Union Redhawks OK 2023 Team Preview
In this article:
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! It’s the month of July and that means it’s preview time! Throughout the month of July and into August, we are publishing well over 100 in-depth…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!
It’s the month of July and that means it’s preview time! Throughout the month of July and into August, we are publishing well over 100 in-depth team previews to get you completely ready for the 2023 football season. This is something that began in 2021 and has continued to get bigger every single year. We’re looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state. From defending champions, to top contenders and plenty of dark horses, we’ll have complete coverage every single day with new teams from Class 6A, all the way down to the addition of 8-man coverage this year with Class B and C. In this post, we take a look at the Union Redhawks, who are once again contenders in Class 6A-1.
Union Redhawks
Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #2
Preseason Coaches Ranking: #2
The Union Redhawks came into the 2022 season as the number one team in Class 6A-1. They backed up the preseason hype by going unbeaten in the regular season and they looked outstanding in some of the marquee games throughout the season. Whether it was shutting down Broken Arrow, beating up on rival Jenks or not being challenged in district play, the Redhawks looked like the favorite to capture the 6A-1 gold ball. In the semifinals, they would run into district rival Owasso in a rematch of their 35-17 week four win. Owasso would stun the Redhawks 50-47 in six overtimes in a game that went down as one of the instant classics of the 2022 season. Unfortunately for Union, that sent them home and kept them from a second straight trip to Edmond. Union now comes into the 2023 season as one of the favorites once again but they certainly feel like they have some unfinished business with how the 2022 season ended. The Redhawks will have to reload but as we’ve learned, Union is definitely in that group of programs that reloads and never rebuilds.
Only four starters are back on the offensive side of the ball but the Redhawks will have their quarterback and top wide receiver back, which will certainly help. And the reports from the spring is that the offensive line is coming along and is continuing to get better. On the defensive side of the ball, it’s a similar story. Only four starters return on that side of the ball after the graduation of multiple D1 signings. But they are not lacking talent on that side of the ball. They have at least one prospect that has emerged as one of the best prospects in the state’s 2024 class. And that’s just the beginning. The defense has several other players who are ready to have their breakout moments this fall. Union will be in a familiar position when this football season starts. They’ll be considered one of the top teams in Class 6A-1 and the expectation is to make it back to Edmond and contend for the state title. But they’ll be on a mission to finish the job and bring home their tenth state championship in school history.
2022 RESULTS (11-1 Record – Lost In Class 6A-1 Semifinals)
Aug. 26 – Beat Westmoore 57-10
Sept. 2 – Beat Broken Arrow 28-7
Sept. 9 – Beat Jenks 38-3
Sept. 23 – Beat Owasso 35-17
Sept. 30 – Beat Yukon 61-3
Oct. 6 – Beat Norman 42-28
Oct. 13 – Beat Mustang 53-21
Oct. 20 – Beat Edmond Santa Fe 62-21
Oct. 28 – Beat Edmond Memorial 52-21
Nov. 3 – Beat Edmond North 62-6
Quarterfinals – Beat Broken Arrow 45-17
Semifinals – Lost To Owasso 50-47 (6 OT)
Key Losses To Graduation
Bennett Ringleb – Offensive Lineman
Bryce Ashlock – Linebacker
De’Marion Thomas – Defensive Lineman
Devin Robinson – Defensive Back
DJ McKinney – Running Back
Grayson Tempest – Wide Receiver
Players To Watch
2024 defensive back Devon Jordan Devon Jordan 6’1″ | DB Union | 2024 State OK has absolutely blown up this offseason. He’s gone from a prospect with promise to getting offers from just about every major college football program in the country. He had an outstanding offseason and there’s no reason why he won’t have a major impact for the Redhawks this fall. Jordan is the next marquee prospect to come out of Union. He reminds us a lot of former Union standouts like Tre Brown and Jayden Rowe. Lockdown corners, some of the best in the state, but because they were always one of the best players on the football field, Union got creative with how they used them. We anticipate that Jordan will get some time on offense as well.
2024 standout Issac Covington Issac Covington 5’11” | 190 lbs | ATH Union | 2024 State OK is one of our favorite prospects in the state’s 2024 class. We watched him very early on in his high school career and he’s only gotten better and better. The versatility and athleticism is the thing that makes him so special and last year was a perfect example of that. Covington earned a starting role on the defensive side of the ball but in the semifinals against Owasso, he was put into a position where he needed to play running back. And he did a really good job and kept extending that game while Union dealt with injuries. Covington’s main priority will be on defense but he gives Union options when they need it and he has proven he can produce on a big stage.
The offensive line is the one area on offense where Union has to replace multiple starters but the return of 2025 lineman Jesse Jones Jesse Jones 6’2″ | 280 lbs | OL Union | 2025 State OK will certainly be a good start. Jones started as a freshman with Jenks before moving to Union last year. He played right tackle while Bennett Ringleb manned the left tackle position. Jones has been considered by us as one of the top guys at his position in the state’s 2025 class and it feels like only a matter of time before his recruitment starts to take off. The thing that we like about his game is his adaptability and ability to play a variety of positions along the line. Wherever Union needs him, that’s where he’ll play and have success.
Highlights
We’ve been talking about 2024 wide receiver Jino Boyd Jino Boyd 6’0″ | WR Union | 2024 State OK since the spring semester of his freshman year. Boyd has been Union’s leading receiver the last two years and he has the chance to rewrite the record book at Union this fall. The Reisig to Boyd connection in the passing game is going to be arguably the best in 6A-1 and one of the top connections in the state. Boyd was incredibly productive last season and specifically late in the year. He had back to back weeks where he caught four touchdown passes. Two games, eight touchdowns. This is why we’ve been talking about him as one of the top guys at his position for well over two years now.
At this time last year, 2025 quarterback Shaker Reisig Shaker Reisig 6’0″ | 185 lbs | QB Union | 2025 State OK was all anyone wanted to talk about. His move from Jenks to Union overshadowed storylines for months. Fast forward to the presence and it’s all about the next step for Reisig and the Union offense. Reisig is one of the best quarterbacks in the state, regardless of class and he continues to improve every single time he goes out on the field. We’ve said this before about Reisig but his ability to remain completely calm in big moments has always been so impressive to watch. With Reisig more comfortable in the Union offense, we expect them to reach new heights this season. He has weapons around him and he’s going to take advantage of that.
More Names To Know
Ashton Cunningham
Ashton
Cunningham
5'9" | 135 lbs | DB
Union | 2025
State
OK
– 2025 Defensive Back
Boston Carrasco
Boston
Carrasco
5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH
Union | 2025
State
OK
– 2025 Athlete
Brendon McQueen
Brendon
McQueen
6'0" | WR
Union | 2024
State
OK
– 2024 Wide Receiver
Daijon Gaines
Daijon
Gaines
6'1" | 160 lbs | DB
Union | 2026
State
OK
– 2026 Defensive Back
Davion Pickens – 2025 Defensive Lineman
Jordan Schelling
Jordan
Schelling
5'10" | 215 lbs | RB
Union | 2025
State
OK
– 2025 Running Back
JT Fridrich
JT
Fridrich
6'1" | DB
Union | 2025
State
OK
– 2025 Defensive Back
Lane Wood
Lane
Wood
6'4" | 235 lbs | ATH
Union | 2024
State
OK
– 2024 Tight End
Trey Barnes
Trey
Barnes
5'11" | 275 lbs | DL
Union | 2024
State
OK
– 2024 Defensive Lineman
2023 Schedule/Games To Circle
Aug. 24 – AT Westmoore
Sept. 1 – Broken Arrow
– In week one, it’ll be the first of back to back rivalry clashes as Union will host Broken Arrow. These two districts are side by side to one another. They’ve grown up playing together and against one another and they’ve gotten very familiar with one another over the last few years. This will be the ninth meeting since the start of the 2019 season. In the previous four seasons, they’ve met in the regular season and then would follow it up with a playoff rematch. The Redhawks swept the two meetings with the Tigers last season and were dominant in both. They’re looking for their fifth straight win against BA.
Sept. 8 – AT Jenks
– The Broken Arrow match-up is the warm-up for the marquee rivalry clash as Union will go on the road to take on Jenks in the annual Backyard Bowl. The Redhawks will be looking for their second straight win in the Backyard Bowl series. They haven’t won back to back regular season meetings in over a decade. The last instance came back in 2011 and 2012. The anticipation for the Jenks-Union rivalry clash was at a peak that we haven’t seen in a long time during the regular season last year. Union responded by dominating the Trojans with a decisive 38-3 victory. They’ll attempt to leave no doubt for the second consecutive season.
Sept. 22 – Owasso
– This district clash is routinely one of the top games on Union’s schedule every single season. It usually (not always) decides the district championship. Despite it only being the first week of district play, both teams will have to be ready to go right out of the gate because the winner will be considered the district favorite and the loser will have plenty of work to do. Then you look at how last season ended for the Redhawks. They were upset by the Rams in a six-overtime thriller in the semifinal round. The game was tied at 13 at the end of regulation and it would finish with Owasso winning 50-47. Union will be ready for another shot at the Rams.
Sept. 29 – AT Yukon
Oct. 6 – Norman
Oct. 13 – Mustang
Oct. 19 – AT Edmond Santa Fe
Oct. 27 – AT Edmond Memorial
Nov. 2 – Edmond North
Notable
In 2014, Class 6A split into two divisions and has stayed that way ever since. We’ve mentioned this a few times that the split in Class 6A never would have happened if Jenks and Union didn’t combine to win every Class 6A state championship, starting in 1996. But ever since the split, Union has managed to win just one state championship, coming in 2016 when they beat Norman North. The Redhawks are knocking on the door of ten state championships in school history. Only seven other programs in state history have been able to accomplish that number. But the Redhawks have been knocking on that door for six seasons now and this fall will be the seventh. At this point, Union is ready to kick that door in and finally bring that tenth state championship back to Tulsa. They made it all the way to the title game in 2021, but had to settle for the silver ball. Last year, it was the six overtime heartbreaker against Owasso in the semifinals. This year, the expectations are high once again and they are ready to get the job done.
Championship History
9 State Championships
2016 – Beat Norman North 57-43
2011 – Beat Broken Arrow 23-22
2010 – Beat Jenks 50-47
2009 – Beat Jenks 52-19
2008 – Beat Jenks 34-20
2005 – Beat Mustang 33-7
2004 – Beat Jenks 27-17
2002 – Beat Broken Arrow 52-3
1963 – Beat Mooreland 24-14