| 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
Nov. 15 — Union City hung on to beat SBEC (Southern Baptist Educational Center) 8-6 in the 12th annual Civitan Bowl at War Memorial Stadium. A 42-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Dearmitt to Marcus Allen and Gary Carr’s two-point conversion was all the Tornadoes needed against the Memphians. Steve Grace grabbed a pair of interceptions to earn UC’s Defensive Player of the Game Award, while Dearmitt was lauded for the Twisters’ accolade on offense. Guard/linebacker Tim Davis was named the winner of the T.F. Wallace Award, given to the game’s most outstanding lineman. Phillip Mathis preserved the victory when he stopped a SBEC runner on a conversion play that would’ve tied the game in the second quarter. Union City ended its season with an 8-3 record.
Nov. 19 — Obion County Central put the finishing touches on its 1982 football season with the program’s year-end banquet. Among those receiving special recognition were Richard Downing, best offensive player; Ricky Patterson, MVP; Joe Garrigan, best defensive player; Jimmy Covey, most improved; and Jeff Robertson, Terry Quinn Award, given to the team’s most-dedicated player. The Rebels won five and lost five games during the season.
20 Years Ago
Nov. 16 — Union City won 11 football games in a single season for the first time ever with a 20-6 triumph over Milan in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs. The fifth-ranked and unbeaten Tornadoes recorded just the second playoff victory in school history as fullback Keith Radde had a pair of short scoring plunges and quarterback Marcus Lewis ran for 86 yards and UC’s other score. Linebackers Chris Smith (15) and Matt Smith (12) led the Purple and Gold defense, while Reece Farrar was also a standout with 10 stops. Union City earned a rematch with MUS (Memphis University School) in Round 2 with the victory, hoping to avenge a 31-7 loss at the same juncture from the year before.
Nov. 18 — The Union City High School boys’ basketball program tipped off the post-Stanley Caldwell Era with a 55-44 win over Hickman County. The game was the first in three seasons for the Tornadoes without Caldwell who was set to begin his freshman campaign at the University of Tennessee. Rodney Bonds scored 18 points for the Twisters, who stretched their winning streak to 23 games dating back to last season. Rachel Little scored 18 points to lead the UC girls to a 55-40 season-opening triumph in Game 1 of the twinbill.
10 Years Ago
Nov. 19 — Randy Barnes, the winningest football coach in Union City High School history, announced his plans to retire from coaching and the education business at the Christmas break. Barnes led the Golden Tornado program into prominence, compiling a 191-58 record during his 21 seasons at the helm after serving seven years as an assistant to Larry Shanks. His winning percentage (.767) ranked among the state’s Top 10 and he twice led the Purple and Gold to the Class 2A state title game in 1997 and 2000. Barnes had just two losing seasons at UCHS and led the Tornadoes to some sort of postseason competition in all but three of his seasons.
5 Years Ago
Nov. 16 — Longtime South Fulton High School football coach Gwin Wood begrudgingly resigned from leadership of the Red Devil program. Wood, who had piloted SF for 19 seasons, had admittedly “wanted to stay on two more years” but said he was told he had no support by administration after back-to-back 1-9 campaigns. Wood posted an 88-114 record at SFHS with eight playoff appearances, one of his teams matching the school’s best ever showing when reaching the state quarterfinals. His overall record, which also included eight years leading the program at twin-cities rival Fulton City, was 140-143.
Nov. 20 — Under scrutiny and fire, Jimmy Fishel resigned his position as head football coach at Union City High School. Fishel had been with the program for 21 years — 16 as an assistant and the past five as head coach. He compiled a 28-29 record during his tenure in charge, including an 11-4 finish in 2005 when the Tornadoes made a run to the Class 1A state championship game. Fishel’s last two seasons included 6-5 records with lopsided first-round playoff losses and a stunning first-ever defeat at the hands of Gleason in his final year.
1 Year Ago
Nov. 15 — Standout South Fulton softball player Kacie Daugherty inked scholarship papers during the early signing period to continue her career on the next level at Tennessee State University. Daugherty, already a four-year starter entering her senior campaign at SFHS, hit .449 as a junior and helped the Devilettes to a third-place finish in the Class A state tournament as a sophomore. She had 120 stolen bases entering her final prep season.
Nov. 21 — Union City’s surprising playoff run after an injury-ravaged regular season came to a sudden close in a 21-20 loss at West Carroll in the Class 1A quarterfinals. Keylon Hyde, who rushed for 150 yards and all three Tornado Ts, was stopped in his tracks on what would’ve likely been a game-winning two-point conversion play with 15 seconds left to seal UC’s fate. Published in The Messenger 11.15.12 |
