6A-1 State – Union Players To Watch

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> The Class 6A-D1 state championship is set for 1PM on December 4th at UCO. Defending champion and top-ranked Jenks is once again in the championship game and they’ll see a familiar face on the other sideline. Rival and second-ranked Union will attempt to dethrone the Trojans and capture the gold ball. Prep Redzone Oklahoma will have the most in-depth championship preview and state title game content that you will find anywhere! In this post, we take a look at the players you need to know about for the Redhawks going into the title game! <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="67771" first="Antonio" last="Smith"] - 2022 Running Back </strong></span>It was obvious if you saw [player_tooltip player_id="67771" first="Antonio" last="Smith"] last season that the running back known as "Junior" would have a breakout season this year after AJ Green graduated. He comes into the state title game as Union’s leading rusher with over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. The combination of Smith and senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="38703" first="Rovaughn" last="Banks"] has been a nightmare for teams when it comes to stopping the run but they’ll be tested by a strong front seven from Jenks on Saturday afternoon. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57166" first="Braylen" last="Irvin-Fisher"] - 2023 Linebacker </strong></span>If you’ve been following our coverage in the offseason, you’ve read plenty about Union junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="57166" first="Braylen" last="Irvin-Fisher"]. For the last two offseasons, Fisher has been one of the most consistent players that we’ve seen on the 7v7 circuit. However, during the high school season, Fisher is used on defense at linebacker and he’s had a breakout season on the defensive side of the ball. We can’t help but wonder what Fisher would look like on both sides of the ball but he’s had a strong season on defense. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="112477" first="Da’Monn" last="Sanders"] - 2022 Tight End </strong></span>Union needed a couple weapons in the receiving game to go with two stars in the running game. Even though Union would primarily run the football this year, they would eventually throw the ball every now and then. Union had a couple tight ends that they would utilize this season but the standout ended up being senior [player_tooltip player_id="112477" first="Da’Monn" last="Sanders"]. The senior would tie for first with the most receptions on the team and would be a big target for the Union passing game as well as an extension of the O-line when running the ball. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57208" first="De’Marion" last="Thomas"] - 2023 Offensive/Defensive Lineman </strong></span>We knew Union junior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="57208" first="De’Marion" last="Thomas"] was one of the best defensive lineman prospects in the state’s 2023 class but we were pleasantly surprised to find out early on this season that he would be playing on both sides of the ball. Thomas would add even more strength and size to a stacked Union offensive line. So now we aren’t 100 percent sure what side of the ball he’ll play at the next level, but we know that he’s an absolute wrecking ball on either side and is only getting better. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="188001" first="Gabe" last="Ford"] - 2022 Linebacker </strong></span>One of the top defensive players for Union this season and last year has been senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="188001" first="Gabe" last="Ford"]. Similar to a few other players in this match-up, Ford has somewhat been under the radar and underrated as a prospect for the next level but there’s no doubt that he’s had a massive impact on this Union defense. With Union going up against a Jenks team that wants to run the ball, Ford and the Union front seven will do whatever they can to slow them down and limit the big plays on Saturday. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="61138" first="Jayden" last="Rowe"] - 2022 Defensive Back/Athlete </strong></span>One of the top prospects in Oklahoma this season is Union standout [player_tooltip player_id="61138" first="Jayden" last="Rowe"]. Already committed to Oklahoma, Rowe is a top ten prospect and Union utilizes him in a variety of ways. He’s headed to Norman, continuing the pipeline of Union DB’s to Norman but Union has used him on offense and in special teams this year. Rowe has caught a touchdown and also ran for three touchdowns. Union has certainly put Rowe in a position to use his rare combination of speed and size. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110747" first="Jino" last="Boyd"] - 2024 Wide Receiver </strong></span>We saw Union’s [player_tooltip player_id="110747" first="Jino" last="Boyd"] throughout the offseason playing 7v7 and you could tell that the young receiver would have a chance to be an explosive weapon for this Union offense. Even with Union wanting to primarily run the ball, they would need weapons at receiver and they got it with a breakout season from Boyd. The sophomore would end up being Union’s leading receiver with 540 yards and seven touchdowns, including what would be the game-winning touchdown in the semifinal win over Broken Arrow. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38694" first="Makhai" last="Belt"] - 2022 Defensive Back </strong></span>One of the most versatile weapons that Union has had over the last several seasons has been Union senior [player_tooltip player_id="38694" first="Makhai" last="Belt"]. Wherever they’ve needed to put Belt, he’s answered the call and played incredibly well. This year, Belt has been used primarily on the defensive side of the ball and will look to have a big game on Saturday with the state championship on the line. Belt has been such a big part of Union’s success over the last season and is hoping to finish out his career with a state championship. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38703" first="Rovaughn" last="Banks"] - 2022 Quarterback </strong></span>For the second straight year, [player_tooltip player_id="38703" first="Rovaughn" last="Banks"] has done whatever the team needed him to do and it’s paid off with a lengthy playoff run. This year, Banks came into the season as a running back and would be a two-headed monster with Smith in the Union backfield. However, when Grayson Tempest went down with an injury, Banks went back to quarterback and the offense has not missed a step. Banks has over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns passing with nearly 900 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38675" first="Will" last="Thomas"] - 2022 Offensive Lineman </strong></span>Coming into this season, we wrote quite a bit about Union’s offensive line as a unit combined with the talent at the running back position. A big reason, no pun intended, was the return of offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38675" first="Will" last="Thomas"] at the left tackle position. In our opinion, Thomas is one of the best offensive lineman prospects in the state’s 2022 class and having him back, anchoring a talented and big offensive line was something to watch out for. Thomas and Union’s O-Line have a tough battle against Jenks’ defensive front. <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>OTHER NAMES TO KNOW </strong></span> <strong>- Jackson Jennings - 2022 Defensive Lineman</strong> <strong>- [player_tooltip player_id="110741" first="Lane" last="Wood"] - 2024 Tight End</strong> <strong>- [player_tooltip player_id="67777" first="Matthias" last="Roberson"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman</strong> <strong>- TJ Cowan - 2022 Kicker</strong>