Moniteau football beats Union City for 3rd win as sophomore QB Weston Cook makes big plays when it counts
UNION CITY, Erie County — On a night when Moniteau’s ground game was held in check, Weston Cook’s right arm came through in a big way.
He completed just five passes in the game, but they were worth 159 yards and three touchdowns as the Warriors snapped a four-game losing streak with a 28-21 win over host Union City on Saturday night.
The sophomore’s scoring passes went to three different receivers. The last, a 68-yard strike to Ian Ross, put the Warriors up for good late in the third quarter.
Aiden Kern (62 yards) and Brendin Sankey (3) hauled in the others.
“We were working on the passing game all week in practice and it went well,” Cook said. “To see it turn out like this, to help us win, it’s amazing. I know I got my guys. If I throw it up to them, they can go get it.”
The long pass to Kern came late in the first quarter and tied the game at 7-7.
“We noticed that Union City likes to play a lot of man-to-man with their pass coverage,” Moniteau coach Clay Kohlmeyer said. “We thought we could complete some long passes.
“This (win) feels great, especially on a Saturday night. I was a little worried about us being out of our routine.”
The game started ominously for Moniteau (3-5), with lost fumbles on two of its first three plays.
The Bears (1-7) scored a touchdown after the first turnover — with Dallas Triscuit’s short run — but Moniteau’s defense forced a turnover on downs at its own 10-yard line after the second.
“That was big — not allowing them to go up 14-0 early in the game,” Kohlmeyer said.
Though the turnover bug would bite the Warriors again — Cook’s pass just before halftime was intercepted by Kane Gregor, leading to Triscuit’s 20-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 21 — Moniteau’s defense forced six turnovers of its own.
Included were four interceptions of Matt Eliason passes. Ross, Kerr, Braden Beachem and Liam Allison each tallied a theft in the air.
Beachem, a defensive lineman, picked off a screen pass after Eliason was rushed by Landon Kohlmeyer less than a minute into the fourth quarter with Moniteau leading 28-21.
“We were looking for them to run that play,” Beachem said. “I was thinking, ‘You better catch this.’”
Beachem returned his interception 44 yards to Union City’s 20, and though it led to a missed field goal, Allison halted the Bears’ ensuing drive with another pick with under five minutes to play. Sankey, Aidan Shakely and Cook ran out the clock from there, exclusively with running plays.
Earlier in the game, Ross recovered a muffed punt and Allison a fumble.
Sankey scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives to give the Warriors a 21-14 lead with 2:35 left in the first half.
Union City forfeited its previous game against Mercyhurst Prep due to just 13 healthy players. The Bears dressed 22 players Saturday.
Moniteau hosts Kane on Friday.
Moniteau 7 14 7 0 — 28
Union City 7 14 0 0 — 21
First Quarter
UC — Dallas Triscuit 1 run (Chase Whitmeyer kick), 7:58
M — Aiden Kern 62 pass from Weston Cook (Kern kick), :16
Second Quarter
UC — Danny Smith 1 run (Whitmeyer kick), 6:23
M — Brendin Sankey 3 pass from Cook (Kern kick), 3:53
M — Sankey 3 run (Kern kick), 2:35
UC — Triscuit 20 pass from Matt Eliason (Whitmeyer kick), :13
Third Quarter
M — Ian Ross 68 pass from Cook (Kern kick), 2:21
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Moniteau, Brendin Sankey 15-55, Aidan Shakely 5-23, Weston Cook 6-2. Union City, Danny Smith 25-102, Jayden Betcher 2-3, Dallas Triscuit 9-50, Matt Eliason 7-13.
Passing: Moniteau, Weston Cook 5-14-159. Union City, Matt Eliason 6-16-98-4.
Receiving: Moniteau, Brendin Sankey 2-13, Aiden Kern 1-62, Ian Ross 2-84. Union City, Jayden Betcher 2-45, Dallas Triscuit 3-37, Kane Gregor 1-16.
