Union High School opened its MHSAA Class 2A postseason run in dominant fashion by defeating Pisgah High School 37-13 on the road last Friday night. Head coach Brad Breland’s Yellowjackets (9-3) rattled off 16 points in the first quarter, 14 in the second and seven in the third en route to the opening-round victory.

Breland’s defensive unit held Don Ragsdale, the nation’s No. 2 rusher (3,081 yards) according to MaxPreps.com, to just one touchdown, although he accumulated 211 yards on 27 carries.

“The first half, we played really well,” Breland said. “The second half, we got a little sloppy and gave up a couple of touchdowns. But other than that, we played really well the whole game.”

The win sets the table for a Union-Prentiss High School (8-4) matchup this Friday. 

“(This week at practice) we’ve just been making sure that we’re lining up soundly, making sure we’re able to block their defensive front and stuff like that,” Breland said. 

The Bulldogs boast a balanced offense that averages 122.8 passing yards and 122.9 rushing yards per contest this season. Prentiss wide receiver Ronald Baker headlines the Bulldogs’ offense with 928 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Defensive tackle Kameron Johnson leads Prentiss’ defense with 67 total tackles.

Prentiss is coming off of a 28-12 road win against Taylorsville High School. Although Union and Prentiss have yet to face off on the gridiron, Breland and his coaching staff have throughly scouted their upcoming opponent. 

“They’re really athletic, and defensively, they do a good job of running to the football and putting a lot of pressure on you,” Breland said. “Offensively, they spread you out and try to get the ball to their athletes out there in space.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Prentiss High School.