Unionville’s Trevor Gardiner chases down Kennett Quarterback Mitch Kosara during Friday night’s game. Jim Gill photo.
Boon scores 3 TD; Indians could clinch tie for league title next week
By Al Tustin, Staff Writer, The Times
EAST MARLBOROUGH — When Kennett drives the handful of miles up Route 82 to visit neighboring Unionville for a football matchup, the passions always run high.
While a battered and injured (2-6) Blue Demons’ squad battled the league-title contending Indians Friday night, they were no match for the first-place team, falling 42-7, in a contest that became increasingly chippy as both teams gave into frustration at times, committing unfortunate penalties.
For Unionville, (6-2, 4-0) the win puts them within one win — potentially next Friday at 0-8 Octorara — of clinching at least a piece of the ChesMont American league title. Two more wins (the regular season finale has the Indians hosting 2-6 Sun Valley on Nov. 6) and they win the league outright and gain a place in the Section One AAAA playoffs — with the possibility of a home game in the first round.
Although going into a game against the winless Braves next week, the Indians know what’s on the line.
Unionville’s Brandon Boon rushed for 158 yards and scored four times in the game. Jim Gill photo.
“If we win next week, at worst, we clinch a piece of the league championship,” Unionville head coach Pat Clark said. “Our kids are playing for something next week. We’re going to take them one at a time, but next week’s win guarantees us piece of it (the league title). So, we’re going to be focused and have a good week of practice.”
More than just a league title is on the line, too. Unionville was ranked 6th — 16 teams make the postseason and the top eight seeds earn home games. Even with two more wins, Unionville may need help to host a first round game, due to getting less power points from potential wins over AAA schools Octorara and Sun Valley. The Indians need to win out, likely, to make the field of 16.
For Kennett, what had been a difficult season already under first year coach Doug Langley got tougher coming into Friday night’s game with a number of starters injured and out of the lineup. That forced the Blue Demons to turn to freshman quarterback Mitch Kosara for the start. While Kosara played well, especially for a freshman, he, too appeared to get injured and forced Kennett into playing junior running back Myles Robinson — who rushed for 78 yards in the game — with a quasi-Wildcat offense for much of the second half.
Unionville’s Brandon Boon rushed for 158 yards on 11 attempts, scoring four touchdowns in the game. While the Indians were able to use their quick-strike offense to score both quickly and frequently, it was the team’s defense — forced to spend roughly 2/3rds of the game on the field — that bent but rarely broke. The Blue Demons gained just 222 yards, despite managing some 66 plays on offense.
Unionville’s Jason Hagen looks downfield on what would be a TD pass to Brandon Boon. Jim Gill photo.
Boon put Unionville on top to stay on the team’s first possession (after Kennett was held to a three and out). He raced 41 yards for a score and the high-powered Indians’ offense never looked back.
But Kennett — even as banged up as it was — came out with fire. The young Kosara engineered a drive deep into Unionville territory, using strong running out of the option offense, before stalling on the three — thanks to a flurry of strong Indians’ defensive plays. A missed field goal left the Blue Demons frustrated and still trailing 7-0. After an exchange of possessions, Boon capped a long drive, early in the second quarter, with a three-yard power run up the middle for a score — giving Unionville a 14-0 lead, a lead it would never surrender.
Following a Kennett fumble and a penalty — Clark pulled out his bag of tricks. QB Brendan Boyle threw a lateral pass to backup QB Jason Hagen, in at wideout. Hagen tossed a perfect strike to Boon for a 41-yard score. Despite a missed extra point, Unionville had a commanding 20-0 lead.
Boon set up another score before halftime with a long run, and the raced to the right off tackle for an 11-yard scoring run to make it 27-0, Unionville, effectively putting the game out of reach at the half.
Robinson did score a late TD on a one-yard run for Kennett in the second half to put them on the board.
