For perhaps the final matchup between two rivals, Union relied on big plays in the run game to earn an impressive but sloppy 35-20 victory over J.I. Burton.
Burton hung close at times behind senior quarterback Houston Thacker but the Raiders were outmanned at the line of scrimmage. Thacker was 20-of-28 for 192 yards. Most of Thacker’s yardage was racked up on short routes. The Raiders did complete one big pass, a 40+ yard gain to Derrick Allen.… Read the rest Bears start slow but cruise to a 35-20 win over Raiders
For perhaps the final matchup between two rivals, Union relied on big plays in the run game to earn an impressive but sloppy 35-20 victory over J.I. Burton.
Burton hung close at times behind senior quarterback Houston Thacker but the Raiders were outmanned at the line of scrimmage. Thacker was 20-of-28 for 192 yards. Most of Thacker’s yardage was racked up on short routes. The Raiders did complete one big pass, a 40+ yard gain to Derrick Allen.… Read the rest Categories:
Week 1 Preview
J.I. Burton Raiders (Cumberland) at Union Bears (Mountain)
2017: Union won 35-0
The first official game played in the Commonwealth of Virginia will take place Thursday night in Wise County when J.I Burton travels to Big Stone Gap to take on Union. The once competitive rivalry has turned into a largely one sided affair. Union has not lost to the Raiders since its inception in 2011.
J.I. Burton coach Jimbo Adams, who has been roaming the sidelines for the Raiders for over two decades now, has struggled with low turnout in recent years.… 
Leave it to the Union Bears to make a benefit game dramatic. The Bears traveled to Bristol to take on the Virginia High Bearcats for a scrimmage, their last preseason test before opening the season against John I. Burton on Aug. 23rd.
While the game does not count towards your record, it came down to a last second Union stop for the Bears to prevail, 24-20.
Coach Travis Turner used the scrimmage as valuable live game preparation for his team.… 
Union High School has had one head coach since its inception in 2011. That coach is Travis Turner, whose name has been a staple in Wise County for decades. Turner, a native of Appalachia, was a star quarterback who won a state title as a signal caller under his dad, legendary coach Tom Turner. The quarterback turned coach was hired in part to smooth over the consolidation of Appalachia and Powell Valley.… 
2018 J.I. Burton Raiders
Season Preview
Head Coach: Jim Adams
Cumberland District, Region D
2017 record: 7-6 (4-1 Cumberland)
For most teams, starting a season 1-4 would foreshadow a death sentence. For the 2017 J.I. Burton Raiders, the season ended with a flurry of wins. The Raiders finished their last five games with a 4-1 record. This put the Raiders at 5-5 at season’s end, which was good enough to qualify for the playoffs.… 
The 2017 season proved a rousing success for the Union High School football team. The Bears won 13 games, which included triumphs over rivals Richlands, Ridgeview and a Region D championship win over Graham. However, for one Bear, 2017 was bittersweet.
Quarterback Bailey Turner, entering into his third year as a starter and in 2017, was expected to be the driving force for the Union offense. However, his season ended in heartbreak, when he went down with an injury in the fourth quarter of the second game.… 
Union Bears
Mountain 7, Region D
Head Coach: Travis Turner (8th season, 140-47 overall)
2017 results: 13-1 (6-0 Mountain 7) 8-1 home, 5-0 away.
Averaged 34 points per game, allowed 11 points per game. Average margin of victory was 23 points per game.
Key losses:
TE/FS James Mitchell (Virginia Tech), LB Bryce Lane, LB Tanner Kennedy, DB/WR Zach Qualls, LB/RB Braxton Zirkle, RB Dakota Owens, DE Luigi Colot, DT Jeb Stidham, DT/OL Preston Walker
Key returning starters:
QB Bailey Turner
RB Avery Jenkins
DE/HB Mason Polier
OT Trevor Wagner
OT Brandon Bunch
OL Nick Cooper
PK Justin Falin
2018 schedule:
Key games:
@ Richlands, @Ridgeview, @ Morristown West, @ John Battle
Outlook:
For most teams, losing double digit starters would result in a rebuilding year.… 
