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Remember When — Grandy’s clutch kick late lifts Tornadoes past Dyer Co.

Remember When — Grandy’s clutch kick late lifts Tornadoes past Dyer Co.
Remember when takes a look back at the local stories from the files of The Messenger that took place 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years ago.
30 Years Ago
Oct. 14 — Mark Wilkins scored three touchdowns — giving him 10 for the season — to lead the Union City Middle School football team to a 36-24 victory over previously-unbeaten Trenton. Wilkins’ TD total had him just one off Thomas Harris’ school record with still two games on the Jr. Tornadoes’ schedule. Heath Riley and John Cary also had scores for UCMS, which improved to 4-2.
Oct. 17 — Union City handed reigning Class 1A state champion Lake County its third consecutive loss, beating the Falcons 23-7. Aaron Dearmitt threw for 170 yards with Tracy Bruff and Kenny Crews his favorite receivers as the Twisters (3-4) put together back-to-back wins for the first time in the 1981 campaign. LC was missing three regulars, including Craig Smith and Terry Butler, due to injuries.
20 Years Ago
Oct. 13 — Brian Grandy’s 25-yard field goal with just 10 seconds to play completed Union City’s rally from a two-touchdown halftime deficit to a thrilling 17-14 victory over Dyer County. Grandy’s game-winning boot came despite the Choctaws having 12 players on the field. UC head coach Randy Barnes opted for the try, despite the fact that his team was just 2-for-6 in PATs through five games and had not attempted a field goal. Eric Gregory ran for 114 yards and a TD, Marcus Lewis threw for 112 yards and Chris Smith and Brian Sadler joined Gregory as defensive standouts with six solo tackles apiece.
Oct. 17 — The South Fulton girls’ golf team placed fourth in the Class A-AA State Tournament in Murfreesboro. Mikki McLeary fired a two-day total of 196, Marianne Brann came in with a 205 and Jennifer Langford a 215 in the 36-hole event. The Devilettes were 38 strokes behind team champ Harpeth Hall. In individual play, Union City sophomore Billy Dowell followed up a first-day 83 with a 76 to place fifth — eight shots off the winning pace. Lady Tornado senior Johnna Porter was 13th in the girls’ field with a 193.
10 Years Ago
Oct. 15 — Michael Crockett threw three TD passes to William Minor to help South Fulton secure a state playoff berth with a 49-6 rout of Halls. Rick Larson also scored twice for the Red Devils, who improved to 5-3. The win was the 67th in the 13-season head coaching tenure of Gwin Wood at SFHS, tying him with Kerry Curling for the top spot on the program’s list.
Oct. 16 — Union City’s streak of 41 consecutive weeks of being state-ranked in football ended in the aftermath of a 31-7 loss to No. 1 Westview. The Twisters had been in the Top 5 for 36 straight weeks and  No. 1 in the listing 15 times during that stretch. UC was 5-2 after its loss to the unbeaten Chargers (8-0).
Oct. 19 — A second bowl game proved one too many for South Fulton’s Middle School football program as the Red Devils were beaten 35-8 by Dresden in the 11th annual Tater Bowl in Gleason. Shane Vinson was voted SF’s game MVP after scoring his team’s only touchdown on a pass from Collin English. The Jr. Redmen had upset Lake Road 30-22 the week before in the Rebel Bowl — the championship of the Obion County School System — and finished the year at 6-3.
5 Years Ago
Oct. 13 — A ceremony unveiling a monument that commemorated the golfing career of the late Abe Jolley was planned for Poplar Meadows Country Club. U.S. Rep. John Tanner was to present Jolley’s widow, Velma, a plaque with the occasion also coinciding with the four-person Abe Jolley Memorial Scramble at the club. The proceeds went to fund a scholarship in Jolley’s name.
Oct. 16 — Obion Central posted the fourth largest margin of victory in its football program history with a 48-0 blowout of winless Chester County. Mark Grooms ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns, while Hunter Calhoun had 127 yards on just five rushes that included an 88-yard scoring sprint. Cameron Bailey returned an interception for a TD. Linebacker Savion Hayslett had 11 tackles and a pick, while Zach Clouse recorded four stops for lost yardage in the defensive shutout.
1 Year Ago
Oct. 13 — Union City Middle School improved to 9-0 and earned a spot in the West Tennessee Athletic Conference title game with an 8-6 victory over Munford. Offensive MVP Alex Reid ran for 67 yards and scored all the Tornadoes’ points, while defensive MVP Ricky Henry had six tackles, as did Jacob Hyde. Jamie Pirtle dropped Munford runners three times for lost yardage. The win also secured a spot in the TMSAA Small School West Sectional for UC.
Oct. 19 — Ex-Union City High School Mr. Basketball MJ Brown was declared academically ineligible at UT Martin. Brown, who’d had no contact with head coach Jason James since the summer, followed the path of Tornado teammate Marquis Weddle in exiting the Skyhawk program. Weddle was headed to West Virginia Wesleyan for his final season of eligibility. He left UTM with more than 1,300 career points, good enough for No. 6 on the school’s all-time scoring list. Published in The Messenger 10.13.11