Forest hands Union first loss of season Friday night

The Union Yellowjackets have relied on a big-play offense to run out to a 6-0 record this season.

But on Friday night, the Yellowjackets ran up against a team just as athletic and watched Forest pull away in the second half and take a 28-14 win to hand Union its first loss of the season.

Union falls to 6-1 on the season and will host J.Z. George on Friday night as they return to division play.

Union coach Jordan Wren said the Yellowjackets ran up against an athletic Forest team that gave them trouble in the box.

“First off, Forest is really good, that’s the bottom line,” Wren said. “They are under a first-year head coach who has done a good job. He is from there and played on one of their state championship teams. He knows what the standard is and is putting it back. They brought him in late and he has done a good job. They have a bunch of kids that have bought into him and when you have a bunch of kids that are bought in and have athletes, they are going to be pretty good. That’s the best team we will face all year long.”

Union got on the board first after the two teams swapped punts to start the game. Union went 52 yards in four plays as Xavier Boler scored on a 14-yard run. Samuel Alawine hit the PAT and the Yellowjackets led 7-0.

Forest then put together a 12-play drive but ended up turning the ball over on downs at the Union 3. Union then turned the ball over on downs as well, going for it on fourth and 1 from their own 27.

“I thought that was a big play that gave them a short field,” Wren said. “It was fourth and 1 and we went for it on our side of the field. Our running back loses his footing and loses five yards and gives them a short field.”

Forest then went 27 yards in five plays and scored on a 9-yard quarterback keeper to tie the game at 7-7.

Union again turned the ball over on downs as they put together a 10-play drive but gave the Bearcats the ball back at their own 30. Forest then hit the big play with a 74-yard touchdown pass and hit the PAT to go up 14-7.

Union put together a 10-play drive and scored on a trick play as Nate Boone hit U’Darrian Hickman on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Alawine hit the PAT to tie the game at 14-14 at the half.

“I thought both teams pretty much did what they do and said this is who we are,” Wren said. “I thought the Forest defensive line turned up the intensity in the second half and we were unable to match it. Their speed in the second half was like nobody else we have played. They were the first team that we have played that have had bigger and faster athletes than we did across the board. It reminds me of when we played bigger teams in Class 3A and struggled with their speed in the box.”

The two teams went scoreless in the third quarter. Forest added two more scored as they found the end zone on a 12-yard run to go up 20-14 but missed the PAT. 

Forest then intercepted a Hickman pass and then completed a 29-yard touchdown run and converted the two-point conversion to go up 28-14 for the final score. 

“I thought the defense played really well,” Wren said. “We really only gave up the one long play.”