Mustangs down Red Raiders
Laurel Highlands is looking forward to the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs after sewing up a share of second place in the Keystone Conference with a 24-8 victory over Uniontown at Bill Power Stadium on Friday night. The youthful Red Raiders, on the other hand, are sincerely looking forward to next year.
Freshman running back Anthony Jacobs rushed for 100 yards, and Randy Rankin pulled in a back-breaking 64-yard touchdown reception and picked off two passes as the Mustangs improved to 4-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
“Every team you coach is special,” said Buehner, who clinched his first trip to the postseason with a win at Albert Gallatin last week. “When we played in Quad-A for years there were several times we had a better record than this team does and didn’t make it (to the playoffs).
“But it’s extra special when you have a team that goes to the playoffs. These kids earned it. I told them after the game that I love them.”
Laurel Highlands tied with Belle Vernon for second place. The Leopards, however, will be rewarded a home playoff game next week due to their victory over LH, meaning the Mustangs will be on the road. Still, Buehner’s squad matched the Mustangs’ highest conference finish in school history.
“We want to savor this victory for a little while, but not too long because now we have to get back to work for a playoff game,” Buehner said.
The WPIAL pairings meeting will be held on Monday.
The Red Raiders (1-8, 1-5) will not play a 10th game next week, but are already looking forward to next year.
“We’re young all around,” Uniontown coach John Fortugna said. “Patience is the No. 1 thing you need to have with a team like this. We have a sophomore quarterback (Doogie Sanner) who has been put in some tough situations, but he’s learning. A lot of young players got a lot of experience this year.
“The thing I like about this team is they kept fighting all the way, all year, even in this game. They haven’t quit. We can’t wait to get started for next season.”
Laurel Highlands, which features one of the WPIAL’s leading passers in Dan Pegg in addition to Rankin, came out running the ball on its first drive.
With Jacobs and Pegg doing most of the damage, LH took 7:50 off the clock with a 14-play, 72-yard drive capped by Pegg’s 1-yard sneak for the touchdown. Pegg’s only pass of the drive was a 31-yard completion to Michael Pegg.
The Mustangs marched downfield again on their second possession, but this time Uniontown’s defense stiffened on first-and-goal from the 2, forcing LH to settle for a 17-yard field goal by Alex Russell for a 10-0 lead.
The score stayed that way until a two-play sequence in the third quarter put the Mustangs in complete control.
Facing a third-and-12 play at the LH 36, Pegg lofted a deep pass to Rankin, who leaped high in out-maneuvering two Uniontown defenders to make the catch at the Red Raider 30, then hit the ground running and sprinted into the end zone to put the Mustangs up 17-0.
“That was called ’88 stay,'” Rankin said in recalling the play. “I saw it was double coverage and when I looked up I lost the ball in the lights for a second. Then I found it, made an adjustment, caught it, and turned on the afterburners.”
“We had the coverage. The kid just made a great play,” Fortugna said.
On the ensuing kickoff Uniontown fumbled the return with Adam Chiplaskey recovering for LH at the Red Raider 13. Jacobs scored on a 3-yard run four plays later and Russell added his third extra-point kick on the night to make it 24-0.
Uniontown kept battling and finally got a break late in the third quarter when William Close intercepted a pass at the LH 21. Daylen McLee scored on the next play, and Sanner connected with John Farrell for the two-point conversion pass to set the final score.
Pegg completed 5 of 12 passes for 120 yards. Rankin caught three of those for 81 yards. Laurel Highlands came up with four turnovers, including an interception by Stephen Lewis.
Sanner, who was harassed all night, connected on 4 of 17 passes for 87 yards. Kevin Sanders, who is among the WPIAL reception leaders, pulled in three of those tosses for 54 yards. Bobby Holt had an interception for the Red Raiders.