The 2019 middle school football season kicks off on Tuesday night and Thunder Radio will be there to bring you all the action.  The Red Raiders of Coffee County Middle School will travel to Watertown for the first ever meeting between the 2 programs.  Kickoff is set for 6:30 PM.  Thunder Radio begins live coverage with the pregame show at 6:20.

The highly acclaimed 1st National Bank Hometown Sports Series returns for its 6th season as we highlight middle school football action from Westwood and Coffee County Middle, along with girls’ soccer and volleyball at the middle schools and at Coffee County Central High.

Beginning on Tuesday and continuing through the end of September, Thunder Radio will bring you a series of 19 regular season contests as we strive to spotlight Manchester’s incredible school and community spirit.  The Hometown Sports Series will continue into the postseason for the high school volleyball and soccer teams as well as any middle school football championship games in October.   Just another example of why Thunder Radio is your leader in Manchester and Coffee County sports coverage.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

Tuesday Prep Schedule

1:00 PM – CHS Golf at Cookeville
6:30 PM – CHS Girls’ Soccer at Blackman (scrimmage)
6:30 PM – CCMS Football at Watertown – 1st National Bank Hometown Sports Series broadcast on Thunder Radio

Down one run in the bottom of the ninth, the Sounds were able to load the bases with one out. Nashville was unable to get that tying run, losing to Albuquerque 5-4 on Monday night.

The first run of the game came in the bottom of the second inning when Eli White hit a home run. The ball bounced off the screen adjacent to the foul pole right above the 310′ sign. That gave Nashville the early 1-0 lead.

The top of the fourth was rough for the Sounds as they allowed five runs to the Isotopes. Albuquerque recorded five consecutive singles in the inning to score three of the runs. Pat Valaika followed with a two-run single for the fourth and fifth run. The Isotopes brought 10 batters to the plate in the inning and was up on the Sounds 5-1.

Nashville creeped back in the next two innings. Matt Davidson launched a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and Patrick Wisdom led off the bottom of the fifth with his own solo home run. Zack Granite would rope an RBI single later in the inning to bring the Sounds within a run of the Isotopes, down 5-4.

The Sounds had an opportunity to at least tie the Isotopes in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nashville had runners on second and third base, but Granite popped out to third base and Ronald Guzman grounded out into the shift to end the inning.

A bigger threat came from Nashville in the bottom of the ninth inning. Christian Lopes hit a single and Andy Ibanez walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Zack Granite would then reach first base on an error to load the bases. But the Sounds failed to capitalize against Isotopes’ closer Yency Almonte, as he struck out Guzman and Davidson to win the game for Albuquerque 5-4.

Tuesday is a league day off before the Sounds head to California for a seven-game road trip on Wednesday. Nashville starts the road trip with a three-game series against Fresno and finishes with a four-game series at Sacramento.

Post-Game Notes

– With Monday’s 5-4 loss, the Sounds drop to 47-65 in 2019.

– Matt Davidson’s home run in the fourth inning, his 26th of the season. That matches his career-high (Chicago-AL, 2017). It also extended Davidson’s on-base streak to 24 games, the Sounds’ season-high. In 24 games since June 30, he is hitting .330 (31-for-94) with 16 runs scored, 6 home runs, 21 RBI, and 5 walks.

– The Sounds threw seven total pitchers in Monday’s game, with Ian Gibaut allowing all five runs in 0.1 inning.

Marshall Haney of Coffee County CHS football

The Coffee County Red Raider football team welcomed Stewarts Creek to Carden-Jarrell Field on Friday night for their lone home scrimmage of the fall.  Head coach Doug Greene expected a physical contest and his prophecy was correct in the controlled scrimmage.  After holding a 10 to 6 lead after 2 possessions, the Red Raiders saw the depth and experience of the bigger Redhawks take hold.  After the dust settled between the 2 teams 1st strings, Stewarts Creek claimed a 20 to 10 win.

Playing 10 play possessions, Coffee County got on the board first when Marshall Haney capped off a 70 yard drive with a 2 yard touchdown run.  Stewarts Creek answered in their opening possession but Coffee County blocked the PAT to hold on to a 7 to  6 advantage.  When the Raiders 2nd drive stalled deep in Redhawks territory, Coffee County kicked a 31 yard field goal to up the lead to 10 to 6.  The depth of the Stewarts Creek team became obvious as they bounced back to score twice in their next 10 play set.  The Raiders did manage to block a field goal late in the first string session.

Connor Shemwell drops back to pass in scrimmage action on Friday night against Stewarts Creek.

Unofficially, Haney finished with 111 yards rushing on 10 carries to go with his touchdown.  Haney also caught a Connor Shemwell screen pass and rambled 35 yards.  Shemwell finished the game passing for 125 yards as Colin Ward was an effective target across the middle.

Coach Doug Greene was a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about the scrimmage.   The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast live each Saturday morning from 10 to 11 from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln.  You can download the interview at: http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/coffee-coaches-show_147455