Union Parish football uses 50-0 loss as motivation to return to LHSAA 3A title game

Playing for the state championship is nothing new for the Union Parish football team, but getting humiliated on the state’s biggest stage like the Farmers did in 2020 was.

“It was the worst defeat in my career and it came in the state championship game,” said Farmers coach Joe Spatafora of his team’s 50-0 loss to Madison Prep in last year’s LHSAA Class 3A title game in Northwestern State’s Turpin Stadium. “I told the kids I wanted them to keep what that feels like for the entire year, so we would be prepared this year.”

Although Union Parish (11-3) went through a lull in the middle of the year, losing three of four games when Spatafora was suspended for three games for disciplinary reasons, the Farmers came back with a vengeance. They’ve won eight straight games heading into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. state title game in New Orleans against District 2-3A foe Sterlington, the team that defeated them 28-12 in Spatafora’s return to the sidelines.

“They are a very good football team,” Spatafora said.

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The Farmers were forced to play on the road and defeat St. Martinville 45-26 Friday night to earn a repeat visit with Sterlington (14-0). They arrived back in Farmerville at 4 a.m. and Spatafora spent more than an hour Saturday morning on a Zoom call with the LHSAA working out championship game details.

Union Parish has one of the best junior running backs in the state in Tre Holly, who has picked up 2,193 yards and scored 27 touchdowns despite missing a game with an injury. Senior quarterback Cole Dison was lost in Week 6 with a fractured fibula, and could have ended his career, but chose to come back.

“That was big for us. He’s a resilient young man,” Spatafora said. “We also lost a safety for Tre Holly moved over there to help the team. Now, he’s playing both ways.”

LHSAA 3A Championship game

Who: Sterlington (14-0) vs. Union Parish (11-3)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Caesar's Superdome, New Orleans

Jimmy Watson covers Shreveport-Bossier area sports. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LHSAA playoffs: Union Parish returns to state title game versus Sterlington