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Rmember When — Brooks, Mays lead Kenton to county tournament sweep

Rmember When — Brooks, Mays lead Kenton to county tournament sweep
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
Feb. 2 — Union City High School quarterback Aaron Dearmitt gave a verbal commitment to Murray State. Dearmitt, who threw for 10 touchdowns and ran for nine more in helping the Tornadoes to an 8-3 record and Civitan Bowl victory his senior season, said he’d ink with the Racers on National Signing Day. MSU beat out Missouri, according to Dearmitt, of his college suitors.
Feb. 4 — Both Kenton Jr. High teams advanced to the finals of the Obion County School System Tournament with impressive victories. The Warriors got 22 points from Eric Brooks and 14 apiece from Todd Chandler and Thomas White in routing Woodland Mills 76-40 to earn a spot in the finals opposite Troy. Jimmy Craig scored 21 to lead WM. On the girls’ side, Felicia Mays had 13 points and Sonya Grice 12 as Kenton beat Troy 37-19 to earn a championship berth opposite Obion. Hope Brandon scored 10 points for Troy.
20 Years Ago
Feb. 2 — Obion Central ended Union City’s two-year reign atop the District 13AA boys’ standings with a 64-59 victory over the Tornadoes before a huge crowd at Pacer Arena. Ryan Dyer had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rebels, who improved to 12-0 in league play and 22-3 overall. UC fell to 10-2 in the district and 17-4 in all games after getting six 3-pointers and a game-high 22 points from Anthony Davis. The Lady Rebels made it a sweep on the night and in the season series for OC with a narrow 43-42 win in the opener. Cortney Neeley scored Central’s last 11 points and finished with a game-best 18 markers. The Lady Tornadoes could not overcome 33 turnovers, but did get 12 points from Rachel Little.
Feb. 3 — On the same day teammate Marcus Lewis made his decision to sign with Vanderbilt, Union City’s Chris Wiggins inked with Austin Peay to continue his football playing career. Wiggins, who transferred to UCHS when his father, Jim, resigned as head coach from Obion Central the year before, moved to halfback and accounted for more than 1,300 yards while leading the Tornadoes in rushing and scoring in a record-setting perfect regular season. He picked APSU over Murray State and William & Mary.
Feb. 5 — Tournament Most Valuable Players Delia Haskins and Brock McClanahan led Hillcrest to the Obion County School System Basketball Championships. The Lady Cougars cruised behind Haskins (15 points) and Allison Harris (14) to the title game victory and finish with a 19-5 mark. McClanahan had 17 and Jeff Caldwell 15 in Hillcrest’s 57-36 win over Ridgemont in the finals. Julian Robinson scored 12 for the Mustangs.
10 Years Ago
Feb. 5 — Twins Clay and Ty Goodrich will finally be separated after they signed college football scholarships with different schools. The Union City High School standouts, who both earned All-State accolades their senior campaigns and started for three years with the Golden Tornado program, were headed to UT Martin (Clay) and Middle Tennessee State University (Ty) after inking on National Signing Day. Clay was penciled in the Skyhawks’ future plans as a defensive end, while Ty was a prospective offensive lineman for the Blue Raiders.
5 Years Ago
Feb. 1 — Obion County Central hoop standout Jana Roney fulfilled her verbal promise by signing with Murray State. Roney had helped lead the Lady Rebels to at least 20 victories in all four of her seasons at OCCHS and was a Class 2A Miss Basketball finalist and All-Stater her junior year. She was averaging a double-double as a senior and had helped the Central girls to a 20-2 record and No. 1 state ranking.
Feb. 6 — MJ Brown, Union City’s star point guard, was named a finalist for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American team. The Tornado standout, who was averaging over 20 points-per-game and seven assists for the state’s No. 1 ranked Class A team and only unbeaten club in the state in any classification, was one of 1,500 players across the nation to make the cut.
1 Year Ago
Feb. 1 — For the second time in four years, a pair of ‘Tornadoes’ were at the center of the perfect sports storm. Union City natives and ex-Twister football players Jonathan Robinson and Donnie Etheridge were set to be part of the Super Bowl gala in Indianapolis when the New England Patriots faced the New York Giants. Robinson, an all-state lineman at UCHS in the early 1990s, was serving as the director of college scout for the Pats, while Etheridge — who played for the Tornadoes 10 years earlier, was a scout for the Giants.
Feb. 2 — Three Obion County Central football players signed scholarships to play at the next level after one of the most successful seasons ever in their senior years. Running back LaDevin Fair inked with UT Martin, while the pitch-and-catch tandem of quarterback Trey Phipps and wide receiver Mason McGrew signed on with start-up program Lindenwood-Belleville, an NAIA school in Western Illinois. The three all put up monster individual stats as part of a Rebel team that went 9-3 and won a state playoff game for just the second time ever in 2011. Published in The Messenger 1.31.13