Union Dominates Mustang 53-21

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the game of the week, it was another Union rout as top-ranked Union traveled to Mustang and took down the #3 Broncos in a 53-21 victory. After somewhat of a slow start, Union's offense could not be contained on their way to a 32-point victory. Once again, the Redhawks were led by senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='219073' first='DJ' last='McKinney'], who eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season in the win. And after sitting out last week's game against Norman, sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='188014' first='Shaker' last='Reisig'] returned to lineup and threw for nearly 300 yards in the win. With the win, Union is now in the driver's seat for the district championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams had slow starts as Mustang would go three and out on their first possession, followed by a Union fumble on their first play on offense. Mustang couldn't take advantage as they would give it back to Union with an interception on a pass that was supposed to go out of bounds. On Union's first play of their second possession, Reisig would connect with senior receiver [player_tooltip player_id='376092' first='Grayson' last='Tempest'] for a 67-yard touchdown. Union added two touchdowns in the second quarter on McKinney runs to lead 21-7 at halftime. Mustang's lone score came following a fake punt near midfield. They would score to make it 14-7 but Union would respond on the next possession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Union's first four possessions in the second half ended with points. And if you include the final two possessions in the first half, that was six straight possessions where Union finished with points on the scoreboard. And that doesn't include a special teams touchdown. Union began the second half by marching down the field and Reisig connected with junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='110747' first='Jino' last='Boyd'] on a 30-yard touchdown. McKinney would add another touchdown to extend the lead to 36-7 halfway through the third quarter. Mustang would score on their next possession on [player_tooltip player_id='477313' first='Jay' last='Bedford']'s short touchdown run, his second of the night. But Union immediately responded. Mustang attempted a pooch kick, it was caught by [player_tooltip player_id='110740' first='Issac' last='Covington'] but he turned around and tossed it back to [player_tooltip player_id='319804' first='Devon' last='Jordan'], who took it 70 yards for a touchdown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mustang added another touchdown early on in the fourth quarter on a [player_tooltip player_id='200526' first='Tristen' last='Russell'] touchdown to Chad Beard. But once again, Union would respond. A little over two minutes following the Mustang touchdown, Union added a short field goal after the drive stalled inside the Mustang 5. McKinney added his fourth touchdown on the night later on in the fourth quarter. Union's offense finished the night with 516 yards and they had balance with 288 passing yards and 228 rushing yards. Mustang was limited to 328 yards but they did find success in the run game with a little over 200 yards on the night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, we take a look at five players who performed incredibly well on each side of the match-up. Union had a few players that fit that description and despite the loss, Mustang had several individuals that stood out throughout the night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>UNION TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349814b44c36","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["57166"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Union's defense performed incredibly well in the first few quarters as they completely shut down what Mustang wanted to do on offense. With the exception of one drive that was sparked by a fake punt, the Union defense was dominant in the first half. Union had several standouts on the defensive side of the ball but standing out early was senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='57166' first='Braylen' last='Irvin-Fisher']. It seemed like Fisher was living in the Mustang backfield in the first half as he came away with several sacks, including a big sack on third down. In fact, Fisher seemed to make his biggest plays on third down. When Mustang was trying to throw the ball away, Fisher tip-toed the Union sideline and came down with an interception, which set up Union's first touchdown on the very next play.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79bfe9"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349816344c37","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["219073"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Union senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='219073' first='DJ' last='McKinney'] has made 200 yards of total offense and four touchdowns look like it's the normal routine every single week. McKinney eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season and he added four more rushing touchdowns to his total with Thursday night's performance. We've watched McKinney quite a bit over the last 18 months and we always knew that he had legit speed, quickness, etc. But what impressed us the most on Thursday was his running power. McKinney was looking for contact and he broke several tackles, dragged defenders and was always falling forward for extra yards. The highlight plays with breakaway speed were impressive, but it was what he did in between the tackles that had us incredibly impressed with his performance against Mustang.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c022"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349817344c38","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["376092"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Union senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='376092' first='Grayson' last='Tempest'] came into Thursday's game as Union's leading wide receiver and he finished the game in that same spot with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. And once again, he showed that he's one of the fastest players in the state as he ran a simple crossing route and went 67 yards for Union's first touchdown. Tempest's stock as a WR is going up. And after talking with a few coaches before the game, it sounds like Tempest's recruitment is starting to blow up in a great way. He recently was offered by New Mexico State. And it sounds like Kansas State has shown some serious interest in bringing Tempest in as a wide receiver. We've seen a few players similar to Tempest end up at the Power Five level and Tempest could be the next one up.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c050"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349818444c39","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["110747"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"While [player_tooltip player_id='376092' first='Grayson' last='Tempest'] was Union's leading receiver and has been throughout the season, we cannot forget about Union's gem of a junior wide receiver in [player_tooltip player_id='110747' first='Jino' last='Boyd']. He was able to make a few plays in Union's win on Thursday night. He caught two passes for 48 yards and a 30-yard touchdown to start the third quarter. But watching Boyd run his routes instead of watching the play on a few occasions, we were pleasantly surprised how crisp they are and how many times Boyd ends up being all by himself with literally nobody within five to ten yards of him. We've been high on Boyd since the spring of 2021 and he's continuing to back up the hype. We think that Boyd already is and will end up being one of the top playmakers in the state's 2024 class when it's all said and done.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c07f"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349819644c3a","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["188014"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Union sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='188014' first='Shaker' last='Reisig'] returned to the lineup after sitting out last week's game against Norman to get some extra rest before this week's top five clash. He picked up right where he left off and torched the Mustang defense for nearly 300 yards through the air. He finished the night 17-24 for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Both touchdowns went 30 and 67 yards respectively. While we watched Reisig play this offseason, we used the word u0022surgicalu0022 to describe his play. On Thursday night, we looked at Reisig as an u0022offensive assassinu0022. We would love to know if Reisig's heart rate ever goes up because he seems so calm, cool and collected at all times. It really is impressive to watch him operate this offense and scary to think what he'll look like in two years as a senior.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c0ac"} /--> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MUSTANG TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634981a744c3b","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["38777"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Coming into Friday night, one of the top overall prospects was Mustang senior [player_tooltip player_id='38777' first='Jacobe' last='Johnson'], who is committed to OU. Johnson is a two-way star for the Broncos and he showed why on Friday night. He would finish as the leading receiver on offense with four catches for 46 yards. On defense, where he'll play his college ball, Johnson was impressive in several moments throughout the night. He did a good job of disrupting what Union wanted to do in the screen game by breaking up multiple bubble screens. But unfortunately, there is reason to be concerned moving forward when it comes to Johnson and his impact down the stretch. Very late in the game, Johnson went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury. We'll have to wait and see on how serious the injury will end up being.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c0e3"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634981dc44c3c","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["477313"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Mustang's offense really performed well in the running game as they would finish with over 200 yards. What was impressive was Mustang's rotation of three different running backs. From senior [player_tooltip player_id='477313' first='Jay' last='Bedford'], to [player_tooltip player_id='354625' first='Pryce' last='Burgess'], Antone Prince and even quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='200526' first='Tristen' last='Russell'], the Broncos had success running the ball. Bedford finished with 65 yards and finished with a team-high 15 carries on the night and two touchdowns on the ground. There weren't too many times that Bedford got caught in the backfield and when he was making contact with a defender, he was usually falling forwards. Bedford came into the night as Mustang's leading rusher and he remained that after Thursday night's performance against top-ranked Union.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c10e"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634981ee44c3d","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["38795"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Mustang senior wide receiver and Air Force commit [player_tooltip player_id='38795' first='Keegan' last='Bass'] was the other part of the wide receiver duo with [player_tooltip player_id='38777' first='Jacobe' last='Johnson']. Bass finished with three catches on the night and one of them was incredibly impressive. On one of his three catches, Bass absolutely climbed the ladder and made a catch that many other wide receivers would have seen get overthrown. Bass got up and brought down the pass with two hands and it was really impressive to watch. Bass has been one of our favorite receivers to watch in person in the state's 2023 class and he continued to show why on Thursday night. We really like what Mustang does with Bass and Johnson and lining them up on the same side. But with Johnson coming up hurt, Bass might have a bigger role in the offense.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c13b"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349820144c3e","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["200526"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"On Thursday night, it was our first chance to see Mustang senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='200526' first='Tristen' last='Russell'] in person this season. We talked with Mustang head coach Lee Blankenship two weeks ago about the growth of Russell as a quarterback and he and I agreed that Russell is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the state. And what was really impressive to watch on Thursday night was Russell's toughness as Union's front seven absolutely got after him. They came up with quite a few sacks and big plays in the backfield. But despite that, Russell finished with 52 yards on the ground. The run game was what got it done so Russell didn't have to throw it as much. But he's shown this season that he can torch opposing secondaries, especially getting the ball to Bass and Johnson and letting them make plays.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c168"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6349821444c3f","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["477314"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"There weren't many highlights for the Mustang defense, but one of the top defensive players that stood out throughout the night was sophomore cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='477314' first='Waleed' last='Gaines Jr']. The sophomore corner was really impressive in the open field making tackles. It was a tough night for the defense as they gave up over 500 yards of offense but you can see that Gaines has the tools to be one of the better up and coming defensive backs in the 2025 class. Gaines doesn't do what some young defensive backs do when trying to make a tackle. Gaines will actually wrap up and bring the ball carrier to the ground and not just go for a big hit. We didn't know much about Gaines coming into the game against Union and he's definitely on our radar for the 2025 class moving forward.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a580e79c196"} /-->