Girls action between Westwood(blue) and College Street(black) on Saturday

Six Coffee County and Manchester elementary schools were in action on Saturday for the 2nd week of the season.  The 6 school paired off in 3 girls’ games and 3 boys’ games.  North Coffee had the week off on Saturday.

In girl’s games:
Hillsboro dumped Deerfield 28 to 12
Westwood stopped College Street 23 to 11
New Union bested East Coffee 24 to 6

In boys’ games:
Hillsboro eased past Deerfield 20 to 15
College Street edged Westwood 26 to 23
New Union got the best of East Coffee 27 to 12

This coming Saturday, East Coffee will get the bye week as the over 6 schools are in action in 3 doubleheaders beginning at 9 AM.  The games will be held at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym at CHS.  The schedule will be:

John Tavares recorded a natural hat trick and the Nashville Predators fell to the New York Islanders by a 6-2 final on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The regulation loss is Nashville’s fourth of the season, giving them a 5-4-2 record through 11 games to close out the month of October, not the effort they were hoping for to end the first segment of the season.

“I thought everyone could have been better tonight or more capable,” Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’re capable of playing better.”

A slow start gave way to a better second period, but Tavares scored all three of his goals in the third as the Islanders put six past goaltender Juuse Saros. And although Saros admitted after the game it wasn’t a good performance from him, the young goaltender was the last person any of his teammates were about to blame for the result.

“It’s all our fault, and we can’t do anything about it,” Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. “It’s just frustrating that we do that to [Saros]. He’s one of the best goalies in the world and his future’s so bright. We’re so lucky to have him, and we just can’t accept we gave him up like that.”

“We just weren’t sharp,” Nashville defenseman Yannick Weber said. “Things just didn’t seem to click. We gave up some chances, and we left Juuse out to dry.”

Jordan Eberle’s first of the season came on the power play and gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, before Forsberg altered the Nashville record books. Following up Kevin Fiala’s drive to the net, Forsberg deposited his eighth goal of the season to set a franchise mark for goals in the month of October.

But before the second stanza was completed, the Islanders added two more, once from Ryan Pulock on the power play and then another from Eberle with 30 second to play in the period. Two of Tavares’s three goals came within the first three minutes of the third frame; he added another before Craig Smith scored Nashville’s second of the night, his second in as many games.

Notes:

With his record eighth goal in the month of October, Forsberg passed former Preds forward James Neal, who tallied seven goals during the month in 2015 and 2016.

Matt Irwin, Cody McLeod and Samuel Girard were scratched for Nashville against the Islanders.

Nashville will now have two weeks in between home games at Bridgestone Arena as they embark on a four-game road trip next week. The Preds will start in San Jose on Nov. 1 before a back-to-back set with Anaheim and Los Angeles. They’ll then finish up on Nov. 7 in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Craig Smith’s 100th career goal proved to be the game-winner as the Nashville Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a 2-1 final on Friday night at the United Center.

The win is Nashville’s fifth of the season and gives them three out of a possible four points in Chicago this season.

After a first period that saw Nashville outshot 21-7 and allow a shorthanded goal to Chicago, Calle Jarnkrok and Craig Smith gave the Preds a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, a lead they never relinquished.

“Sometimes you’re going to have a period or shift or whatever that you’re not going to like, but it’s about making the adjustments, stepping up and making the big plays when the time is right,” Smith said. “I thought we did that, we executed well and a win’s a win.”

Perhaps the biggest reason for Nashville’s two points on Friday night was the man stopping the pucks. Pekka Rinne turned aside 43 shots in total, including 20 in the first period, to keep his team in it as he tends to do night after night.

“He gave us a chance,” Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “It could have been over, it could have been long gone by the end of the first period and it wasn’t. We were still hanging in there. We got going and were able to generate some chances, some goals in the second period and get on the scoreboard.”

No. 100 was worth two huge points.

The Preds winger, who has skated all 447 games of his career in Nashville, gave his club a 2-1 lead with a power-play marker in the second period, his second of the season.

One would be hard pressed to find a player who works harder or is in better shape on the Predators roster, and Smith’s perfectly placed wrist shot that beat Corey Crawford was a prime example of the skill he possesses.

“I’m so happy for him,” Rinne said of Smith. “He’s been here for a long time and been my teammate for a long time. We need all the scoring we can get, and Smitty is for sure one of those guys who has all the speed, the shot and the presence on the ice. I’m sure it feels good after this game too.”

The tally tied Smith for seventh on the franchise’s all-time goal-scoring list, becoming the eighth player in Preds history to reach the 100-goal milestone.

“I knew I was getting close, so it was cool,” Smith said of the milestone. “It’s a great play. [Colton Sissons] took the goalie’s eyes away for the most part and I just had to hit a window.”

Notes:

Samuel Girard returned to the Nashville lineup on Friday night paired alongside Roman Josi. Girard skated 13:32 of time on ice.

Anthony Bitetto, Matt Irwin and Cody McLeod were healthy scratches for the Preds against the Blackhawks.

The Predators are right back at it on Saturday night, this time at home to host the New York Islanders; puck drop at Bridgestone Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT.

Alex Nelson of Westwood basketball

The Westwood Rockets hosted Moore County on Thursday night at the Joel Vinson Gym.  In a pair of games you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Duck River Valley rivals battled before a packed house.  The Lady Rockets fell 46 to 23 while the Rockets won 32 to 14.

Moore County jumped out to an 11 to 0 lead in the first 2 ½ minutes of the girls’ game on their way to a 28 to 13 lead at the half.  Alex Nelson led the Lady Rockets in scoring as she finished with 8 points including buzzer beaters at the end of the 1st and 3^rd periods.  Kasen Holt added 5 points and Haidyn Campbell finished with 4.

Trent Thompson of Westwood basketball

The Rockets used a strong 2^nd quarter to seize control of the boys’ game.  The Rockets outscored Moore County 10 to 4 in that frame to take a 14 to 6 lead into the half.  Trent Thompson led the Rockets in scoring with 8 points.  Will Partin added 7 points and Bodey Todd had 6 points on a pair of 4^th quarter 3 pointers.

The Rockets and Lady Rockets travel to Huntland on Monday for a pair of conference games.  The girls’ game is set to get underway at 6 PM.

Download a copy of the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

Samantha Kirby of CCMS basketball

The Coffee County Middle School 6^th grade basketball teams welcomed North Franklin to the CCMS gym on Thursday night.  In a pair of 1 point decisions, Coffee County split the doubleheader with North.  The Lady Raiders got a last second bucket off an offensive rebound to thwart a Lady Gator rally to capture a 26 to 25 win.  The Red Raiders had a furious 4^th quarter rally come up short in a 27 to 26 loss.

Despite hitting only 8 of 17 free throws, including 3 of 7 in the 4^th quarter, the Lady Raiders captured the season sweep over North.  Leading by 4 entering the final period, Coffee Middle missed a free throw in the closing seconds but an offensive rebound and put back by Samantha Kirby gave the Lady Raiders the thrilling win.   Remi Benjamin led the Lady Raiders in scoring with 11 points.  Kirby had 6 points including a 4 for 4 performance at the free throw line and the game winning bucket.

Jackson Shemwell of CCMS basketball

In the boys’ game, the Red Raiders got 14 points in the 4^th quarter but could not overcome the Gators to complete the comeback.  Coffee County outscored the Gators 14 to 4 in a furious 4^th quarter.  Ethan Hargrove led the Raiders in scoring with 7 points, including 5 in the 4^th quarter.  Jackson Shemwell added 5 points and Cooper Reed and Donovan Morgan each netted 4.

The Raiders and Lady Raiders are back at home on Monday night when they play host to Warren County.  The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM.