Union County waited…waited some more…and then had to wait even longer for this one. After back-to-back BYE weeks, a rarity, the Panthers were stuck in traffic on the way to Banks and didn’t arrive in Homer until about 8, with the game kicking off when most other teams were nearing halftime. Still, it was worth it when Union scored 21 unanswered in the first half to go up 28-7 on the way to a blowout win over the Leopards (4-3). It marked win #300 all-time for Union County.

Union County (5-1) opened its region schedule with a dominant 42-7 win, and were guided by QB Caiden Tanner’s 5 total TDs. The Panthers got on the board first late in the opening quarter when Braylen Rader charged in from 16 yards out, bulldozing his way in for the score and 7-0 lead.

Banks County took one play to respond, with QB Kolby Watson finding Andrew Shockley open down the field for a game-tying 70-yd TD. Just a few plays later but into the second quarter, Tanner scored his first rushing TD of the night on a 4-yd keeper for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning TD.

After turning away the Leopards, the Panthers went right back to work, as Tanner connected with Zach Taylor for a 24-yd TD that made it a 21-7 game. Midway through the second, Tanner added a 13-yd rushing TD in which he dove inside the pylon to pad the lead to 28-7.

Late in the third, Union added insurance with a 1-yd TD run by Tanner, his third of the game, which followed a sequence in which Banks County missed a long field goal. Tanner capped the evening with a 30-yd TD to Griff Young, giving Union a 42-7 win.