Class 6A Semifinals: No. 1 Jenks (10-2) vs. No. 3 Union (10-2)
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Friday, November 23, 2012
11/23/12 at 3:09 AM
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Memorial Stadium/Tiger Field, Broken Arrow High School
Tickets: $7 for adults, $5 for students
TV: Cox cable 3, 703
Radio: KTBZ am1430, KYAL fm97.1
The matchup: Both teams seem to be peaking at the right time after struggling early with injuries and inconsistent play.
Jenks has won 10 straight and is outscoring foes by almost 40 points per game since starting the season with losses to Union and nationally ranked DeSoto, Texas. Union has won eight in a row since starting 2-2.
The Trojans allow only 76.3 rushing yard per game. In a key matchup, they hope to slow Union's potent ground game without giving up too much through the air.
Union struggled to a 17-14 win over Westmoore in the first round of the playoffs, but exploded for 566 yards in a 52-19 quarterfinal win over Edmond Santa Fe. Terrel Buchanan rushed for 257 yards and three TDs.
Buchanan and Justin Silmon are 1,000-yard rushers and senior quarterback Hunter Atyia is a slick zone-read operative who has accounted for 6,088 yards and 64 TDs over three seasons.
The Trojans' stingy secondary is led by cornerback Braden Calip and safety Dylan Harding, who had a interception and key breakup in last Friday's 34-12 semifinal win over Edmond North.
Jenks relies offensively on tailback Trey'Vonne Barr'e (1,741 yards, 26 TDs) and Kyle Alexander's passing. OU commit Jordan Smallwood averages 17.4 yards per reception. Union hopes to pressure Alexander out of the pocket. Dalton Rodriguez, a 6-foot-6, 247-pound OU commit, has nine sacks.
Notable: Barr'e went over 4,000 career rushing yards and is the Trojans' all-time leader. He also has 58 total TDs, three short of tying the school record held by Zack Langer (2008-10).
Jenks and Union meet for the 11th time in the playoffs (all since 1998) and the 51st time overall. Each has won five playoff meetings, but Union has won the last four, including three times in the 6A championship game.
Union makes its sixth straight semifinal appearance, 14th in the past 15 years and 21st overall. The Redskins are 13-7 in semifinal games. Jenks is 20-3 in semifinal games with two of the losses coming to Union - last year and in 2003.
Associated Images:
Jenks' Trey'Vonne Barr'e heads downfield during last week's win over Edmond North at home. Barr'e has rushed for 1,741 yards and 26 touchdowns this season and is the Jenks all-time rushing leader with more than 4,000 career yards. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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