By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
A stellar defensive performance helped the Union City Middle School football team add another notch to its victory belt.
The Tornadoes forced four turnovers and recorded seven tackles for lost yardage in blanking Martin 28-0 Thursday night to improve to 3-0.
Camron Beeler, BJ Boyd, and Kinydee Taylor each intercepted passes, and Lucas Riley pounced on a fumble recovery for a play-making unit that championed the cause for the Purple and Gold.
Ayden Puckett had a huge game with eight total tackles, a pair of quarterback sacks, and two forced fumbles. Caden LeCornu recorded six stops, Jayce Mitchell was in on five tackles and had four pass deflections, and Zac Coble had four tackles for the victors.
Boyd ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns to pace an offensive unit that scored three times in the second half to build on a 6-0 intermission advantage. Asa Reid accounted for UC’s other TD, while LeCornu tacked on a pair of 2-point conversions.
The Twisters ended up with 257 rushing yards.
Union City will play at home again next Thursday, hosting Hayti, Mo.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 13, Henry Co. 12
Averi Riley raced home with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh after first stealing third base to lift the Lady Tornadoes to a wild comeback victory.
UC – winners of four of its last five outings – erupted for eight runs in the fifth to erase a 10-4 deficit.
Austyn Dilday then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh without giving up a run to set the stage for Riley’s heroics.
Ella Grace Howell went 3-for-4 to pace Union City’s 13-hit attack. Riley had a pair of singles and scored three times, while Sophie Palmer and Annie Beth Cruce each had two hits, with Palmer driving in two runs.
Sadie Gregg and Amanda McPhearson both scored twice, as did Aryannah Huff.
Only three of HC’s 12 runs scored against Dilday were earned. The Tornado sixth grader went the distance to get the pitching win, striking out three.
Now 4-6, Union City will play at South Fulton on Tuesday.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
The Union City boys picked up their second runner-up finish of the week, placing second among 17 schools in the Martin Invitational.
Madix Turner was third overall among 135 boys with a time of 8:55 to pace the Tornado squad. Brody Fields (9:01) came in fifth to also medal.
Cooper Waggoner (19th), Jake Lattus (25th), and Nash Norsworthy (33rd) gave Union City a strong collective group in the 1.5-mile race.
Hadlee Duncan (11:18) placed 14th in a field of 94 girls to earn a medal for the Lady Twisters. Chloe Baumgardner was 29th, clocked at 12:58.
Camden Watts (5th) and Stephen Herrell (7th) medaled in the jayvee race for UC. Watts crossed the finish line at 11:11, while Herrell was on his heels at 11:13.
Walton Harder finished at 12:01.
Union City will compete at Ridgemont on Tuesday.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Gibson Co. 3, UC 0
Union City suffered its first loss in five matches, falling to a Lady Pioneer squad that remained perfect at 5-0.
GC prevailed in a hard-fought first set 27-25, then closed out the contest by winning Game 2, 25-19, and Game 3, 25-16.
Addison Carr had a dozen assists, six saves, and five digs for UC. Ca’Lae Ervin recorded five kills, five saves, and four digs, while Brianna McBride had five digs, four kills, and four service aces.
Clare Atwill was good for eight digs and three saves.
The Lady Tornadoes hurt themselves with a season-high 46 errors.
UC head coach Jessica Graham praised her team’s effort but said: “We have some things we need to work on between now and when we play them again.”
Union City will return to action on Tuesday with a road match at Milan.