Union Local Locks Down Wheeling Central To Move To 5-0
Photo by Nick Henthorn Union Local's Brody Perzanowski rushes up the field Thursday at Jets Stadium against Wheeling Central.
Photo by Nick Henthorn Union Local's Brody Perzanowski rushes up the field Thursday at Jets Stadium against Wheeling Central.
Trending
MORRISTOWN -- The Union Local Jets finished off a perfect first half of their regular season before their home crowd on Thursday night, locking down the visiting Wheeling Central Maroon Knights and enjoying another spectacular day from senior running back Brody Perzanowski in a 24-13 victory.
Perzanowski's big day got started on the Jets' (5-0) very first play of the game. Taking the game's opening kickoff to his own 27 yard line seemed to be all the warming up Perzanowski needed, as he took an outside handoff around the edge and up the sideline, stiff-arming two pursuing Central defenders on his way to a 73-yard rushing touchdown to get Union Local's wire-to-wire victory started.
The Jets standout, now some 600 yards away from the OVAC rushing record, finished his Thursday with 203 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, as well as taking a second-quarter screen pass 43 yards to the house for his lone reception of the day.
The score indeed stood 6-0 after the first quarter-- Central's Dustin Sanner blocked the ensuing extra point attempt-- until Perzanowski hauled in a swing screen to quarterback Evan Poziviak's right, and followed his blockers before taking the play upon himself, reversing field nearly the entire length of the gridiron to maneuver his way to the end zone. With 4:34 to go before halftime, Union Local converted a two-point fake extra point, Kamdon Gordon connecting with a wide-open Karson Williams.
Wheeling Central waited until there was less than a minute left in the half to get on the board, and did it through their special teams. Freshman Wyatt Stephens fielded a Jet punt from his own 20-yard line and blazed through UL's coverage to the end zone, putting the Maroon back within striking distance going into the locker rooms, 14-7.
Wheeling Central's offense struggled to find traction at times Thursday. The Jets eliminated any downfield passing-- Central finished with 31 yards through the air. The Knights came into Thursday with plenty up their sleeve, playing most of the first half in empty sets with constant pre-snap motion on end-arounds and reverses, but Union Local appeared ready for that too, bottling up Central's offense, which did not score until midway through the fourth quarter on a Dustin Sanner 13-yard rush. Central failed their ensuing two-point attempt.
Sanner finished with 51 yards rushing and the score, while quarterback Nico Kusic ran for 49 yards. Central rushed for 157 yards as a unit, though 61 of those stripes came on two fourth-quarter runs in the same possession; a 30-yard tote by Kusic and a 31-yard rush by Stephens that set up Sanner's touchdown.
Perzanowski scored on a five-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, a score that put his team up 21-7. The touchdown was set-up by a 55-yard completion from Poziviak to Gordon.
Poziviak finished with 128 yards through the air, completing five of 10 passes.
Union Local's senior placekicker Jeff Bolon nailed a 32-yard field goal with 9:54 to play in the game, a score that put the Jets ahead 24-7 at the time.
Wheeling Central had two sacks Thursday, one apiece from Sanner and Kal El Wilkinson. Union Local's Brody Kerns came away with the Jets' lone sack of the night.
Wheeling Central, now 1-3, remains on the road next week when they face Monroe Central. Union Local travels to face Martins Ferry.