The Westwood Rocket soccer team got a pair of second half goals from Felix Salinas to score a come from behind 2 to 1 win over Lincoln County on Thursday in Fayetteville. The host Falcons scored in the 5th minute to take a 1 to 0 lead into the intermission. The Rockets tied it almost immediately after the half with Salinas’ first goal off a cross from Elliot Sain in the 31st minute. Salinas found the back of the net again at the 35 minute mark to improve the Rockets record to 2 and 0 on the season.
In the JV game, the Rockets got 3 goals from Reynaldo Ramirez and 1 goal each from Lucas Workman, Jalen Shelton and Keiton Sherrill to score a 6 to 0 win over Lincoln County. Westwood travels Tullahoma on Monday for a 5:30 PM friendly with the Wildcats.

The Coffee County Central High School baseball team is hosting the Inaugural William Jacob Myers Alumni Game on Saturday, March 12th at Powers Field. Former players are asked to sign up for the event prior to March 5th for a commemorative shirt to be worn during the game. The “Odd-Year Alumni” will wear black while the “Even-Year Alumni” will wear red. Check-in time will be from noon to 1:00 PM. Warm-ups begin at 1 PM and the 1st pitch is scheduled for 2 PM. Concessions will also be available and the public is invited to come out and enjoy the fun. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the William Jacob Myers Memorial Scholarship Fund. Those former players wishing to sign up can do so at the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12zlZauXPdwPvgSTY0KHy_Nrltm_MbeAn2ZJst7_21lI/edit?usp=sharing

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Pekka Rinne

Calle Jarnkrok scored with 1:51 remaining, Pekka Rinne made 38 saves and the streaking Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Thursday night.

Viktor Arvidsson also scored in the first as Nashville won for the fourth time in its last five games and extended its point streak to eight in a row. Miikka Salomaki added an empty-net goal, and Mike Fisher finished with two assists.

Brent Seabrook scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost two in a row and five of seven. Corey Crawford had 29 saves.

The game was tied at 1 before Jarnkrok one-timed a slick pass from Fisher over Crawford’s right shoulder for his 12th goal. It was Jarnkrok’s first point since he scored two goals in a 5-0 win at Florida at Feb. 13, stopping a five-game drought for the third-year center.

Salomaki tacked on his fourth goal 48 seconds later, prompting some of the fans to begin heading for the exits.

The Predators played without All-Star defenseman Shea Weber for the second straight game. Weber, who has 15 goals and 21 assists, is day to day with a lower-body injury.

But Nashville still managed its second win in five games this season against Chicago. The Predators were eliminated by the Blackhawks in the playoffs last year.

Rinne made 13 saves in the first period, including three great stops on Jonathan Toews alone. He also denied Andrew Shaw on a breakaway in the final minute of the second.

The game was scoreless before Seabrook skated into an opening in the high slot and drove a slap shot past Rinne on the stick side for his 12th of season at 5:27 of the second. The big defenseman has five goals and two assists in his last nine games.

The Predators responded with Arvidsson’s seventh goal at 9:08. Fisher sent the puck off the back boards and Arvidsson was there to stuff it home from the right side.  The Predators return home to play host the the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon in a 2 PM contest.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast on the Fifth Third Bank/Nashville Predators Radio Network.

Motlow State sophomore Jaylen Barford(Photo by Jeff Reed Photography)

The Motlow Bucks completed a sweep of their final three regular season games when they beat Volunteer State 96-80 Monday evening at Copperweld Arena. The win came two days after the Bucks hammered visiting Jackson State 99-64.

Motlow (23-6, 14-4) will enter next week’s Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA)/Region VII Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Bucks will play the winner of the No. 7/10 contest on Tuesday, Mar. 1 at 6 p.m. If the Bucks win they will play again Thursday at 4 p.m. and the championship game is Friday at 2 p.m. This year’s tournament will be played at Volunteer State in Gallatin.

Sophomore Jaylen Barford was named the TCCAA Player of the Year, while his teammates Darius Joell, Stephaun Adams and JaQualis Matlock were named second-team all-conference. Barford led the league in scoring this season and is currently second on Motlow’s all-time career scoring list. He will finish in the top ten in career rebounding, assists and steals as well.

The Bucks were never threatened against Jackson State Saturday, leading 49-24 at intermission. Barford led the scoring with 22 points, followed closely by Joell with 20, including hitting 6-11 three-point shots. Adams added 14 points, Jade Patrick had 12 along with 10 rebounds, Ryan Jones scored 12 and Matlock scored 11 with seven rebounds.

Monday’s win over Volunteer State was more competitive as the Bucks led 49-38 at halftime but didn’t pull away from the visitors until a 20-point lead shrunk to nine points. Barford closed the deal with multiple late baskets and finished with a game-high 32 points. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and added four assists and three steals.

Jones scored 13 points and Matlock added 10. Jared Pearson pulled down 14 rebounds and Adams added nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Tickets for the tournament are $5 per day, and children under the age of 12 get in free. Southwest Tennessee will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The tournament opens with a pair of men’s play-in games on Monday.

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