Union advances to State Semifinals, Blocks out media commotion in win over Ridgeview

BIG STONE GAP, Va. (WJHL) — The Union Bears continued their undefeated postseason run Saturday, defeating Ridgeview 21-14 in the Region 2D championship to advance to the state semifinals.

The Bears jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and while the wolfpack brought it back to a one possession game, the Bears’ defense held strong in the final minutes to secure the regional title and move to 13-0 on the year.

The win comes amid a whirlwind of national and international media attention surrounding the program following the disappearance of head coach Travis Turner. Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards has stepped in as interim head coach and credited his players for their toughness on field.

“They’re a great team, well coached team,” Edwards said. “We knew it was going to be like this. We said this all week, it was going to be one of those big-boy football games. So we expected this type of game.”

Senior leaders echoed that message after the hard-fought victory. “There’s a lot of outside noise coming in,” senior running back Keith Candler said. “But we were just telling each other don’t fall into the rat poison. I thought we did a really good job handling the adversity.”

In the final minutes of the game, a crucial 4th down stop sealed the deal on the Bears victory. “It’s unmatched,” senior quarterback Kam Bostic said. “That hold there on the goal line…not many teams could do that. A few fumbles here and there, and long plays but them, but great resiliency and team toughness.”

Union now turns its attention to a state semifinal matchup against Glenvar next Friday, Dec. 6, with the Bears just two wins away from a Class 2 state title.

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