Monroe Central

Monroe Central 46, Union City 6 The Monroe Central football team overcame a slow start to earn a 46-6 road victory over Union City on Friday night. The two teams had a scoreless first quarter before the Golden Bears (2-0) slammed on the accelerator, and did not let up from there. Monroe Central scored 38 points in that decisive second quarter — a period that included two pick-sixes by Grant Linville and an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown by Carson Siekmann — to go into halftime with a 38-6 lead. The Golden Bears added one more touchdown — a beautifully delivered pass from quarterback Elias Hart to Caden Dance for a 33-yard score — to earn their second win in as many tries to begin the 2026 season. Hart had another efficient night for Monroe Central, completing 12-of-14 passes (85.7 percent) for 223 yards with three touchdowns. Knox Meyers and Siekmann also added receiving scores for the Golden Bears, while Dance had a game-best eight receptions for 78 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. The Monroe Central defense was led by Linville’s two pick-sixes, as well as two sacks for Kaden Sullivan, who had three total tackles for loss and a forced fumble on the night. Nic Cope had a team-best seven tackles, including one for a loss, while Luke Anderson had a sack for a loss of 11 yards, and Siekmann had two passes defensed. The Golden Bears’ defense held the Indians’ (0-2) offense to just 1-of-9 total conversions on third down, and 1-of-3 attempts on fourth down. Monroe Central returns to action next Friday night, as the Golden Bears play host to Winchester for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.