Union ‘answered the bell’ to clinch home field
After leading 27-7 at halftime, Union might have sensed a little apprehension when Philadelphia cut the lead thanks to an 87-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter.
The ‘Jackets had been here before. They led Scott Central 33-6 before the Rebels scored the next 32 points to win 38-33.
However, Union coach Jordan Wren saw a different team Friday night.
The Jackets came up with a key stop after a fumble and then put together a time-consuming drive on the ground to ice the game and pull away for a 40-21 win.
With the win Union (7-2), will now host East Marion Friday night in the first round of the playoffs.
“I told them tonight that we felt some adversity, and we answered the bell,” Wren said. “They had a big momentum swing. The defense wound up stopping them right there. Then at the end, the defense gave up a big play, and the offense the bell. So the offense and defense both got put in some difficult situations. At the end of the day, I’m just proud let their discipline and their execution stop their momentum and helped us win.”
Union got off to a fast start, thanks to an 80-yard kickoff return by Kenyon Clay that set up his 4-yard touchdown run. Henry Thornton kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with less than 90 seconds gone in the game.
After Ky’Yon Harris stopped a fake punt, Jaylon Buckley broke free for 33 yards before Clay scored his second touchdown on a 7-yard run. Thornton’s PAT made it 14-0 with 8:52 remaining in the first quarter.
Union overcame a third-and-13 thanks to a Clay pass to Mark Jones for 12 yards and an offside penalty on fourth down. Then Clay hit Caleb Casey for a 33-yard touchdown on third-and-9. Thornton gave Union a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Philadelphia got on the board with a 79-yard pass from Marcus Beamon to Trey Posey. Connor Long’s extra point made it 21-7 midway through the second quarter.
Nearing halftime, Harris intercepted a pass that set up Clay’s 21-yard touchdown run, to give Union a 27-7 lead.
Raylon Nettles and Peyton Posey combined for a sack to end the first half.
Both teams traded punts in the third quarter until Philadelphia’s Beamon connected with Janaylon Dupree for a 87-yard touchdown on a tipped jumped ball near midfield. Long’s extra point made it 27-14 heading to the fourth quarter.
Union fumbled the ball away, giving Philadelphia new life. But Posey ended the threat, tackling Dupree two yards short of a first down on fourth down.
The Jackets put the game away on a nine-play, 66-yard drive that took more than four minutes off the clock. Buckley scored on a 1-yard touchdown with 4:47 remaining.
The Tornadoes answered quickly on a 10-yard pass from Beamon to Andrew Carter.
But the Union put the icing on the cake with Buckley’s 36-yard touchdown run and Robert Craft’s sack to end the game.
Clay finished with 111 yards passing on 7 of 11 passing with 83 yards rushing on 21 carries. He also had an 80-yard kickoff return and a 13-yard punt return to give him 176 all-purpose yards.
Buckley had his best game of the season, rushing for 170 yards.
Jones finished with 72 yards receiving on five catches while having an interception on defense. Harris finished with six tackles on defense with one interception. Posey also had six tackles with a tackle for loss. John Neal and Craft both had five tackles while they had four and three tackles for loss respectively.
