Sports : Game 1 rematch: Union to face Decorah in Class 3A title game

The Union Knights will end their 2011 football season this Saturday against the team they defeated when the season began.

But this game against Decorah will have much more at stake: The Class 3A Championship.

Union earned its first-ever berth in the State Championship Game by defeating previously unbeaten ADM-Adel, 42-28.

Big plays by QB Jay Scheel and his receivers, as well as Wes Burnside, were the difference in the game.

A 62-yard pass to Wes Burnside.

A 55-yard pass to Trev Hadachek.

A 70-yard pass to Brad Gallup.

A 81 yard run by Scheel.

Another 82-yard run, this one by Burnside.
The Knights also scored on a 4-yard run by Burnside.

Those big offensive plays, along with defense that played good enough against one of the best quarterbacks in the state to keep him from completing a pass in the first quarter, gave Union all of the advantage it needed. The Knights defense intercepted Tiger QB Gavin Glenn 3 times (he had only thrown eight all year), and held him to just 141 passing yards.

Two interceptions by Hadachek and another one by Shay Fehl, along with several passes blocked by the Union linemen or deflected by defensive backs, helped contain Glenn and the Tiger offense, especially early in the game, when Union built a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Scheel threw for 239 yards and ran for 114, while Burnside ran for 161 yards

Union defeated Decorah, 20-17, on Aug. 26. The Knights play the Vikings at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the UNI-Dome for the Class 3A title.

Preparation for ADM

All week long, said Hadachek, the Union coaching staff had two words for the defensive line: "Hands up!"

"Our defensive line did a tremendous job with a solid wall push up front and also knocking the balls down. Our coaching staff did a super job coaching our D-line in getting their hands up all week long in preparation. I don't know how many blocked passes we had but it was a huge factor in frustrating the ADM offense and their QB, who had the best rating of any 3A quarterback. Gavin Glenn is a great one."

Combining the pass blocking and pass rushing up front with a solid coverage scheme designed to prevent big plays helped keep Union ahead, although Glenn threw four short TD passes.

"We wanted to slow them down and it was a super game plan by our defensive staff, and great execution by our players," said Hadachek.

The coach said that his team's commitment to strength and conditioning, as well as the "coachableness" of the players, helps Unionto finish strong in the second half of tough games.

"I think the main thing is our players still are working by lifting and conditioning. We have made a commitment to do this all year and it makes a difference in the second half of every game," he said. "I also think our players do a good job if they have to make adjustments at halftime. The players have been highly teachable and that definitely makes a difference."

Hadachek said he has not watched any Decorah tape since the opening week.

"They obviously are playing very well to score over 30 points on Harlan," he said.

'Playing our best'

Union, right now, is performing better than it has all season, says the coach.

"I know we are playing our best ball right now. We are playing enthusiastically, we have great attention at practice, and our practices have been efficient and have gotten the job done."

Decorah is fundamentally sound and well coached, said Hadachek.

"They have been to the championship game before. This is our first time. It should be interesting to have two teams meet in the Championship game that met the first game of the year. I don't know if this has ever happened before.

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