Union Football Team Builds In Offseason As New Stadium Is Built Beside Them

A quick history lesson: Union has won 8 state championships, the most recent in 2016.

With a new stadium being built the football team hopes that this season they will bring home a gold ball

While the pandemic is one distraction, Union High School Football has another one: a new stadium being built right beside summer drills.

This construction, however, has not slowed the team down, in fact, it’s been added motivation.

Coach Kirk Fridrich's team is glad to be out on the field.

"They are so used to having spring football. We are so used to doing some 7-on-7 this time and having all that stuff taken away from you, they can't wait to get back on the field,” said Fridrich.

The leader of the group this fall will be running back AJ Green who recently committed to Arkansas. Coach Fridrich said Green has come a long way after playing the position for just 1 season.

"[It’s] so easy to be a fan of AJ Green because of the way he works. Just a guy that you can say thanks for doing it the right way, and he is like that is the only way to do it coach,” said Fridrich.

For Green this is last shot for a Gold Ball, something he has never won, before he heads to Fayetteville.

"The taste in my mouth right now, I'm going to make everybody else feel the way I've been feeling. So I'm coming for something, this whole team is coming for something, the coaches staff is coming for something, and we are just ready to collect everything,” said Green.

Along with a stacked senior roster anchored by Green, Fridrich has been impressed so far with sophomore Dee Thomas, and said the lineman even reminds him of when he suited up.

"Absolutely I actually remind myself of those guys that can run four three. So definitely a guy that we look forward seeing grow up in our program,” said Fridrich.