Ringgold overpowers Red Raiders, 46-6
Ringgold got control early and pulled away late.
Nick Stasko and Christian Lowther both rushed for over 100 yards and the Rams out-scored Uniontown 26-0 in the second half on their way to a 46-6 victory in a Class 4A Big Six Conference Thursday night football game at Joe Montana Stadium.
Stasko led a Ringgold ground game that churned out 366 yards with 13 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown and Lowther found the end zone three times in racking up 101 yards in 16 attempts.
The Rams, who improved to 2-0 in the conference and 4-3 overall, controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, to the dismay of Uniontown coach Tim Bukowlski.
“We’re struggling up front. It’s obvious,” said Bukowski, whose team fell to 0-2 in the conference and 3-4 overall.
“It’s not one guy. We’ve tried different guys, we’re just not matching up good with anybody up front. We can’t get any push from the line so it’s tough to run the football. If you can’t run the football …”
The Red Raiders’ lone score came on an 87-yard gallop by Marcus Evans but the rest of the team combined for minus-seven yards rushing. With its running game stifled for the most part, Uniontown quarterback Brayden Hinzy was under constant pressure. He completed 5 of 11 passes for 31 yards with two interceptions before leaving the game with an arm injury early in the fourth quarter.
“It’s his tricep on his right arm, not the throwing arm, we’re hopeful it’s nothing serious,” Bukowski said. “The last two weeks he’s taken a lot of punishment. He’s getting a little bit happy feet because he’s getting beat up back there.”
It didn’t take long for Ringgold to seize the lead.
Cam Trilli returned the opening kickoff 24 yards to the Rams 48. After a 10-yard penalty against the Red Raiders, Lowther ran for 19 yards and then 23 yards for a touchdown with Bill Cameron’s extra point making it 7-0 just 56 seconds in.
Uniontown picked up two first downs on its first drive before punting and seemed to get a huge defensive play during Ringgold’s second possession when Taylor Galloway intercepted a long pass by Jase Trumpe around midfield. The turnover was wiped out by a 15-yard Uniontown penalty so instead of the Red Raiders taking over at midfield, Ringgold wound up with a first down at the Uniontown 49.
“We had a big interception then, of course, we have a personal foul,” Bukowski said. “That hurts. You’ve got the football on their side. You think maybe you can make something happen there. Then you see a late flag and we roughed the quarterback.”
The Red Raiders defense thwarted the drive thanks to Gavin Radford who tackled Demetri Lowe two yards short of a first down after he gathered in a pass from Trumpe on a fourth-and-4 play from the Uniontown 43.
The Rams forced a three-and-out and then put together a 10-play, 64-yard drive highlighted by Trumpe’s 38-yard completion to Dennis Hawkins III and capped by Lowther’s 3-yard run for a 14-0 lead with 5:03 left in the second quarter.
Uniontown’s lone score came two plays later on second and 17 with Evans finding a seam and sprinting 87 yards out of a wildcat formation for a touchdown to get the visitors within 14-6.
“We just try to get the ball in his hands any way we can,” Bukowskii said of Evans, who has scored 12 touchdowns this season. “Once he gets through, there’s nobody going to catch him. He’s got elite speed.”
The junior wide receiver was shut down in the passing attack.
“We couldn’t give him the football through the air because our quarterback’s on his back,” Bukowski said. “We just had to let him take it himself.”
The Rams fired right back with a four-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that Stasko finished off with a 31-yard run and Ringgold took a 20-6 lead into halftime.
Uniontown had an opportunity to make it a one-score game as it received the kickoff to start the third quarter but a seven-yard loss and a fumbled snap foiled the drive.
The Rams crossed up the Red Raiders on their first offensive play of the second half with Lowe throwing a 38-yard pass to Ashton Mincin to the Uniontown 1. Lowther was swarmed over for a 2-yard loss on first and goal but scored on a 3-yard run the next play as the lead increased to 26-6.
Ringgold got the ball right back when it recovered an onside kick and they advanced to the Uniontown 7. The Red Raiders held as Trumpe’s fourth-down pass in the end zone for Hawkins was broken up by David Settles.
The Rams’ defense responded with a big play of its own three snaps later when Trilli intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown to up Ringgold’s advantage to 33-6 with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
Ringgold again pounced on an onside kick at the Uniontown 49 which led to a 7-yard touchdown pass by Trumpe to Hawkins for a 39-6 lead.
“I get it. They found something and they took advantage of it,” Bukowski said of the two onside kicks. “That’s on us to put better people up there that are more athletic to make those plays. We’ll have to fix that.”
Uniontown moved into Ringgold territory on its next possession when Anthony Sheffey alertly pulled in a reception off a deflection for a 29-yard gain to the 40 but it came with a price as Hinzy was hit hard as he delivered the pass and left the game.
Ringgold capped the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run by Lowe on a reverse with 4:17 left in the game.
Bukowski further addressed Uniontown’s problems in the trenches.
“We tried different people to start the first half. We switched them back in the second half. It didn’t matter,” Bukowski said. “They beat us up front, both ways. We’re not physical enough to beat good teams. The physicality of the game, they took it to us I thought.”
Bukowski saw some positives as well.
“They didn’t quit on us,” he said. “They made some plays. But we’ve got to buckle up and try to get better. We’re O-2 in the conference and it doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got Chartiers Valley coming up and then South Fayette right after that.
“I told them after the game, just stick together. When things go bad, don’t point fingers. Just come back to practice Monday with a good attitude and go to work.”
Bukowski is hoping the extra day off will benefit his players.
“It’s probably good to let them get away from football for the weekend and clear their minds,” Bukwoski said. “Then, hopefully, we come out and battle next week.”