Union Wildcats: Week 1 | Sports Through the Eyes of Jay

I know, right now everyone is saying "who in the heck is the Wildcats?" Well, I will tell you. They are one of the best 4A High School football teams in Missouri. I will post a blog like this after every game just saying what they did. If you dont care, then dont read it. All I am doing this for is to give Union Wildcats a little bit more publicity because they rarely get some coming from a decently small town. I am the HS sportswriter/editer so I have a first hand look at what happens and what goes on. This year (unlike last) I actually get to interview. Sweet right? Yeah, I know. Well read if you want, it really doesnt matter me none. I just want to put our teams name out there. Because last year and this year especially, we are dang good.

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With junior Webb leading the way, the Union Wildcats posted their first ever win over the good football team of the Borgia Knights in Stierberger Stadium Friday night, 48-46.

"That's another streak done," says Union High Coach.

Rated 5th best team in the state, Union broke a Borgia winning streak that stretched back into 1991 last year. This seasons win over the Knights marks 2 wins in a row over Borgia, and Union's first win against Borgia at home. A streak extending back to 1990 when Unions Stadium was build.

Union, which twice trailed by 19 points in the game, took the lead with 7 minutes left in the game. From then, they held on to win by 2 points.

"I'm very proud of our kids battling," says coach. "We didnt play great defense until the second half but we had a couple of HUGE stops. The offense was rolling all night."

Webb, Union's star QB, picked up were he left off in his all-state performence last year. Projected to be the best non-senior QB in the Midwest, he completed 25 of 34 passes for 450 yards, 5 touchdowns, a 2-point conversion, and 0 INTS.

Additionally, Webb ran for 25 yards on 13 carries, while picking up 2 touchdowns and a 2-point converstion.

"They're good," said Borgia Coach Gildehaus. "That is a great football team. We wanted to maintain the clock and we didnt do that. I wanted to keep the ball away from their great offense. We ran the ball against them about as well as anyone can."

Webb had three targets in the game. Senior wideout Neider caught 9 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.

"I was telling people last year that Neider is underrated and is one of the best WRs I have seen. Now it is showing. He may be the most talented player on the team. Last year, he was a great defensive player. It's nice to have him doing nice things on the offensive side of the ball as well," the Union Coach says.

Nieder also led the team in tackles with 11 solo stops, one assist and one fumble recovery.

I have personally seen Nieder get better and better throughout his years. I told everybody that one day he will be an awesome WR. No one believed me then because he was mainly the LOLB. He runs a 4.3 40 and has a big time vertical. I expect ALOT of receptions this year to go along with all kinds of yards.

Nieder said that the Wildcats were able to come back by addressing problem areas and taking care of them. He goes on the say, "Coach had a bunch of things that we needed to do in order to win. We went in at halftime and discussed waht we werent doing and then what we NEEDED to accomplish. We came out and played our game. We ended up winning. It was a great feeling.

Junior WR Stanley had a huge receiving game for the Wildcats with 9 catches for 152 yards, four touchdowns, and one 2-point conversion.

Senior receiver Sperry caught seven passes for 82 yards.

5'4" Amato, Union's RB, had four carries for 30 yards. He also made 10 tackles and added 3 assists. Nieder had 3 carries for 10 yards.

Defensively, Stanley had nine tackles and four assists. Schaefer had 7 tackles and three assists. Barnhart recovered a big fumble.

Coach said it was a great win for the Wildcats, but Borgia really showed improvment.

Coach goes on to say, "It was a huge comeback win for us. I personally think that Borgia has improved alot over the past year. They are just a better team from last year and it was a tougher game then last year's 28-3 routing over them. It is hard to come back from a opening game loss and thank god that it didnt happen to us."

Borgia couldnt ask for a better start to the game. The first 2 times they touched the ball, they scored. Including a 89 yard kickoff return on the opening kickoff to the season. And after Union loss a fumble deep in Borgia territory, Borgia took it back 85 yards for the score.

After that, they had a few lucky breaks, some OK running plays but Union hung in there. After halftime Union when on a 48-25 rampage to put them in the lead late. It was all over then, sealing a game one Union victory.

Last year, Union went 10-1. Losing in a State playoff game against Nixa, at Nixa. This year they have some big hype and hopefully they can make it a little futher. It rests in hands of Webb and the best coach in 4A Missouri football. I have NO doubts that they will do great this year.

(NEXT WEEK'S GAME: PRIORY AT HOME, 7:00)