CHS Quarterback Alontae Taylor (Photo by John StClair – JohnStClairPhoto.com)

Mistakes cost the Red Raider football team on Friday night as Coffee County fell to Pope John Paul II by a final score of 34 to 21. The Raiders had 2 drives stopped inside the 5 yard line, 2 blocked punts and 3 turnovers on the night, but still found themselves in striking range of the visiting Knights in the 4th quarter. Speaking on the Friday Night Thunder post game show, Coach Ryan Sulkowski was upbeat about his team and their progress. “When you have correctable mistakes you can work with that. … 9 out of 10 times we do it right. Those two drives we just couldn’t finish (inside red zone). But the kids gave us everything.”
Alontae Taylor had a big night for the Coffee County offense as he rushed 23 times for 197 yards with 2 TD’s and was 10 for 18 passing for 76 yards. For his efforts, Taylor was named the Farm Bureau/WMSR Player of the Game. Mill Harner rushed 11 times for 70 yards for the other TD. Tyrese McGee had the best performance of his high school career as he rushed 3 times for 27 yards and caught 5 passes for 36 yards. McGee also scored on a 2 point conversion.
The Red Raiders open Region 2, Class 6A play next Friday night as they welcome the Smyrna Bulldogs to Carden-Jarrell Field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM, but Thunder Radio begins its coverage with the Friday Night Thunder pregame show beginning at 6:00 PM.

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Holli Smithson of CHS soccer(file photo)

In her first game back from the injury list, Holli Smithson scored on a golden goal to lift the CHS Lady Raider soccer team to a 1 to 0 district win over Columbia on Thursday night at the Raider Soccer Field.  After battling through an 80 minute draw at nil, the 2 teams lined up for the sudden death overtime period known as “Golden Goal.”  In the 4^th minute of overtime, Sam Ellison got a pass on the foot of Smithson and the CHS junior sent the Raider fans home happy with the game winner.  The Lady Raiders travel to Lawrenceburg on Tuesday for a 6:30 PM match with Lawrence County.  Members of the Lady Raider soccer team will also be guests on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show which is broadcast live from AL White Motors at 10 AM on Thunder Radio.

Faith Willoughby of Westwood soccer

The Westwood Lady Rocket soccer team remained perfect on Thursday as they dropped the Fayetteville Tigers 5 to 0 on Thursday night.  A hat trick by Beatris Barrera and a pair of goals from Faith Willoughby provided the offense and the 4^th straight shutout by Abbi Lowery in goal highlighted another great defensive effort by Westwood.  The Lady Rockets took a 2 to 0 lead into the half as Barrera scored 2 first half goals.  Faith Willoughby got 2 second half goals with assists from Jimelda Penaloza and Reyna Flores.  Flores also added the assist on Barrera’s 2^nd half goal.  Lowery had 10 saves between the pipes for Westwood as the Lady Rockets improved to 4 and 0 on the year.  Westwood has outscored its 4 opponents 24 to 0 this season.  The Lady Rockets will return home on Tuesday for a 5:30 PM game against Huntland.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of that game as a part of the Hometown Tuesday series.

Sarah West of CCMS Volleyball

Twenty one aces on the night led the CCMS Lady Raider volleyball team to a 3 set victory over Eagleville on Thursday in a home match at Coffee County Middle School.   The Lady Raiders claimed a 25 to 9 first set win only to see the visiting Eagles come back in the second set to win 25 to 21 and set up a decisive 3^rd set.  The Lady Raiders won the 3^rd set 15 to 12 to earn the match win.  Sarah West led Coffee County in kills with 2 while Kyla Craig and Maci Head led the team in aces with 4 each.  Eight different players for the Lady Raiders had service aces on the night.   The JV team swept Eagleville in 2 sets.  The JV Lady Raiders won their sets 26 to 24 and 25 to 9.  The Lady Raiders are on the road next Thursday as they take on Fayetteville Middle School.  First serve is set for 6:00 PM

Samuel Prater of Coffee County golf prepares to tee off on the 8th hole at Lakewood on Thursday

The CHS golf teams tackled the long Lakewood Country Club layout on Thursday in a 18 hole match with 5 other District 8AAA teams.  The Red Raiders showed some consistency as the top 5 golfers all shot within 3 strokes of one another.  Freshman Samuel Prater was the low scorer on the day as he carded an 81.  Hayden Proffitt, Reid Lawrence, Austin Farris and John Parriger all carded matching 83’s.  The Red Raiders 329 was good enough for 2^nd place behind Tullahoma’s 317.  With the finish, the Red Raiders improved to 40 and 13 on the season.

The Lady Raiders finished 1^st on the day as they beat Lawrence County and Shelbyville.  Savannah Quick led Coffee County with an 84.  With the win, the Lady Raiders improved to 41 and 5 on the year.  The Raider linksters return home to WIllowbrook on Monday for a match with Tullahoma, Franklin County & Warren County.  That 9 hole match is set to tee off at 4:00 PM.

Freshman Trace Bryant of CHS Football

Missed extra points spelled doom for the freshman Raider football team for the second time this week as they dropped a 14 to 12 decision to Franklin County on Thursday night at Carden-Jarrell Field.  The Red Raiders matched the visiting Rebels in touchdowns as they scored on 2 big plays.  Trace Bryant returned a kickoff 65 yards for one Coffee County score while Andrew Mahaffey hit Weston Hargrove on a 50 yard touchdown reception for the other score.   The freshmen Raiders next game is scheduled for Thursday, September 10^th as they host Grundy County.  The freshman game is set to begin at 5:30 PM as part of a freshman/JV doubleheader at Carden-Jarrell Field.

Conference leading Forrest showed why they are favored to win the Duck River Valley Conference this season as they handed the Westwood Rockets a 37 to 0 defeat in the home opener at Dyer-Bouldin Field on Thursday night.  Forrest’s defense held Westwood to 53 yards of total offense on the game, while the Forrest offense scored on every possession of the first half to build a 30 to 0 halftime lead.  After taking the opening possession of the 2^nd half down the field for a touchdown to make it 37 to 0, both teams emptied their bench as the mercy rule kept the clock running for rest of the game.  Jacob Floyd led Westwood offensively as he carried the ball 8 times for 32 yards, all of that coming in the first half.  In the second half, 6^th grader Trenton Thompson carried the ball 6 times for 21 yards.  Westwood travels to Cascade next week to take on the Champions on Tuesday night.  The game, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Tuesday due to the Walking Horse Celebration taking place in Shelbyville.  The Rockets return home on Thursday, September 10^th as they play host to Community.

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