3A high school football preview: Union at Juab

Union (3-6) at Juab (7-3)

3A state tournament first round

Friday, 5 p.m.

Parry's Power Guide: Juab by 21

All-time series: Juab leads, 2-1

Coach vs. Coach: Juab's Mike Bowring leads Union's Sam Elliott, 1-0

Last meeting: Sept. 3, 2010 — Juab 34, Union 21

Juab coach Mike Bowring wondered how his team would respond when it lost two of its best offensive players midway through the season.

Both fullback Ryan Worwood and quarterback Brock Orme were lost because of injuries — Worwood to a torn ACL and Orme to a broken arm — and their absence could've been devastating to Juab's football team.

But to their credit, Juab's football players didn't allow the crucial losses to prevent them from having a successful regular season.

Indeed, Juab won more close games than it lost in a balanced Region 12, and because of those victories, the Wasps finished as the league's No. 2 seed and consequently earned the right to host a playoff game in the 3A tournament, which will take place on Friday against Union.

"That was one of the goals we set at the start of the season was to have a home playoff game," said Bowring. "We've been through some adversity this year with two of our main offensive guys — our quarterback and our fullback — being out. I'm proud of these guys. They've been warriors.

"They've been battling, and they've done a good job. We've found ways to win a lot of close games. If we don't win those close games, the home playoff is out."

Juab's first four Region 12 games went into overtime, with the Wasps managing to win the first three. Those three crucial victories ultimately allowed Juab to be the league's No. 2 seed despite losing in OT to Manti and then against Delta in regulation to close out the regular season.

Bowring hopes that all of his team's close games during the regular season will help prepare it for close games in the playoffs, beginning with Union on Friday.

"It does nothing but prepare you for the postseason," Bowring said of all the close games. "I think anytime you do have a close game you kind of reflect on a bunch of those games that you did get through, and I think it does kind of prepare you for those situations."