BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School came close to a perfect regular season in 2024 (with a one-point loss to Chiefland the only blemish) and then won two playoff games before its season came to an end with a loss to Madison County in the Rural Class state semifinals.
Madison would go on to win the state championship.
It was the second time in three years that the Tigers played a state-semifinal game and the sixth straight year they advanced to at least the region-final round.
Only one of Union’s 10 wins saw the Tigers score less than 22 points. The Tigers had five games in which they scored at least 42 points.
Defensively, the Tigers held 10 opponents to less than 20 points and recorded three shutouts.
With the 2025 season approaching, the Telegraph-Times-Monitor takes a look at last year’s results and some of the numbers associated with the season.
2024 results
—14-13 win over Yulee
—35-0 win over Keystone Heights
—45-0 win over Santa Fe
—22-0 win over Baldwin
—46-19 win over Fort White
—47-14 win over Zarephath Academy
—54-16 win over Trinity Catholic
—38-7 win over Hudson
—30-29 loss to Chiefland
—42-20 win over Holmes County (Rural semifinals)
—28-18 win over Pahokee (Rural finals)
—34-8 loss to Madison County (state semifinals)
UCHS numbers
Editor’s note: Except for scoring, the Telegraph-Times-Monitor doesn’t have Union County’s official stats from the 34-8 state semifinal loss to Madison County, so those aren’t factored into most of the following numbers.
—Average points per game: 34.0
—Most points scored in a game: 54 (54-16 win over Trinity Catholic)
—Fewest points scored in a game: 8 (34-8 loss to Madison County)
—Rushing yards on the season: 2,866 on 371 carries
—Leading rusher: Drew Simmons, 1,444 yards on 161 carries
—Player with most rushing touchdowns: Drew Simmons, 17
—Most rushing yards in a game: 357 (47-14 win over Zarephath Academy)
—Fewest rushing yards in a game: 69 (30-29 loss to Chiefland)
—Most rushing attempts in a game: 51 (28-18 win over Pahokee)
—Fewest rushing attempts in a game: 20 (30-29 loss to Chiefland)
—Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 5 (46-19 win over Fort White)
—Fewest rushing touchdowns in a game: 0 (30-29 loss to Chiefland, 34-8 loss to Madison County)
—Passing yards on the season: 1,478 (91 of 144)
—Leading passer: Trenton Klein, 88 of 141, 1,409, 23 touchdowns
—Leading receiver: Gavin Jenkins, 577 yards on 31 catches
—Player with most touchdown receptions: Gavin Jenkins, 8
—Most passing yards in a game: 248 (42-20 win over Holmes County)
—Fewest passing yards in a game: 42 (14-13 win over Yulee)
—Most pass attempts in a game: 29 (30-29 loss to Chiefland)
—Fewest pass attempts in a game: 3 (47-14 win over Zarephath Academy)
—Most pass completions in a game: 15 (30-29 loss to Chiefland)
—Fewest pass completions in a game: 2 (28-18 win over Pahokee)
—Most passing touchdowns in a game: 5 (54-16 win over Trinity Catholic)
—Fewest passing touchdowns in a game: 0 (14-13 win over Yulee, 22-0 win over Baldwin)
—Player with most tackles: Trenton Klein, 78
—Player with most tackles for loss: Trenton Klein, 23.5
—Player with most sacks: Trenton Klein, 7.5
—Player with most interceptions: Ibn Williams, 2
—Players with most fumble recoveries: Jesse Chaikin, Gavin Jenkins, Ashton Newsom, 2 each
Opponent numbers
Editor’s note: Except for scoring, the Telegraph-Times-Monitor doesn’t have official stats for Santa Fe, so those aren’t factored into most of the following numbers.
—Average points per game: 14.3
—Most points in a game: 34, Madison County
—Fewest points in a game: 0, Baldwin, Keystone, Santa Fe
—Most rushing yards in a game: 383, Madison County
—Fewest rushing yards in a game: 12, Hudson
—Most rushing attempts in a game: 40, Madison County
—Fewest rushing attempts in a game: 8, Hudson
—Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 5, Madison County
—Fewest rushing touchdowns in a game: 0, Baldwin, Keystone, Santa Fe, Trinity Catholic
—Most passing yards in a game: 247, Zarephath Academy
—Fewest passing yards in a game: 26, Hudson
—Most pass attempts in a game: 28, Trinity Catholic
—Fewest pass attempts in a game: 5, Keystone, Madison County
—Most pass completions in a game: 15, Zarephath Academy
—Fewest pass completions in a game: 2, Keystone, Madison County
—Most passing touchdowns in a game: 2, Holmes County, Trinity Catholic
—Fewest passing touchdowns in a game: 0, Baldwin, Keystone, Madison County, Santa Fe, Trinity Catholic
