Union Redskins: The Best of Tulsa Football

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I never realized how huge high school football is down in the southern states until I moved to Oklahoma. While some may argue that Tulsa, Oklahoma is not a true southern state, it definitively was (and is) a southern state to me; the weather is terribly hot and humid, the food is fried, and the local population speaks slowly with a frequent use of "y'all" in everyday conversation. The local football competition here in Tulsa happens to be extraordinarily intense, with the annual "Backyard Bowl" rivals' football game between Jenks and Union high school claiming thousands of fans each year. While the competition between the two high schools is fierce, in both 2008 and 2009, the Oklahoma state 6A high school football championship title has been held by Union.

The Union Redskins 2010 team is coached by head coach Kirk Fridrich who has led the team since 2007. Under his coaching, the Redskins have made it to the Oklahoma 6A state finals for the past three years; the team has won the state championship for the past two years and is seeking to solidify a third consecutive state title this season. However, Union's legacy in the state football championship began long before coach Fridrich's work with the high school; Union Redskin football can proudly say that they have won six state football championships and have been district champions 23 times, with the last 12 of those district titles from the last twelve years. Union High School's home football stadium, Tuttle Stadium, is also listed among the top football stadiums for the entire nation. This year's regular season for Union high school will kick off with a game against Shreveport, Louisiana's Evangel Christian High School, but the district games will actually begin on September 24^th with a game against Bixby, Oklahoma's Spartans (a team recently promoted to the 6A high school status).

In addition to excelling on the field, the Union Redskins have recently started involving their football athletes in a newly developed program called Redskin AID, or Redskin Athletes Impacting the District. The program focuses on community service opportunities for Union athletes, encouraging the athletes to become more well-rounded and active members of their community. Redskin AID events from the past have included hospital visits, tutoring and mentoring of younger students, and packing food boxes for distribution through Tulsa H.O.P.E and Feed My Starving Children.

This year, the Union Redskins will be making their community proud, both on and off the football field.