UNION 23, A-C VALLEY 20

Oct. 6, 2006

RIMERSBURG – Union won its first KSAC game in nearly four years and beat a District 9 opponent for the first time in over four years with a 23-20 win over visiting a-C Valley Friday night in Rimersburg.

The Golden Knights (2-4 overall, 1-4 KSAC) last won a conference game Oct. 20, 2002, when they beat West Shamokin, a District 7 member who is no longer in the conference, 20-6. Union’s last win over a District 9 foe was a 3-0 victory over A-C Valley Sept. 20, 2002. It is also Union’s first home win since the 2002 West Shamokin game.

And probably like it should be when ending a long streak, it wasn’t easy.

Union, which had lost 28 straight KSAC games, blew a 10-0 halftime lead only to rally from a 14-10 fourth quarter deficit to get the victory.

Zach Himes, who finished 6-for-12 passing for 146 yards, 1 one touchdown and one interception, gave Union the lead for good with a 15-yard scoring pass to Brett Moore with 5:12 left to play.

Union then made it 23-14 on a 9-yard scoring run by Colby Davis with four minutes left.

A-C Valley (0-5, 0-4) wasn’t quite finished, as Robbie Linamen returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to get the Falcons to within three points. Union squibed the kick to keep it away from Linamen, but the ball bounced to him and he raced down the right sideline for the score.

The Falcons then had a chance to win the game when they got the ball back with 53.5 seconds left. They moved to their own 47 in three plays, and then Brad Rembold hit Kyle Flick with a 42-yard pass putting the ball at the Union 11-yard with 10.6 seconds left.

A-C Valley, however, was out of time outs, and Rembold muffed the snap exchange as the Falcons rushed to get a play off ending the game.

Linamen had a hand in getting the Falcons, who have lost a D9 leading nine straight games, get back into the game returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter. On the play, the speedster appeared to be tackle in the middle of the field but bounced off a defender and found open space along the left side.

Later in the quarter, Mike Himes’ 2-yard touchdown run gave A-C Valley its first lead on the season 14-10.

Union was able to rally in the fourth quarter thanks to good field position.

Moore’s go-ahead touchdown catch was set by a 17-yard punt that gave the Knights the ball at the A-C Valley 26, and on the first play of the Falcons next possession they fumbled a reverse that set them back to their own 12-yard line – a 26-yard loss on the play. That set up a 29-yard punt return by Nate Boltz that gave Union the ball at the A-C Valley 9-yard line just before Davis’ touchdown.

Union built the 10-0 halftime leas thanks to a 5-yard Nate Boltz scoring run in the first quarter and a 31-yard Aaron Paulden field goal in the second.

The Golden Knights outgained A-C Valley 277 yards to 111.

Davis ran 28 times for 94 yards, including 18 for 65 in the second half, while Boltz had 14 totes for 47 and four catches for 87 yards.

Brad Rembold was 6-for-12 passing for 75 yards for A-C Valley, while Mike Himes ran 19 times for 56 yards and caught three passes for 19. Kyle Flick added three catches for 56 yards.

Brett Switzer had three sacks for Union.

A-C Valley 0-0-14-6 – 20

Union 7-3-0-13 – 23

U – Nate Boltz 5-yard run (Aaron Paulden kick), 4:08.

U – Paulden 31-yard field goal, 7:08.

A – Robbie Linamen 58-yard punt return (Brad Rembold run), 9:28.

A –Mike Himes 2-yard run (run failed), 2:18.

U – Zach Himes 15-yard pass to Brett Moore (Paulden kick), 5:12.

U – Colby Davis 9-yard run (kick blocked), 4:00.

A – Linamen 73-yard kickoff return (run failed), 3:46.

First Downs: 8; 16

Rushes-Yards: 31-36; 48-131

Passing Yards: 75; 146

Comp-Att-Int: 6-12-0; 6-12-1

Total Yards: 111; 277

Penalties-Yards: 7-45; 2-20

Punts-Avg: 6-28.3; 1-26

Fumbles-Lost: 5-1; 2-0

Passing – A-C Valley: Brad Rembold 6-for-12, 75 yards. Union: Zach Himes 6-for-12, 146 yards, TD, INT; Josh Holden 0-for-1.

Rushing – A-C Valley: Mike Himes 19-56; Rembold 9-4; Kyle Flick 1-3; Team 2(-27). Union: Colby Davis 28-94; Nate Boltz 14-47; Kasey Kriebel 1-11; Zach Himes 4(-19); Team 2(-2).

Receiving – A-C Valley: Flick 3-56; Mike Himes 3-19. Union: Boltz 4-97; Kriebel 1-34; Moore 1-15.

Interceptions – A-C Valley: Brandon Eiler.

Sacks: A-C Valley: Flick; Jared Burrows; Casey McBride. Union: Brett Switzer (3).