United gets to Palestine right from the start
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HANOVERTON -- United scored on two long passes and a safety in the opening 2:48 on the way to a 47-12 win over East Palestine in Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference play Friday night.
The Golden Eagles have won four straight games to improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league play. Southern, United and Valley Christian are unbeaten in EOAC play. The Bulldogs drop to 0-7 and 0-4.
United sophomore Luke Courtney hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game, had a first-quarter interception defensively on a fake punt and closed out the first half with a school-record 44-yard field goal with room to spare.
The Eagles used three quarterbacks on their opening three drives -- freshman Parker Newburn, sophomore Andrew Ogilvie and junior Grant Knight -- and substituted frequently in the first quarter.
United scored on two of its first five offensive plays --on Newburn's 55-yard pass to Courtney and Ogilvie's 46-yard touchdown pass to Brock Rhodes -- as the Eagles had 118 total yards right out of the gate.
In between, a snap went over the East Palestine punter's head and Nick Hardgrove forced a safety to help give the Eagles a 16-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first quarter.
East Palestine drove 79 yards in nine plays to the United 1-yard line, but was stopped on downs after three clutch tackles by Daniel McCracken.
The Bulldogs held on downs on their own 20-yard line and marched down the field in seven plays --including an Owen Jurjavcic 11-yard pass to Shane Richardson on fourth-and-10 to set up Jesse Lipp's 43-yard touchdown run.
Lipp had a fine first half with 122 yards on 13 carries.
East Palestine's Timmy Buskirk recovered a United fumble on the next play and the Eagles brought their first-team defense back onto the game.
Three plays later, Knight returned an interception 55 yards for a score and a 23-6 Eagle lead with 6:51 to play in the first half.
United junior Cody Cope scored on a 9-yard run at the 1:56 mark.
Two plays later, Hardgrove had an interception at the East Palestine 38 to set up Courtney's school-record 44-yard field goal as the first half expired.
In the second half, Knight added a 40-yard touchdown run and freshman Chance Cope collected a 5-yard scoring run.
Game notes
• United had 201 yards on 22 plays in the first half. Seven different players ran the ball.
• The Bulldogs had 164 yards in the first half on 36 plays -- most coming on Lipp's 122 yards on 13 carries and a 25-yard run by Tyler Bistarkey.
• Before the game, Emily McKarns was crowned United's homecoming queen and Angus Cope the king.
• East Palestine has lost 10 games in a row and 27 of their last 28.
• Both teams return to league play Friday as United visits Wellsville and East Palestine hosts Columbiana.
EAST PALESTINE: 6- 6--12
UNITED: 33-14--47
SCORING
U--Luke Courtney 55 pass from Parker Newburn (Luke Courtney kick)
U--Safety, Nick Hardgrove tackled punter in end zone
U--Brock Rhodes 46 pass from Andrew Ogilvie (Luke Courtney kick)
EP--Jesse Lipp 43 run (pass failed)
U--Grant Knight 55 interception return (Luke Courtney kick)
U--Cody Cope 9 run (Luke Courtney kick)
U--Luke Courtney 44 field goal
U--Grant Knight 40 run (Luke Courtney kick)
U--Chance Cope 5 run (Luke Courtney kick)