Union County’s homecoming was all set for Friday until Helene had different plans. Traces of the hurricane came to the area and postponed dozens of games around Indiana. The Patriots’ tilt with Union City was one of those and the two sides kicked off Saturday afternoon in misty conditions.

The visiting Indians scored on seven of eight possessions and triggered a running clock early in the second half on the way to a 50-6 win.

The opening score came in the game’s first few minutes as Brayden Huggins caught a ball for 17 yards and then ran for 28 more on an end-around. Jace O’Connor crossed the goal from the 5-yard line. D’Shaun Ware caught the 2-point conversion.

The Patriots faced a 4th-&-1 when possession changed hands. Quarterback Nate Taylor was stuffed for no gain and the Tribe took over at the Pats’ 29. Indians’ QB Jayson O’Connor found Trendon Spence for a 20-yard gain and Huggins rushed for 1st-and-goal on a reverse. A play later, Spence took it in from the 8; Jace O’Connor received the 2-point addition for a 16-0 lead.

Union County then had its only answer of the day. Dom Smith started the drive with a 10-yard burst. Later on 4th-and-10, the Indians gave five yards up on an offside call. Still in punt formation, Taylor instead scampered to his left for 11 yards and the first down. Taylor added a 16-yard jaunt and a 10-yard run after a false start. Out of a Tribe timeout, the Indians were called for another offside that gave the Pats a first. Taylor carried twice for six yards, then Eli Hensley took a snap and hit Aidan Vauthier for an 8-yard TD. Hensley’s point-after run was just shy.

The Patriots forced negative yardage early on the Indians’ next drive and got an incompletion on fourth to turn it over to the offense to begin the second frame. A sack of Taylor on first down, however, doomed the series and he punted for a touchback. 

Offside and facemask were called on the hosts as the Indians drove again. A long TD run by Spence was called back due to holding but the guests punched it in a few plays later on a 2-yard run by Jace O’Connor. The Indians’ Caleb Lutz recovered a loose ball on the ensuing kick return, and it was 1st-and-10 from the Pats’ 33. A QB run netted 15 yards, followed by a roughing the passer call on the home team. Huggins would add a 5-yard TD and conversion to make it 30-6.

Late in the half, Jayson O’Connor broke off a 28-yard run; Huggins went for 14 and Spence finished things with a 14-yad score. Jackson Cowper caught the conversion pass for a 38-6 game at the break.

The Indians recovered their own kickoff in Pats’ territory to begin the new half. A Spence TD again came back after a hold, but he moved the ball down to the 1 and Jace O’Connor plunged in for a 38-point lead. On the first play of the fourth, Ware caught a 28-yard pass for the game’s last points.

The homecoming parade will now take place Friday as the 0-6 (0-6 TEC) Patriots receive a sendoff to face 5-1 Centerville, 7 p.m. Other festivities like crowning of king and queen will be during the next home game Oct. 11 vs. Wes-Del.

Indians 50, Patriots 6

UCi – 16 22 6 6 – 50

UC – 6 0 0 0 – 6

Scoring

First Quarter

UCi – Jace O’Connor 5-yard run. Ware pass from Jayson O’Connor.

UCi – Spence 8-yard run, 6:55. Jace O’Connor pass from O’Connor.

UC – Vauthier 8-yard pass from Hensley, :48.4. Run failed.

Second Quarter

UCi – Jace O’Connor 2-yard run, 7:17. Pass failed.

UCi – Huggins 8-yard run, 5:54. Huggins run.

UCi – Spence 14-yard run, :46.3. Cowper pass from O’Connor.

Third Quarter

UCi – Jace O’Connor 1-yard run, 9:09. Pass failed.

Fourth Quarter

UCi – Ware 28-yard pass from O’Connor, 10:25. Pass failed.

Total yds-UCi 314, UC 97

Rush yds-UCi 236, UC 83

Pass yds-UCi 78, UC 14

1st downs-UCi 12, UC 5

Penalties-UCi 5-35, UC 8-54

Fumbles/lost-UCi 1/0, UC 1/1

Stats: UCi-Rushing: Jay. O’Connor 4-70, Jac. O’Connor 6-30, Spence 8-63, Huggins 6-72, Logan Besser 1-2, Blake Curry 1-(-1). Passing: Jay. O’Connor 4-9-78. Receiving: Spence 1-20, Colton Emrick 1-13, Huggins 1-17, Ware 1-28. UC-Rushing: Taylor 19-59, Smith 4-2, Mason Ramsey 4-23, Chase Serra 1-(-1). Passing: Taylor 2-7-6, Hensley 1-1-8. Receiving: Smith 2-6, Vauthier 1-8. (Unofficial)