'They made us pay over and over again': East Union drops VOL opener to Oakdale

OAKDALE — East Union coach Mike Kuhnlenz saw a gap between his up-and-coming Lancers and the perennial section contender Mustangs after their Valley Oak League opener Friday night at The Corral.

While the scrappy Lancers had their highlights, Kuhnlenz felt East Union made too many mistakes that gave away any momentum that his squad might have had in its league opener that could have shown how improved the team is this season before succumbing to Oakdale on its homecoming 59-13.

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Big QB makes big play

The East Union offense runs through quarterback Luke Weaver, a 6-foot-3 senior, who quickly answered Oakdale’s first score of the game on the second play of the Lancers’ ensuing possession.

Weaver pulled a handoff back from his tailback and darted past a blitzing defense to the outside and up the Lancers sideline for an electrifying 74-yard touchdown run that knotted the score at 7-all early in the first quarter.

But East Union (0-1 VOL, 3-2 overall) immediately coughed up the momentum as on the ensuing kickoff Oakdale returner Kevin Camelin reeled in the pigskin at his own 15, charged into the middle of the melee and emerged through the Lancers defense for an 85-yard kickoff return for the Mustangs (1-0, 4-0).

Mistakes stall East Union 

The Lancers had nine penalties for 65 yards including a pair of disastrous drive-killing holding penalties on what would have been big plays by a scrambling Weaver that instead turned possessions into eventual punts.

Weaver was constantly harassed in the pocket and had to feed his outside receivers a steady diet of quick passes to the edge to avoid pressure hoping for a player to break off a big gain.

East Union punted twice and turned the ball over on downs four times — in the first half — from its own 40- and 47-yard lines, as well as at the Oakdale 42- and 27-yard lines.

The last possession hurt the most as Weaver had connected with junior receiver Dylan Lee for a 64-yard pass up the East Union sideline that looked to be a sure touchdown, but Oakdale’s Brian Delte saved the day by dragging Lee down from behind at the 4-yard line.

Weaver and company confidently thought they would score, but a penalty and two sacks took the Lancers all the way back to the Oakdale 37 for a fourth and goal where the drive fizzled out with a 10-yard pass that gave the Mustangs the ball.

“We came out flat and when you come out like that against a quality opponent in Oakdale, they make you pay,” Kuhnlez said. “They made us pay over and over again.”