Big time bowl

Union-Jenks football matchup WAS a major spectacle

If there was any doubt about how big of a deal high school football is in Oklahoma—and in the Tulsa area specifically—I offer as Exhibit A the Jenks-Union game played on September 7.

The annual game is so large it has its own sponsor and logo. Officially, it was the 14th Annual MidFirst Bank Backyard Bowl, played at the University of Tulsa’s H.A. Chapman Stadium. The match was 100 percent fitting of a college game atmosphere.

It was a clear, beautiful night, 78 degrees at kickoff with a mild breeze, the smell of roasting chestnuts hanging in the air—perfect football conditions.

The game was televised on Cox Cable TV, just two weeks after Union’s season opener at Broken Arrow (and their 26-15 victory) was nationally broadcast on ESPN.

This night, there was a loud, boisterous crowd of 11,917 (a low number for the game, most likely due to it being played on a Thursday night instead of the usual Friday). Both schools’ marching bands offered elaborate productions before the game and during halftime. Explosive offensive skill was on display all night long. It was a spectacle.

In the end, despite trailing 33-28 at halftime, defending Class 6AI state champion Union rallied in the second half to defeat Jenks 59-40, as junior Peyton Thompson put on an impressive demonstration by completing 22 of 27 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns.

Thompson was aided by senior receivers A.K. Wilson (12 receptions for 171 yards and one touchdown) and C.J. Moore (four catches for 163 yards and three TDs). Moore is committed to Oklahoma State University next year.

For Jenks, in what might be legendary Coach Allan Trimble’s last season as he continues to battle ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s disease), junior quarterback Ian Corwin passed for 332 yards while also scoring two touchdowns rushing.

These two teams have combined to win the last 21 state championships in Oklahoma’s largest classification (13 for Jenks, all under Trimble’s leadership, and eight for Union) and continually feed players to major college programs across the country, including the University of Oklahoma and OSU.

Union looks like the best team in the state, while Jenks is off to an uncharacteristically slow start at 0-3, after disappointing losses to Owasso (with former TU Head Coach Bill Blankenship now at the helm) and three-time defending Class 6AII state champion Bixby.

And yes, the Union student section was definitely directing chants of “oh-and-three” towards the Jenks sideline late in the fourth quarter, particularly after the Redskins’ Nathanael Raper returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown with 3:32 remaining to put the game out of reach.

This game, which has been played at TU since 2009, seems to bring out the best in these two storied programs, no matter what kind of season they were having. This year was no exception.

“I don’t really understand how it continues to happen that way, but there’s a lot of pride with these two teams, a lot of pride with those kids with the way they play,” said Union Coach Kirk Fridrich, who has presided over five Union state titles since taking over in 2007. “They want to play for their school, and hats off to both teams, they continue to do this over and over.”

Thompson, in his first year as Union’s starting quarterback, embraced the moment in this special setting.

“It’s an unbelievable atmosphere, there’s nothing like it in high school football anywhere,” he said. “I’ve been going to this game my whole life, and to be able to play in it is just an unbelievable experience. We know what kind of team we have, we’re built for games like that. I’m glad that we got tested and came out on top.”

Thompson’s outstanding performance through the first three games (almost 800 yards passing, eight touchdowns and just one interception), and the impressive chemistry he’s developed with Moore and Wilson, largely contributed to the Redskins’ early-season success.

“Peyton obviously is playing very well these first three games, and I’m real proud of what he’s been able to do,” Fridrich said.

“I’ve been working with them all year and I love those guys,” Thompson said of Moore and Wilson. “You can’t ask for much better receivers than them. And just the team coming together as one. We all love each other, we’re a brotherhood, we all got each other’s back. It’s a great atmosphere at Union.”

That’s the attitude the Redskins hope propels them to yet another state championship game, in December, which will likely be played in the same stadium.

“That’s what we love about this game, it feels like a championship setting,” Fridrich said. “Win or lose, or whatever might happen, we feel like it prepares us for an opportunity when we get to a championship game later on.”