By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–The good news is that there was nothing bad to come out of Union City’s preseason-opening scrimmage against Westview that can’t be fixed.
After a strong start in the two-hour session, the Golden Tornadoes wilted – both physically and mentally – against a Martin squad that boasts heralded quarterback Ty Simpson and considerably more depth than the Purple and Gold.
“The mental fatigue bothered me the most,” veteran UC head coach Darren Bowling said after his team gave up long touchdown plays on three consecutive pass plays late in the session and eight scores in all. “I can understand the physical fatigue, given we were coming off another grueling camp week. The guys just didn’t have their legs under them and I get that.
“We have to learn to fight through fatigue. We have a small squad numbers-wise and a lot of our guys are going to have to go both ways and play a lot. But when you’re mentally tired, you let one bad play bleed over to another one, then another one. We can’t have that.
“We will get over that, I believe. And it’ll certainly be a point of emphasis going forward.”
The Twisters scored on the second snap of the session when quarterback Sam Theobald took an option keeper 65 yards to paydirt.
UC mounted several other sustained drives that reached deep into Westview territory and scored twice more on runs by fullback Justin Wiggins.
Four turnovers hindered the Tornado offense, though.
Simpson, who has garnered considerable major college attention despite being just a sophomore, threw five TD passes and ran for two more as the Chargers scored four straight times in a hurry-up attack after Union City had taken a two-touchdown-to-one lead in the first 30 minutes.
Theobald did come up with a pair of turnovers – a fumble recovery and pretty leaping interception.
“I thought we were pretty sharp the first two or three series,” Bowling added. “We have to do the things we did during that time for four quarters, though.
“We have to be able to play tired.”
Union City’s next preseason action will be Aug. 16 at Milan in a jamboree that will include middle school and jayvee play as well.
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