Photo courtesy of Holly Dixon Union Local junior Hayden McCrate (5) stiff-arms Shenandoah linebacker Hunter Schott during Friday's 49-20 Jets' victory in Sarahsville.

SARAHSVILLE — After posting just two wins over the last two seasons, the Union Local Jets have reached the mid-point of the 2021 campaign with a spotless 4-0 record.

The latest “W” came Friday night wheN Coach Bernie Thompson’s Jets hit for several big plays and pulled away from a scrappy Shenandoah squad in the fourth quarter to notch a 49-20 victory.

“We’re always happy with the win, but we didn’t play well,” said Thompson. “Credit to Shenandoah first and foremost…they’re a hard-nosed team and we knew we had to be ready.

“We’ve come a long way from 0-10 two years ago, but these kids are hungry,” the Jets’ pilot continued. “Our message is ‘we’re proud, but we’re never satisfied’.

“It’s a great night to go back, look at the film and correct a lot of stuff,” added Thompson. “We’ve got to eliminate the mistakes and fix some small things defensively, but any time you go on the road and get a win, it’s a good thing.”

The Jets got another strong effort from junior back Hayden McCrate, who rushed 19 times for 161 yards and three big play scores – runs of 50 and 47 yards and a 53-yard TD pass from junior QB Carter Blake. McCrate now has 763 yards rushing for the year and 10 total TDs.

Blake had just five pass completions, but three went for scores and he added 60 yards rushing and a TD.

“We are very explosive and we want to get our athletes the ball in space,” said Thompson. “Our running back (McCrate) is having a great year and they kept him in check except for the big plays.”

The Jets got on the scoreboard first at the 6:51 mark of the opening quarter when Blake teamed up with speedy senior Caleb McWhorter on a 41-yard TD pass. The point-after kick failed, but UL was in front, 6-0.

Shenandoah (1-3) evened the score on the ensuing series, with junior Tyce DeVolld – who enjoyed a solid effort with 16 carries for 118 yards – getting the six-pointer on a nine-yard run, but the two-point conversion run came up short and it was 6-6 with 2:25 on the first quarter clock.

It didn’t take long for UL to regain the lead when McCrate burst up the middle and sprinted 50 yards to paydirt. The try for two failed, leaving the Jets on top, 12-6, with 2:18 left in round one.

The Zeps took their only lead of the night early in the second period when DeVolld connected on a halfback option pass to sophomore Hunter Yates covering 42 yards, and DeVolld ran for the two-point conversion to put SHS on top, 14-12, with 11:52 remaining in the first half.

UL then drove 64 yards to move in front for good, with Blake hitting wide-open senior Sawyer Moore for a 28-yard TD and then Blake added the bonus markers to give the Jets a 20-14 upperhand with 8:10 left in the second period.

The Jets built a two-score lead late in the half on an eight-yard TD run by Blake, who then hit sophomore Gannon Kerns for the two-pointer and a 28-14 UL edge at the intermission.

Shenandoah refused to go away, scoring on the first series of the second half thanks to a 45-yard pass from junior QB Nathan Van Fleet to sophomore Brenden Van Fleet on a quick slant, with Portman sprinting to the end zone for “six”. A fumble foiled the PAT, but the Zeps were within eight, 28-20, with 9:06 left in the third chapter.

Shenandoah drove from its 20 to the UL 32 in hopes of getting even, but a thunderous sack by junior Preston Curry and a near-miss halfback pass by DeVolld ended the bid.

From there, it was all UL in the fourth as the Jets scored three times – the first on a 53-yard Blake-to-McCrate catch-and-run at 11:03; on two-yard run by sophomore Jake Toohey with 5:30 remaining after the Zeps had four incomplete passes from their two-yard line; and finally on a 47-yard TD sprint by McCrate with 2:07 to play. Spanish exchange student Arnel “Pooch” Puig nailed the PAT kicks after each of those scores.

For Shenandoah first-year coach Johnny Jones, it was a case of knowing what his team had to do, but not being able to get it done.

“We knew coming in if we eliminated big plays we had a chance and we weren’t able to do that again,” said Jones. “That’s a good football team and Bernie has them coached up.

“I think we gave them some fits in the first half and made them adjust,” he continued, “but McCrate’s a player…we needed two or three guys to bring him down.”

Despite a third straight loss, Jones continues to see positive signs in his young squad.

“I thought our O-line did a nice job and Tyce really hit the holes tonight,” he said. “When he gets into space, he’s a threat.

“We strive for perfection, but we want to see progress every week and I’m seeing that,” the Zeps’ boss added. “We hung with them and a couple of ‘what ifs’ and the score’s a lot closer than it looks.”

The Jets finished with a 383-239 edge in total yards, with UL gaining 239 on the ground and 144 through the air while Shenandoah had 128 rushing and 111 passing. Van Fleet was 5-of-15 for 69 yards and a TD while DeVolld was 1-of-2 for 42 yards and a TD. Portman caught five passes for 69 yards.