In the Union City Football program, excellence will always be the expectation.
Coming off back-to-back quarterfinal appearances, the goal for fifth-year Head Coach Nick Markle and his Golden Tornadoes is no different in 2024. Union City will enter this fall, looking to get over the quarterfinal hump, secure the program’s first region title since 2017, and ultimately capture its fifth state championship.
“We’re excited about the opportunities ahead of us this season,” said Markle about the upcoming campaign. “This bunch has been really easy to coach this summer. They have done a wonderful job competing against one another and also coaching each other up at the same time.”
Markle returns a seasoned group of upperclassmen who have contributed to the recent postseason success. All-Region Offensive Lineman Kelan Roberson returns for his senior season after helping the offense rack up over 4,000 total yards and nearly 500 total points last fall. All-Region Linebacker Aiden Reid is also back for his junior campaign after leading the Golden Tornado defense in tackling in 2023. Fresh off winning two individual state championships in track, junior Adrian Crawford will be a key contributor on both sides of the ball this fall for the Purple and Gold.
“We are fortunate to have a great number of our core guys returning from last season, which has allowed us to have some depth at multiple positions,” Markle claimed. “This has a true feel of a player-led team and that’s what I’m probably most excited about.”
The 2024 schedule features six opponents who reached the postseason in 2023 and includes road trips to Murray High School in Kentucky, Class 4A quarterfinalist Dyer County, and Class 1A semifinalist Dresden. Home highlights include perennial private school powerhouse USJ for the home opener and longtime, regional rival Lake County in the regular season finale.
For the fifth straight season, fans can watch or listen live to every Union City Football Game via radio on Froggy 99.3, or a live video stream on Froggy 99.3’s YouTube Page. The broadcasts will also be available on radionwtn.com and sports731.com for the third straight season, featuring play-by-play coverage and color analysis from John Thornton and Coach Eddie Suiter.
The fifth year of Froggy 99.3 and Sports731 Network’s partnership with Union City High School will kick off on August 23, as Union City travels to Murray for their season opener.
