Union City saw its postseason hopes end Friday night following a 40-13 loss at Jackson Central-Merry.
The Tornadoes could’ve qualified for the Class 2A state playoffs with a win, but instead will conclude their 2025 campaign next Thursday night with a trip to fifth-ranked Huntingdon. It will mark the first time in 21 years that Union City has not made the postseason.
In what was essentially an elimination game Friday, the Twisters (3-6, 2-3) matched JCM’s opening-possession touchdown with a score of its own when Kirben Thompson threw a 38-yard catch-and-run scoring pass to Adrian Crawford to draw the Twisters to within 7-6.
The Cougars seized control soon thereafter, though, reeling off 33 unanswered points – 20 of those in the second quarter to go up 27-6 at the intermission.
Terrell Williams threw three TD passes and Taeshon Curry ran for his second and third scores of the contest while the JCM defense regularly blitzed Union City’s run game to keep the Tornadoes behind the sticks.
“We didn’t play well enough, and I take full responsibility for that,” UC head coach Nick Markle said afterward. “We knew what was at stake – we’ve been emphasizing it for two weeks – and we just didn’t rise to the occasion like they did. I thought we had some chances. We dropped a lot of passes that were in our hands, and, on the other side, they made some tough, contested catches. They were so athletic up front, and they crowded the line of scrimmage and took the middle of the field away from us. Bottom line, it seemed like they wanted it more than us. They made plays and we didn’t.”
Thompson accounted for 147 of Union City’s 243 yards with 67 rushing and 80 passing.
Andre Small ran for 58 yards, while Adrian Crawford had three catches for 63 yards.
Rodney Jenkins accounted for the Tornadoes’ other touchdown via a 36-yard endzone gallop with less than four minutes to play and the game out of reach for the Purple and Gold.
Defensively, freshman Cameron Beeler had a team-high seven tackles and a forced fumble for Union City. Small, Deyton Buckley, and Cohen Wood were in on five stops apiece, with Buckley recovering a fumble.
(photos: Mike Hutchens – School Communications Director)
