BY CECE THOMAS
Special to the Telegraph-Times-Monitor
For the first time this season, the Union County High School football team faced a school its own size — a Fort White team it last played in the second round of the playoffs last season. That game was a hard-fought one by both teams that ended with Union the Tigers narrowly on top.
Both teams entered this year’s game ranked in MaxPreps’ top 10 and were hoping to show fans they were the best team. The Tigers, however, left no doubt who was best, rolling the Indians for a 46-19 win that saw a running clock in the third quarter as Union built a 46-6 lead.
Union (5-0), which hosts Paxon (4-1) on Friday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., got 162 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Drew Simmons, who had 15 carries, while quarterback Trenton Klein threw for two touchdowns.
Fort White (3-2) started the first quarter at its own 37-yard line. Quarterback Jayden Jackson almost got all of the yardage on a third-and-long play on scramble, making it fourth-and-1. A pass resulted in a first down at the Union 44. Holding and false-start penalties had the Indians facing second-and-25. Jackson kept the ball on another scramble to make it third-and-17. He then overthrew a wide-open receiver, forcing the Indians to punt on fourth down.
The Tigers took over at their own 28. A penalty for an ineligible receiver downfield had them facing second-and-15. A roughing-the-passer penalty resulted in an automatic first down at the 39-yard line. The Indians’ defense stopped Simmons on two runs and would eventually give the ball back to their offense.
Fort White, taking over at its own 37, picked up 7 yards on first down before a Jackson pass was completed for a huge gain and a first down at the Union 17. A quarterback draw that resulted in first-and-goal at the 1 helped the Indians score a touchdown with three minutes left in the first quarter. Fort White missed the extra point, making the score 6-0.
The Tigers received the kickoff and brought it out to their own 41. Klein completed a pass to Ashton Newsom for a 6-yard gain. Klein, on an option keeper, gained enough yardage for a first down at the Fort White 48. After throwing a pass just out of Gavin Jenkins’ reach, Klein completed a pass to Ibn Williams for another first down at the 34-yard line. Simmons scored the first of his touchdowns from there. The extra point by Carter Whitehead was good, giving the Tigers a 7-6 lead with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.
Jenkins’ kickoff was caught at the 10-yard line with no return as the first quarter ended.
Fort White gained 5 yards on a short pass on first down. An incomplete pass set up third-and-5. After a 1-yard run, the Indians chose to punt. Simmons returned the short punt to the Fort White 30, but a flag on the play backed the Tigers up 5 yards.
Taking over at the Indians’ 35-yard line, the Tigers handed off to Simmons for about a 2-yard gain. Klein threw an incomplete pass to Bryan Tyson on second down, but successfully found Tyson on third down for a first down at the Fort White 20-yard line. Simmons had two 2-yard carries, while an encroachment penalty on the Indians gave Union third-and-short. Simmons took it in for another touchdown for a 13-6 lead with eight minutes to go in the second quarter. Whitehead’s extra point was blocked.
Jenkins kicked off and then ran all the way downfield to tackle the returner at the Fort White 20. A penalty for roughing the passer gave the Indians a first down at the 35. The Tigers made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage on the resulting first-down play, making it second-and-14. Jackson tried to keep it and run when he found no receivers open, but he was only able to make it back to the original line of scrimmage. Jackson’s third-down pass was incomplete.
Simmons returned the punt to the Union 44-yard line. Alec McClellan, after a 1-yard Klein run and a false-start penalty against the Tigers, caught a pass for a first down at the Fort White 37. Klein, on a keeper play, wasn’t happy with the tackle and got an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, making it second-and-21. Klein, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 170 yards, responded with a long throw to Tyson for a 48-yard touchdown. The Tigers went for two and got it with a Simmons run, making the score 21-6 with four minutes left in the second quarter.
Tyson finished with three catches for 81 yards.
With less than a minute left in the second half, the Indians punted. Simmons’ return put the Tigers at their own 47. Klein completed a pass to Simmons for a first down and then completed another pass to Tyson for a first down at the Fort White 20-yard line. Klein’s pass to Simmons with 12 seconds left was incomplete, but he then found Williams (two receptions, 35 yards) in the end zone for a touchdown pass with no time on the clock. A penalty for celebrating in the end zone was enforced on the PAT. Union’s two-point conversion failed, making the halftime score 27-6.
Simmons’ return of the second-half kickoff put the Tigers at their own 26. After a Simmons carry picked up a couple of yards, Klein completed a pass to Newsom for a first down at the 38-yard line. Union was penalized for holding on the following play, but Simmons carried the ball for a good gain to make it second-and-7. After a short run, Simmons caught a pass that was good enough for the first-down yardage and more, taking the ball all the way to the Fort White 27. A holding call, though, brought the play back. On third-and-13, Simmons had an amazing run to the Fort White 10-yard line. A facemask penalty against the Indians marked off half the distance to the goal for first down at the 5. Newsome carried it into the end zone for a 33-6 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was no good.
After forcing the Indians to punt, the Tigers’ Simmons carried the ball from the Union 31 to the Fort White 24, but a penalty for a block in the back pushed the gain back to the Indians’ 34-yard line. McClellan took a handoff and scored a touchdown to make it 39-6 with six minutes left in the third quarter. The Tigers again tried a two-point conversion, which was no good.
McClellan finished with two carries for 41 yards.
The Indians, after the Union kickoff, took over on their own 24-yard line. A Jackson pass was complete for a good gain, making it second-and-3. After an incomplete pass, Fort White received a penalty for delay of game, making it third-and-8. Jackson kept the ball and got back to the line of scrimmage. A fourth-down pass was batted incomplete by McClellan, giving the Tigers the ball at the Fort White 27-yard line.
C.J. Ivey, on a carry up the middle, picked up 4 yards. A Simmons carry set up third-and-4. Bo Thomas then had a great carry, taking it down to the 1-yard line. Thomas got the ball again, taking it into the end zone with two minutes left in the third quarter. Whitehead’s extra point made it 46-6, which began a running clock.
Fort White’s Jackson ran the kickoff back for a touchdown with one minute left in the third quarter, making the score 46-13.
The Indians recovered an onside kick at their own 49-yard line. Fort White made a quarterback change, with Jackson moving out to receiver. Ethan Caines’ pass attempt was intercepted by Williams as the Tigers took over at their own 24-yard line.
Union made a quarterback change, too, going to Colt Thomas. However, after three plays, the Tigers lined up to punt. Jenkins bobbled the snap and fell on the loose ball, allowing the Indians to take over at the Union 12-yard line.
Caines completed a pass to Jackson for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, resulting in the final score of 46-19 with 4:30 to play in the game.
Klein and Tyson each had seven tackles to lead the Tigers defensively.
