Lake dominates second half over Union

Friday night’s contest between Union and Lake was an old-fashioned tale of two halves.

Union took advantage of three Lake turnovers and led 18-7 at the half before the Hornets reeled off 23 unanswered points to take a 30-18 win over the Yellowjackets.

Lake improves to 2-3 on the season while Union falls to 1-4 on the season as both teams begin division play next week.

Union coach Jordan Wren saw the Yellowjackets make many of the same mistakes they have made all season long.

“It was the same old story for us,” Union coach Jordan Wren said. “We threw one interception and fumbled four times. Turnovers are just killing us. And we got banged up in some key spots. We went from up 18-7 to down 30-18. We had trouble tackling them in the second half and missed some big throws that would have made a big difference. We had some penalties that cost us some big yards. When you combine all of that together, it’s a recipe for disaster. We just continued to make those young mistakes.”

Union got the ball to start the game and went 79 yards in 14 plays as Quinn Harris scored on a 2-yard run with 4:13 left in the first quarter. The try for two failed and Union led 6-0. 

The score stayed at 6-0 until midway through the second quarter when Lake’s Ny’Zavion McClendon recovered a Union fumble. After a 60-yard run, Blaylock finished off the drive with a 1-yard run with 7:30 left in the half. O.D. Hunt hit the PAT and Lake led 7-6.

After an interception by Lake’s Jhaqwon Slack, Union got the ball right back on a fumble. The Yellowjackets then went 25 yards in five plays and scored on a 8-yard run by Myilan Moore. The try for two failed and Union led 12-7.

Union then got the ball back when William Breedlove scooped up a Lake fumble and ran it to the Hornets’ 4. Moore scored two plays later on a 1-yard run with 2:28 left in the half. The PAT failed and Union led 18-7 at the half. 

Lake got the ball to open the second half and made a statement, going 67 yards in five plays as Jamarrion Blaylock scored on a 33-yard touchdown run with 9:45 left in third. Hunt hit the PAT and Union led 18-14.

It wasn’t until early in the fourth quarter that Lake took its first lead as they went 75 yards in 12 plays as Blaylock scored on a 3-yard run. Blaylock also ran in the two-point conversion and Lake took its first lead at 22-18.

After Lake stopped a fake field goal attempt from Union, the Hornets went 35 yards in nine plays as Hunt scored on a 2-yard run. J.D. Gibson hit Brody Bufkin on the two-point conversion for the final margin of 22-18.

For Union, the Yellowjackets had 129 yards passing and 132 yards rushing for 261 yards of total offense. Quinn Harris had 77 yards on 14 carries while Myilan Moore had 42 yards on nine carries. Moore was 9-of-16 passing for 129 yards with an interception. Mason Tucker had four catches for 60 yards while Zie Buckley had two catches for 32 yards. 

On defense for Union, William Breedlove had 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Quinn Harris had eight tackles while Buckley had seven tackles. Ben Leach and Aidan Davis each had six tackles. 

This week’s game

Union will open Division 4-2A play this week as they host Eupora on Friday night. 

The Eagles are 3-2 on the season with losses to East Webster (35-6) and Water Valley (48-46). They have wins over French Camp (40-6), Okolona (24-14) and Noxapater (28-22).

“It’s been a tough season so far but all of that is over,” Wren said. “This is the one that matters. I think we are both very young and this game will be a lot like the others we have played. It will be a game of who makes the least amount of mistakes.”

Last year, Union beat Eupora 48-14.