The 2015 Mountain View Thunder got to experience something that no other Mountain View team has experience before: a win over Union.
Well, Preston Jones experienced a win over the Titans — when he was on the freshman team.
But Friday’s 46-28 steamrolling of Union was much bigger.
“I know freshman year we beat them,” Jones said. “So I was like I knew senior year we’d get them again. I’m just so proud of our team. Hopefully we can carry this going forward the rest of the season. The sky’s the limit for us.”
Jones rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns, including an 81-yard touchdown.
“Our lineman are good, a bunch of returners,” Jones said. “They’ve put a lot of hard work in. … We’ve got some really good linemen, and they’re only going to progress from this.”
That’s a scary thought for the rest of the 4A Greater St. Helens League, as the Thunder (3-0, 1-0 4A GSHL) rushed for 562 yards.
“It’s all about finding bubbles (in the Union defense),” Mountain View coach Adam Mathieson said. “We know Union is such a well-coached team that we just wanted to find space for our kids to make some plays.”
Taj Albeck rushed for 184 yards and a touchdown, Anthony Ramirez had 65 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Colin Biggs had a 96-yard scoring run.
“Running the ball is a huge thing,” Biggs said. “Our line is great. Our running backs are phenomenal and they just made open field plays.”
The defenses had some success in the first half as the Thunder took a 12-7 lead into halftime.
But Jones went 81 yards on the first play of scrimmage in the third quarter to put the Thunder up 19-7. After the defense gave the Thunder the ball back, Biggs broke free on his 96-yard run to make it 25-7.
Union freshman JoJo Siofele, who finished with 111 yards rushing and three touchdowns, helped cut the margin to 25-14 later in the third quarter.
But it did not matter as the Thunder scored on all five of their second-half possessions before running out the clock on their last one.
“We were very confident,” Jones said. “We knew we could outplay them any day. We have a really good squad this year, so I’m really excited.”
And the Thunder created a wonderful memory Friday at McKenzie Stadium.
“It feels great,” Biggs said. “We’re going to remember this for the rest of our lives, because they beat us five years straight so far. So to get this victory and to beat them by that much, it’s just great.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW 46, UNION 28
Union 0 7 7 14—28
Mtn. View 0 12 20 14—46
Second quarter
MV — Preston Jones 3 run (pass failed)
U — Jordan Lawson 1 run (Connor Culp kick)
MV — Jones 6 run (pass failed)
Third quarter
MV — Jones 81 run (Colin Biggs kick)
MV — Biggs 96 run (kick failed)
U — JoJo Siofele 11 run (Culp kick)
MV — Jones 5run (Biggs kick)
Fourth quarter
MV — Taj Albeck 12 run (Biggs kick)
U — Siofele 4 run (Culp kick)
MV — Anthony Ramirez 12 run (Biggs kick)
U — Siofele 3 run (Culp kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Union: Siofele 18-111, Rey Green 13-52, Christian Brick 1-1, Lawson 5-(minus-11); Mountain View: Jones 28-218; Albeck 23-184; Biggs 3-95; Ramirez 9-65.
PASSING — Union: Lawson 15-27-0-190; Mountain View: Biggs 1-1-0-11.
RECEIVING — Union: Keithen Shepard 8-96; Carter Clay 4-64; Nate Kuratli 2-20; Victor Muckerheide 1-10. Mountain View: Troy Pacheco 1-7.
