淭here aren无毛视频檛 too many teams in the state that have 500 victories. It无毛视频檚 a pretty big accomplishment and just shows you the football tradition that无毛视频檚 been at the school for over 100 years.无毛视频�
Uniontown is the 25th WPIAL team to reach the 500-win mark.
The Red Raiders无毛视频� defense flexed its muscles, holding Carrick (0-3) to minus-13 yards on offense while recording six sacks.
无毛视频淭he whole defense in general played very well,无毛视频� Jeffries said. 无毛视频淭hey understood what we wanted them to do, they bought into the game plan and it showed.
无毛视频淚 thought Gary Smitley did a very good job on the d-line for us. He made a couple nice plays in their backfield. Kelan Milsom made a couple beautiful tackles where he knocked the ball loose. We forced some turnovers.无毛视频�
Uniontown无毛视频檚 defense harassed Raiders quarterback Zion Frye the entire game.
无毛视频淭hey threw the ball a lot,无毛视频� Jeffries said. 无毛视频淲e told them to be ready because their quarterback has a really good arm. We were able to get pressure on him and disrupt their offense.
无毛视频淭he kids have played well defensively the last two games. The only touchdown they无毛视频檝e given up was against our JV kids at the end of the Perry game. A shutout is a big accomplishment.无毛视频�
The Red Raiders scored the only points they would need when Dugan无毛视频檚 four-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 28-yard drive in the first quarter that was set up when Ranitu blocked a Carrick punt.
Uniontown无毛视频檚 defense pinned the Raiders deep in their own territory later in the quarter, forcing a punt from the back of the end zone that Grooms caught in stride and returned 28 yards for a touchdown. Ranitu kicked the second of his four extra points to make it 14-0.
The Red Raiders scored on another punt return early in the second quarter in an unusual way.
Connor Hebda partially blocked the punt which went bounding out to the Uniontown 32-yard line where Grooms gathered in the ball and advanced four yards. As Grooms was falling to the turf he alertly lateralled to Thomas who ran 28 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 advantage.
无毛视频淭ory made eye contact with Mike Thomas who was coming to try and help block and it was almost like an option pitch, and Mike took it the rest of the way,无毛视频� Jeffries said.
Uniontown无毛视频檚 defense set up its fourth score of the first half when Chase Brumley sacked Frye on a fourth-and-four play at the Carrick 49. That led to a five-play touchdown drive that Ranitu finished up with a 12-yard run for a 28-0 halftime lead.
The Red Raiders struck again in the third quarter when Dugan lofted a long pass that Winfrey pulled in for a 44-yard touchdown to set the final score.
Dugan threw for 90 yards with Winfrey accounting for 79 of those on two receptions.
Ranitu led the ground game with eight carries for 62 yards.
Uniontown will shoot for win No. 501 when it hosts Allderdice this Friday night.