By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–COVID-19 and concerns about the virus have now affected the start of the Union City High School basketball season.
The two Hall of Champions games scheduled for both Tornado squads this week, as well as the regular season home-opening contests slated for next week, have been canceled in the aftermath of UC Schools transitioning to full Distance Learning mode until after the Thanksgiving Break.
No practice is being allowed during this time frame.
Union City’s season-opening games are now scheduled for Dec. 1 at Westview.
The UC girls were scheduled to open the season tonight at Gibson County in a HOC matchup of last year’s regional semifinals. The Twister boys were slated to play at Arlington on Thursday night.
Union City was then in line to play Crockett County Saturday at Dyersburg in both girls’ and boys’ games.
The HOC games will not be made up, according to school officials.
Practices for Union City teams will be allowed to resume late next week in preparation for the altered beginning to the regular season.
The 2020-21 tournament series will also look decidedly different after a TSSAA Board of Control vote.
In the new set-up — designed to allow more fans to attend games in light of coronavirus protocols and guidelines — the higher seed will host every district and regional tournament contest in both girls’ and boys’ play.
In the regional tournament, should two teams meet that have the same designated seeding from the district tourney play, the host team will be from 13A this year.
The originally-scheduled dates of the postseason will remain the same.
The Union City Middle School teams will resume their respective seasons Monday, Nov. 30, at Paris Inman, according to girls’ head coach Chris Palmer.
The Tornadoes’ game tonight at Dyer will not be played as scheduled but could be made up at a later date, school officials said.
Union City Schools is scheduled to return to mostly in-person classes via the Level 2.51 plan on Nov. 30.