Fittingly — with Tropical Storm Isaac predicted to dump heavy rains on the area sometime in the next few days — Union City hopes to provide its own version of “thunder and lightning” against Halls.
In an era of wide-open passing offenses and with their midline/veer option offense the exception to that rule, the Tornadoes have proven themselves to be anything but the “three yards and a cloud of dust” that many detractors of their attack wrongly characterize.
While the Twister scheme is admittedly geared around the fullback — Keylon Hyde in particular in this and the last couple of seasons — big plays and long gainers have been in abundance so far in two games this year for the Purple and Gold, which has both pounded the interior, then used its tremendous speed to reach the flanks.
Of UC’s 13 offensive touchdowns, eight have been on plays covering 10 yards or more. Five of those TDs encompassed gains of 24 yards or longer, including a 42-yard run, a 58-yard dash and a 63-yard pass play.
“When you have all the pieces, it can be a very potent offense,” Tornado head coach Darren Bowling said. “It’s hard to stop all three facets of the option, and when you have a quarterback who can throw it and receivers who can catch it, it keeps people from stacking the box against the run.
“We have some experienced and capable people at all of those spots this year, and the early results have been some big plays. I’m just as comfortable pounding it methodically as I am hitting the home run, though.”
SIMPLE SOLUTION — If South Fulton is to win its District 14A opener vs. Humboldt Thursday night, the Red Devils must shore up a defense that allowed more than 430 yards against West Carroll in last week’s 40-29 loss.
The problem isn’t schematically, according to head coach Kelly Spivey.
“We just have to tackle,” the SF skipper said. “It’s simple. Break down and make tackles.
“West Carroll wasn’t necessarily shifty or anything, we just didn’t tackle. There were times against Bruceton in our first game where we didn’t either. We’ve got to get better.”
That challenge will be a different kind of task for the Redmen against a traditionally-speedy Viking backfield Thursday.
While WC was a more physical systematic-type offense that had a better-than-average offensive line, H’boldt will feature the big-play talents of running backs Chris McLilly and Chris Williams behind a line that has been unimpressive in its first two games.
The Viking offense scored twice against Crockett County in Week 0 and two times against Milan’s reserves last Friday.
Two other Humboldt TDs vs. CC came on special teams and defense.
FASTER GEAR — While Obion Central shot itself in the foot with six offensive turnovers in a 41-21 loss to Ripley to fall to 0-2, the Rebels did succeed in one aspect that head coach Shawn Jackson had targeted.
“We played fast and I really feel like we had them on the ropes a couple of times and they were winded defensively,” the Rebel coach said after last Friday’s District 13AA loss. “Halftime didn’t come at a good time for us, because they were on their heels a little bit and I felt like we had them on the run.
“Then, to start the third quarter, we had a really long drive that got down into the redzone before we threw the pick-six. We’d run a bunch of plays, and their guys had their hands on the hips and knees.”
OC ended the first half inside the Ripley 10 after a long pass play from Blake Berner to Trent Mann, and had indeed reeled off 10 plays to again threaten before a critical interception provided a 14-point turnaround.
Central got off 77 plays in the contest, after taking just 50 offensive snaps vs. Union City in its opener.
— Compiled by
Mike Hutchens

Published in The Messenger 8.29.12