Martins Ferry beats Uniontown in improbable meeting
Neither Uniontown nor Martins Ferry expected to be on the field together for Week Five of the high school football season.
A strange set of circumstances brought the two teams to Bill Cowher Stadium on Friday night after their original opponents backed out of playing on Wednesday.
Walkquem Cox had 15 carries for 172 yards and three touchdowns as the Purple Riders out of Ohio rolled to a 59-13 victory over the Red Raiders.
No matter what the outcome, both coaches were just happy to play a game.
鈥淚鈥檝e been coaching 34 years. It鈥檚 a first,鈥� Uniontown coach Tim Bukowski said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen it before where you鈥檙e preparing during the week for one opponent and then, boom, you鈥檙e playing somebody else the next day.
鈥淭hey had to do the same.鈥�
The Red Raiders originally were to host Carrick, but after a stabbing took place at the school on Wednesday officials there decided it in the best interest of the students and community to cancel the game.
Meanwhile Martins Ferry got word on Wednesday that Brownsville opted to cancel its scheduled trip there. The Purple Riders were set to hold their senior night.
Martins Ferry coach Justin Kropka echoed Bukowski鈥檚 comments.
鈥淚鈥檝e been coaching for nearly 30 years. I鈥檝e never experienced a week like that in my entire coaching career or my playing career for that matter,鈥� Kropka said. 鈥淲e had Brownsville originally scheduled and they called us on Wednesday night after practice and cancelled. Our kids were already gone. So then we had Windber signed, but then they couldn鈥檛 make it.
鈥淪o Thursday at one o鈥檆lock I called Uniontown and God bless them they bailed us out. I couldn鈥檛 have more respect for this place. Classy bunch of kids, classy coaches, a great stadium. We owe Uniontown a lot. I really appreciate what they did.鈥�
The Red Raiders might not have appreciated what Martins Ferry did to them on the field.
The Purple Riders (3-2) racked up 393 total yards to 138 for Uniontown and rolled to a 47-0 halftime advantage.
Martins Ferry took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs of 18 and 3 yards by Cox, then exploded for 34 points in the second.
Colby Kropka, the coach鈥檚 son, got the second-quarter barrage going with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Barnett at the 11:34 mark.
Martins Ferry then put up four touchdowns in a span of 4:14 starting with Cox鈥檚 3-yard run at 5:50.
Gunner Disher followed a minute later with a 27-yard interception return for a score and after a fumble recovery by Malachi Giles, Javis Johnson Jr.鈥檚 3-yard run two plays later made it 40-0.
After a high punt snap gave the Purple Riders the ball at the Uniontown 2-yard line, Disher plowed in on the next play to give the visitors a 47-0 halftime lead.
鈥淎t halftime I told them go out and have fun,鈥� Bukowski said. 鈥淧lay football. Don鈥檛 do anything stupid. Keep your heads.鈥�
Uniontown got on the board after Marcus Evans recovered a fumble on the Martins Ferry 24-yard line. Tayshawn Jackson covered that in two carries of 19 and 5 yards and Nick Smith鈥檚 extra point made it 47-7.
Martins Ferry answered with 1-yard touchdown runs by Derek Lucas late in the third quarter and Cole Patterson with 3:27 left in the game. The Purple Riders took a knee on a two-point conversion try after both of their final two touchdowns.
The Red Raiders capped the scoring with Zyon Hope鈥檚 exhilarating 77-yard kickoff return after Patterson鈥檚 TD.
Coach Kropka was pleased at the way his players responded to such a less-than-ideal scenario.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a veteran group so it was a little easier to handle all that happened because of that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey dealt with the situation fantastically. We watched some film on these guys last night and had a special five o鈥檆lock practice so we could get the game plan together. It was like cramming for a test.
鈥淏ut they handled it beautifully. I鈥檓 very proud of them.鈥�
Colby Kropka threw just four passes but completed three of them for 82 yards and a touchdown. Johnson had seven carries for 66 yards and Patterson ran the ball four times for 60 yards.
The Red Raiders were again hurt by their inability to hold onto the ball for potential big plays on pinpoint passes by Brayden Hinzy, who still completed 7 of 19 throws for 121 yards, although he was intercepted three times, once each by Disher, Barnett and Johnson.
鈥淓very game we seem to drop a big pass where we鈥檙e wide open and we should score,鈥� Bukowski said.
Cam Dugan led Uniontown with three receptions for 75 yards, Jackson had two for 28 and Evans and Nate Hice had one catch apiece for 10 and seven yards, respectively.
Jackson had nine carries for 37 yards to lead a Uniontown ground game that was limited to 17 yards as its other six rushing attempts resulted in minus-20 yards.
鈥淚t鈥檚 physicality right now,鈥� Bukowski said. 鈥淗onestly, 75 percent of this is physicality. We need a weight program. That鈥檚 two weeks in a row we just got physically manhandled.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just not physically capable of competing with these teams we鈥檙e playing on Friday nights. They鈥檙e just stronger than us and it shows. You got physically beat. You鈥檝e got to accept it and come back next week and practice harder.鈥�