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Football Preview 2020
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September 2020 | The Union Times
A third consecutive Region Title Yellow Jackets ready for football season By Tyler Shugart Special to The Union Times
UNION COUNTY — The 2020 football season is going to look very different. With the global pandemic a lot of things have changed in our world and football is not exempt from these changes. We have already seen the season pushed back a month from the original start date, and restrictions for practices and workouts. We will see less people in the stands, and masks for everyone except players. I think any real football fan would gladly take all these changes and restrictions so we can all get to enjoy the game we love.
his first two years, making it to the Upperstate in year one, and the third round of the playoffs last year. The Jackets have been successful since Thompson arrival at the school in May 2018, and this season should be more of the same. Quarterback One of the biggest changes for Union County will be at the Quarterback position.
Sophomore Defensive End Timmy Salter will be a force to be reckoned with for the Union County High School Yellow Jacket Defense during the 2020 Football Season.
For the last three seasons that position has been held down by KeSean Glover, but with Glover departed for Newberry College, there will be another Jacket at the helm of the offense. The new Jacket Quarterback will be a familiar name to those who followed the program last year.
standout for Union County on the basketball court. He fell with some injuries last year but is back for his senior season and should be a big target for Hunter this year. McCluney’s height and speed will be a problem for a lot of defenses this season.
has a great arm and the ability to make plays with his legs. Glover was the same way for the Jackets, but he provided more of a power run threat for the Jackets whereas Hunter is more of a speed guy and very agile. His ability to make big plays with his arm and legs should provide After months of waiting, sports are jacket fans with a lot of excitement back and it is time to kick off the JaBryson Hunter will be the new this year. 2020 Yellow Jacket Football season. signal caller for the Yellow Jackets and the coaches are excited about Receivers Head Coach the skill set he brings to the table. Another guy the coaching staff is This season will be the third for Hunter, who last year played mostly excited to have back this season is Union County High School Head defense, did fill in at Quarterback for Wide Receiver KJ McCluney. Coach Brian Thompson. The a while last year when Glover was Jackets won region titles in both of out. Hunter is a dual threat guy who McCluney, a senior, is also a
ALMOST PINK
Another receiver that has caught the eyes of the coaching staff this offseason has been Ethan Balkum. According to Coach Thompson, Balkum, a senior, has been a guy that “has worked his tail off and has really become a kid that is imposing his will on the field.” Overall the
We wish you unlimited success this season.
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Football Preview 2020
The Union Times | September 2020
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Union County High School Yellow Jackets Quarterback JaBryson Hunter shows off his arm during some scrimmage action Saturday, September 12. He will be leading the Yellow Jackets this season and should provide lots of excitement for the team’s fans this year.
coaches are impressed so far with the skill positions on offense. Defense On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Thompson thinks the team is going to be really fast. “Our goal on the defensive side of the ball is to create chaos,” Thompson said. “We have a couple of really good defensive ends. Tremaine Epps is a kid that has really been consistent for us and a big time playmaker. He will play a hybrid defensive end and outside linebacker position for us.”
thing the Jackets will impress anyone with their size, but their speed will turn a lot of heads. Region Title Overall, I think this Yellow Jacket team is poised to make another run at a region title. A new quarterback with a great skill set, complimented by a good stable of running backs and a quality wide receiving core should make the Jacket offense very formidable.
On the defense side of the ball, speed in the secondary and the ability to get pressure on the quarterback with There is also a lot of excitement really good defenses ends should surrounding sophomore Timmy help the Yellow Jacket defense create chaos for opposing offenses Salter. and help lead the Jackets to a third Salter is 6’6” and weighs about 250 consecutive Region Title. pounds. With that size he should Tyler Shugart is the host of “Bump be able to impose his will on a lot and Run” from 7-9 a.m. on Fox Sports of offensive lines and really make 1400 AM 98.3 FM in Spartanburg. things tough for opposing offenses. He can be reached at tylers1400@ Outside of Salter, Thompson doesn’t gmail.com.
Wide Receiver KJ McCluney prepares to run a route during scrimmage. McCLuney is expected to be a big play maker for the Union County High School Yellow Jackets in the upcoming season.
Photos by Brett Shugart
Best Wishes Michael A Glenn
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Football Preview 2020
September 2020 | The Union Times
A little different football season Yellow Jackets play Region games first By Tyler Shugart Special to The Union Times
Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, September 15, the Union County School District announced that a member of the Union County High School Yellow Jackets Football Team had tested positive for the COVID-19 Virus. As a result the District suspended all Varsity practices and games until September 29. This meant the first game of the season for the Yellow Jackets against Clinton originally scheduled for September 25 was postponed and would be played at a later date.
Running Backs are expected to be one of the strong points of this year’s Union County High School Yellow Jackets Football Team. This year the Yellow Jackets will play a shortened Football Season which will begin with Region Games. The shortened season and different schedule is due to rules passed by the South Carolina High School League in response to the COVID-19 Virus.
UNION COUNTY — Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Union County was going to play a schedule very similar to the one they have been playing for many years. The Jackets were locked in to play a touch non-region schedule that included games against Chester, Laurens, Gaffney, York, and Greer Clinton. Clinton usually have some big guys up front on offense that try to before getting into region play. impose their will on defensive lines, but that will be difficult to do when Of course, because of the shortened season and the rules the South Carolina they line up against 6’6” Defensive End Timmy Salter for Union County. I High School League put forth, the schedule looks a little different than think the Jackets get off to a 1-0 start. originally planned. Woodruff Region Games Union County’s second game will be their first road game of the season as Per SCHSL directive, teams will begin the 2020 season by playing region they will travel to Woodruff to take on former Head Coach Bradley Adams games first. and the Wolverines. Of course region games are the most important because those games Woodruff graduated a lot of guys off of last years team and will be playing determine who makes the playoffs and playoff seeding. While I understand the reasoning behind this, because you have to make sure these games get a lot of young guys on both sides of the ball including a sophomore played, I hate that it had to happen. Usually you use those first few games Quarterback. Woodruff will be going throw some growing pains especially to evaluate your team, work out any kinks, and be ready to play your best early on, so region games being early may benefit the Jackets here. football heading into the important region games. Teams won’t be able to Broome do that this year as region play starts Week One. The third game of the season will see Union County return to Union County Clinton Stadium to take on the Broome Centurions. Broome went 6-6 last year and The Yellow Jackets will open the 2020 campaign against region foe Clinton. 3-1 in region play. Clinton is coming off of a 4-7 overall record last year and they went 2-3 in region play. That, however, was an improvement over the 2018 season which saw them go 2-8. Clinton has kind of gone back to the Clinton of old. They are more of a power run team instead of the spread they tried for a couple of years.
This will be a tough test of the Jackets and Broome is an experienced team, returning some really good football players. For me this is one of the two games that Union must win to get into the playoffs. The top two teams from each region get in this year which is less than usual. So you have to finish second to make the playoffs. I like the Jackets chances in this game.
The Jackets had no trouble with Clinton last year beating them 54-21 in Chapman
Football Preview 2020
The Union Times | September 2020
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The Union County High School Yellow Jackets Offensive line in stance prior to running a play in scrimmage on Saturday, September 12. This year the Yellow Jackets will play a shortened Football Season which will begin with Region Games. The shortened season and different schedule is due to rules passed by the South Carolina High School League in response to the COVID-19 Virus.
The next week the Jackets will see a very familiar opponent, Chapman. The Panthers have been the cream of the crop in 3A the last several years winning two state titles and playing for another. The Panthers and the Jackets have had some epic matchups the last couple of years including the one in the freezing cold rain, in the third round of the playoffs in 2018. This is a different Chapman team however. Chapman graduated a ton of
players including their star Quarterback, but on top of that they lost most of their coaching staff when Head Coach Mark Hodge took the same job at 5A Spartanburg. Chapman brings in new Head Coach Harry Cabiness and Offensive Coordinator Jason McManus. Expect the Panthers to throw it early and often as in years past. They will try to put a lot of points on the board. I like the Yellow Jackets speed to match up with Chapman nicely. A Community Rooted in Culture, Tradition and History 3911 Fishdam Avenue | P.O. Box 305 Carlisle, SC 29031 864-427-1505 | Fax: 864-427-3155 www.townofcarlisle.com
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Football Preview 2020
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Members of the Union County High School Yellow Jackets Coaching Staff look on during a recent scrimmage. This year the Yellow Jackets will play a shortened Football Season which will begin with Region Games. The shortened season and different schedule is due to rules passed by the South Carolina High School League in response to the COVID-19 Virus.
Continued from page 5 Emerald The Jackets will then wrap up the region portion of the schedule against Emerald. Last year the Vikings went 1-9 overall and 0-5 in region play. I don’t expect Emerald to be much improved over last year, but coming off back to back games versus Broome and Chapman this could be a let down game for Union County if they are not careful. After Region
September 2020 | The Union Times
Members of the Union County High School Yellow Jackets Defense drag down a Saluda player from behind during scrimmage on Saturday, September 12. This year the Yellow Jackets will play a shortened Football Season which will begin with Region Games. The shortened season and different schedule is due to rules passed by the South Carolina High School League in response to the COVID-19 Virus.
Gaffney of course is Gaffney. Many publications that cover high school football have the Indians as the favorites to win the 5A title. They will return star Quarterback Undre Lindsay, and a stacked roster of talent on both sides of the football. Playoff Fates
The Yellow Jackets have always been proud of playing one of the toughest After the region schedule concludes Union County will still have two football scheduled in the the state. Despite being in the midst of a global contests left, neither of which will have any bearing on the Jackets playoff pandemic, they have again scheduled one of the toughest seasons in the state. The most crucial games on the schedule this season to me are Broome hopes or seeding. and Chapman. Those two games will determine the Yellow Jackets playoff The Jackets will host both Spring Valley and Gaffney to wrap up the regular fates. season. Tyler Shugart is the host of “Bump and Run” from 7-9 a.m. on Fox Sports Spring Valley went 6-6 last year but made a run to the third round of the 1400 AM 98.3 FM in Spartanburg. He can be reached at tylers1400@gmail. com. playoffs before getting bounced by Dorman.
Football Preview 2020
The Union Times | September 2020
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Photos by Brett Shugart
The Union County High School Yellow Jackets Offense prepares to run a play against Saluda during a Saturday, September 12, scrimmage. This year the Yellow Jackets will play a shortened Football Season which will begin with Region Games. The shortened season and different schedule is due to rules passed by the South Carolina High School League in response to the COVID-19 Virus.
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Football Preview 2020
The life ‘Bit’ lived: Luke 6:35
September 2020 | The Union Times Courtesy photos of Ray “Bit” Barber
A very special friend to all remembered By Tyler Shugart Special to The Union Times
UNION COUNTY — Football season will be different in many ways this year, but one thing that will be missing for many of us is our friend Ray “Bit” Barber. Bit loved his Yellow Jackets, and going to Union County Stadium on a Friday night and not seeing him on the sideline is going to break my heart. I went to a football scrimmage recently and I expected to see him taping ankles and handing out grape bubble gum.
went to and Bit could recall many things that most of us had forgotten about.
WSPA Sports anchor Pete Yanity recently named Union High School the number six football program of the last thirty years in his countdown of the Top Ten Teams, and when this came out Bit called me almost immediately. We talked about the teams that we thought would be ahead of Union in that countdown, and so far we have Since Bit’s passing on July 7th, I have heard a lot been exactly right, and then Bit went on to say, of the same things from many people. The one “You know we could have been higher.” He relived thing that keeps coming up every time I heard a few plays from 1989 that if this or that would people talk about Bit, is the word selfless. I have gone differently we would have won, he said cannot think of a better way to describe Bit, than the same thing about 1996, and of course 2001. with that word. He truly was selfless. Everything he did was for others. He was always asking about There is no question that on the list of things others and doing things for other people, never Bit loved Yellow Jacket Football is near the top of the list. It was so important to him that expecting anything in return. when he recently found himself unemployed and I have heard several people say this week that Bit looking for a new job, one of his requirements for would give you the shirt off his back if you needed accepting a job offer was that he needed to be off it, and there is no doubt in my mine that he would on Friday nights, especially in the fall. So when have done exactly that. He was always thinking he went for a job interview at Wal-Mart and they of other people, and if he was out somewhere and offered him a job he made sure that they could saw something that made him think of someone abide with his wishes. He did not accept the job he would often buy it for them or send them a until he was assured they could do that for him. picture of it and tell them he was thinking of That is dedication. them. I first met Bit in the spring of 2002. I was a Bit volunteered his time for many years to Yellow Sophomore at Union High School and I had Jacket Football. He loved the Yellow Jackets more decided in December of 2001 at the State than anyone I have ever known. He was a walking Championship Game that Union lost to Camden, encyclopedia of Union football. that I was going to play football the next year. Bit Over the years he has told me many stories of was always there at practice, and at games doing his time with Coach Shell Dula back in the early whatever needed to be done to help the team. 90’s, and how much Coach Dula enjoyed Diet He would tape ankles, knees, change cleats, fix Mountain Dew and Twinkies. We would often helmets, or whatever was needed or asked of him. reminisce about the glory days under both Coach He always made sure we had plenty of “Gameday Dula and Coach Anthony and all the games we Grape” gum and Gatorade. He would do whatever
Ray “Bit” Barber poses for a picture with “Cocky,” the Mascot of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Barber, a big Gamecocks fan, passed away on Tuesday, July 7. He was also big fan and supporter of the Union County High School Yellow Jackets.
he could just to be a part of the team and he never asked for or wanted any recognition. He was selfless. Of course that year, my junior year, we went on to win the 3A State Championship and I don’t think there was anyone happier that Bit. Some years passed and I found myself working at WBCU. Bo Rabb retired and I became the host of the Sports Hour on Saturday mornings. For a while it was me and Lawrence Price hosting the show talking Yellow Jackets and mostly college sports. One Saturday morning I invited Derik Vanderford and Bit to be my guests on the show to talk about an upcoming Trans South Wrestling event at the fairgrounds. At the end of the interview I thanked them both for coming and as most sports talk show hosts do I told them to come back anytime. Bit took me at my word and started coming every
Football Preview 2020
The Union Times | September 2020
week. No matter what was going on, even if he worked the third the night before, Bit was there. After Lawrence got sick and wasn’t able to come every week, for a while it was just me and Bit. He studied sports. Especially football and baseball and could spit out stats and names, like it was nothing. A lot of times he would spit out a stat or a name so quick I though he was making it up, he wasn’t. During that time hosting that show together Bit and I developed a pretty close friendship. We talked several times a week even after I left WBCU for my new job at Fox Sports Spartanburg. He kept me up to date with everything going on at UCHS, especially during football season. He took pride in being my “source” for Union.
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we can take your truck.” I told hm I would be glad to take him and drive my truck but that I would also pay him for the ticket, he wouldn’t hear of it. So we drove to Charleston ate a great dinner and saw a great concert. He was mad all the way home, and has brought it up several times since then, because Trisha Yearwood didn’t sing “Walkaway Joe.” The conversations we had in the truck to and from the concert were priceless and now I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.
Bit many times liked to remind me of the time that I was umpiring Church League Softball and threw him out of a game. He was coaching for Ray “Bit” Barber tapes the ankle of former Union Quarterback Justin Knox during one of the many games he Sardis at the time and they had the team to beat attended and assisted with. Barber, who died Tuesday, July 7, each and every year. A couple of their players got was a long-time supporter of the Union County High School When we brought our radio show to Union, I aggravated with me one night at the way I was Yellow Jackets who planned much of his life around the would tell Bit we were coming and that I would calling balls and strikes. One of the first things team’s games. have a headset for him. He would show up too they teach you when you become an umpire is fan. He loved his Yellow Jackets, Gamecocks, and always supported us every time he could. you don’t let players or coaches argue balls and Dolphins, and Braves. He loved wrestling. We Whenever I would schedule a big guest for the strikes. used to talk about the old days of pro wrestling show Bit was usually the first one I would call all the time. He loved being a part of wrestling and tell, because I knew he would want to listen. Well, Bit did and I let it slide for a while, then shows whether it was Trans South or elsewhere. He was especially thrilled when we got Arn apparently he had enough and yelled something He loved music and attended concerts as much Anderson and Jim Ross because Bit sure loved and threw his scorebook up in the air and huffed in dramatic fashion. When he threw the book in as possible. He loved his church and his church his wrestling. the air I immediately ejected him from the ball family at Crestview. No doubt in my mind that Bit One day, a few years ago, Bit called me and said, game by saying, “you’re out of here.” He didn’t is in heaven today talking Yellow Jacket Sports “Hey, I need to ask you something.” It was unlike get mad or yell or anything he simply turned with folks like Bo Rabb and Lawrence Price. Bit Bit to ask me for anything, so of course I was around. Said, “Ok” and walked out. That was Bit. loved being on the radio and talking sports. happy to do whatever I could for him because of He would be mad for a second, but he didn’t stay But the thing that has stuck out to me the most all the stuff he had done for me. He said, “I have that way. this week is Bit was a friend. He never wanted and extra ticket to Garth Brooks this weekend in Charleston, and it is yours if you will drive and if Bit was a lot of things. He was an avid sports to be in the spotlight, he never wanted to be
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Continued from page 9 recognized for anything he did. He did things for people because he genuinely loved them and cared about them. I hope Bit knows how much we all loved and appreciated him. He was a great friend to so many people, me included. I think Coach Anthony said it best at the funeral that we all should strive to “Be Like Bit, kind, humble, selfless, and treated everyone the same.” Coach Anthony went on to read a scripture that he though personified the life Bit lived, Luke 6:35 NKJV, “Love your enemies, do good, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great.” That was Bit’s life. There is no doubt that when he arrived in heaven his reward was great. I am going to miss our talks, I am going to miss the game day grape bubble gum, but more than anything else I am going to miss a kind, humble, loyal, and selfless friend. Friday nights just won’t be the same in Union County without Ray “Bit” Barber. Tyler Shugart is the host of “Bump and Run” from 7-9 a.m. on Fox Sports 1400 AM 98.3 FM in Spartanburg. He can be reached at tylers1400@ gmail.com.
Football Preview 2020 Ray “Bit” Barber (center) is pictured with Wrestlers Scott Hall and Kevin Nash of the NWO and Brett Shugart earlier this year at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. Barber, a long-time local sports fan who was a supporter of and volunteer with the Union County School Yellow Jackets, passed away Tuesday, July 7.
September 2020 | The Union Times
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The Union Times | September 2020
Football Preview 2020
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September 2020 | The Union Times
GO JACKETS!
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