By Mike Hutchens, Union City Schools Communications Director
After acing its final preseason test, Union City can now look forward to a big exam to begin its 2023 campaign.
The Tornadoes got a salty defensive effort, a pretty 75-yard touchdown pass from Keaten Brown to Cohen Simpson, and a short field goal by Marcos Landeros to beat Covington 10-0 in the second annual Purple and Gold Jamboree Friday night at War Memorial Stadium.
The performance capped a stellar preseason for the Twisters, who got the best of a perennially tough Class 3A Charger program that made the state semifinals last season. UC had earlier come out on top in scrimmages vs. 5A Brighton and against Double-A Peabody.
Union City will now turn its attention to its season opener next week when four-time Division II-AAA state champion Ensworth – a member of the private school’s largest division – visits Randy Barnes Field for the season opener for both teams.
While the Tornadoes will certainly need their A-game next week, head coach Nick Markle gave a favorable evaluation of his team’s Friday jamboree effort.
“Effort was what we wanted to see tonight, and effort is what we saw – especially defensively,” said the UC skipper, who’ll begin his fourth season with the Twisters next week. “Our guys were really flying to the football, and getting lots of hats around their ball carriers created some opportunities with the two turnovers.
“Even when we got out of position a few times, we hustled to make up for those mistakes.”
The Tornadoes turned away a couple of Covington scoring threats in the first of two 20-minute segments and benefited from a handful of costly Charger penalties that helped thwart marches.
Union City held on downs inside their own 20 on one sequence and got fumble recoveries from Cohen Wood and Kelan Roberson – the second setting up Landeros’ 27-yard field goal with just a few minutes to play.
Jacob Arnold posted a team-high seven tackles to lead the Twister defensive unit.
A picture-perfect deep ball down the middle from Brown to Simpson at the eight-minute mark of the second segment was easily the most electrifying play by either team.
“We saw something with their corner and just took a shot,” Markle said. “Keaten put a good ball out there, and Cohen has great hands and is a three-year starter who has made some big plays in the past and in the preseason.
“The big thing is, neither team came away with any injuries. That’s what we pray for on both sides, and it’s always in the back of your mind. This type of setup is different than what a lot of people do. We were able to get pretty close to a full game in while working in the heat and humidity and working on our conditioning. I was well-pleased with all of it.”
The UC jayvee/freshman squad and the UC Middle School team both came out on the short end of 14-0 scores in their respective jamboree play.
UCMS was haunted by penalties during its 20-minute session, one that called back a long TD run by B.J. Boyd. Boyd did have runs covering 30 and 24 yards later in the scrimmage.
Deyton Buckley and Kyle Price had tackles for lost yards for the Tornado jayvee defense.
