Urchins Have Surprised Everyone

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BLUE SPRINGS, Miss. (WCBI SPORTS) – In just its second year of football, head coach Scott Duley and East Union are in the second round of the 2A playoffs.

“Words cannot explain just how hard we’ve played this year,” senior Jacob Elder said. “This team has worked their tails off every practice.

No one thought the Urchins (one of the best names in high school sports by the way) would be here. This is a team that surprised even itself.

“I had no idea we’d be this far,” senior Blake Spruill said. “I didn’t know we would make it to the second round of the playoffs. I didn’t know we’d be 7-3. I did not know that.”

What’s been the key with a team that didn’t grow up playing football and has to learn plays and systems from scratch? Plain old hard work. They run the ball 90% of the time and focus on the fundamentals.

“I did not foresee us being 8-3 and winning our first playoff game,” head coach Scott Duley said. “We try to keep it simple as a coaching staff. One thing about Union County kids is they’re going to give you everything they have.”

Duley says his player’s inexperience may be helping them. His team doesn’t over think too much. They definitely didn’t give up when they were down 14 with 8 minutes left Friday at H.W. Byers. East Union won by one point.

“We had a few (players) crying,” Elder said. “The coaches were dancing. Coach Duley, he never dances, but he did this last game.”

The players said Duley did the Dougie. If East Union wants to keep dancing the team will have to get past Eupora. The Urchins play the Eagles Friday, a school with a rich history, which is in stark contrast Duley’s new-born program.