It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Mount Union Trojans had no problem doing just that on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United] and snuck past 25-22.
Leading Mount Union to victory were Josh Ryan and Bryce Danish. Ryan rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns, while Danish rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.0 yards per carry. Danish was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards.
The team's defense also helped out by holding United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United] to a paltry 195 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Mount Union's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out seven times before it was all said and done. The heavy lifting was done by Hunter Steel and Davin Yocum who racked up five sacks between them.
When it comes to explaining why United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United] lost, one person who can't be blamed is Caden McCully. Despite the final result, he rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. McCully is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played.
Mount Union's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United], their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 9-2.
Mount Union will head out on the road to face off against Richland at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Richland presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Mount Union in Pennsylvania (Richland is ranked 89th, while Mount Union is ranked 284th). United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United] does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
