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Braves edge Nationals behind Dickey, Albies
Ozzie Albies’ leadoff single ignited a two-run fourth inning that held up for starter R.A. Dickey’s 10th win in the Braves’ 3-2 victory over the Nationals on Thursday at SunTrust Park.
Albies reached third base on a throwing error by catcher Matt Wieters on a pickoff attempt and raced home on a Freddie Freeman sacrifice fly — Freeman’s team-leading 71st RBI of the season — to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. Johan Camargo added an insurance run with his RBI single three batters later.
Dickey rediscovered the command of his knuckleball against the Nationals. He shook off a string of tough starts and limited the Nationals to two runs over eight innings. After allowing a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman, he sat down 14 of his next 15 batters faced.
Wieters made things interesting with an RBI single in the eighth inning, but Dickey got out of the jam by getting Wilmer Difo to line out to left field.
Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 12th save this season.
Motlow Soccer Wins Two Straight, Hosts Meridian Friday in Fayetteville
Anastasia Wellington, a prolific goal scorer during her career at Tullahoma High School, scored five goals in two games over the weekend to lead the Motlow State Lady Bucks to a pair of shutout wins on the road. The Lady Bucks, now 2-2-1 on the season, host Meridian (MS) Community College on Friday at 5 p.m. at Lincoln County High School in Fayetteville. [Motlow State photo]
Motlow (2-2-1) traveled to St. George’s High School in Memphis and beat Southwest Tennessee Community College 4-0 last Friday behind a three-goal hat trick from Tullahoma’s Anastasia Wellington. Monday, Motlow shut out Hiwassee College 7-0 in Madisonville, with six different players scoring goals for the Lady Bucks.
“We’ve asked our players to set the tone of the match from the first whistle, and in both these wins you could see our attacking intent from the outset,” said Motlow Head Coach Andy Lyon. “Anastasia is beginning to regain her confidence and sharpness, and she will only get better from here. The fact that we have had goals scored by various players is extremely encouraging.”
The Lady Bucks will play host to Meridian on Friday at Lincoln County High School in Fayetteville, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. The game is a rematch of Motlow’s season opener, when they went to Meridian and played to a 1-1 tie Aug. 25.
“I anticipate another close contest against Meridian,” continued Lyon. “When we went down there for our season opener, they were solid overall as a team and didn’t provide us any easy opportunities. I think the Lady Bucks and the Eagles are both considerably better teams than they were in August. We have had great support from our area communities and we hope to have a big crowd in Fayetteville on Friday.”
Lyon’s squad dominated the action from the beginning in Memphis, but couldn’t put the ball in the goal in the first half despite outshooting the home team 17-0. Motlow’s fortunes changed in the second half though, with Wellington getting things started with her first goal coming at the 51 minute mark on an assist from Paige Loveless.
Callie Simmons, a freshman from Smyrna, increased the lead to 2-0 with a goal at the 58 minutes mark, with the assist coming from Rebekah Duross. With her confidence soaring, Wellington closed out the scoring, and the hat trick, with a pair of goals in the final two minutes, the second one aided by a Bethany Porter assist.
Motlow finished with 38 shots on goal, while Southwest TN had only one. Lena Alakabi played the first half as goalkeeper, and Manchester’s Ali Shelton played the second half and recorded Motlow’s lone save.
Monday afternoon in Madisonville, Wellington picked up where she had left off against Southwest, scoring her first goal at the three minute mark and her second, with an assist from Keely Smith, two minutes later. Just five minutes into the contest, the Lady Bucks led 2-0.
Five different players scored the next five goals for Motlow, with Bailee Walls scoring at the 25 minute mark with an assist from Wellington, and Megan Blumhoefer scoring on a penalty kick at the 43 minute mark, assisted by Tyler Feaster. The Lady Bucks went into halftime leading Hiwassee 4-0.
Feaster notched her second goal of the season at the 51 minute mark, with the assist from Blumhoefer, and Loveless followed that two minutes later with a goal, also assisted by Blumhoefer. Shelby Grow, who scored her only goal of the year in the opener against Meridian, finished off Monday’s scoring with a goal at the 63 minute mark, assisted by both Feaster and Walls.
The Lady Bucks have now outscored their last two opponents 11-0, and on the season Motlow holds a 13-5 advantage. Seven different players have scored for the Lady Bucks, with Wellington leading the way with five and Tyler Feaster and Grow with two each. Motlow’s defense has been stellar, allowing an average of only one goal per game. Alakabi, Shelton and Emily Bryant have each spent time in the goalkeeper position.
Visit the official website of Motlow Athletics at MotlowSports.com for rosters, schedules, stats and more. Interact with Motlow Athletics on social media at MotlowSports.
Motlow Bucks Basketball Schedule Opens with National Tournament Rematch
The Motlow Bucks will look to sophomore Javion Hamlet for leadership when they open the 2017-18 basketball season Nov. 1 at Georgia Highlands near Atlanta. Hamlet was a second team All-American last season, averaging 15.6 points and leading the nation averaging 8.4 assists per game. Hamlet, who played his prep basketball at Whitehaven in Memphis, was also named the Most Valuable Player of the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament.[Photo by Jeff Reed Photography]
The TCCAA conference opener is just one highlight of Motlow’s 2017-18 men’s basketball schedule. JUCO basketball teams can begin official practice on Oct. 1, and the first game of the season can be played Nov. 1.
The Bucks, who also won the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament title and advanced to the national tournament final eight, are expected to be ranked among the top teams in the nation when polls are released in late October.
Unlike previous seasons, when the Bucks tended to open the season against an area JV squad, Motlow has scheduled an NJCAA tournament rematch against Georgia Highlands, who the Bucks beat 70-69 last March to advance to the final eight, to open the year. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Rome, Georgia. The two teams will play again at Motlow’s Copperweld Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29, with a 6 p.m. scheduled start.
Motlow’s men will only play four home games before the holiday break, then turn around and play eight after the break, with all but one of them being a TCCAA conference game. The first home contest comes Nov. 15, when the Bucks host the Cumberland University JV, coached by former Motlow head coach Lonnie Thompson, for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
The first TCCAA conference home game doesn’t come until Dec. 1, when Cleveland State visits Copperweld Arena at 7:30 p.m. The following day, Chattanooga State will play the Bucks at 4 p.m. on Motlow’s home floor in Moore County.
The Bucks, under first-year Head Coach Arthur Latham, have an ambitious scrimmage schedule in place, although scrimmage dates can sometimes change with little notice. The Bucks, who feature returning All-American Javion Hamlet and TCCAA Freshman of the Year Rashawn Fredericks, will play scrimmage games in Orlando and Atlanta in October against some of the nation’s top programs.
Motlow will also make a return trip to Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, where they went early last season and jumpstarted themselves to an outstanding 30-6 record. The trip is scheduled for Nov. 3 & 4, sandwiched in between the opener at Georgia Highlands and the conference opener at Jackson State.
The TCCAA alternates playing men’s and women’s games first on conference doubleheader dates. This coming season the women will play first through December, with the men playing first after the new year begins.
Visit the official website of Motlow Athletics at MotlowSports.com for rosters, schedules, stats and more. Interact with Motlow Athletics on social media at MotlowSports.
9/21/17 — Birthdays
Birthdays:
Mickie Robinson, 26 — Pizza Winner!
Anna Weaver
Jeff Bailey
Hanna Tritchler, 17
Johnny Sparkman
Manchester Officials Hold Meeting to Answer Questions about the Gun Found last week at Westwood Middle
Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother (left) stands beside Manchester Director of Schools Lee Wilkerson during Wednesday’s meeting… Photo by Rob Clutter
In a press release the following day, Manchester City Schools Director Lee Wilkerson said that school administrators immediately investigated and discovered an unloaded handgun in the possession of a student. Administrators immediately contacted the Manchester Police Department who confiscated the weapon and began an investigation.
WMSR and the public learned during a meeting with parents, school leaders and police on Wednesday that school leaders began questioning a student last Thursday about the gun, but the student was allowed to stay in class while the investigation continued. We also learned that while it was true that the gun was unloaded, school administration also located a loaded six-round magazine. The gun was found inside a sleeve in the student’s hoodie.
During the meeting on Wednesday, parents asked several questions including; “Why did media get notified before parents? School answer; letters were sent home with students the same day. Next time, if anything like this happens again they would use the notify me phone app for notification.
Parent question; What was the gun holder’s intent? Answer, we think he was showing off and showed no signs of anger or bullying intent.
Parent question; Why was child sent back to class after being questioned? Answer, that was a mistake and our policy is under review for better tactics.
Parent question; Why was there no lockdown? Answer, we are redoing a safety plan to include elements that better protect students.
Parent question; Why did the police not lock down the school? Police answer; The school is the one who makes that decision. The gun was found near the end of the school day.
Parent question; are you all not trained for these type situations? Answer, we admit it took too long to find the weapon and are going to work to have a better plan for the future. All school staff will be retrained in safety and procedures for this and any type incident involving student safety.
Parent question to Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother; What would it take to get an SRO (Student Resource Officer) at Westwood Middle School? Yother said, “We are in the city schools with walkthroughs. He said that adding an SRO would be a board decision.
Parent question; Are backpacks allowed into class? Answer, going forward, backpacks will stay in lockers.
Parent question; Is there a plan to address the students about this matter? Answer, we plan to address the student body about this matter. We want to encourage students to always be willing to notify staff of safety concerns.
Director Wilkerson assured parents that lessons were learned and changes would take place with how these situations are handled. He added that student safety is always their first priority.
Bartee Gets 25 Years in Prison for the Shooting of her Former Husband
Brenda Kay Webb Bartee jail intake photo from 2013.
On Tuesday, June 6, 2017 a jury found Bartee guilty of attempted murder of Dr Harry Bartee, using a weapon during the commission of a felony and not guilty of attempted murder of Tara Evans-Bartee.
Bartee, 51, has been held in the Coffee County Jail since the shooting. She was accused of shooting Dr. Bartee as he stood outside an attorney’s office on the courthouse square in Manchester. Manchester Police allege that the couple had been in divorce mediation at an attorney’s office.
On Wednesday (Sept. 20, 2017) Bartee was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Judge Craig Johnson. An appeal is expected.
Drug Bust in Beechgrove
On Tuesday, (September 19, 2017) Deputy Brandon Reed and Investigator James Sherrill of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department went to a home on Elm Lane in Beechgrove to locate a man on active warrants. Upon arrival Sherrill observed the front door open, the lights and fan were on in the living room. The residence was still under quarantine from previous meth labs found at the home. In the investigators report, people began to run when Reed and Sherrill arrived.
Joseph Green was located behind the outbuilding and taken into custody on outstanding warrants out of Cannon and Coffee counties, he was transported to Cannon County.
Kendra Lawson, wanted in Warren County on active warrants was arrested and transported to McMinnville.
Upon speaking with the owner, deputies were given permission to search the premises. Items found were used coffee filters, a stripped lithium battery, an empty five once bottle of lighter fluid and a 20oz bottle that had a strong odor of muriatic acid.
Alfred Keith Elmore age 54 of Elm Lane Beechgrove was charged with intent to manufacture, evading arrest and unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities. His bond was set at $102,500 and he will appear in Coffee County court on October 9, 2017.
9/22/17-Jessie Ann Murchison
Funeral services for Mrs. Jessie Ann Murchison will be held on Friday, September 22, 2017, at 3 PM at Manchester Funeral Home with Bro. Bob Hopkins officiating. Burial will follow in the Manchester City Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 1 PM until time of service on Friday at the funeral home. Mrs. Jessie passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at her home surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Jessie was born on November 18, 1947 in Manchester, to the late Raleigh H. and Mary Ann Carnahan Qualls. She was a retired factory leader from DESA in Manchester. She loved reading, especially books by Stephen King and James Patterson, cooking and being with her family.
Mrs. Jessie is survived by her husband of 26 years, Nelson Murchison; three sons, Eric Keith of Manchester, Luke (Jaime) Keith of FL, and Tony Murchison (Jim Clement) of Knoxville; four daughters, Eva (Larry) Redden of Wartrace, Judi (Brian “BB”) Brown, DeDe (Bobby) Smith, and Ruth (Brandon) Henley, all of Manchester; grandchildren, Elora, Donna, Vaughn, Rylie, Zachary, Devaney, Brian, Jennifer, Brandon, Tyler, Kirsten, Blanton, Sara, Lauren, Kurt, Josh, Dakota, Dallas, Peyton, Jaidyn, and Mason; and several great grandchildren.
MANCHESTER FUNERAL HOME IS HONORED TO SERVE THE Murchison FAMILY
www.manchesterfuneralhome.com
Westwood Soccer Gets Win on 8th Grade Night
Westwood Soccer 8th graders with Lady Rocket coach Donna Burdine [Photo by Demarco Moore]
Westwood got 3 first half goals to claim their 2nd consecutive conference win. Diana Ramirez opened the scoring in the 4th minute as she scored an unassisted goal to give Westwood the 1 to 0 lead. Ramirez once again found the back of the net in the 13th minute with an unassisted goal to make the score 2 nil. Patricia Barrera added the 3rd goal in the 22nd minute as Westwood outshot the visiting Tigers 14 to 1 in the first half.
In a more conservative 2nd half, the Lady Rockets fired off 3 shots as they managed to out shoot Fayetteville 17 to 3 on the night. Alana Coker turned away all three shots as she finished with 3 saves.
Next up for the Lady Rockets will be the CTSC conference tournament. Preliminary rounds will begin early next week with the semifinals and finals to be held at Huntland beginning on September 29th. Pairings and game times will not be known until Friday and Thunder Radio will keep you updated when that information is released.
CCMS Soccer Falls at Harris on Wednesday
Lady Raider soccer team of CCMS traveled to Shelbyville on Wednesday to take on Harris. The match, originally scheduled for September 11th, served as the final regular season match of the year for Coffee Middle. The shorthanded Lady Raiders could not muster an offense against the Eaglettes as they fell 2 to 0.
The Lady Raiders are back in action the next 2 weekends in the Junior Varsity and Varsity CTC tournaments. The varsity tournament will be held on Saturday, September 30th at Warren County. The JV tournament will be this Saturday and will be hosted by North and held at Franklin County High School. The JV team will play pool play games at 9 AM against North and 11:20 AM against Harris. The semifinals and finals will be played on Saturday afternoon.