Union County to establish ‘a completely different environment’

Last May, the Union County (Lake Butler) football program rode a roller coaster of emotions when head coach Andrew Thomas was unexpectedly fired.

Lamar Waters was hired as interim football coach in June of 2025, but the Tigers struggled to a 2-8 season.

“I think the biggest problem about last year was just that it was a sudden change because nobody saw coach leaving coming, and of course he didn’t want to,” said senior center Phoenix Bryant (6’, 250). “And we, of course, we didn’t want our coach to go. I’d been with him for multiple years. A lot of change is what killed that year and no momentum could build with so much change.”

Waters did his best to keep the program intact, even though the results didn’t show up on the scoreboard.

“It was a little chaotic at first because it (Coach Thomas getting fired) happened right before summer,” said senior fullback/punter Bryce Lawton (5’10, 190), who has played all four years. “He (Coach Waters) was kind of thrown into a crazy situation and it wasn’t really his fault. But he’s a very nice man. I thought he did well with the situation. He salvaged something for the seniors at least. They were able to at least say they gave it everything they had last year, even though we weren’t successful.”

Then in December, Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Hall of Fame coach Robby Pruitt resigned as head football coach at Williston High School after four seasons.

The next day, Union County hired the legendary coach. 

Pruitt, who won three consecutive state football titles at Union County from 1994 to 1996, is back in Lake Butler for his second stint as head coach.

“Not a lot’s changed as far as the town,” Pruitt said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s like there’s hardly any new businesses there or anything…They didn’t have a real great year last year, and trying to overcome that, but the kids have been good this summer and done what we’ve asked them to do.”

While the small rural town hasn’t changed much, the mindset certainly has.

“It’s just a completely different environment than it was last year,” said senior offensive guard/middle linebacker Matthew Rogers (5’11, 225). “It’s crazy how much the environment can switch from different coaches, different players stepping up. We have a bunch of leaders now. Last year, that’s something that we struggled with was leadership.”

Pruitt, who almost didn’t end up in Lake Butler, is the first high school coach in America to win 200 games in two different states (Florida & Georgia), holding a 413-101-1 career record over 42 seasons.

“I just like his intensity,” said senior linebacker/running back Edward Durant, who feels this year’s strength is the front seven on defense (defensive line and linebackers).

Senior offensive tackle/nose guard Jaxson Ridgeway (6’2, 310), a first team All Area selection as a junior, knows firsthand what type of coach Pruitt is. He transferred from Williston after Pruitt left.

“He’s a hard coach to play for,” said Ridgeway, who played in 11 games with the Red Devils and finished with 34 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles as a junior. “He really works you hard, and he wants the best out of you that you can give. He doesn’t want 100 (percent), he wants 110…I wasn’t planning on leaving Williston. I was planning on finishing out there with Coach Pruitt, but when he decided to come over to Union County, I said I’ve got to go with him. I want to finish it strong.”

Although it was just a jamboree, the Tigers defeated Ribault (Jacksonville) in the spring game, giving the town of Lake Butler some hope heading into the fall.

“We had a good crowd and I think people, even though it was ugly and we didn’t do really well, winning it gave our kids a little confidence,” Pruitt said. “We’ve been to OTAs (Organized Team Activities) up in Georgia, and done a decent job, so I think our kids are starting to buy in and believe, and I think they realize we got a long way to go, but I think too they realize we’re a little further ahead than we were when we got there.”

Pruitt said he is encouraging his team to focus on getting better each day.

“We’ve got to stack days on top of days,” he said.

Sophomore Cadenz Merriex, who appeared in just five games due to injury, is back at quarterback. The Tigers tried several players at the position after he got hurt.

“As a center, that’s hard to build a connection,” Bryant said. “I like to have something with my quarterback, and it’s hard when it was a new quarterback every week. I couldn’t deal with it.”

Union County will run the Wing-T under Pruitt, a position that is built for Lawton.

“I love this offense,” said Lawton, who broke his left ankle in the last game of the season but returned in the spring. “Coach Pruitt will talk about this all the time; it’s such a quick offense, especially for the fullback because it’s so fast. The way football is now, people are used to that spread offense, and getting in the gun and waiting and waiting, but this is just quick, and people aren’t used to you hitting it this hard. That’s what the whole offense is built on is just quickness and toughness.”

Lawton is one of six running backs, which includes one freshman, three sophomores and two seniors.

With only seven or eight seniors on the roster, Union County is a very young team.

“But we’ve got some young kids that have some ability,” Pruitt said. “They’ve just got to keep working and learn what we’re doing…We’ve got to get more physical. You know, the toughest team usually wins, and we’re not there.”

The Tigers move from the FHSAA Rural classification to the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) in 2026 and will play in the Atlantic League (North Region).

Following the regular season opener at home against Lafayette (Mayo) on Aug. 14, Union County will travel to Class 2A Rutherford (Panama City) on Friday, Aug. 21.