Trojans And Redhawks Prepare For Backyard Bowl

We are in week two of the high school football season, and maybe the biggest matchup is the Backyard Bowl featuring Jenks and Union, our Tulsa Tech Game of the Week.

There's been a lot of close matchups in this series, and 2023 didn't disappoint with Jenks winning the Backyard Bowl.

Both Jenks and Union come into the 21st annual Backyard Bowl eager for a win since they each lost last week.

The Trojans swept both meetings with the Redhawks last year, but both matchups were decided by one score; in fact, 9 of the first 13 matchups in this series were decided by 7 points or less, so it was fun to have the dramatic finishes back in 2023.

We could be in store for another barnburner here at Union. This we know, Jenks and Union have experienced quarterbacks so Shaker Risig and Owen Jones should be up for the challenge.

No matter what, this rivalry prepares both programs for district play and perhaps a deep playoff run.

"One of things this game does, it helps both teams with big games down the road. The last two matches Jenks has done a good job closing the game out so maybe this time we can close a game out."

Both meetings last year got off to opposite starts: in the Backyard Bowl, Jenks got up big and held on 31 to 24. In the 6A division one semifinal game, Union jumped out to a 3-touchdown lead, but Jenks rallied.

The Redhawks also lost in overtime last week, so they are ready for a win in this series and overall should be a good one.