Coffee County Middle School basketball and cheerleading 8th graders.

Celebrating 8^th Grade Night on Saturday night, the Coffee County Middle School basketball teams welcomed Harris to the CCMS Gym.  After a slow start, the Lady Raiders finished strong in a 32 to 13 win.  The Red Raiders executed their game plan to near perfection but ending up falling 32 to 24.

After being held to 8 points in the first half and 2 points in the 2^nd quarter, the Lady Raiders owned a lead of 8 to 5 at the half thanks to their defense.  After trading baskets to begin the 3^rd quarter, the Lady Raiders went on a 20 to 4 run to salt away their 16^th victory of the season.  Marley Perry led the Raiders in scoring with 14 points while fellow 8^th grader Kiya Ferrell added 12.  The Lady Raiders will now take on North Franklin at 3:30 on Monday afternoon at CCMS in a 1 game playoff for the regular season conference title and the #1 seed in next week’s CTC Tournament.

Controlling the pace and limiting turnovers, the Red Raiders frustrated the Eagles in the first half and Connor Shemwell scored all 16 points as Coffee County led 16 to 13 at the half.  Harris opened up the 2^nd half on a 12 point run to build a 7 point cushion entering the 4^th quarter.  Aiden Abellana hit a 3 pointer and a layup to cut the deficit to 4 with 2:31 left but Coffee County could get no closer.  Shemwell finished with 17 points while Abellana added 7 points for the Raiders.   The Red Raiders will open up the CTC postseason tournament on Thursday at 5:45 PM at CCMS as they take on North Franklin.

Below are the brackets for this week’s tournament:

Mich Gloden of Temple Baptist Christian School basketball

The Temple Baptist Christian School Eagles traveled to Cleveland on Friday afternoon for a JV/varsity doubleheader with Shenandoah Baptist Academy.  The junior varsity team fell 29 to 15.  The varsity team came up short 75 to 37.

The junior varsity team was held to a single free throw in the first half as they fell behind 13 to 1.  The Eagles played even with Shenandoah but could not overcome the first half deficit.  Temple was led in scoring by Alex Gloden who had 9 points.

In the varsity game, Shenandoah got off to a blazing hot start scoring 40 first half points.  Temple suffered from foul trouble in the second half preventing the monumental comeback.  Cody Swayze led the Eagles in scoring with 26 points before fouling out.  Mich Gloden added 5 points and Trace Woodard added 4.

Temple will travel to Tunnel Hill, GA on Friday to take on Dogwood Christian,  The Eagles will be back at home on Thursday, February 1^st when they play host to Faith Christian School of Jamestown.  The varsity game will tip off at 6 pm at the E.C. Bailey Gym.  There will be no JV game.

CCYBL action from Saturday, January 20, 2018

The Coffee County Youth Basketball League opened up their postseason tournament on Saturday at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  The quarterfinal round consisted of 3 boys and 3 girls’ games.  Following Saturday’s action, the semifinals will take place on Saturday with the Finals being held on February 3^rd.

In girls’ action, North Coffee blasted Deerfield 31 to 2.  East Coffee held off College Street 16 to 10 and Hillsboro edged Westwood 19 to 18.  In boys’ play, Westwood dropped East Coffee 29 to 12, Hillsboro clobbered North Coffee 42 to 9 and New Union held off Deerfield 31 to 25.

CCYBL action from Saturday, January 20, 2018

Coming up on Saturday, the semifinals will get underway at 9 AM at Central High School.  The day opens with at 9 AM as North Coffee will do battle with East Coffee.   Boys’ action gets underway at 10 AM as Westwood will take on Hillsboro.  At 11 AM, New Union will take on Hillsboro in the other girls’ semifinal.   At noon, College Street will play New Union in the other boys’ semifinal.   The consolation games will begin at 9 AM on February 3^rd for the girls and boys.  At 11 AM there will be a cheerleading competition with the championship games getting underway around noon.

Mike Vrabel

When the Titans went searching for their next head football coach earlier this week, they were looking for a “leader of men.”

The organization has found that guy in Mike Vrabel.

On Saturday, the Titans and Vrabel agreed to terms on a contract to make him the team’s new head coach. Vrabel, who served as defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans last season, is scheduled to be introduced at a press conference on Monday at Saint Thomas Sports Park.

Vrabel was one of three candidates to interview for the job after the team parted ways with Mike Mularkey on Monday. The Titans interviewed Vrabel on Thursday in Nashville.

“I am excited to have Mike Vrabel joining our organization as our new head coach,” said Titans Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “In the interaction between Mike and Jon (Robinson) during the interview, you could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language. Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity. Throughout his football career, he has played for, been mentored by and coached with successful teams and organizations. He knows what it takes to reach that level of sustained success – he has seen it first-hand. We have a chance to build on the solid foundation that we established over the past couple of years and I believe Mike is the right person to continue that progress.”

Vrabel, 42, has a great reputation in football because of his leadership qualities. From his playing days in college and the NFL to his time as an assistant coach, those around him have raved about his presence, and how others respond to him.

“This is an incredible opportunity and one I have been preparing for my entire football life,” said Vrabel. “I want to thank Amy, Jon and the entire Titans organization for putting their faith in me. I am excited to get to work and that work starts now. We want to build a culture around winning, competitiveness and toughness. Everything we do is going to be geared towards winning and being physical. We want to prepare our players so they know what to do, which will allow them to play fast and aggressive.”

Vrabel learned from one of the best in the game while playing for Patriots coach Bill Belichick in New England for eight seasons. He also played for the Steelers under coach Bill Cowher, he’s worked under Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, and Houston head coach Bill O’Brien.

Robinson, hired as the team’s general manager in January 2016 after spending time with the Patriots and Buccaneers in the NFL, knows Vrabel from his days in New England.

“I have always had a great deal of respect for Mike as a player and as a coach,” Robinson said. “I saw him up close as a player for the Patriots and saw how he prepared himself to be successful on a daily basis. He was the ultimate team-first player and he embodies that same mindset as a coach. He is intelligent, energetic, detailed and a leader whose deep passion for this game will resonate with our players. As a coach, I have seen him develop talent at both the college and NFL level, and put players in position for them to be successful. I am excited to get him in front of our team and watch us grow together as a team.”

At the start of the search, Robinson was clear when asked what he was looking for in the team’s next head coach.

“Leader of men,” Robinson said. “Obviously, the things that are stamped out there on those pillars, team-first, detailed, tough, dependable. One that’s going to, like I said, maximize the abilities of the players in all three phases of the game.”

Vrabel served as defensive coordinator with the Texans last season after serving as linebackers coach from 2014-16 with the team.

Prior to that he coached at Ohio State, where he served as defensive line coach (2012-13) and linebackers coach.

Vrabel played 14 NFL seasons, with the Steelers (1997-2000), Patriots (2001-2008) and Chiefs (2009-2010).

From 2014-16, the Texans defense ranked third in the NFL in net yards allowed per game (319.9) while Vrabel served as linebackers coach. DE/LBs Jadeveon Clowney earned Pro Bowl honors under Vrabel’s tutelage, and linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Brian Cushing were productive playmakers. In 2015, Texans linebackers combined for 22.5 of the team’s franchise-record 45 sacks.

In 2012, Vrabel coached four Ohio State defensive linemen who were either drafted into the NFL or signed free agent contracts. That year, Vrabel was also named ESPN.com Big Ten Recruiter of the Year.

Vrabel played on three Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots, where he played 2001-2008. He played in 206 games over 14 seasons, registering 722 tackles, 57 sacks, 42 passes defensed, 11 interceptions, 20 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and 12 touchdown receptions (as a tight end), including two in Super Bowls.

He was selected in the third round (91st overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Steelers, and he played linebacker and on special teams under Cowher.

Vrabel played linebacker, on special teams and even on offense under Belichick with the Patriots.

An Akron, Ohio native, Vrabel graduated with a degree at Ohio State in exercise science. He earned back-to-back All-America honors and was twice named Big Ten conference Defensive Lineman of the Year (1995 and 1996).

The Titans went 9-7 in 2017, and beat the Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card round before losing to the Patriots in the divisional round.

Prior to deciding on Vrabel, the Titans also interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur.

Kevin Fiala

Kevin Fiala scored twice and the Nashville Predators defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-3, on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result extends Nashville’s win streak to five games – the first time they’ve posted multiple five-game win streaks in the same season since 2014-15 – and a lead in the Central Division once more.

Not only did Fiala contribute offensively, but his entire line – made up with Nick Bonino and Calle Jarnkrok – were all over the scoresheet. It’s just another example of different players stepping up over the course of Nashville’s win streak, a group doing whatever it takes to find two points.

“Just the character in the room and the people who are stepping up, whether it be Nick Bonino or Calle Jarnkrok or Colton Sissons or [Scott] Hartnell chipping in goals or [Anthony] Bitetto and [Matt] Irwin coming in and playing big minutes for us – it’s just that mindset that somebody has to step up and do it,” Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think through the five games, that’s probably what catches me the most is that through a little bit of adversity our guys handled it really well.”

It took just 36 seconds into the contest for Fiala to pot his 12th of the season, beating Florida goaltender Harri Sateri, who was making his first NHL start. Florida came back to take a 2-1 lead before the opening frame was over, but Nashville didn’t waste much time getting back on the board.

Nick Bonino tallied his seventh of the season at the 1:23 mark of the middle stanza, and that was followed by a second strike from Fiala and then a blast from P.K. Subban for his 10th goal and 34th point of the season to tie him with Filip Forsberg for the team lead in scoring.

Florida got one more in the third to make it interesting down the stretch, but Pekka Rinne finished the night by making 37 saves in total for his 23rd win of the season and the 292nd victory of his career, and to keep the current home stand perfect thus far.

“Just being at home – obviously in the first half [of the season] we were on the road a lot – we wanted to take advantage of being at home, being able to sleep in your own bed and see your family and stuff like that,” Subban said. “So, we’ve just been managing our bodies and resting. There are no excuses for us to not come out with the right effort, and I feel like we have done that every game at home.”

The win sets up quite a matchup on Tuesday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning – atop of the NHL standings – come to Bridgestone Arena. And as far as the Preds are concerned, if they play to the level they know they’re capable of attaining, a win against anyone in the League is possible.

“We have a good team coming in this week,” Subban said. “We have to prepare. We have to get tons of rest and just get prepared. They’re one of the top teams in the League. We’re at home and we want to make sure we come out with the right effort again.”

Triple the Fun:

Nick Bonino and Calle Jarnkrok had themselves a night.

Both Predators forwards – skating on a new-look line with Kevin Fiala, who had two goals of his own – created offense all night long and were rewarded for their efforts.

It was the first multi-point effort for Bonino in a Preds sweater, while Jarnkrok notched his first-career, three-assist game and just his second three-point outing.

“I’ve been waiting for a game like this for a while,” Bonino said. “I think a lot of the times I’m passing, and it just hasn’t gone in the net. It gets frustrating, but as long as I’m winning faceoffs, blocking shots, and contributing in other areas, you can’t get too down on yourself. And tonight, obviously, it’s nice to see the puck go in a few times.”

For the trio being together for the first time, it sure didn’t seem like it. Fiala credits that to the skill level and versatility of both Bonino and Jarnkrok – both centers by trade – but players who can slot anywhere in the lineup.

“Those are two-way players: great defense and great offense, and they work hard,” Fiala said. “I think if you work hard, you get so many more chances. You’re going to get the puck back and create more chances, and that’s what we did today.”

After Saturday’s effort, that group is likely to find themselves together once more on Tuesday. And if their first outing was any indication, there may just be a little something special there.

“Getting Kevin [on that line] really helped,” Laviolette said. “Kevin’s on a roll right now with regard to offense. It seems like whatever line he goes on, that line is a pretty good line. Even last game, when he was with Johansen, I thought he did a good job. I think guys are moving around because of the absence of Filip [Forsberg]. We’re trying to put together lines that we think can score. Tonight, the line was a really good line. I thought Calle had a terrific game as well, so that line was dynamic offensively for a lot of their shifts.”

Notes:

Prior to Saturday’s game, forward Viktor Arvidsson was activated from Injured Reserve and forward Frederick Gaudreau was assigned to AHL Milwaukee.

Kevin Fiala had his first multi-goal game of the season.

Nick Bonino is now just one point away from 200 points in his NHL career.

Nashville will conclude their five-game home stand on Tuesday night when they host the League-leading Tampa Bay Lightning at Bridgestone Arena before jetting off to New Jersey on Thursday for their final game before the All-Star Break.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report