NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Union quarterback Caden Sorensen threw for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns against South Tama on Sept. 5

Coming off an emotional season-opening victory, the STC football team looked to keep the momentum going in their week #2 matchup against the Union Knights. Traveling to La Porte City on Sept. 5, the Knights jumped out to two early scores on their way to a decisive 42-6 victory.

Both team’s defenses started the game strong, forcing punts from their opponents. But on the second Union possession, senior quarterback Caden Sorensen connected with senior receiver Levi Hadachek on a 46-yard touchdown pass.

On the following Trojan possession, a fumbled handoff from sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant to junior running back Eli Cruikshank was recovered by Union on the Trojan 18-yard line. Three plays later, Sorensen secured his second touchdown pass when he found senior Mays Weber in the end zone to push the score to 14-0 near the end of the first quarter.

Needing to get back into the game, the Trojans answered on their next possession. Starting off on their own 21-yard line, STC pounded out an 18-play, 79-yard touchdown drive. Highlighted by two fourth down conversions, the Trojans found success in the running game from junior Eric Medina and sophomore Izak Schroeder. Brant also helped the cause, with a 15-yard scramble and a 13-yard screen pass to junior Michael Henry. STC drove it all the way to the Union 1-yard line, where Brant dove into the end zone to cut the score to 14-6.

But the Knights answered right back before halftime with another long touchdown through the air. Sorensen found Hadacheck for a 35-yard touchdown and the second scoring hookup for the pair. Union went to the locker room with a commanding 21-6 lead.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – Union receiver Mays Weber hauls in a touchdown pass against South Tama.

STC found yards hard to come by in the third quarter, as Union forced them to punt on each of their three possessions. After a blocked punt gave the Knights the ball at the STC 24-yard line, junior running back Garrett Kaalberg capped off a short drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give Union a 28-6 lead. The Knights added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to push the final score to 42-6.

On the night, the Trojans were led in rushing by Medina, who finished with 89 yards on 19 carries. He was followed by Schroeder (40 yards) and Brant (13 yards). Brant finished 4/9 passing for 25 yards. Henry led the team in receptions with 2 for a total of 20 yards. Defensively, Henry also led the team in tackles with 9. Cruikshank and senior co-captain Nick Upah contributed 8 tackles each.

For Union (2-0), Sorensen was impressive on the evening, with 142 passing yards, 3 touchdown passes, and 60 rushing yards. Hadachek finished with 3 receptions for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.

It was a tough loss for the Trojans (1-1), who were looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since Sept. 16 and 23, 2016 (victories against Independence and Vinton-Shellsburg). STC will look to get back on track when they travel to Louisa-Muscatine on Friday, Sept. 12. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Letts.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – South Tama receiver Michael Henry looks for running room against Union on Sept. 5.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC running back Izak Schroeder is stopped for a loss against Union.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – South Tama running back Eric Medina breaks free on a rush against Union on Sept. 5

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant dives into the end zone for a touchdown against Union on Sept. 5.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC's Michael Henry (22) and other Trojans take down a Union rusher on Sept. 5.