Members of the CCMS Baseball team work on a throwing drill at practice on Monday
With the spring sports season just around the corner for middle school teams, Thunder Radio sports checked in with the coaches and teams at Coffee County Middle School this week to get an update on their 2 plus weeks of preseason workouts.
The CCMS baseball team has a new head coach in Brock Freeze as he takes over the helm of a Red Raider team that lost several key contributors to graduation. The Red Raiders have 27 players taking part in preseason workouts between varsity and JV, including a good nucleus that was able to work out with Coach Freeze last summer. Coach Freeze has been pleased with the leadership shown by his 8th graders. The Red Raiders have a scrimmage scheduled with Grundy County on Saturday beginning at noon. The Raiders open the regular season on February 27th at Sparta when they take on White County.
Members of the CCMS softball team work on a throwing drill at practice on Monday
The Lady Raider softball team looks to be strong in the circle this year with the addition of Keri Munn to an experienced pitching staff returning. Head coach Lana Creek has missed most of the preseason workouts as assistant coach Linda Cooper has been working to get the Lady Raiders ready for a preseason play-day this weekend in Fayetteville. “We feel the impact of Coach Creek’s absence but the girls are working hard so when she can be here they are ready” said Cooper. The Lady Raiders are set to play in a scrimmage play day at Lincoln County on Saturday. The Lady Raiders will play games at 10:15, 11:30 and 12:45 against Lincoln County, South Giles and the Lincoln County JV respectively. Coffee County opens the regular season on February 27th at Sparta when they take on White County.
Members of the CCMS soccer team work on a dribbling drill at practice on Monday
The CCMS soccer team finds themselves in the familiar role of rebuilding as less than half the projected starting lineup this spring will have previous varsity experience. Coach Kenny Lockhart’s team has been hampered a bit this week by the flu bug that appears to be working its way through local schools. The Raiders will participate in a scrimmage play day on Saturday, February 25th at North Franklin. They will have games at 10:20 AM(JV), 12:20 PM, 1 PM(JV) & 2:20 PM. The Raiders open the regular season on February 28th at White County.
The tennis team has a new coach in Tiffany McCormick. Coach McCormick inherits a pretty veteran boys’ team with several returning players with experience. Experience is also found on the girls’ team but they will enter the season having several younger players. Currently 18 “hardworking, very respectful kids” have been enthusiastically working toward the upcoming season. The tennis team opens their season on March 14th at home against Lewisburg.
The CCMS track program concluded tryouts on Wednesday. The number of student athletes has been encouraging for Coach Travis O’Kelley as he looks to have each of his teams back on top of the CTC conference. Several runners have posted improved times from last year in the running disciplines. Coach O’Kelley remarked that he was not sure how his team will be in their traditionally strong field events yet. The track teams open their season at home on March 15th when they host Warren County and Harris at the newly remodeled track at Carden-Jarrell Field.
The CCMS golf team will begin preseason workouts on February 27th and 28th with team tryouts. Coach Holly Rodriquez is looking forward to several returning players back this spring after graduation losses gave her a very young team last season. The Raider linksters open their season on April 3rd at Willowbrook against Westwood and Fayetteville.
