By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City’s first-round state playoff game against Middleton was a mismatch on paper.
It played out the same way on the field.
Third-ranked UC overwhelmed the outmanned Tigers from start to finish and in all phases during a 56-0 mercy-rule thrashing Friday night at War Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Tornadoes’ eighth consecutive win and ninth overall in 11 games sends them into Round 2 of the Class A postseason next week where they’ll host Memphis Middle College (9-2), a 34-14 winner over Halls in its playoff opener.
That the Purple and Gold breezed through its opening round foe was no surprise.
Union City, which pummeled Middleton 74-0 in a similar meeting during the 2016 season, could’ve matched that rout if not for the good sportsmanship of the Twisters.
The game clock began running continuously late in the second quarter when UC head coach Nick Markle started pulling his regulars, and the second half was shortened to a pair of eight-minute periods with a moving clock.
“We did what we wanted to do and what we expected to (do),” Markle said afterward. “We respected our opponent and were very businesslike – much like we have been all season. That’s a testament to our seniors and our coaching staff and a real sign of maturity with our guys.
“They want to do things the right way.”
The Tornadoes scored in all three facets of the game – offensively, defensively, and on special teams in recording their fifth mercy-rule triumph of the year and third in four all-time meetings against Middleton.
Tayehari Jones ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns and also returned a punt 33 yards for a third score to help UC cruise to a 42-0 lead well before halftime. Cohen Simpson was on the receiving end of a pair of TD passes – one from starter Zak Summers and the other from Troy Joslin, the latter of whom also accounted for a second touchdown via a 10-yard run.
The Union City defense was particularly dominant, mauling the Tigers to the tune of minus-27 total yards while never allowing the overmatched visitors to cross midfield.
The Twisters recorded 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, led by Rylan Robinson’s three sacks and three stops for minus yardage by Cohen Wood. Simpson had a jarring forced-fumble tackle that led to Adrian Crawford’s touchdown recovery in the endzone, and Kirben Thompson snagged an interception on UC’s first defensive series.
Freshman Jack Theobald, getting his first varsity carries in the second half due to backfield injuries and the large margin, accounted for the Tornadoes’ third-quarter TD with a three-yard run.
Marcos Landeros was perfect on eight PAT tries to wrap up the scoring.
“We’ve really grown as a ballclub, I believe,” Markle added. “Our kids have a selfless mentality, and that’s so refreshing. We talk regularly about working all week to get a paycheck on Friday nights. It’s nothing personal against anybody we might play. We just do our work and get paid for our efforts and results on the field.
“And even though we’re getting a little thin in some spots due to injury, we were able to plug in some different guys tonight and still be operational at a high level. It’s a next-man-up mentality, and we’re blessed to have that attitude.”
Markle admitted the future playoff road would be considerably more challenging for his troops, beginning immediately when Middle College comes to Randy Barnes Field next week with six shutouts under its belt this season.
“We won’t ever hang our hats on any specific win, and that includes this one tonight,” the coach concluded. “We know the people we play will get better and better each week, but we’ve essentially been in playoff mode since after the third week of our season when we were 1-2.
“We checked this box tonight, and we’re moving on, starting tomorrow. I told our guys this is just the first step of five on the way to our destination goal. I expect this week of preparation to be extremely thorough. We’re going to be ready so they (Middle College) can get the best version of Union City football that we can give them.”
Union City 56, Middleton 0
Middleton 0 0 0 0 — 0
Union City 28 14 7 7 — 56
UC — Tayehari Jones 32 run (Marcos Landeros kick). 8:11, 1st
UC — Cohen Simpson 19 pass from Zak Summers (Landeros kick). 5:44, 1st
UC — Adrian Crawford fumble recovery in endzone (Landeros kick). 4:40, 1st
UC — Jones 33 punt return (Landeros kick). 2:02, 1st
UC — Jones 8 run (Landeros kick). 9:05, 2nd
UC — Simpson 4 pass from Troy Joslin (Landeros kick). 3:58, 2nd
UC — Jack Theobald 3 run (Landeros kick). 5:12, 3rd
UC — Joslin 10 run (Landeros kick). 4:50, 4th
M UC
Total Offense -27 247
Rush Att.-Yards 16-(-36) 20-196
Comp.-Att.-Int. 8-16-1 4-7-0
Passing yards 9 51
First Downs 3 12
Punts-Avg. 4-23.3 —-
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 0-0
Penalties-Yds. 5-31 5-45
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Middleton — Shayvon Davis 1-10, Collin Taylor 5-8, Brody Elkins 3-(-5), Wyatt Street 6-(-27), Team 1-(-22). Union City — Tayehari Jones 7-108, Troy Joslin 5-67, Zak Summers 1-16, Jack Theobald 3-15, Jorge Lopez 1-0, Team 2-(-10).
PASSING: Middleton — Brody Elkins 4-8-0—14, Wyatt Street 4-9-1—(-5). Union City — Zak Summers 2-2-0—37, Troy Joslin 2-5-0—14.
RECEIVING: Middleton — Ryan Townsend 2-11, Kaleb Holmes 2-6, A.J. Lor 2-3, Justin Salto 1-0, Jayshon Prather 1-(-11). Union City — Cohen Simpson 3-41, Martez Liphford 1-10, .
RECORDS: Middleton 4-7; Union City 9-2.
NEXT GAME: UC plays host to Memphis Middle College next Friday at 7 p.m. in Round 2 of the Class 1A state playoffs.