PENNSYLVANIA FOOTBALL Western Beaver beats Union in OT

Big plays and big calls played big roles in the 20-14 decision in overtime.
BY ERIC POOLE
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
INDUSTRY, Pa. -- Western Beaver High defeated Union 20-14 in overtime, but the Golden Beavers couldn't have done it without some help, from running back D.J. Frye, from the Scotties and even from the guys in the striped shirts.
"I hate to sound like a crybaby, but it's a shame when a referee's call determines the game," said Union (2-6, 1-5 Big Seven) coach Stacy Robinson.
The call Robinson was referring to came with 2 minutes, 2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Golden Beavers (4-4, 3-3) trailing 14-8 and facing a 3rd-and-8 on the Union 40.
Western Beaver quarterback Brenton Colbert rolled out and threw what appeared, at least to the Union players and coaching staff, to be an incomplete pass at the Union 20.
Ruling: But officials ruled it a catch and then tacked a 10-yard unsportsman-like penalty against the Scotties for arguing too strenuously. On the next play, Colbert hit Zach Acon on a 10-yard scoring toss, which tied the score.
But that was hardly the only crucial play of the contest.
Western Beaver's scoring drive began at its own 10-yard line after a 60-yard punt by Union's Shawn Cartwright. But the Golden Beavers crawled out of that hole after a 16-yard run by Frye, who led all rushers with 239 yards on 30 carries.
James Gunn paced the Scotties with 18 attempts for 18 yards.
Another penalty: The officials tacked another 15 yards onto Frye's run for unsportsman-like conduct, when a Union player threw a Western Beaver player to the ground long after the play had ended.
Union contributed 25 yards in penalties to Western Beaver's 90-yard drive.
"Most games, when you come off the field you remember the two or three big plays in a game," said Western Beaver coach Rich Niedbala. "But I can't remember all the big plays in this game.
It was a big pass play by Union late in the second quarter that helped open the scoring, but in an unusual fashion.
Bondi, who completed 4-of-14 passes for 90 yards, hit Cartwright in stride for a 49-yard reception to the Western Beaver 2.
"I tell him, 'Sometimes you've got to drop the ball in the chimney,' and that one fell in perfectly," said Robinson.
Lost the ball: On the next play, Union lost the ball in a goal-line pileup and Western Beaver recovered.
But the Golden Beavers fumbled the ball right back on the very next play and Dante Napier recovered in the end zone to make the score 6-0.
That score stood until the second play of the fourth quarter, when Frye scored on a 40-yard run and picked up the two-point conversion, giving Western Beaver an 8-6 lead.
Union running back Eric Stoner had the next big play, a 43-yard run to the Golden Beavers' 15.
Two plays later, the Scotties scored on a screen pass from Bondi to Evan Fennell. That same combination linked up for a successful conversion to make the score 14-8.
Extra session: In overtime, Union won the toss and deferred possession. Justin Kukruda, who had two carries, both in the overtime, went in from the 2-yard line for the winning points.
Union failed to convert on its possession, with three incomplete passes and a third-down intentional grounding penalty.
"Chalk this one up in the frustration column," said Robinson. "We make mistakes and shoot ourselves in the foot."