Union ready for step up in new classification as they prep to play 3A football this year

The Union Yellowjackets will be stepping up in classification from Class 2A to Class 3A, and Coach Jordan Wren has his team getting ready for the challenge.

The Yellowjackets finished 10-3 last season. From that, they have seven starters returning on offense and nine coming back on defense.

“We had a good summer,” Wren said. “It rained a lot. But when we were able to get outside, we got a lot accomplished. Our last two weeks were very good. And out of the 11 on defense, I am losing two so we will have nine coming back next year.”

The Yellowjackets will see their first action Aug. 20 when they travel to West Lauderdale for a jamboree game with the Knights. 

They open the season at home against Choctaw Central on August 27. They then host Scott Central on Sept. 3. The Yellowjackets’ first road game will be at Leake Academy in the first meeting between the two schools. The Rebels are the defending Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 5A state champions. They close out the non-region part of their schedule with Newton County on Sept. 17 and Choctaw County on Sept. 24.

The Yellowjackets will play in the Region 5-3A along with Southeast Lauderdale, Clarkdale, Enterprise, Forest and Morton.

“Weeks two-through-five, the combined record from last year is 42-6,” Wren said. “We had issues finding games. We have a really good quarterback. A lot of schools we played in the past said they didn’t want to play us and that put us playing a lot tougher non-district schedule. It will be good for us. They will all give us a good game.”

Kenyon Clay is returning at quarterback. He is committed to Southern Miss and will graduate in December so he can get in class at USM and go through spring training.

Wren said the Yellowjackets are ready for the challenge of their new district. Over the years, they have played most of the teams in it, off and on.

“They are going to have more depth,” Wren said. “Some of them have as good of athletes as Scott Central and Philadelphia. They just have more of them.”