| 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
May 9 — Union City beat Obion County Central 13-9 for the district baseball tournament championship. Kevin Woodard was named most valuable player and was joined on the all-tournament team by fellow Tornadoes Dale Woodward, Rob Cursey and Jerry Slayton. Randy Mitchell got his fifth pitching victory in as many decisions for UC (20-3) in the title game. Central (18-8) battled out of the losers’ bracket and forced a second game in the championship round by beating the Twisters in Game 1 9-8. Tim James smacked a first-inning homer and represented the Rebels on the all-tournament team along with mates Scotty Craddock and Sammy Snead. Both local entries were later ousted in the regionals by Lexington.
May 13 — Three local prep basketball standouts signed scholarship papers to continue their playing careers in college. Obion Central’s Kim Whipple inked with Lambuth after averaging 14.9 points and nine rebounds while being selected team MVP for the Lady Rebels. And both Ken Tolbert and Barry Williams of South Fulton were college-bound after helping the Red Devils to the Class 1A state tournament and 26 victories their senior seasons. Tolbert, who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds, signed with Bethel, while Williams, a 6-3 swingman, was headed to Jackson State Community College after scoring 16.5 ppg and grabbing seven caroms per contest in his last prep season.
20 Years Ago
May 12 — Union City’s Anthony Davis inked on the dotted line to play college basketball at Walters State. Davis, a sharpshooting swingman, hit 43 percent from beyond the 3-point arc and averaged 14.9 points per game while helping the Tornadoes to their third state tournament trip in four seasons.
May 14 — Five hitless innings tossed by David Barnes helped Union City win the District 13AA Tournament baseball championship with a 7-4 victory over Covington. Rodney Bonds had three hits and both Chad Harris and Marlon Eskew two apiece for the Tornadoes, who improved to 14-4 and earned a host role for the upcoming regionals. Barnes, Bonds, Harris, Eskew and Shaw Speed were all named to the all-tournament team.
10 Years Ago
May 13 — Jeff Chandler was named the new head girls’ basketball coach at Union City High School. The 35-year-old Chandler had assisted in both the girls’ and boys’ programs for the Tornadoes, but had never been a head coach in hoops. He had, however, been the head baseball coach at Obion County Central. The UC girls’ program was void of much of a history, with just six winning seasons in 24 years during 5-on-5 play.
May 15 — While the South Fulton softball team earned a home sectional game after a 6-0 shutout of Halls in the regional finals for the program’s fifth consecutive region title, the Union City baseball team was forced to the road after a 9-5 loss at the same juncture. Aimee Grissom twirled a one-hitter for the Devilettes and SF broke the contest open with a four-run seventh. Seth Prather, Stan Chivers and Matt Harrelson had two hits apiece for UC, which was done in by shoddy defense in its loss.
5 Years Ago
May 13 — The Union City baseball team saw its season end with a 9-6 loss to McKenzie in the region semis. The Tornadoes had battled back from a bad start to the season when they won just one of their first 10 games to make it deep into the postseason. Craig Lowrance had two hits and Taylor Bruff a two-run single for UC, which finished the year at 16-15-1 after a dismal start.
May 15 — No-hit by Huntingdon ace Brooke Thomas, South Fulton’s road to the state softball tournament was to go through two-time reigning champion Trinity Christian Academy after the Devilettes were blanked 3-0 by the Phillies. SF struck out 17 times against Thomas, who notched her 10th career no-no. Katie Bivens and Haley McKinney were the only South Fulton baserunners. Devilette hurler Melissa Reams kept her team close, allowing just four hits.
1 Year Ago
May 15 — The Union City girls’ doubles tandem of Anna Moore and Maddie King was headed to the state tournament after winning the regional championship. Moore/King beat teammates Tara Elam and Jenna Miller in straight sets to punch their Spring Fling ticket. Moore and Elam had qualified for the state the year before for the Lady Tornadoes.
May 15 — South Fulton and Union City met with opposite results in the Class 1A regional softball semifinals. The Devilettes avenged an upset loss from the year before to win for the 35th time in 39 games with a 7-0 whitewash of McKenzie. Haley McKinney fanned 12 for SF, which assured itself of at least two more games, including a spot in the sectionals. The news was not so happy for UC, which was eliminated for the fifth time in six seasons by Huntingdon, 8-0. Published in The Messenger 5.9.13 |
