Breland makes changes

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
July 11, 2004
UNION Union head football coach Brad Breland must be a pretty smooth talker. He actually got the MHSAA to help his team, and essentially all schools out.
When the MHSAA re-aligned last year, Union was placed in an 11-school division. Every game on the Yellowjackets' schedule counted toward making the state playoffs.
Three straight losses to begin the year basically eliminated the Jackets from the playoffs even though they eventually knocked off Class 1A state runner-up Scott Central.
This year, schools will be allowed to participate in a jamboree of at least three teams prior to the regular season opener. Union will host Newton and Newton County on Aug. 20.
Some think the early fall jamboree will lead to the abolishment of spring football in the not-so-distant future.
Union will open its regular season at Noxapater on Aug. 26. After that, the Jackets host South Leake, go to Nanih Waiya, host Edinburg, and visit Pelahatchie in the first half of the season.
The second half begins with homecoming against Pisgah on Oct. 1. After that, Union goes to Sebastopol, hosts Thomastown, visits Scott Central, and hosts Puckett. The Jackets have the last week of the regular season off, thanks again to the 11-school league. The only possible opponents would be Class 2A, 3A, or 4A schools that failed to qualify for the playoffs.