UNION CITY – Union City held a seven-point halftime lead, but Maplewood rallied in the second half to defeat the Bears 29-14 Friday, October 9.
The Bears opened the scoring in the first quarter when Jayden Betcher ran for a 10-yard touchdown. Chase Whitmeyer added the extra point to give Union City a 7-0 lead with 2:44 remaining in the quarter.
Maplewood answered with a 54-yard quarterback keeper by Kyle Jordan, tying the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter.
Union City regained the lead in the second quarter after blocking a Maplewood punt. The Bears recovered the ball at the Maplewood 15-yard line, setting up Garrett Miller’s one-yard touchdown run. Whitmeyer’s extra point put Union City ahead 14-7, a lead the Bears carried into halftime.
Union City had opportunities to extend its lead after halftime, including a third-quarter drive aided by a successful fake punt. However, the Bears were unable to convert the possession into points.
Maplewood cut into the deficit late in the third quarter on a touchdown run by Mason Potosky. After missing the extra point, the Tigers converted a two-point attempt to take a 15-14 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The Tigers extended their lead in the fourth quarter after intercepting a Union City pass. Jordan connected with Nathan Leonhardt for a touchdown, and the extra point made it 22-14 with 9:56 remaining.
Maplewood added another touchdown after recovering a Union City fumble. LeeRoy Wolfgang scored on a run with 6:02 left, and the extra point brought the score to 29-14.
Union City continued to push for points in the closing minutes, but another interception ended a late drive and helped Maplewood secure the victory.
Individual stats were not provided by press time.
The Bears will return home Saturday, October 17, to face Franklin in a non-region game scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
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