Union County rushed for over 300 yards and got six touchdowns from Jaron Johnson on Friday to overwhelm visiting Hopkins County Central 47-13.
Johnson found the end zone four times in a decisive 2nd quarter to help the Braves pull away and improve to 3-2. The Storm suffered its third straight defeat to slip to 1-4.
Johnson and Willem McPeak each scored on 15-yard runs to give Union an early 14-0 advantage, but the Storm answered with a 32-yard scoring strike from Isac Earl to Isaac Manning to cut the lead in half.
The Braves restored the two-score cushion on Johnson’s 1-yard plunge early in the 2nd quarter before Hopkins Central again landed a counter punch on a 46-yard TD run by Zayden Parker. The extra point was unsuccessful, and it would be the Storm’s last trip to the end zone.
Johnson added scoring runs of 58, 5, and 1 yard to close the half and send the Braves into the locker room with a 42-13 advantage.
Johnson added his sixth touchdown on a 14-yard run to cap the scoring and trigger a running clock in the 3rd quarter.
Union County totaled 359 yards, including 306 on the ground. Johnson rushed 17 times for 189 yards, and McPeak added 117 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Max Nobles completed five of eight passing attempts for 61 yards.
Earl was 7/24 for 86 yards and a score for the Storm. Parker rushed 14 times for 87 yards and a TD, and Jeremiah Groves finished with two catches for 23 yards.
Hopkins Central will look to put an end to its losing run when Webster County visits next week. The Storm saw a two-game winning streak against the Trojans come to an end last season with a 38-25 defeat.
