By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
If there is such a thing as a “perfect” Senior Night, Union City enjoyed one Friday against Gibson County.
With the backdrop of 40 fall sports athletes and band members recognized with family at halftime, the Golden Tornadoes dominated winless GC from start to mercy-rule finish in a 48-0 romp at War Memorial Stadium.
The Twisters (3-5, 2-2) scored on all six of their first-half possessions and limited the Pioneers to just 22 total yards and three first downs to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Next week’s Union City at Jackson Central-Merry contest will essentially be an elimination game as both teams are posturing for the final playoff spot in Region 7-2A behind Milan, Peabody, and Huntingdon.
The Tornadoes were truly in playoff mode Friday vs. GC (0-8, 0-5) with several core members of their nine-player senior class headlining the rout of the Pioneers.
Quarterback Kirben Thompson ran for 103 yards and four touchdowns, while classmate Adrian Crawford ripped off a 68-yard TD and totaled 139 yards rushing on just five carries as the Tornado offense piled up 380 yards on the ground while averaging over 12 yards per carry.
Andre Small got in on the fun with 58 yards and a score, while lineman Deyton Buckley basked in the spotlight with a two-point conversion run.
Cohen Wood spearheaded a UC defense that recorded seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage with three tackles, a sack, another stop for minus-yards, and a pass deflection. Buckley recorded a team-high seven tackles, while Small and junior Alijah Simpson were in on five apiece.
“We needed to win, but we also needed to win in the right way,” Tornado head coach Nick Markle claimed afterward. “And we did. We needed to be dominant up front on both sides of the ball, we needed to take care of the ball, and we needed to limit our penalties. We did all that.
“I thought we were the better team going in, but I knew it was important for us to show it in all phases. We need to be playing our best ball at this time of the year, and this was a good start. There’s a lot still on the line for us, and everything we do from preparation to practice to the games over the next two weeks must have a playoff-type intensity.”
It was 29-0 when the first period was over, before the Twisters added two more touchdowns in the second quarter.
With the clock running continuously in the second half and the third and fourth quarters reduced to six minutes each, there were just 12 snaps taken combined for the two teams after the intermission.
Freshman B.J. Boyd capped the scoring with a 35-yard TD gallop with just over two minutes to play as UC played solely reserves after a ceremonious kneel-down snap to honor the team’s seniors on the opening play of the third stanza.
“The open date helped us, I believe, as far as taking a step back and letting our guys heal a little – or at least as much as they could,” continued Markle, whose squad did not play last week. “We needed to come out and play a certain way, and that started with being physical, just as we were against Milan in the last game we played.
“A lot of things haven’t gone in our favor this year, but, at the same time, our fate is still in our own hands. We cleaned up some things tonight with the turnovers and the penalties, and we still have a puncher’s chance to stay in this fight. I promise you, we’re going to give it everything we have.”
Union City 48, Gibson Co. 0
Gibson Co. 0 0 0 0 — 0
Union City 29 13 0 6 — 48
UC — Kirben Thompson 2 run (Alex Landeros kick). 7:22, 1st
UC — Thompson 1 run (Landeros kick). 2:31, 1st
UC — Adrian Crawford 68 run (Deyton Buckley run). 1:28, 1st
UC — Andre Small 13 run (Landeros kick). 0:14, 1st
UC — Thompson 36 run (Alex Landeros kick). 7:26, 2nd
UC — Thompson 4 run (kick failed). 2:58, 2nd
UC — B.J. Boyd 35 run (kick blocked). 2:10, 4th
GC UC
Total Offense 22 380
Rush Att.-Yards 18-(-3) 30-380
Comp.-Att.-Int. 3-7-1 0-1-0
Passing yards 25 0
First Downs 3 15
Punts-Avg. 3-26.0 1-42
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yds. 6-52 7-55
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Gibson Co. — Iziah Rice 8-12, Braylen Griffie 7-3, Trey Bailey 2-(-20, Clay Marquez-Jones 1-(16). Union City — Adrian Crawford 5-139, Kirben Thompson 10-103, B.J. Boyd 4-61, Andre Small 7-58, Rodney Jenkins 1-15, Kindyee Taylor 2-8, Team 1-(4).
PASSING: Gibson Co. — Iziah Rice 3-7-1—25. Union City — Kirben Thompson 0-1-0 – 0.
RECEIVING: Gibson Co. — Lucas Taylor 1-12, Jaxon Coffman 1-10, Trey Bailey 1-3. Union City — None.
RECORDS: Gibson Co. 0-8 (0-4); Union City 3-5 (2-2).
NEXT GAME: UC plays at Jackson Central-Merry next week (Oct. 24), at 7 p.m.