For Union High School, it all keeps coming back to MHSAA Region 5-2A.

The Yellowjackets’ (10-3) division could be considered one of the toughest regions in all of Class 2A — possibly even the toughest — and Union head football coach Brad Breland said playing in 5-2A has helped prepare his team for its current postseason run.

Union opened the playoffs two weeks ago with a 37-13 win against Pisgah High School and also knocked off Prentiss High School last week, 32-18. Now, the Yellowjackets return home to face a familiar area foe in Bay Springs High School, whom they host Friday.

“I think the fact that three of us are left out of the four (playoff teams) that came from our district, that speaks for how tough our region is,” Breland said. “It prepares you for the playoffs. There were four or five region games that were playoff-type games we had to play just to make the playoffs.”

As most coaches would say, it always helps to be peaking at the right time, and Breland said his team has certainly been playing good ball since the playoffs started.

“We’ve been playing well the last two weeks,” Breland said.

Now, the Yellowjackets will play in a revenge game of sorts, as Bay Springs was the first team to hand Union a loss in a 42-38 decision back on Sept. 30 that snapped a six-game winning streak for Union in the first six weeks of play.

“We talked about it a little bit, but not a whole lot,” Breland said of the revenge factor. “At this stage, we all have one goal. Our main focus is on winning and advancing.”

Since Bay Springs is in Union’s region, Breland said there naturally some familiarity in what to expect from the Bulldogs Friday.

“They run multiple formations, but they’re basically out of the Wing T,” Breland explained. 

In fact, Bay Springs is one of several Wing T teams from Region 5-2A, so the Yellowjackets have already done plenty of practicing against that offense.

“It’s somewhat of an advantage (having already played them), since we know what to read and look for and stuff like that,” Breland said.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday at Union.