The Union High Spartans refused to go quietly into the offseason. Instead they authored one of the biggest comeback performances in recent Spartan football history, rallying from a 20-point deficit on the road to stun Northwest Halifax in the opening round of the 2A NCHSAA state playoffs Friday night.
Union stormed back behind the powerful legs of sophomore running back Tobias Cromartie, finishing the night with a 28-26 victory that sends the Spartans into round two.
The southern Sampson team fell behind early and struggled to settle in during the opening stages of the contest. Northwest Halifax jumped out to a 20-0 lead while Union searched for offensive footing and discipline. Instead of folding, though, the Spartans responded and methodically clawed back into the game, leaning heavily on Cromartie, who delivered a performance that will be remembered in the halls of Union athletics for years to come. The young sophomore accounted for 318 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns to push his team over the finish line.
Cromartie said the moment never rattled him, even with the season on the line and even knowing how much of the offensive burden fell directly on his shoulders.
“I did feel like I had to perform, but I knew even if I didn’t fulfill my part fully, I have teammates that will come around and finish the job if I don’t,” he said.
Cromartie added that he approached the day as calmly and as naturally as possible before boarding the long road trip to Halifax County. “Waking up, I didn’t feel like I had to put on. The coaches told us all week that this was something we could get. My seniors have been telling me all week, since last week, that they wanted to play another week. They wanted more. Right before the game, coach came to talk to us, and then he talked to me. He said I needed to step up, and that’s what I had to do.”
Union head coach Mark Oates said the comeback showed a clear shift in growth and maturity within his program. Oates, now in year three at Union, has seen this group of players develop, believe in themselves, and respond instead of flinching.
“The fact that we were down 20 to nothing … in the past, I think we would have ducked our heads and just gave in to the moment,” the coach noted. “But I think the guys grew up a little bit. They saw that adversity, fought back, and knew what they had to do,” Oates said. He told his team pregame a story about a previous squad that turned one unlikely comeback into a springboard for a championship run. He believes this game can do the same thing for this program.
Oates said senior leadership played a role in changing the energy on the sideline. He referenced hearing that senior David Roblero was vocal and determined that the Spartans were not leaving Halifax County without a fight, keeping teammates locked in with urgency.
He also said Cromartie showed the same competitive fire and belief that Union could flip momentum late, even when the score appeared bleak.
While penalties continued to create uphill battles for Union, Oates said he never felt like his team was out of reach of controlling the final outcome.
For Oates personally, Friday’s triumph also marks a milestone. The 28-26 win is his first playoff victory as head coach at Union, delivering a feeling he has been working toward since taking over the program. The challenge now for the Spartans is to build on it rather than allow it to simply be a one-night celebration. “This was a step,” Oates said. “We can’t enjoy last week. We have to turn the page. That wasn’t our championship. That was the first step. Now we have to take the next one.”
Union advances to the second round, where they will travel Friday to face East Bladen. Oates said the focus will remain inward on execution, discipline, and preparation.