By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–All Union City teams did Thursday was win.
Victories in middle school football and softball, a triumph in high school volleyball, and a first- and third-place showing with the UCMS cross country programs made for perfect day and night for the Purple and Gold.
The UCMS football team edged Huntingdon 12-8, while the Lady Tornado softball squad doubled up Trenton 14-7.
Union City made quick work of South Fulton in volleyball, sweeping the Lady Red Devils 25-11, 25-12, and 25-17.
And, in cross country, the UCMS boys’ team beat everyone in a seven-team meet in Martin, with the girls’ squad placing third.
Highlights of those competitions are as follows:
MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
UC 12, Huntingdon 8
The Tornadoes won their home opener and improved to 2-1 with a hard-fought triumph against Huntingdon.
Deyton Buckley led a smothering UC defense with 10 total tackles. Shooter Presson had five stops and a forced fumble, while Jaxon Jones came up with that fumble recovery. Aiden Reid finished with four tackles.
Kirben Thompson rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, and Aiden Reid carried 16 times for 75 yards and the Twisters’ other score.
Union City put up the deciding TD in the third period after trailing 8-6 at halftime.
The Tornadoes will play at Gibson County next Thursday.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 14, Trenton 7
Sara Beth Byars tripled, doubled, and drove in three runs, and Mattie Smith doubled twice and had four RBI as Union City scored in every inning to improve to 7-3 with a road victory.
Clare Atwill, Addison Carr and Breanna McLendon all scored three runs apiece, with Carr and McLendon collecting a pair of singles. Emma Mobbs and Jenna Kate Cross each went 2-for-3, with Mobbs accounting for two ribbies and Cross crossing the plate twice.
The Lady Tornadoes pounded out 13 hits in all.
Smith and Carr combined for the pitching win, and just three of Trenton’s seven runs were earned.
UC hosts Gibson County Tuesday.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
UC 3, South Fulton 0
Anna Cheatham served up 13 of the Lady Tornadoes’ 28 aces, Emma Powell had eight assists, and Kaigan Davis smashed seven kills as UC improved to 4-2 in district play and 4-3 overall.
Raegan Taylor had five assists, four aces and two digs, while Bayleigh Long had three kills, three digs and two service aces.
Annie Wade finished with five kills and four aces.
Union City next plays at Ripley Tuesday.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
Tornadoes 1st, UC girls 3rd at Martin
The Union City boys’ team claimed another first-place trophy in a busy season while the girls’ team came in third against a solid field.
Rushdon Howell (9:17.38) was UC’s top finisher on the boys’ side with an eighth-place showing. Teammate Woodrow McKinnis (9:27.62) finished 10th in the 1.5 mile race.
Andrew Beard was 16th (9:54.61), Paul Martin Tohn came in 19th (10:15.20), and Braydon Chism placed 26th (10:47.00) to round out the Top 5 for the Tornadoes.
There were 56 runners in all in the field.
For the Union City girls, Brylee Patrick turned in a time of 11:27.39 to cross the finish line at 15th. Ainsley Beard (11:52.48) was 21st, Briley McKinney (11:57.22) came in 23rd, and Blythe Ogden was 24th at 11:58.46.
Emma Jane Rice (12:15.89) completed UC’s Top 5 with a 26th place finish among the 54 individual participants.
Union City is slated to participate in the 1.2 Memphis Twilight race Saturday evening.