Weekly Blast
Week of 4/24/17
RANDOLPH COUNTY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: ZACH BRADBURY - UNION CITY HIGH SCHOOL - BASEBALL
UC took both games of a double header on Saturday 4/17/17 from Winchester, and it's been a long time since the Indians have done that.
Zach Bradbury, a junior over the 2 games, was 5 for 7, (3 for 4 in the first game, which is the conference game). During the first game he had a double that scored two big RBI'S.
So on the day, Zach was 5 for 7, scoring 2 runs, knocking in 2 RBI'S, he had 3 stolen bases, and played great defense for the Indians. Zach had 9 total defensive plays, and did not make an error.
This award is awarded each week in Randolph and Wayne Counties and is sponsored by Wetzel Auto, BSN Sports and Radio Stations WKBV (1490AM/100.9FM, Richmond), G1013FM (Richmond) and WZZY/Star 98.3FM (Winchester)
Justiss Cantu named Player of the year
Coach Black named Coach of the year
Wise 1st team, Hartman 3rd team, Kerns and Zimmers Honorable Mention
Sarah Black saw the potential.
■ Everything came together perfectly.
■ The Union City High School graduate returned to her alma mater with a plan, and the girls believed, executed and made history.
■ After leading Union City to the state championship game, Black is the Palladium-Item’s 2016-17 All-
Area Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.
“It was a great year, and as I talked to the girls at the banquet, yeah we were disappointed in how it ended, but to finish 24-5 and state runnerups, we were holiday tournament champions, of our five losses the only 1A school we lost to was Wood Memorial in that 1A state championship game, … I told them they had a lot to be proud of.”
Black’s biggest competition for the Coach of the Year honors came from Randolph County rival Winchester’s Holly Gutierrez, while Tri-Village coach Brad Gray also was considered after leading the Patriots to conference, sectional and district championships.
But Black’s accomplishments were historic.
Each of her starters had at least one statistical record: Courtney Wise with 1,192 points and 176 blocked shots, Baylee Hartman with 855 rebounds, Kora Kerns with 291 steals, Kelsey Zimmers with 114 made 3-pointers and junior Justiss Cantu with 358 assists. And Black is the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 85-52 record after six seasons.
“She has changed the program very much,” said Cantu, the All-Area Player of the Year. “She has not only brought the family thing to us but also taught us about being a better person.”
It took patience after back-to-back losing seasons
in Black’s first two years with the program, but the growing pains only made the Indians that much better. Union City showed just how good they could be in the past three years, winning three straight Tri-Eastern Conference titles and back-to-back sectionals.
Last year, the team won the first game in the regional before a heartbreaking loss in the final.
It only fired them up more this season.
A 36-point outburst by Cantu gave the Indians their semi-state title, and despite a tough loss in the state finals, Union City could look back on the team’s season as a special one.
“That was pretty incredible to be able to talk about all the records that they broke and the team success. ... It’s just an awesome ride, and it was quite an experience being able to play in the state finals,” Black said.
“Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but that’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around real often, to be able to say that and to be able to have that experience.”
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Junior Justiss Cantu, school’s all-time leader in assists, knew when to take over
When it came to big games, Justiss Cantu always was willing to take over. When it came to making timely passes, she was happy to yield to her teammates.
■ Cantu poured in a career-high 26 points to defeat Winchester, a key win in Union City’s third straight Tri-Eastern Conference title. And she shattered that with a 36-point outburst in the team’s first semi-state championship, as the Indians made a historic trip to the Class A state championship game.
All of that and more made Cantu the Palladium- Item’s All-Area Player of the Year for the 2016-17 girls basketball season.
“I think Justiss really came on towards the end of the year,” said Union City coach Sarah Black, the All-Area Coach of the Year. “There were definitely times that if she hadn’t have been there, we wouldn’t be playing in the state finals.”
Cantu’s biggest competition for the honor was teammate Courtney Wise, while TEC Player of the Year Maddie Lawrence of Winchester and Cross County Conference Player of the Year Allie Downing of Tri-Village also were considered.
But if it weren’t for Cantu, it’s hard to imagine where Union City would have ended up.
Since her freshman year, the Indians are 6020, with a 17-2 record in TEC games. This year’s TEC record was a perfect 7-0, which might not have happened if it wasn’t for Cantu’s 26-point takeover, which led the Indians to a 59-56 win over Winchester. She scored a teamhigh 18 points in the state championship game, and her biggest performance was in an epic 6964 double-overtime victory over Marquette Catholic, punching the Indians’ first ticket to the state championship game. Cantu averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 steals and, most importantly, 4.5 assists per game for a team that averaged 53.5 points.
“Honestly, it’s unbelievable. I cannot believe it,” Cantu said. “I’m lucky to be able to go through it, not only to go be able to go to state, but I couldn’t have asked for better people by my side and better opportunities.”
Cantu is only a junior and already is the team’s school-record holder with 358 assists. “She was able to drive when she needed to drive, shoot when she needed to shoot. She knew when she needed to do those things, and she just made a lot of things happen in big games,” Black said. “As a coach, it’s great to have a player that’s able to do that.”
Indians junior point guard Justiss Cantu averaged 4.5 assists during the 2016-17 season and has the most assists in school history (358).
Additional Lady Indians named to the All Area Basketball Team.
Courtney Wise was named First Team All Area Basketball Team-- Union City Senior Wise led the Indians with 14.9 points per game and added 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game. She graduates as the school’s all-time leader in points and blocks.
Bailey Hartman was named Third Team All Area Basketball Team--Union City Senior is Union City’s all-time leading rebounder, Hartman averaged 8.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
Kora Kerns and Kelsey Zimmers were both named Honorable Mention All Area Basketball Team.
This weeks events: 4/24/17
Monday
4/24/2017 5:30 PM Baseball (Varsity) vs Southern Wells
4/24/2017 4:30 PM Tennis (JV/Varsity) vs Randolph Southern
4/24/2017 4:30 PM Golf (Varsity) vs Cowan at Winchester Golf Club
4/24/2017 5:00 PM Softball (Varsity) at Adams Central
Tuesday
4/25/2017 5:00 PM Track (Varsity) Union County/Seton Catholic at Union County
4/25/2017 5:00 PM Tennis (JV/Varsity) at Jay County
Wednesday
4/26/2017 2:00 PM Elem. Spring Blood Drive (North Side Gym)
4/26/2017 5:00 PM Softball (Varsity) vs Randolph Southern
4/26/2017 5:00 PM Baseball (Junior Varsity) vs Winchester
4/26/2017 4:30 PM Golf (Varsity) at Hagerstown
4/26/2017 5:00 PM Track (Junior High) vs Northeastern
Thursday
4/27/2017 5:00 PM Baseball (Varsity) at Centerville
4/27/2017 5:00 PM Tennis (JV/Varsity) vs Blue River Valley
4/27/2017 5:00 PM Track (Varsity) Hagerstown/Richmond at UNION CITY
Friday
4/28/2017 5:00 PM Softball (Varsity) vs Richmond
Saturday
4/29/2017 9:00 AM Baseball (Var) Union City Dylan Williams Wood Bat Invitational
4/29/2017 10:00 AM Softball (Varsity) Union City Dylan Williams Invitational
4/29/2017 6:00 PM PTO Spring Carnival (Haviza Court)
Cancellations and Make-up Dates
5/9/2017 5:00 PM Baseball (Varsity) vs Lincoln-Canceled
5/9/17 5:00 PM Baseball Baseball with Union County (Makeup date from 4/20/17)
Softball with Centerville has been postponed new date TBA
Tennis with Anderson Prep has been postponed new date TBA
Golf at Tri has been postponed new date TBA
Add the UC Events calendar to your Google Calendar
You will have to do this on a computer, but then it will show on your phone once added (as long as it is on the same calendar account).
Copy the link below (don't open it)
https://athletics.pinwheelapi.com/Athletics/iCal/Events?id=496&extra=true
Open Google Calendar
Go to “Other Calendars” (left side)
Click on the pull-down arrow and choose “Add by URL”
Paste in the link (from above) and click “Add Calendar” (at bottom)
The calendar will be added to the “Other Calendars” list (named “Pinwheel”)
It can be renamed by clicking the pull-down next to it, and choosing “Calendar settings”
It can be toggled in or out of view by clicking on the colored square to the left of its title
Calendars and Brackets for Events
Home and Away Event Schedule Here
Practice Schedules All teams Here
2017 Baseball County Tourney at Winchester Brackets Here
2017 Softball County Tourney at Winchester Brackets Here
2017 Volleyball Varsity County Tourney at Union Brackets Here
2017 Volleyball JV County Tourney at Randolph Southern Brackets Here
2017 Volleyball JH County Tourney at Union City Brackets Here
2017-2018 Basketball Varsity County Tourney Brackets Here
Athletic Booster Club Meeting Wednesday 5/31/17
The next Union City Athletic Booster Club meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 5/31/17. We will meet at 6:00 PM at the Pizza Hut in Union City.
If you have a athlete in your family come and be part of their booster club. The Booster Club is in place to help the athletic department make your child's athletic career the best it can be.
We will be working on new projects for next school year. If you have some ideas that you would like for us to do come and join us and share your ideas.