Union breaks through for first win of the season in 21-0 decision over Mountain View

A pregame challenge from Union football coach Steve Pyne was answered by Titans players at a most opportune time.

Union was well on its way to a 21-0 win over rival Mountain View on Friday at McKenzie Stadium when the Thunder marched down the field late in the third quarter, threatening to cut into the Titans’ three-score lead.

Mountain View’s Jaden Brown moved the chains with a 16-yard run down to Union’s 1-yard line. Then, the Titans stuffed back-to-back run plays for no gain. On third and goal, Union safety Chase Lofton perfectly read a Thunder run and made a 4-yard tackle for loss.

“I was just really proud of them — they were working hard,” said Lofton, a senior, of his teammates. “I was like, ‘hey, one play at a time.’ We were just working, all there together.”

When a Mountain View pass fell incomplete on fourth down, the Titans made arguably their strongest statement of the evening.

“Before the game, I’m like, ‘if I ask you to play your absolute hardest one time, one play, could you do it?'” Pyne recalled. “They’re all like, ‘yeah,’ so I said, ‘OK, if I asked you to do it again, could you do it?’ And they’re like, ‘yeah.’ So that was kind of our mantra tonight — one time — and really, I think, that kind of showed down there on that goal-line stand.”

Shutdown defense and a handful of big plays through the air helped the Titans (1-2) grab their first win of the season under Pyne, who took over at Union in February after 21 seasons at Portland’s Central Catholic High School, a run that included five Oregon Class 6A state titles.

But change doesn’t happen overnight in a new program, even with a veteran coaching staff leading the way. The Titans understand the process is gradual, so after back-to-back losses against Evergreen and Woodinville to open the season, players and coaches said spirits remained high this week in practice.

“(We have) a lot of momentum. We’ve been working this offseason, these last few weeks just trying to build up that culture (and) break through,” Lofton said. “We finally broke through today. It’s been real special. I saw all my young guys, they were working, just grinding, scoring touchdowns and I was really proud of them tonight.”

Union scored touchdowns on three straight drives across the second and third quarters, a run that started with another stand in Mountain View’s red zone.

Just two plays after Union’s Elijah Brooks sacked the Thunder on fourth and goal, Titans quarterback Blake McDonald threw over the middle to an open Ali Choumane and watched as the junior receiver outran the defense for an 85-yard touchdown.

Union added a 3-yard Adam Olson touchdown run with one minute left in the half, only made possible by a fourth-and-22 conversion on the previous play when McDonald aired out a 33-yard pass for receiver Kaden Bozovich.

The call may have looked like a gamble on the surface, but from that spot on the field, Pyne believed it was the correct one. The Titans proved him right.

“Analytics will tell you you’re going to have a net of 18 yards on the kick, it’s most likely going to go in the end zone, and the way our defense was playing, I thought if we can get down and punch one in before halftime, that’s a huge momentum swing for us,” Pyne said.

A 14-0 halftime lead and receiving the second-half kickoff gave the Titans the cushion they needed.

In their longest scoring drive of the game, McDonald moved the ball down the field with completions to Lofton and Bozovich, then hit Tobias Chappell for a 13-yard touchdown.

“Blake definitely had a good game today. He got more confident,” Lofton said. “We’ve been working on that all week, and it paid off.”

Although it’s only one win in a long season, the Titans were rewarded with a result they worked a long time for. It’s a feeling they hope can lead them forward.

“We’ve got momentum now,” Lofton said.

UNION 21, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0

Mt. View 0 0 0 0—0

Union 0 14 7 0—21

Second quarter

U — Ali Choumane 85 pass from Blake McDonald (Canaan Moore kick)

U — Adam Olson 3 run (Moore kick)

Third quarter

U — Tobias Chappell 13 pass from McDonald (Moore kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING —Mountain View: Jaden Brown 20-106, Bryson Vance 3-(minus 10), Dylan Huber 1-3, Christiaan Meushaw 2-1, Cashton Liedtke 5-9, Ayden Cummings 1-0; Union: Blake McDonald 6-3, Adam Olson 8-30, Alijah Torres 2-10, Chase Lofton 4-5, Ali Choumane 1-0, Team 2-(minus 27).

PASSING — Mountain View: Bryson Vance 2-11-2-20, Cashton Liedtke 5-8-1-24; Union: Blake McDonald 10-16-0-198.

RECEIVING — Mountain View: Dallas Hobbs 1-16, Tre’von Hughes-Farmer 2-9, Dylan Huber 2-7, Caden Reinebach 2-12; Union: Kaden Bozovich 3-58, Chase Lofton 2-23, Tobias Chappell 2-21, Ali Choumane 2-88, Rylan Stevison 1-8.