EAST MARLBOROUGH>>With the district playoffs just a week away, the Rustin Golden Knights appear to be firing on all cylinders. Friday night at Unionville, Rustin (9-1 overall) rushed for over 300 yards in the first half alone, and played lights out defense as they cruised to a 44-14 victory over the Longhorns.
With the victory, the Golden Knights clinched the Ches-Mont American title, the first league championship for Rustin in four years.
“We’ve had a couple blemishes the past couple years that cost us,” said Rustin coach Mike St. Clair. “But this season, we were able to close it out and bring home an American division championship.”
Rustin wasted no time at all setting the tone, scoring touchdowns on three of the first five plays they ran from scrimmage. First to find the endzone was Jojo Magolon, who took the handoff on the third play of the game, and broke loose on a 51-yard run for the score. After Unionville fumbled on its first play from Scrimmage, Will Garner took it to the house from 31.
Though the Rustin defense forced a three-and-out on Unionville’s next possession, the Longhorns looked like they might have squashed the momentum, pinning the Golden Knights in at their own two-yard line with a punt, but quarterback David McClain ran a sneak up the middle, and turned it into a 98-yard touchdown.
“We just called a QB sneak, hoping to get a couple yards,” said McClain.” My eyes got big as soon as I saw the hole the line opened up for me. Once I got through that hole, I knew I had to turn on the jets because I had a good shot to take it all the way.”
Rustin ran the ball at will, totaling 413 yards on the ground—326 in the first half alone. Two different players cleared the century mark, led by McClain’s 132 yards on 6 carries, along with junior Ryan Loper, who tallied 127 yards on 13 carries, twice finding the end zone.
“Billy Tigue, Brock Cummings, Noah Kitabjian, Steven Bernard, Charlie Covington, Colin Riley and Nicky santangelowere tremendous, breaking open huge holes all night,” said McClain. “Everything just went well tonight. Our run game was on point. We’re playing well, we have a lot of talent on this team, and we’re looking forward to making a run in districts.”
The Golden Knights had another back fall just shy of 100, with Magolon netting 90 yards on just five carries. Garner chipped in with another 53 on seven tries.
“We’ve really been blessed at Rustin to have really been a kind of running back high school,” said St. Clair. “We’re missing Chase Hatton, and what he brings to the team on both sides of the ball, but we know we can count on any back who gets the ball to pick up the yards for us. Sometimes it’s tough getting everyone the ball as mu8ch as they deserve, but they all contribute.”
The Rustin defense held Unionville to a mere 43 yards rushing on the night, forced a fumble, and had a pair of sacks, one from Colin Riley, the other from Andrew Shallo.
Unionville’s scores came on a first period, 4-yard run from Brody McLaughlin, and the second on a 13-yard pass from Tommy McGinnis to Nolan Holt. McGinnis threw for 169 yard on 11 of 18 passing.
The Longhorns’ season comes to a close with a record of 2-8.
Rustin 44 Unionville 14
Rustin 21 9 7 7—44
Unionville 7 0 0 7—14
First Quarter
RUS—Magolon 51-run (Ross kick) 7-0
RUS—Garner 31-run (Ross kick) 14-0
RUS—McClain 98-run (Ross kick) 21-0
UN—McLaughlin 4-run (Palagruto kick) 21-7
Second Quarter
RUS—Ross 27-FG 24-7
RUS—Loper 2-run (kick failed) 30-7
Third Quarter
RUS—Magolon 15-run (Ross kick) 37-7
Fourth quarter
RUS—Loper 43-run (Ross kick) 44-7
UN—Holt 13-pass from McGinnis
Team statistics
RUS—UN
First downs 13—10
Rushes-yards 32-413 19-43
Passing 1-3 11-18
Passing yards 32 169
Total yards 445 212
Punts/avg 1-36 4-32.5
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 7-65 4-30
Individual statistics
Rushing—RUS McClain 6-132, TD; Loper 13-127, 2TD; Magolon 5-90, 2 TD; Garner 7-53, TD, Schambers 1-11 UN—McLaughlin 9-19, TD; McGinnis 8-17; Gilday 3-7
Passing —McClain 1-3, 32 yds UN—McGinnis 11-18, 169 yds, TD
Receiving—RUS Garner 1-32 UN Tar 5-59; McLaughlin 1-8, Levendis 3-64, Holt 2-30, TD D’Iorio 1-8,
Interceptions—NONE
Sacks—RUS Riley, Shallo
