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No. 10 Union shocks No. 1 Bishop Canevin to win 2nd WPIAL football championship

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Friday, November 25, 2022 | 1:24 PM

Union was the definition of an underdog.

• First appearance in a WPIAL championship game since 1973

• First double-digit seed to reach the WPIAL finals since 2010

• Playing top-seeded and defending champion Bishop Canevin, which averaged 41.8 points and scored 60 or more three times

On Friday afternoon, the Scotties proved none of that mattered.

Behind a playmaking defense and a steady running game, the No. 10 Scotties shocked No. 1 Bishop Canevin with a 26-0 victory in the WPIAL Class A title game at Acrisure Stadium.

“We knew who we were,” Union first-year coach Kim Niedbala said. “We went to practice every day. We were going to come out and play. Whether we won or lost, we were going to give it our all. I think that’s what we did.”

It was the Scotties’ second district title, but it’s been 63 years since the trophy made it back to the Lawrence County school.

The Scotties’ defense paved the way to victory. The group held Bishop Canevin to just 179 yards of offense, including 9 on the ground, while forcing four turnovers.

Most importantly, they limited the impact of Bishop Canevin’s talented skill players, including Xavier Nelson, Jayden Lindsey, A’Zjaun Marshall and Marquis Carter. They constantly pressured quarterbacks Jason Cross and Kole Olszewski, leading to five sacks. Senior defensive lineman Mark Stanley and senior linebacker Brennen Porter each had 1.5 sacks for Union.

“I think the biggest thing with us is we just had to prevent the big play,” Niedbala said. “They’re so explosive. They have so many different athletes. We had to try and keep the ball in front of us, and we had to be able to pressure the quarterback. I think we did that fairly well today.”

Union’s defense scored twice in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a blowout.

The Scotties (11-3) had pulled ahead 14-0 when quarterback Braylon Thomas ran for a 38-yard touchdown on their first possession of the second half.

Just 17 seconds later, senior linebacker Matt Stanley ripped the ball from Bishop Canevin’s Carter and returned it 32 yards for a score.

“The defensive line got in there and they held them up,” Stanley said. “I just saw the ball, and I ripped it out. Next thing I know I was getting a touchdown. It was pretty cool.”

On the ensuing drive, junior defensive back Mike Gunn picked off Canevin’s Olszewski and returned it 59 yards for a score and a 26-0 lead.

“Those quick two turnovers in the second half, we just couldn’t come back from,” Bishop Canevin coach Rich Johnson said. “We knew they were a heck of a football team coming in. We knew we had our hands full. We prepared the same way. I thought we had a good game plan coming in. Unfortunately, they executed better than we did tonight.”

Union controlled the first half, running 36 plays compared to 13 for Bishop Canevin (12-2).

The Scotties scored on their second drive when Thomas sprinted to corner of the end zone and dove over the pylon for a 6-yard touchdown. His 2-point conversion pass to Grayson Blakley was completed for an 8-0 advantage.

Union then drove deep into Bishop Canevin territory two more times before halftime but couldn’t put points on the board. Just before the half, Thomas again sprinted for the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play from the 10. He again dove for the pylon but was ruled out of bounds at the 6-inch line, turning the ball over on downs to the Crusaders.

Thomas finished with 112 rushing yards and also completed 8 of 15 passes for 80 yards.

“It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was little,” Thomas said. “I knew we had a coach that could get us far. We’re little Union, you never expect to be here. It’s just a great experience, and I love the journey.”

Union will play District 9 champion Port Allegany (12-1) in a PIAA semifinal Dec. 2 or 3.

The loss capped an impressive run for Bishop Canevin’s senior class. The group had a 1-9 record as freshmen, but Johnson took over the next season and guided them to a 30-7 record the past three seasons, including a WPIAL title last fall.

“They put in the work,” Johnson said, “and brought this program back to life.”

Watch an archived video stream broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

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