Uniontown Lake 37 - Hoover 14
September 25, 2004
Blue Streaks defeats Hoover
Mike Popovich, Canton Repository
LAKE TWP. — 2004 Hoover vs Uniontown Lake Game Summary.
Lake’s A.J. Workman was given the green light to play Friday night. Like many other high school football teams, Hoover found the senior tailback tough to stop.
Workman showed no ill-effects from a nagging shoulder injury during the Blue Streaks’ 37-14 victory over the Vikings. He rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns in a little more than three quarters as Lake rebounded from last week’s loss at Jackson.
That was a tough game for Workman. The slight shoulder separation he suffered a week earlier at Wooster became inflamed and forced him out in the second half. He wore a sling on the sideline.
The coaches thought about sitting Workman out a couple of games as a precaution, but he received the OK to start practicing Wednesday.
“I felt good halfway through the week,” Workman said. “I had no pain. I had full range of motion. I was real confident.”
Workman carried the ball 29 times and left the game early in the fourth quarter after he scored his fourth TD. He rushed for 97 yards on 22 carries in the first half as Lake jumped to a 23-7 halftime lead.
“He has good vision, but his effort and toughness more than anything is what he brings to us,” Blue Streaks head coach Jeff Durbin said.
Workman did not carry Lake (4-1, 2-1) by himself.
Quarterback John Rutan completed 12-of-17 passes for 168 yards and a TD. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound senior threw for 121 yards in the first half, hitting six of his last seven attempts.
The return of Jameson Konz also boosted the Lake offense. The senior receiver missed the first four games with an injury. He caught a 26-yard TD pass from Rutan in his debut.
“It was definitely a big lift having him in and making some plays for us,” Rutan said. “He was real excited to get back out there.”
Lake outgained Hoover in total yards, 423-169. The Vikings were held to just 10 rushing yards on 19 carries.
“They played a complete game,” Vikings head coach Don Hertler Jr. said. “ … They block well, their quarterback makes plays, they have receivers who make plays, and Workman runs extremely hard. They’re very balanced.”
The Vikings (1-4, 1-1) grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Nathan Logan’s blocked punt gave Hoover a short field at the Lake 32. On fourth-and six, quarterback Jason Foote found Sean Kostelnik open in the end zone for an 18-yard score.
It was all Lake after that. The Blue Streaks scored on four straight possessions after the blocked punt.
Steve Menyes’ 21-yard field goal with 4:43 left in the first quarter cut Hoover’s lead to 7-3. After the Blue Streaks forced a three-and-out, Rutan and Workman led a 15-play, 65-yard scoring drive that put Lake up for good. Workman’s 1-yard TD with 8:03 left in the second quarter gave the Blue Streaks a 9-7 lead.
The Vikings were in an excellent position to regain the lead on their next possession. Kostelnik returned the kickoff to the Lake 43. But an intentional grounding penalty against the Vikings pushed them back in their own territory.
A short punt gave the Blue Streaks great field position at the Hoover 47. Rutan quickly put them in the end zone. His TD pass to Konz with 6:00 left in the first half made it 16-7.
The ensuing kickoff hit a Viking and was recovered by Konz at the Hoover 46. Workman’s 8-yard TD run eight plays later increased Lake’s lead to 23-7.
Workman added two scores in the second half. The Vikings scored on a 9-yard pass from Foote to Logan.
Source: fridaynightohio.com