Since Tate Hanna arrived at Lake, the Hornets have been the team ran over opponents.
On Friday night, that was Union.
The Yellowjackets ran for 403 yards as Union pounded Union for a 28-7 win over rival Lake on Friday night.
Union improves to 5-2 on the season and has won four straight and is 1-0 in Division 4-2A play. Lake falls to 5-2 and the loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Hornets.
For Coach Brad Breland, the win may just have earned the Yellowjackets some respect.
“A couple of weeks ago people were throwing dirt on us and said we were through,” Union coach Brad Breland said. “Now we’re tied for lead in the district. We just beat a really good football team tonight. I couldn’t be prouder of our guys.”
With both teams coming off convincing wins last week, Lake looked poised to take on their rival behind the running of Ethan Gray and Mickey Parker. Alternating carries, the two lead the Hornets down the field while Union’s defense appeared to be trying to find footing on the wet field.
It was that same wet field, that would put out Lake fire when D’Alex Jennings fumbled on the 1-yard line and Union recovered. Walking away without points after the sustained drive took something out of Hornets.
For the remainder of the first quarter, both teams worked at finding their footing and holding on to the football with neither team being entirely successful. Union lost possession on a fumble with 1:13 left in the first, giving Lake a midfield starting point at the end of the first quarter. At that point it was clear that a consistent ground game would win the day.
Early in the second quarter, trying to capitalize on the Yellowjackets fumble, the Hornets began a drive that was cut short when Gray’s pass was intercepted by Jaheim Gill.
After Gill’s runback, Kenyon Clay took the snap and burst through the line on a 29-yard run. Clay and Colby Ferguson would then alternate take snaps and running the ball, setting the Hornets back on their heels. With 8:02 left in the first quarter the Yellowjackets had found their footing. Clay ran nine yards to find the end zone at the end of a 10 play drive. Henry Thornton’s PAT was good, and Union had a 6-0 lead.
“The offensive line blocked really well and our backs and receivers blocked really well, and we held on to the football really well,” Breland said. “We didn’t have many turnovers. We had some penalties that hurt us, but we played hard.”
The Hornets responded quickly by answering with a four play drive which began with Gray on three rushes and ended with Parker throwing to Zywon Ledbetter for a 25 yard passing touchdown with 6:07 left in the first half. Parker’s PAT was good which tied the score 7-7.
In the third quarter, both teams remained scoreless hampered by penalties and wet conditions, but Union once again found their footing late in the third and began a sustained drive behind the running of Jaylon Buckley and Ferguson. After 11 running plays, Ferguson took to the air, catching the Hornets off guard with a 10 yard touchdown pass. Thornton’s PAT was good and Union took the lead again 14-7 with 11:54 left in the game.
On their ensuing possession, the Hornets only got off two plays before a recovered fumble gave the ball back to the Yellowjackets. However, the Yellowjackets weren’t able to immediately capitalize on the miscue.
“The biggest thing for me is you can’t coach effort on Friday nights,” Lake coach Tate Hanna said. “I think our kids went out thinking they had won the game because they beat Union last year. When you turn the ball over and and not give effort, that’s not a good recipe. We certainly didn’t play anything like Lake football. That’s probably the most disappointed that I have been, effort wise, in the 18 years I have coached.”
Around the 8:00 mark of the fourth quarter, after the Hornets were forced to punt, the Yellowjackets put together their next scoring drive that began near midfield. Ferguson and Clay again took turns taking snaps and running the ball with Clay ending the drive on a 31 yard run into the end zone at 5:02. Thornton’s PAT was good and Union led 21-7.
Union’s defensive lineman Michael Rush got in the backfield on Lake’s next possession and effectively ended the drive with a sack of Parker that resulted in a 12-yard loss and crushed the Hornets’ spirit. Two plays later in a desperation passing situation, Parker was intercepted and Union took over near midfield with 3:15 left in the game.
Union’s final score came on a Ferguson 20-yard touchdown run. The PAT was good, and with 1:52 left in the game Union cruised to the 28-7 win.
Ferguson had 214 yards rushong on 23 attempts while Kenyon Clay had 113 yards rushing on 12 carries. Jaylon Buckley had 76 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Ethan Gray had 61 yards rushing on 14 carries while Mickey Parker was 10-of-21 passing for 138 yards.
