Clayton News Daily

From staff reports

The Lovejoy Wildcats and Union Grove Wolverines are two football teams going in opposite directions.

Lovejoy (5-2 overall, 3-0 in Region 4-AAAAA) defeated Union Grove 33-14 for its fifth straight victory this season.

Union Grove (3-5, 0-4) started the year on a three-game winning streak but has dropped five straight games.

"We've been very fortunate things have been going our way," Lovejoy head coach Al Hughes said.

Senior quarterback Mario Fannin led Lovejoy 12 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 6 of 10 passes for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Octavius Edge had nine carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Keith Fitzhugh had two carries for 28 yards and a touchdown.

"It's always very tough when you're playing on the road in front of a hostile crowd and then it's homecoming on top of that," Hughes said. "(Union Grove) played a good game."

Travis Burks led Union Grove by completing 10 of 18 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown pass to Owen High. Burks also rushed for 75 yards and scored a touchdown.

Lovejoy led 26-7 at the half.

"We knew it was going to be tough," Union Grove head coach Mike McDonald said. "Our kids fought hard and that's encouraging. We could have folded but we didn't. We came out in the second half and played much better."