The Union County Braves picked up their second win of the season Friday night, topping the Crittenden County Rockets 36-0.
The start of the game was delayed due to the excessive heat but was finally able to begin at 9:00pm when the heat index reached playable levels. After a scoreless 1st quarter, the Braves jumped on top in the 2nd with a 15-yard touchdown run by Jarren Johnson. Soon after, Union County earned two more points on a blocked Rockets punt attempt near the goal line that resulted in a safety for the Braves. Willem McPeake rushed for a touchdown later in the quarter to make the score 15-0 at halftime.
The Braves started to break the game open in the second half when they scored on the first play of the 3rd quarter, a 53-yard TD run by Willem McPeake. Jarren Johnson soon followed with an electrifying run of his own, a 45-yard rush into the end zone. After the PAT by Jerry Sabino, the score was 28-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Early in the 4th, Abe Fletcher rushed for his first TD of the year. A 2-point conversion by the Braves made the score 36-0 and initiated a running clock. The Braves defense was able to hold the Rockets at bay the rest of the way and secure the shutout. The Braves won with a final score of 36-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Key highlights for the Braves included the impressive play of their defense as well as their strong running attack. Union County gathered over 300 rushing yards on the night including 145 from McPeake, 137 from Johnson, and 46 from Fletcher. The Braves also grabbed two interceptions in the contest, one each by Koleby Schroeder (his third of the season) and Luke Thomas.
Next up for Union County is a road matchup against the Caldwell County Tigers next Friday, September 1 at Princeton.
Congratulations to the Braves on the win and for a strong start to the 2023 season!
Click the link below for a video gallery showing game highlights and clips of band and dance team halftime performances: https://www.union.kyschools.us/apps/video/
