OU COMMIT JORDAN KELLEY SHOWS VERSATILITY FOR UNION

During the early days of fall practice in August, University of Oklahoma defensive lineman commit Jordan Kelley impressed his Union teammates with his ability to catch the football. As initially reported in the Tulsa World’s high school football preview, Union coach Kirk Fridrich said, “He got into an argument about who works the hardest between the receivers and the line, and he said, ‘All you do is catch a ball.’ So they stuck him on the Jugs machine, and he caught three in a row, and didn’t even flinch. He’s pretty athletic.” That earned him a spot on Union’s hands team for onside kickoffs — and also at tight end in special situations. In the fourth quarter Friday night, Kelley showed his catching ability with a 2-yard touchdown reception that helped Union rally for a 44-41, double-overtime win over Owasso at Union-Tuttle Stadium. “He has great hands,” said Union quarterback Peyton Thompson, who threw for four TDs. It was the first career catch and TD for Kelley, who is 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds. “It was pretty crazy,” he said. “We’ve been working on that play since forever. We did it a lot (Thursday) and the whole week. I said, ‘Just throw me the ball and I’ll catch it.’” Kelley did more than catch the TD pass. His pressure on Owasso quarterback Will Kuehne in the second half had a big impact on the outcome. Union (5-0) remains No. 1 in the Tulsa World’s Class 6AI rankings while Owasso (4-1) stays at No. 2. “We showed perseverance and that’s going to make us stronger,” Thompson said. For Owasso, the good news is that after a showdown that many billed as a state championship preview, the last three gold balls have been won by teams that avenged regular-season losses in the title game. And last year, Owasso coach Bill Blankenship led Fayetteville to an Arkansas state title as it avenged in the semifinals a 3-point late September loss to Bentonville.

OU COMMIT JORDAN KELLEY SHOWS VERSATILITY FOR UNION

Photo Credit: Ian Maulet

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