Union steamrolls Chiawana with big second half start

PASCO — When host Chiawana first took the field for this much anticipated 4A non-league game, the team collectively rushed through a sizeable paper banner that read, “They never saw us coming!”

After a tightly contested first half, however, nobody at Edgar Brown Stadium could have predicted seeing Union’s first-team offense go into clock-killing mode as swiftly as it did.

Union scored 28 points in less than six game minutes to start the second half, enjoying a 41-9 rout of Chiawana.

Lincoln Victor’s second touchdown pass got the second half scoring wave started, when he faked a read-option handoff and threw a slant pass over the middle to Joseph Siofele who sprinted 48 yards for the score.

When the Riverhawk offense subsequently went three and out, Darien Chase took the home team’s punt 76 yards down the sideline for another abrupt score.

“I caught it high, which made me a little nervous,” said Chase, who also caught a clutch touchdown pass on fourth and goal late in the first half. “But I got a good block from Tyler Summers. The kicker had a good angle, but I knew if I could get by him I had a chance. Then I was just praying for no flags.”

Chiawana never recovered.

Titans’ defensive back Justin Chin intercepted a pass just a few plays later and ran 32 yards to the Riverhawk 4-yard line. Isaiah Jones took the next handoff 4 yards for another score.

On Jones’ next handoff, he would go up the middle of the Riverhawk defense for 52 yards.

When asked about the feel of the locker room going into halftime, Titan head coach Rory Rosenbach felt confident moving the team forward.

“We had our best week of practice,” Rosenbach said after the game. “We steal a line from the Marines: Don’t rise up to your competition, but fall to the level of your training.

“They’re a great team. They gave us different looks in the first half. But our guys didn’t blink.”

Alishawuan Taylor added 4 sacks for the Titans.

UNION 41, CHIAWANA 9

Union 7 6 28 0–41

Chiawana 3 6 0 0– 9

First Quarter

C — Ryan Lowry 36 FG

U — Lincoln Victor 12 run (Christian Alcorn kick)

Second Quarter

C — Riley Cissne 10 pass from Preston Vine (kick blocked)

U — Darien Chase 7 pass from Victor (pass failed)

Third Quarter

U — Joseph Siofele 48 pass from Victor (Alcorn kick)

U — Chase 76 punt return (Alcorn kick)

U — Isaiah Jones 4 run (Alcorn kick)

U — Jones 52 run (Alcorn kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — Union: Nile Jones 12-44, Darien Chase 1-1, Isaiah Jones 11-95, Victor 4-39, Pierce Henricksbo 3-10, Alex Wood 1-4.

PASSING — Union: Victor 17-24-0-205, Chase 0-1-0-0, Thomas Dalgord 3-5-0-26

RECEIVING — Union: Chase 9-105, Siofele 1-48, Jones 1-3, Aidan Hoyt 1-9, Alex Vallejo 3-33, Lamont Lane 1-9, Alec Jackson 1-7, Josh Reznick 1-3, Zach Convey 1-12.