| Lopsided win does more harm than good for Tornadoes |
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Posted: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 7:00 pm
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By MIKE HUTCHENS
Messenger Sports Editor
A 50-point win against an outmanned opponent that has now lost 15 in a row didn’t help Union City’s standing in the Associated Press prep football rankings.
Likely, a victory against a foe held in a much higher regard will.
The Golden Tornadoes — coming off a 56-6 blowout of Greenfield that actually dropped them two places to No. 8 in the Class 1A Top 10 this week — will encounter a considerably-tougher Weakley County adversary this week when they travel to second-ranked (2A) Dresden.
The matchup will essentially be a second chance for UC to make a favorable impression both in rural West Tennessee and statewide after the Twisters dropped a similar marquee showdown to Huntingdon two weeks ago. The Purple and Gold has otherwise routed four opponents by an average of 42 ppg.
The 5-0 Lions, state runnersup to Friendship Christian School last season, advanced from No. 3 to No. 2 in this week’s listing despite a less-than-impressive 17-7 triumph over 1-4 Bruceton last week.
Dresden trails only Boyd-Buchanan in the latest AP listing after receiving one first-place vote and 167 total points in statewide balloting of writers and broadcasters. BB, one of just three unbeaten teams in the Double-A pecking order, collected 18 of 21 first-place votes to remain atop the ratings.
The home game against Union City Friday figures to be Dresden’s toughest of the season to-date as only Westview (3-2) of the Lions’ first five opponents currently has a winning record.
UC (4-1), meanwhile, fell behind unbeatens Moore County and Coalfield as part of a reshuffled Class 1A poll Monday behind season-long and still-entrenched No. 1 South Pittsburg.
West Carroll’s 30-24 upset of then-second ranked Huntingdon greatly affected the Top 10 with the Mustangs (4-1) falling to sixth. WC, whose only loss in five games came in its season-opener vs. Class 3A unbeaten South Gibson — which stunned Milan Friday — entered the Top 10 in 1A at No. 9.
There was movement among several other rural West Tennessee entries in other classifications in Monday’s newest listings.
South Gibson (5-0) — in just its second full varsity season — pulled the stunner of 2012 Friday with its 20-19 triumph over Milan and entered the 3A Top 10 at No. 6. The Bulldogs (4-1) are still one place ahead of the Hornets at No. 5 after being ranked third last week.
Camden, which lost star quarterback Tanner Hudson to a spleen injury and then a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to Cheatham County in a 29-19 setback last week, dropped from sixth to No. 9. Cheatham County, perfect at 5-0 halfway through the regular season, jumped three places to No. 4 in Triple-A.
Covington (5-0) remained at No. 2 in Class 4A after routing previously-unbeaten Crockett County 49-20. Lexington, likewise, stayed put at eighth after bouncing back from a one-point overtime loss with a 42-7 hammering of Liberty.
In Class 5A, Tab Vowell’s Jackson Northside squad leapfrogged Henry County and James Counce to No. 3. The 5-0 Indians went on the road and won their second straight District 13AA game, beating Brighton 42-33. HC remained fourth after beating Springfield 23-7.
USJ was seventh in the Division II poll after improving to 5-0 with a 49-14 whipping of cross-town Jackson rival JCS on Friday.
Maryville, Beech, Giles County and Christian Academy of Knoxville — like Boyd Buchanan and South Pittsburg — all held on to the Top 1 spots in their respective Division I classifications.
A listing of all polls can be found on page 9.
Sports editor Mike Hutchens can be reached by email at mhutch@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 9.18.12 |
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