Union County running back Jakevious Jennings shines in first start against Broome

Jakevious Jennings was ready to take over for Union County football on Friday night.

Only a sophomore, Jennings replaced injured starter Cam Owens (ankle) and rushed for 107 yards with three touchdowns in the  Yellow Jackets'  32-27 win at Broome..

"I feel very bad because that's my friend and (Owens) does a lot for this team," Jennings said. "But it feels good for me to step in and just do my stuff. I wish Cam a good recovery."

Ask Union County coach Brian Thompson, and Jennings has a chance to be special for the Yellow Jackets (2-1).

"He's pretty tough," Thompson said. "Last year as a freshman, he squatted 400 pounds. He's a beast in the weight room. ... You put the ball in his hands, it's all business."

Union took the lead early with Jennings, sophomore running back Jaquan Jeter and receiver Marcus Porter Jr. producing most of the offense on the ground. The Yellow Jackets finished with 179 yards and four touchdowns rushing.

"Coach Rob, our offense coordinator, does a good job of counting numbers in the box, and we felt like we were getting some run boxes and our kids were executing," Thompson said.

With Jennings showing he's got the ability to be a workhorse back and Jeter displaying burst against Broome (1-3), Union County could be primed to make a run in a solid Region 4-AAA this season — especially if Owens returns.

"Those are two sophomores, we're really proud of them picking up the load after losing Cam Owens from an ankle last week. Those guys stepped up and ran really hard, protected the football for us. Those two have a chance to be special football players," Thompson said.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Union County's Jakevious Jennings shines vs Broome in first start