The Manchester City School System announced on Thursday that Reed Wolfe has been hired as the new baseball coach at Westwood Middle School.  Wolfe, who was the head coach at Coffee County Middle School in 2020, will take a social studies teaching position at Westwood. Wolfe will succeed Jeff Houck, who will stay on staff as an assistant coach. 

“Knowing that Jeff(Houck) would remain a part of the program was a big part of my decision” said Wolfe.  “He and I talk regularly and I look forward to working with him to continue building the program at Westwood” added Wolfe.  Wolfe inherits a talented and experienced team returning for 2021.  Wolfe will be teaching 8^th grade social studies “which is heavy into history and gets me back to the majority of what I studied in college.”  Wolfe went on to say that “the smaller class size is a definite plus.” 

Wolfe said the decision was an extremely tough one.  “I have enjoyed my time at Coffee County Middle School.  I learned a lot coaching with Brock(Freeze – baseball coach) and Kyle(Harris – athletic director).  I also want to thank (Coffee County Middle School principal) Kim Aaron for giving me my first teaching job” said Wolfe. 

When contacted by Thunder Radio sports on Thursday afternoon, Westwood athletic director Jim Dobson was very excited about getting Coach Wolfe on staff.  “There are a lot of folks excited about getting Reed and Jeff together for the baseball program.  Between them, baseball is going to be popular.   Reed had a very impressive interview” said Dobson.  “He wanted to jump right in and get the season started.  I think his players will respond to (his energy and enthusiasm)” 

Dobson also wanted to acknowledge the contributions of Jeff Houck. “Jeff breathed new life into our baseball program and we are very grateful” said Dobson. “Jeff was given the opportunity to stay head coach, but stepped aside to let Reed take over. We are lucky to have him staying with the program.. I would just like to say thank you to him for putting in hard work for a season that never happened” added Dobson.

Wolfe is a 2011 graduate of Coffee County Central High School where he played golf and baseball.  Wolfe has a wife, Callie; and a 7 month old daughter, Ellie.  He graduated college from the University of Tennessee. 

This time last year, Jonnu Smith was recovering from a season-ending knee surgery.

The Titans tight end still had a way to go in his rehabilitation, and he was faced with some uncertainty heading into the 2019 season.

Fast-forward to now.

Coming off the best season of his career, Smith is currently going full steam ahead as he prepares for the 2020 season. He’s working out in a one-on-one setting with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and he’ll head into the season as the team’s No.1 tight end.

“It is definitely a great feeling, that you can just go into the offseason and get ready to work,” Smith said during a Zoom conference call on Wednesday. “The past two years for me, in the offseason I’ve kind of been in recovery mode. This is the first season I got to actually really go at it 100 miles per hour as soon as the season ended. We lost to Kansas City (in the AFC Championship Game), and I was back working within a week-and-a-half I was so excited to get back to it.

“Me being able to get back to it and get back in the swing of things, it was definitely a good feeling.”

Smith, who caught 35 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns last season, said he’s been working with Tannehill several days a week in South Florida.

The two have been meeting at a local park for the past few months without missing a week.

“It’s been very helpful, just building the chemistry and taking advantage of being in the same location,” Smith said. “We’re just trying to get ahead and continuing to work on our craft so we can improve any way we can. It’s been great we’ve been able to get that work in, and I’m sure it will put us in a good position during the season.”

In three NFL seasons, Smith has 73 catches for 854 yards and eight touchdowns. He had a memorable touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone in an AFC Divisional playoff contest at Baltimore.

Earlier this offseason, the Titans parted ways with veteran tight end Delanie Walker.

During the Zoom call, Smith called Walker the “OG” while complimenting him for his guidance, and advice.

He knows the expectations will be even higher in a tight ends room that also includes returning tight ends Anthony Firkser and MyCole Pruitt. After praising Walker, Smith concluded by acknowledging he’s “tight end 1 now” on the team, but he said he’s ready for the challenge.

“As a professional, you just want to continue to improve, and continue to build off any momentum that you had (from the previous season) just to get better,” Smith said. “I am focused on getting better and better and improving and improving. Because if you are not in it to maximize your abilities, then I feel like you are in the wrong business.

“So, I am just trying to improve and get better and work on my craft, and I am having fun doing it. … I am trying to be the best player I can be to help this team win as many games and win championships. For me, I’m tight end 1 now, and I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity I have in front of me and continue to be a workhorse and do what is expected of me.”

by Mark Bowman – MLB.com

No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only … if you don’t agree with the order, participate in the Twitter poll to vote for your favorite at this position.

Here is Mark Bowman’s ranking of the top 5 right fielders in Braves history.

We all know Hank Aaron was the best. So, I”m going a different route this week. Who was your favorite right fielder in Atlanta Braves history? Dale Murphy was included last week because he played a majority of his games as center fielder.

1 – Hank Aaron, 1954-74
Key Fact: Aaron’s 136.3 fWAR (FanGraphs’ WAR Model) ranks fifth among all outfielders in MLB history. The only outfielders with a higher fWAR are Babe Ruth (168.4), Barry Bonds (164.4), Willie Mays (149.9) and Ty Cobb (149.3).

Aaron was a left fielder during a majority of his rookie season, and he would play center field, second base and first base over the two decades that followed. But the iconic Hall of Famer spent most of his career as the Braves’ right fielder. He holds the franchise record with 2,134 starts in right field. That’s 32 fewer starts than the club’s next three highest totals combined — Tommy Holmes (728), David Justice (728) and Nick Markakis (710).

You’ve likely seen that if you subtract each of Aaron’s 755 home runs, he’d still have more than 3,000 hits. Well according to Baseball Reference’s Play Index, “The Hammer” tallied 520 of those home runs as a right fielder. If you only accounted for that portion of his total, he’d have still ranked ninth on the game’s all-time list when he retired.

Looking only at home runs hit while in a game as a right fielder for the Braves, you’d have to sum the totals of Justice (150), Dale Murphy (105), Jason Heyward (81), Jeff Francoeur (79), Brian Jordan (66) and Claudell Washington (65) to surpass Aaron’s total of 520. And if you did so, you’d find these seven guys combined for just 26 more homers than Aaron as a Braves right fielder.

2 – David Justice, 1989-96
Key Fact: The 19.1 fWAR Justice produced from 1991-95 ranked second among NL right fielders, trumped only by Hall of Famer Larry Walker’s 22.7.

Justice split time between first base and right field during his 1990 NL Rookie of the Year season, and a dislocated right shoulder limited him to 40 games during his final year (1996) in Atlanta. But in between, he did much more than just hit the home run that gave the city of Atlanta what still stands as its only World Series title.

Aaron had 13 different seasons during which he produced a 130 OPS+ or better while serving as the Braves’ right fielder. The only other player to do so at least three times was Justice, who belted a career-best 40 homers while helping the 1993 Braves complete their comeback.

Justice constructed a 133 OPS+ from 1990-96, and the 150 homers he hit as a Braves right fielder rank second in franchise history.

3 – Jason Heyward, 2010-14
Key Fact: The 19.5 fWAR Heyward produced during his five seasons with the Braves ranked second among NL right fielders, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton’s 21.7.

Looking back on Heyward’s tenure, I’ll always wonder how different things might have been had he not been hit in the face by Jon Niese’s pitch on Aug. 21, 2013. Heyward had hit a career-high 27 homers in 2012, and he seemed to finding a groove during the second half of ’13. He produced a 1.033 OPS over the 22 games played before he went on the injured list. But he just has never seemingly gotten back to that level from an offensive perspective.

Still, Heyward left a strong mark while helping the Braves reach the postseason during three of his five years with the club. He won a Gold Glove during two of his final three seasons in Atlanta, and other than Aaron, he is the only right fielder in franchise history to produce a 5.0 bWAR (Baseball Reference’s WAR Model) or higher at least three times.

4 – Gary Sheffield, 2002-03
Key Fact: Led all MLB right fielders with the 12.1 fWAR produced during his two seasons with Atlanta

Sheffield’s candidacy for this list was weakened by the fact he spent just two seasons with the club. But the success he had during those two years can’t be overlooked. After tallying 25 homers with a 138 OPS+ in 2002, he smacked 39 homers and constructed a 151 OPS+ in ’03. He stands with Justice and Aaron as the only right fielders in the franchise’s modern history to produce a 130 OPS+ or better in at least two seasons.

5 – Tommy Holmes, 1942-51
The 23.1 fWAR Holmes produced from 1945-50 ranked second among all MLB right fielders, trailing only Stan Musial’s 40.1 mark

Holmes debuted for the Boston Braves as a center fielder and remained at that position until his memorable 1945 season. That was the year he collected 224 hits (still a modern franchise record), tallied a career-high 28 homers, produced a 175 OPS+ and finished second in NL MVP balloting. His 35.7 bWAR ranks second among right fielders in franchise history.

Honorable mentions: Markakis and Francoeur have been linked dating back to their days as high school stars in suburban Atlanta. Markakis has a 6.1 fWAR over 752 games with Atlanta and Francoeur had a 5.2 over 730 games with the club. … The 8.3 bWAR J.D. Drew produced during his one year in Atlanta stands as the highest produced by a Braves right fielder other than Aaron, who trumped this total three times. … Once again looking only at totals produced while in a game as the Braves’ right fielder, Washington ranks seventh in homers and second in stolen bases (112). The only other member of this group to swipe at least 100 bags was Aaron (199).

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

• Due to social distancing, we are only allowed to have 10 students try out at a time. If you are interested in trying out, you MUST email the coach to reserve a specific date & time. He/she will respond to your email with that date & time.
• Everybody must present a physical at try out. If you have a physical dated on or after April 15, 2019, it will get you through the summer. If you do not have a physical within this date, you must acquire one prior to tryouts. Physical forms can be found on our CCMS home page. http://ccms.coffeecountyschools.com/ Look on the left side of the home page, the last link called “Sports Forms”
• HomeSchool Athletes, you must be registered with our Central Office before you are allowed to try out. Dr. Corneilson will give you a form to present at tryouts.

Football
Tuesday May 26 8:00-9:00 am practice field behind the school
Tuesday May 26 9:00-10:00 am practice field
Tuesday May 26 10:00-11:00 am practice field
Coach Bryan Morgan
morganbryan@k12coffee.net

Volleyball
Tuesday May 26-11:30-1-30 Main Gym.
Wednesday May 27 11:30-1:30 Main Gym
Thursday May 28 11:30-1-30 Main Gym.
Coach Tori Taylor
taylort@k12coffee.net

Cheerleading
Friday June 5- 3pm- Main Gym
The application below will be due May 29th by 11:59pm.
Click the link below or copy it into your web browser:
https://forms.gle/eAHfBZKxiqj9Fegi7
June 1st you will be emailed the tryout dance and cheer along with your tryout time for June 5th.
Coach Laina Meeker
meekerl@k12coffee.net

Girls Soccer
May 27 28 and 29
5 to 6 and 6-7
Coach Jamie Norris
norrisj45@yahoo.com

6th Grade Girls Basketball
Tuesday May 26 10:00-11:30 Main gym.
Wednesday May 27 10:00-1130 Main gym.
Thursday May 28 10:00- 11:30 Main gym.
Coach David Vinson
vinsond@k12coffee.net

6th Grade Boys Basketball
Tuesday May 26 3:00-4:00 (Aux gym)
Wednesday May 27 3:00-4:00 (Aux gym)
Thursday May 28 3:00-4:00 (if needed)
Coach Bryan Morgan
morganbryan@k12coffee.net

Girls Varsity Basketball
Tuesday May 26 8:30-10:00 Main Gym.
Wednesday May 27 8:30-10:00 Main Gym
Thursday May 28 8:30-10:00 Main Gym.
Coach George Pearson
pearsong@k12coffee.net

Boys Varsity Basketball
Thursday, May 28 – 2:00-3:30pm Main Gym
Thursday, May 28 – 4:00-5:30pm Main Gym
Friday, May 29 (if needed) 10:00-11:30am Main Gym
Coach Jonathan Oliver
oliverj@k12coffee.net

Baseball
Monday, June 1st 5:00 – 7:00 / Upcoming 6th Graders
Tuesday, June 2nd 5:00 – 7:00 / Upcoming 7th Graders
Wednesday, June 3rd 5:00 – 7:00 / Upcoming 8th Graders
Monday, June 8th 5:00 – 7:00 / Anyone who missed the prior week (if needed)
We will evaluate defense on the field at CCMS and hit in the facility to save time.
Coach Brock Freeze
freezeb@k12coffee.net

Softball
Monday, June 1st 2:00-4:00 6th graders
Tuesday, June 2nd 2:00-4:00 any new 7th/8th graders
Wednesday, June 3rd All returning 2:00-3:00, any extra 3:00-4:00
Coach Tiffany McCormick
mccormickt@k12coffee.net

Boys Soccer
June 4th with 1hr slots starting at 8am
Coach Jonathan Graf
grafj@k12coffee.net

Track
-Spring 2021

Golf
-Spring 2021

Tennis
-Spring 2021

Coffee County Middle School athletic director Kyle Harris will be a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about the tryouts. The Coffee Coaches Show is heard at 10 AM each and every Saturday morning from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln. The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively on Thunder Radio.

Filip Forsberg might just be the next Nashville resident to perform a virtual concert via social media.

“The piano was very beginner level, but I started up and I know a few songs,” the Predators forward said Thursday via video conference. “If you guys want a private show of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ I can give you that.”

Well, maybe he won’t be going live to the masses with his new talent any time soon, but no worries – he’s still pretty good at his real job.

Forsberg had five points in five games in the month of March before the 2019-20 season was put on pause, as his Predators were beginning to traverse in the right direction with just under a month to play.

Almost two months have passed since he scored twice in Montreal on March 10, and just like the rest of his teammates, Forsberg has instead been finding ways to keep busy and stay in shape, hopeful of a potential return to action sometime this summer.

“We were starting to catch a little bit of fire there [before the pause],” Forsberg said. “With the coaching change and everything that was going on, I really thought we were picking up our pace and guys were starting to play better, myself included. The break might not have come at a great time for us, but at the same time, it could definitely be a little bit of a reset for everybody that might not have had their best seasons… If we come back, for a team like us [with the] potential that we have, I think that could definitely be a beneficial thing.

“Whatever happened in the first 70-something games doesn’t necessarily matter at all. Now, we have a couple months break and everybody can kind of think about it, reset, come back and hopefully get a chance to compete for the Cup. And like I said, with our team, I’m really excited if that turns out to be the case.”

The NHL continues to assess potential scenarios to get players back on the ice soon, but no firm dates or schedules have been set in that regard. Therefore, it’s still up to the individuals to find ways to be ready, which Forsberg has done through plenty of bodyweight exercises and bike riding, as well as some time on the links.

“I’ve been playing a bit of golf… but I feel like I’m getting worse at golf,” Forsberg laughed. “I might have to leave that for a while.”

He’s also been playing plenty of video games, something that was already a hobby before the pause. Now, he does so in front of an audience, like when he participated in an NHL20 challenge with San Francisco 49ers tight end – and good friend – George Kittle.

“I got to know him, and I got to know a couple of other NFL players that have their base in Nashville as well, and just being able to follow that a little more intensely has definitely been great,” Forsberg said. “And then, in the meantime, building our friendship through him watching me and me watching him and just talking and playing video games together and stuff like that through the season, it’s just been great.”

Forsberg also took on Colorado Avalanche forward J.T. Compher in the NHL’s Player Gaming Challenge, and the Swede took the series with a clean sweep over his Division rival.

“It’s been fun,” Forsberg said of the high-profile gaming. “I grew up with [the EA Sports’ NHL series], and I’ve been playing every game since ’99 or 2000 or something like that. I prefer to play the real game, but this is a good alternative now, and it’s a great way to interact with fans. Last time, I was playing with J.T. Compher, a guy that I’ve played against hundreds of times in Colorado, but I didn’t know him personally. It was cool getting to know him a little bit while we’re having a good time playing.”

Video games have helped to take his mind off of some of the heavier issues we’ve all thought about over the past eight weeks. Forsberg, who has spent the pause between Nashville and Georgia with his girlfriend, says some days have been better than others, but he’s made peace with the situation over time.

“The first, I’d say two weeks, was weird because… you obviously want to stay in shape because you know we might come back, but [we] also might not play until September again. Sitting there in mid-March, the motivation might not have been through the roof,” Forsberg said. “But after those two weeks, it settled in a little bit for me… It was definitely a tough start, but now I feel like [I’ve] kind of been more or less accepting of the fact that you don’t know anything, so just let the people that have more authority worry about [everything].”

Those decision-makers will have to arrive at a verdict eventually, and until then, Forsberg plans on sticking to his routine: some exercise, virtual hockey and perhaps some more practice tickling the ivories.

A competitor as fierce as Forsberg always wants to win, even if it’s mastering another children’s nursery rhyme on the piano. But, above all else, he wants another chance at what every hockey player lives for.

“Being in this League for a number of years now, you have to relish every opportunity we have to get a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup,” Forsberg said. “With this situation there’s nothing we can do; we just have to wait and see and let the people that are in charge do what they know best. But, at the same time, as a player, you want to get that chance to compete for it… Personally, the motivation factor is not going to be a problem… But I would love to get a chance to compete for it.”