The Oregon single-school final is set for Saturday with Union taking on Newberg in a clash of two teams that have lost only once - and that was when Newberg lot to Union.

The Union Titans defeated the Portland Pumas 56-29 in their semifinal in a game where the Titans were able to ring the changes at the break. Austin Holloway, Tristan Sperling, Kyle Vermuelen, Chris Berry, Tre'von Turner, Tyler Dione, and Brendon Curle all touched down in the first half leading to a 41-5 advantage for the Titans. 

With some younger players on for Union the Pumas ran in four nicely-taken tries. Curle added two for Union and Dione scored his second.

Curle organized the Union offense nicely, and his influence has spread further into the team as it was his aggressive recruiting of his friends in his sophomore year that led to Union gaining momentum.

Newberg took care of a tough Oregon City team 26-15. That sets up Saturday’s final between 11-0 Union and 9-1-1 Newberg. The two met May 8 in a shortened match (teams in Oregon occasionally play 35-minute matches to ensure there are no idle weekends), with Union winning 14-0.

Union Head Coach David Curle said there shouldn’t be too much stock put into that score.

“We had some calls go our way,” said Curle the elder. “It is hard to slow their forward pack who keep possession and ruck very well. We will have to tackle aggressively, play a territorial game, and spread the ball out wide. Also, our playmakers will need to have a good game.”

Union still remembers losing the state final to Prairie last year.

“The boys have worked hard on their conditioning, and hopefully that will bear fruit,” said Curle, whose team is 42-4-1 in the last 17 moths. He credits the team’s “passion and love that these boys have for the game. Practices are well attended. There is great camaraderie in the team. We are a player-centric program.”