Oct 16, 2004 By Dave Stofcheck 4 min read

With the game against Albert Gallatin ever so close to slipping away, Uniontown’s Kevin Sanders single-handedly turned the tide. Literally.

Sanders’ one-handed spectacular grab of a Steve Kezmarsky third-down pass kept alive a Uniontown scoring drive midway through the second quarter, and served as the catalyst in the Red Raiders’ come-from-behind 27-20 victory Friday night at Bill Power Stadium.

With the game tied at 20, Uniontown marched 80 yards in 13 plays and scored the winning touchdown with 1:30 remaining when Mike Wilson scored on a second-and-goal play from four yards out.

The touchdown helped the Red Raiders (2-6, 1-5) snap a six-game losing streak and complete a rally from a 13-0 deficit. It also knocked Albert Gallatin out of playoff contention. Playing for little more than pride after a loss to Derry last week ended the Red Raiders’ postseason hopes, Uniontown closed out the home portion of its schedule on a high note.

“It was very tough to keep the kids focused after we knew we couldn’t make the playoffs, but it helped that we were playing a Fayette County team,” said Red Raiders coach John Fortugna. “The kids know each other and they wanted to compete to see who is best.”

For at least the first quarter, that looked to be Albert Gallatin. The Colonials (1-7, 1-5) raced out to a 13-0 lead, scoring on their first two possessions. Quarterback Nate Turner scored twice in the game’s first 9:16 as the Colonials jumped on the hosts early.

But Uniontown eventually started moving the ball, and put its first points on the scoreboard after an 11-play, 55-yard drive that began with 6:48 remaining in the first half.

The key play of the drive, and perhaps the game, occurred when Uniontown faced a third-and-nine from Albert Gallatin’s 43-yard line. Kezmarsky dropped back to pass, scrambled to avoid being sacked not once, but twice, and eventually let fly a pass in Sanders’ direction.

The sophomore wide receiver somehow managed to pull the ball in despite double coverage and despite getting just one hand on the pigskin.

Six plays later, Malcolm Jacobs scored from one yard out to pull Uniontown to within 13-7.

“He saved me on that play,” Kezmarsky said of Sanders’ sensational grab. “That one play pretty much turned the momentum in our favor.”

The Red Raiders tied the game on their first possession of the second half after forcing the Colonials three and out. Wilson ripped off a 49-yard run to the Albert Gallatin 9, and two players later, Nick Nerakata bulled in from three yards out to tie the game.

Nerakata found yardage tough to come by the entire game, needing 22 carries to amass 58 yards. But three Uniontown backs combined for 179 yards, and more importantly, didn’t put the ball on the carpet.

Kezmarsky, meanwhile, completed six of his last nine passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. On the game-winning drive, he scrambled for two first downs, both coming on third-down plays.

“He threw the ball well, and they ran the ball fairly well on us, which nobody has been able to do,” said Albert Gallatin coach Chuck Colborn.

Uniontown took the lead with an 11-play, 56-yard drive, which started after the Red Raiders recovered a Turner fumble. Kezmarsky barely converted a fourth-and-one play when he called his own number at the Albert Gallatin 31. Three plays later, he found Sanders again, this time for 15 yards on a third-and-nine play.

After Jacobs was held for no gain, Kezmarsky hit tight end Zack Sawka in stride as he bolted off the line of scrimmage, and Sawka rambled into the end zone from 14 yards out. Ryan Robowski’s point-after gave the hosts a 20-13 lead.

Albert Gallatin dodged a bullet when Turner fumbled for a second time on the Colonials’ next possession. Uniontown was unable to turn the miscue into points, and was stopped on a fourth-and-one call at the AG 19.

The Colonials then tied the game with a 10-play, 80-yard drive, the key play being a 29-yard pass from Turner to Brent Voithofer. Aaron Early’s six-yard run and Stephen Champlin’s point-after made it 20-20 with 8:53 remaining.

Albert Gallatin rolled up 287 yards of total offense, 245 coming via the ground. Tyler Jones carried 17 times for 83 yards, while Early finished with 81 yards on 14 attempts and Turner totaled 79 yards on 12 rushes.

But while Uniontown’s defense bent over the course of the game, the Red Raiders came up with big plays when they had to.

Two fumbles, an interception, a few dropped passes and seven penalties totaling 54 yards also led to Albert Gallatin’s undoing.

“We don’t know how to finish games,” Colborn said. “We’re not consistent enough in the things we do.”