BLAIRSVILLE, GA – Back-to-back fumble recoveries proved to the be difference Friday night as Union County remained unbeaten this season with a 35-14 win against Elbert County in Blairsville.

Senior quarterback Pierson Allison (No. 17) celebrates with freshman Wilson Walker after an Allison touchdown pass put the Panthers on top 21-14.

With the win, the Panthers (6-0, 3-0 Region 8-AA) kept pace with Rabun County for the top spot in the division and made the path the state playoffs clearer.

“I don’t have enough words for how proud I am,” Union County coach Brian Allison said after the game. “Offense, defense, special teams; we won in all three phases tonight.”

Heading into Friday night’s game, the Union County offense had been the engine that drove the Panthers into a 5-0 start.

But it was the defense that stepped up against the visiting Blue Devils (3-3, 2-1), making timely tackles and forcing three turnovers.

Two of those turnovers occurred early in the fourth quarter with the game still up for grabs.

With the score tied at 14, Elbert County was looking to answer a Union County touchdown on the previous drive.

After starting the drive from their own 41, the Blue Devils quickly moved 20 yards down the field and looked to be turning their eyes toward the end zone.

Senior Sawyer Drake leaves an Elbert County defensive back on the turf as he scampers for a 28-yard touchdown catch for Union County on Friday night in Blairsville.

Instead, Elbert County’s Shaun Allen put the ball on the ground and Union County junior Kaston Hemphill scooped it up to give the Panthers a first down on their own 33.

Three straight running plays, including a 22-yard scamper from junior Jonah Daniel, led to a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Pierson Allison to senior Sawyer Drake to give the home team the lead 20-14.

Junior Mason McCombs hit one of his five made point-after attempts to put Union County on top 21-14.

The Panthers would continue to build that lead for the remainder of the game. Pierson Allison, form his defensive back position, recovered a fumble on the Blue Devils’ next drive.

Two plays later, he hit McCombs with a 35-yard touchdown pass to put Union County up 28-14 with 7:44 left in the game.

On the Blue Devils’ very first play from scrimmage on the next drive, junior Clayton Lester stepped in front of a pass for an interception for the defense’s third forced turnover of the night.

History repeated itself as Allison threw another touchdown pass two plays later, this one a 24-yard strike to Drake to secure the final score at 35-14.

Early in the first half, it looked like Union County might be in trouble.

The annual “Pink Out” game at Union County was Friday night and players and fans alike were in the spirit.

After losing the team’s receiving-yards leader, senior Kyle Morlock, to injury on the first play from scrimmage, the Union County offense appeared to be out-of-sync.

Sideline reports from the training staff said Morlock’s injury looked to be a broken right ankle.

The loss of Morlock had the offense scrambling to figure out who would step into his shoes in the receiving rotation.

“We lost one of our best players, and it slowed us down on offense,” Brian Allison said. “But we didn’t give up. We found weaknesses and we took advantage of them.”

The first four drives ended poorly for the Panthers, with two punts, a fumble lost, and an interception.

Union County held the annual “Pink Out” game Friday night, and the Panthers’ student section delivered.

But it was the interception thrown by Pierson Allison that seemed to galvanize the Panthers, who began to play with a different intensity and purpose from that point on.

The defense forced an Elbert County punt on the next drive, and the offense followed suit, marching 68 yards and into the end zone to tie the game at 7 with 49 seconds left in the first half.

The touchdown drive, capped by a beautiful 19-yard pass to senior Cayden Rich, was the first of five straight scoring drives for the Panthers.

But the defense receiving the majority of the praise on the night, especially from Drake.

“I thought our defense played great and really kept us in the game early,” Drake said after the game. “They forced three turnovers, and you really can’t ask for more than that.”

Drake finished the night with 208 yards and two scores on eight catches.

Allison went 15-for-23 for 327 yards and four scores in the air.

On the ground, Daniel led the team in rushing yards again with 67, including a 21-yard touchdown run near the end of the third that tied the game at 14-14.

The win allowed the Panthers to stay neck-in-neck with Rabun County at 3-0 in region play. They are followed by Elbert County and Banks County at 2-1.

All of Region 8-AA is off next week. The Panthers return to action Oct. 18 with a visit to Banks County for another big region matchup.