CP-U outlasts Union ground game

CENTER POINT – The Center Point-Urbana run defense was battered all night long, but they bowed up when they needed to most.

The Stormin' Pointers withstood a 36-carry, 263-yard rushing performance from Union Community junior Isaiah Vaughan and held on for a 27-25 victory in a Class 2A non-district game on Friday.

'We play these guys a lot,” CP-U Coach Dan Burke said. 'Not a very far drive up the road here. It's a good battle. The kids know each other from other sports. It's fun.”

The teams faced off twice last season, and though CP-U handled Union in the early-season meeting, the Knights eliminated the Stormin' Pointers in the 2A playoffs.

'Union's always a game,” CP-U linebacker Trevor Franzenburg said. 'We've got a rivalry going on.”

CP-U (2-0) turned the tables on Union this time behind senior quarterback Clayton Kramer, who threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns. After completing just 40 percent of his passes last season in his first year as a starter, Kramer is well over 60 percent through two games this year (10 of 16 Friday).

'The offseason,” Kramer said when asked from where the improvement stems. 'Throwing a lot of passes, working with the receivers. Mainly just having my confidence up, just got to keep that up to keep throwing good.”

After forcing a three-and-out on its first defensive possession, CP-U opened up the playbook on its first offensive play. Kramer handed the ball to senior receiver Mitch Sullivan, who sprinted to the right end and lofted a perfect pass to wide-open junior receiver Jo Jo Frost for a stunning 62-yard score.

'We just put it in last week,” Sullivan said. 'We thought it would work, so give it a shot.”

Union (0-2) answered when Vaughan took a swing pass from quarterback John Boisen from the CP-U 10, then leaped a defender into the end zone from the 5-yard line to tie the game at 7-7.

'He's a great athlete,” Union Coach Joe Hadachek said. 'We're very lucky.”

Kramer responded, directing the CP-U offense on a 6-play, 82-yard drive, which ended with a 22-yard TD to Sullivan for a 14-7 lead in the waning moments of the opening quarter.

Union time and again went to its shifty junior tailback Vaughan, who tallied 183 yards by halftime but Union trailed, 14-10.

'Isaiah Vaughan, he can run all over us but the defense really stepped up on goal line and stopped him and forced a field goal,” Sullivan said.

The third quarter was a series of punts from both teams, despite a 12-play drive when Union used seven Vaughan runs to advance from its 10-yard-line to the CP-U 35. A Union holding penalty led to a punt, which only set the stage for fourth-quarter dramatics.

Twice in the final frame, CP-U seemed to put the game away for good.

After Union past the 50-yard-line on another Vaughan-led march, CP-U safety Joseph Tschantz intercepted a Boisen pass and returned it to his own 41. Three plays later, Kramer hit a streaking Frost down the middle of the field for an electrifying 56-yard score to put CP-U up with 7:05 to go, 21-10.

'I just knew that if the d-backs are going to keep playing back like that, I could give them a little move and be able to blow past them,” Frost said.

Vaughan scored from a yard out and converted for two points to get within 21-18 with 4:41 left, and as CP-U tried to run clock by letting Franzenburg hammer into the Union defense, the senior burst through for a 47-yard touchdown along the left sideline for a 27-18 lead with 2:27 to go.

'It was supposed to be in the B-gap,” Franzenburg said. 'I took off and that big guy was sitting there, so I bounced it to the outside and I had one guy to beat and I did it.”

Boisen hit a couple of late throws, including a 20-yard touchdown to receiver Dylan Stech to get within 27-25 with 2:01 to go, but CP-U was able to run out the clock to seal it.

CP-U travels to defending Class 2A state champion North Fayette Valley (1-1) next week, while Union hosts Roland-Story (0-1).

Center Point-Urbana 27,

Union Community 25

AT CENTER POINT

UC CPU

First downs 15 7

Rushes-yards 41-262 23 - 102

Passing-yards 166 246

Comp-att-int 11-23-1 11-17-0

Punts-avg. 4-31.8 4-35.5

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-62 8-59

Union Community 7 3 0 15-25

Center Point-Urbana 14 0 0 13-27

CPU -

Jo Jo Frost 62 pass from Mitchell Sullivan (Clayton Kramer kick)

UC -

Isaiah Vaughan 10 pass from John Boisen (Dakota Hora kick)

CPU -

Sullivan 22 pass from Kramer (Kramer kick)

UC -

Hora 31 FG

CPU -

Frost 56 pass from Kramer (Kramer kick)

UC -

Vaughan 1 run (Vaughan run)

CPU -

Trevor Franzenberg 47 run (kick blocked)

UC -

Dylan Stech 20 pass from Boisen (Hora kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Union: Isaiah Vaughan 36-263, John Boisen 5-(-1); CPU:

Trevor Franzenburg 8-58, Jo Jo Frost 11-40, Sam Gosnell 3-5, Clayton Kramer 1-(-1).

Passing - Union: John Boisen 11-23-1-166; CPU:

Clayton Kramer 10-16-0-184, Mitch Sullivan 1-1-0-62.

Receiving - Union: Ryan Miller 1-59, Brock Hadachek 5-43, Koby Alpers 1-34, Dylan Stech 2-17, Isaiah Vaughn 2-13; CPU:

Jo Jo Frost 2-118, Mitch Sullivan 3-64, Jace Jirak 5-58, Sam Gosnell 1-6.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com