UNION GROVE – Austin Owens threw one touchdown pass and scored three times on the ground – including a seal-the-deal 6-yarder with 5:40 remaining – as the Union Grove Lions held on for a 28-20 win over the Big Sandy Wildcats on Thursday at Glyn Johnston Stadium.

The win moves Union Grove to 7-1 overall and puts them in firm control of the District 10-2A Division I race at 3-0. Big Sandy drops to 6-2 and 2-1.

After a scoreless first quarter, Union Grove got on the board late in the second period with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Owens to Dylan Borden after the Lions had taken over at the Big Sandy 5-yard line following a fumble.

Big Sandy answered two minutes later with a 35-yard touchdown run from Khameron Pippins, and the teams went to the locker room tied at 7-7 at intermission.

The Lions threatened to turn things into a blowout with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Owens.

First, Union Grove drove 64 yards in seven plays and capped things with a 3-yard run by Owens at the 9:54 mark. Five minutes later, Owens finished off a 61-yard, six-play march with a 5-yard TD run for a 21-7 cushion.

Big Sandy stormed back with a pair of scores, the first coming with 2:30 to play in the third when Seth Burk raced 49 yards for a touchdown to end a four-play, 60-yard drive and the second coming two minutes into the final stanza on a 2-yard run by Erick McFall. The Wildcats moved 70 yards in six plays for that score, but a missed PAT left Big Sandy trailing 21-20.

Union Grove put things away with Owen’s 6-yard TD run to finish off a 66-yard drive for a 28-20 lead.

Union Grove will host Kerens, and Big Sandy will entertain Hawkins on Oct. 28.