Sep 1, 2002 By Rob Burchianti 4 min read

If the rest of the WPIAL thought Uniontown’s undefeated regular season was a fluke last year, Red Raiders running back Bill McLee had a message for such skeptics after his team’s 21-17 non-conference victory over West Mifflin on Friday night. “We’ve got more,” said McLee, who rushed for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score. “We’re not any one-year deal. We’re for real.”

Uniontown is certainly making a case for itself as a legitimate, perennial Class AAA power. The win ran the Red Raiders’ regular-season winning streak to 12 games with their last loss coming on Oct. 13, 2000 at Derry, 28-22. Uniontown also has won eight consecutive regular-season home games.

The Red Raiders will try to extend both of those streaks next week when they host Derry.

Uniontown’s 2002 squad was forced to show its mettle right away when it fell behind the Titans, another Class AAA power. The Red Raiders kept clawing their way back, however, and eventually seized control of the game.

“Our entire team and coaching staff should be commended for this win,” Uniontown coach John Fortugna said. “Everyone contributed. This was a very big win against a very good team.

“This is something to build on, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”

A fumble on Uniontown’s first possession led to a 35-yard touchdown run by Kevin Garner to put West Mifflin up 7-0.

Uniontown responded with its best drive of the day, a 13-play, 72-yard march that was capped by Ryan Guthrie’s quarterback sneak with 8:35 remaining in the second quarter.

The Titans answered with Matt Peterson’s 55-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage to surge back ahead, 14-7.

Peterson and Garner rushed for 101 and 80 yards, respectively.

The Titans had all the momentum when they forced Uniontown into an apparent three-and-out on its next possession. Red Raiders special teams coach Tim Tracy had other ideas, though. He called for a fake punt, and Fortugna boldly listened.

Later he was glad he did, as Guthrie took a direct snap from punt formation and found Matt Ciampanelli for a 30-yard completion for a first down at the West Mifflin 35. Six plays later McLee bulled his way into the end zone from five yards out and Uniontown was even again, 14-14.

“There’s certain things I look for in that situation, and I just thought it was there,” Tracy said of his reason for calling for the fake punt.

“It was a very gutsy call,” said Fortugna, who commended Tracy, and also offensive coordinator Bob Keys for his work with Guthrie. “Guthrie made a nice throw on that play. This was his first time under fire and I thought he showed a lot of poise tonight.”

West Mifflin retook the lead once more in the third quarter, 17-14, on Corey Rodgers’ 36-yard field goal.

Again, the Red Raiders fought back. Facing a second-and-15 play on their next possession, Guthrie lobbed a long pass down the left sideline for Junior Mayes, who made the catch and juked his way down to the Titan five-yard line.

“I think the play that really hurt us was that big pass,” West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo said. “That’s the play that finally put them over the top.”

McLee barreled into the end zone three plays later and Chris Gehron’s third extra-point kick put Uniontown in front for the first time, 21-17.

After a punt and a fumble ended its next two possessions, West Mifflin got one last chance when the Red Raiders fumbled with 47 seconds left. Two sacks and two incompletions snuffed out the Titans’ last gasp, though.

Uniontown’s defense, outside of the two long TDruns, allowed just 2.5 yards per play.

Allan David recovered a fumble and teamed up with Howie King for one of the Red Raiders’ three sacks, with the others coming from Alex Grote and Ciampanelli. Harry Kaufman also recovered a fumble.

McLee led a Red Raider ground attack with 57 yards. Todd Jackson and Greg Leonard contributed 37 and 36 yards, respectively.