BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Four players rushed for touchdowns, while the defense posted a shutout until the final quarter in the Union County High School football team’s 42-8 win over host Dixie County on Oct. 26.
It was the second straight week the Tigers (5-3) spoiled an opponent’s homecoming and the second straight week they scored 42 points. They have scored more than 40 points in each of their wins.
Union, which caps the regular season with a home game against Ambassadors Christian Academy on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m., forced the Bears to go three-and-out on their first four possessions. By the time Dixie (6-3) picked up its first first down, the Tigers had a 21-0 lead.
On the Tigers’ first offensive series, Bobo Woodall had an almost 30-yard run to the Dixie 29 nullified by a holding penalty, but because of where the infraction occurred, he still got credit for a 12-yard gain and a first down at the Dixie 44. After an offsides penalty against the Bears, Gavin Jenkins caught a 29-yard pass from Trenton Klein to move Union to the 10-yard line. Thomas Williams scored on a run from there, capping a four-play drive. Jonathan Edwards kicked the extra point as the Tigers led 7-0 at the 8:54 mark of the first quarter.
Klein, who led the Union defense in tackles (12) and tackles for loss (4), brought down Dixie’s Carter Hodge for a 2-yard loss on the Bears’ second offensive series, which began at their own 25. That was the story of the first half for the Bears, whose average starting field position was their own 21. Hodge had a good night punting the ball, but Union still began every one of its first-half possessions near midfield.
The Tigers went three-and-out on their second offensive series, but cashed in on their third. A long run by Williams moved Union inside the red zone, while another Williams run set up third-and-2 at the 5-yard line. Williams then had a 4-yard carry for a first-and-goal at the 1. Klein was then stopped just short of the goal line, but he kept the ball again on second down, plunging his way into the end zone for a score with 1:04 to play in the first quarter. Edwards added the PAT for a 14-0 lead.
Williams, who had 89 yards on eight carries, had the Tigers on the move again the next time they had the ball, with another long run into the red zone. A screen pass to Woodall resulted in a loss of yardage, followed by a holding penalty that backed Union up to the 25-yard line. Woodall, who had 52 yards on three carries, scored on a run from there at the 9:40 mark of the second quarter. It was a 21-0 game after Edwards’ PAT.
Hodge had a 10-yard run to give the Bears their first first down. Dixie quicly lost whatever momentum that play generated when it was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which pushed the Bears into a second-and-long play inside their own 15. They would eventually punt on fourth-and-21.
Dixie forced the Union offense to go three-and-out, giving the Bears’ offense the ball back with 5:40 remaining until halftime. The Bears chewed up all of that time on a methodical drive that amounted to nothing. Hodge, Darius Cook and Jaheim Taylor all had first down-producing runs as Dixie moved from its 27 to the Union 38. The Bears then had a 5-yard run before the half ended on a sack.
Union wasted little time in building a four-touchdown lead. The Tigers received the second-half kickoff, with a 38-yard return by Blake McCoy setting them up just past midfield. Klein, who rushed for 36 yards on six carries, had a run of almost 20 yards, which moved the Tigers to just outside the Dixie 30. He then completed a 28-yard pass to Bryan Tyson for a first-and-goal at the 4. Williams scored on a run from there with 57 seconds gone in the third quarter. The score stood at 28-0 after Edwards’ PAT.
Klein finished 5 of 8 passing for 58 yards.
Drew Simmons put a couple of exclamation points on the blowout win, scoring on a long run on each of the Tigers’ next two drives. One of Simmons’ touchdowns covered 59 yards as he finished as the game’s leading rusher with 117 yards on three carries.
The 42 points were the most scored against the Bears, who had been allowing an average of 10 points per game.
Dixie had also been scoring an average of 28 points per game, but the going was tough against a Union defense that recorded nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including sacks by Anthony Holmes and Erich Seager.
Connor Bresee finished as the second-leading tackler with seven, while McCoy had six tackles. Bresee also recovered a fumble.
The Tigers are looking to close out the regular season with three straight wins. Their Nov. 3 opponent is trying to avoid three straight losses. The Ambassadors Christian Stallions (1-8) are coming off a 44-0 loss to Lakeland Christian. The week before that, the Stallions lost 49-0 to Chiles. The team has six shutout losses in all.
Union looks to be in good shape to earn a Region 3-1R playoff berth. The top six teams in the seven-team region will qualify. The Florida High School Athletic Association power rankings currently have the Tigers as the fourth-best team in the region.
The final rankings that will determine playoff qualifiers will be posted after Nov. 3.
