In command
Colonials ride workmanlike effort to 46-10 win over Uniontown
YORK RUN 鈥� Albert Gallatin took command from the outset.
The Colonials scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and rode a workmanlike effort to a 46-10 victory over rival Uniontown in a matchup of Fayette County independent football teams Friday night at AG.
Adam Pegg had seven carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns and Tee Guesman churned out 100 yards and a TD on 14 attempts in a balanced ground attack as Albert Gallatin improved to 5-0 on the season and extended its school-record winning streak to eight.
Pegg also caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Bronx Jamison who added eight carries for 60 yards and Roman Smith ran the ball eight times for 47 yards and a pair of TDs.
鈥淵ou always want to think you鈥檙e going to win some games but I can鈥檛 say I saw us winning our first five this year and now eight in a row since last season,鈥� AG coach Drew Dindl said. 鈥淲e lost some good players from last year but this group, the work those kids put in this offseason, this summer, it鈥檚 paying off and you鈥檙e seeing that right now.鈥�
The Red Raiders (2-3), in their first year under coach Tim Bukowski and having lost a wealth of talent from last season, played admirably in defeat.
Uniontown was outmanned in the trenches and had several potential big plays on offense ruined by dropped passes but never threw in the towel even after falling down 34-0 at halftime.
鈥淭heir offensive line was very physical, big kids, strong,鈥� Bukowski said of the Colonials. 鈥淭hey run that offense well.
鈥淚 told our kids at halftime not to quit and they didn鈥檛. They came out and battled even though we were down big. That鈥檚 all we can ask at this point. We have a long way to go.鈥�
Uniontown also was without starters David Settles and Michael Thomas.
鈥淭wo two-way starters who are captains,鈥� Bukowski pointed out. 鈥淲e were down to our third running back.鈥�
Albert Gallatin took the opening kickoff and marched 60 yards in four plays capped by Smith鈥檚 2-yard touchdown plunge. Sam Evans, who was four of six on extra-point attempts, made the PAT for a 7-0 lead. The march was highlighted by a 23-yard run by Guesman and a 28-yard run by Pegg.
The Red Raiders went three and out but a 52-yard punt by Hunter Smithburger put AG back at its own 33.
Undaunted, the Colonials covered the 67 yards in eight running plays with Smith accounting for the last 10 on a TD that made it 14-0.
Guesman grabbed a tipped Brayden Hinzy pass for an interception two plays later and returned the ball to the Uniontown 8. Pegg darted around left end two plays later on a 3-yard TD run and it was 21-0 after one quarter.
The Colonials went up 28-0 after a seven-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that began early in the second quarter and featured runs of 22, 15 and the final 11 for the score by Pegg.
Albert Gallatin went with the quick strike the next time it got possession with Jamison hooking up deep with Pegg on a 52-yard touchdown pass as the hosts went up 34-0.
鈥淥ur kids were ready,鈥� Dindl said. 鈥淲e practiced for every kind of defense we might see. We were pretty balanced running the ball which we usually are. We just kind of wore them down a little bit and chewed up the clock pretty well.鈥�
The Colonials invoked the mercy rule with a 10-play, 77-yard drive in the third quarter that Guesman ended with a 2-yard touchdown run and a 40-0 advantage.
The Red Raiders responded with their biggest play of the game as Gavin Radford returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards to the AG 4. The Colonials鈥� defense stiffened but Nick Smith booted a 25-yard field goal to get the visitors on the board on the final play of the third quarter.
Uniontown鈥檚 Harry Evans recovered an Albert Gallatin fumble early in the fourth quarter on the Colonial 46 and the Red Raiders moved 54 yards in eight plays for their lone touchdown on Hinzy鈥檚 17-yard pass to Marcus Evans. The drive included a 17-yard run by Taylor Galloway.
The game ended in spectacular fashion as the Colonials鈥� Bobby Panos corralled the ensuing kickoff at the 1-yard line and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. The extra point wasn鈥檛 attempted.
It was Panos鈥� second kickoff return for a score this season.
Galloway led Uniontown in rushing with four carries for 36 yards and Tayshawn Jackson added 10 carries for 30 yards. Evans had two receptions for 28 yards and a score and Nate Hice had a pair of catches for 10 yards.
Hinzy completed 6 of 20 passes for 36 yards with one TD and one interception but his stat line could鈥檝e been much better if not for several well-thrown passes not being secured by his receivers.
That was a concern for Bukowski.
鈥淲e dropped a lot of balls in the first half that were wide open,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur quarterback made some really nice throws. We had guys there and they just didn鈥檛 make the plays. When you do that you tend to put your heads down. I think there was a stretch where we dropped five in a row and two would鈥檝e been touchdowns.
鈥淕uys have got to make plays. We鈥檝e been throwing the ball around a lot all year. When you have opportunities for big plays you鈥檝e got to make them.鈥�
Dindl sees potential in the Red Raiders, however.
鈥淭hey played hard. They鈥檙e going to be OK,鈥� Dindl said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 got some things brewing and he鈥檚 going to get them right. They had a good game plan.鈥�
Uniontown also did not commit a penalty as all three flags that were thrown went against AG for 20 yards in a cleanly played game.