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INSTANT CLASSICS: Coffee Middle edges Westwood in pair of overtime games
After not meeting on the basketball floor in nearly 14 years, Coffee Middle School and Westwood delivered two basketball games Tuesday that may not be forgotten for another 14 years.
WMS Lady Rockets 44, CMS Lady Raiders 50 (Double Overtime)
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY !
Pick whatever cliché’ you’d like. Instant classic. Thriller. Heartstopper. Words simply don’t do justice to the product put on the floor by two good basketball teams Tuesday. In the end, with plenty of back and forth, it was Coffee Middle edging past Westwood 50-44 in double overtime.
Down the stretch it was free-throw shooting that won the game for Coffee Middle and a pair of big shots from unsuspecting heroes.
Down 3 with under a minute to play, Lady Raider Natalie Barnes was fouled on a 3-point attempt. She hit 2 shots, setting CMS up for another shot to tie the game. Barnes got a rebound and was fouled the Westwood offensive end after a missed free throw by the Lady Rockets. Barnes went to the line and buried a pair of free throws to tie the game in the final seconds. Barnes was 4-of-5 at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter alone – scoring 8 of her game-high 25 points in the final six minutes of regulation.
Westwood had another shot to win in the first overtime – but Lady Raider Jaydee Nogodula was fouled and went to the line and hit 1-of-2 to tie the game.
By the second overtime, the Lady Raiders didn’t need to come from behind or leave anything to chance.
A pair of big field goals helped CMS- one a 8-foot runner from Kaysen Morgan and another a 12-foot jump shot by sixth grader Hayleigh Harris to put the game out of reach for the Lady Rockets late. Harris didn’t play until overtime – when Ella Arnold fouled out.
Early in the game it was CMS punching first, but Westwood fought back. Westwood fell behind 11-2 early but managed to have the game tied at 21-21 at halftime. The Lady Rockets fought back behind hot shooting – particularly Audri Patton – who knocked down three 3-pointers on the night – including a pair in the fourth quarter that saw the Lady Rockets outscore CMS 13-10 to force the extra periods.
Patton finished with 14, but fouled out late and was not available in overtime. Jules Ferrell also finished with 14 for the Lady Rockets – including a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to put the Lady Rockets on top.
Coffee Middle improves to 12-1 on the season with the non-conference win. Meanwhile, the loss is the first of the season for the Lady Rockets, who fall to 14-1.
Westwood will be back in action Thursday, when they host Thurman Francis at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, CMS returns to conference play Thursday at North Franklin.
Westwood – 44
Audri Patton – 14
Ziya Dillard – 4
Jules Ferrell – 14
Reece Finch – 10
Anna Reed – 2
Coffee County – 50
Natalie Barnes – 25
Ella Arnold – 8
Jaydee Nogodula – 1
Kaysen Morgan – 8
Adalyn Clark – 6
Hayleigh Harris – 2
WMS ROCKETS 24, CMS RED RAIDERS 28 (overtime)
Much like the girls – the boys teams needed extra time to decide a winner.
But it was all Coffee Middle in the extra time. Tied at 24 – Red Raider Landon Abellana powered down the lane for a layup late in the overtime period. The Raiders then drew a charge with 6 seconds to play – and an inbound pass the length of the floor connected with David Lewis who hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Raiders the win at home.
The CMS win thwarted what was a strong second half for the Rockets. Westwood got steal by Matthew White and a breakaway layup by Davis McKenzie with 5 seconds in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. That capped a 21-13 second half advantage for the Rockets and erased what had been a CMS lead for most every second of the night.
Kaysen Lowery had 9 points to lead the Rockets. Tallan Crosslin paced the Raiders with 9 – all coming on 3-point shots.
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY!
Westwood – 24
Lane Fann – 5
Davis McKenzie – 5
Zeke Jones – 3
Kaysen Lowery – 9
Matthew White – 2
Coffee County – 28
David Lewis – 8
Tallan Crosslin – 9
Levi Rollman – 4
Briar Summers – 2
Jett Trussler 
Tallan Crosslin 
David Lewis 
Landon Abellana 
Kaysen Lowery 
Adalyn Clark 
Hayleigh Harris 
Kaysen Morgan 
Jaydee Nogodula 
Jules Ferrell 
Jaydee Nogodula 
Ella Arnold 
Jaydee Nogodula 
Natalie Barnes 
Maddie Meacham 
Claire Hargrove 
Jules Ferrell 
Jules Ferrell, Audri Patton and Adalyn Clark 
Jaydee Nogodula, Jules Ferrell, Natalie Barles (L to R)
Birthdays- December 7
Jovin Grenillo- 27
Jimmy Smith
Weston Rhea- 5- Pizza Winner!
Danny Dwight Swann
Memorial graveside services for Danny Dwight Swann, age 51 of Hillsboro,
will be conducted at 110 AM on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, in the
Summitville cemetery with Pastor Brenton Cox officiating. Danny passed away
on Sunday, December 5 at his home.
Danny was born on June 26, 1970, in Manchester to the late Phillip Dwight
Swann and Patricia Jean Carroll Swann. He was a machine operator at Kasai
in Manchester for over 20 years, and he attended the First Baptist Church
of Manchester. Danny was an avid collector of ball cards, Hotwheels, coins,
stamps, and comic books.
In addition to his father, Danny is preceded in death by his infant sister,
Sheila Swann, maternal grandparents, Eugene and Joyce Booher, and paternal
grandparents, Delbert and Pauline Swann. He is survived by his wife, Angie
Smith Swann; children, Brittany Smith-Hill, and Nathan Dwight Swann;
grandchildren, Courtlyn Hill, and Mason and Maverick Tudor; sisters, Angela
Crowell, Tonya Fowler and her husband, Lee, and Michelle Swann; nephews,
Josh Booher and Jeromey Crowell; several extended family members and a host
of friends.
Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Swann family.
Albert “Al” Bart
Albert “Al” Bart of Tullahoma, Tennessee passed away on December 5, 2021,
at the age of 92 from complications due to Parkinson’s disease. The son of
Italian immigrants, Al was born in Brooklyn, New York to Joseph and Stella
(Ebetino) DeBartolo. Raised in Rye, New York, he went on to graduate from
Columbia and Boston Universities and serve as a Navy officer during the
Korean war. He spent the last five decades of his life in Tullahoma,
retiring more than 25 years ago from the University of Tennessee Space
Institute and spending nearly 15 years in post-retirement with H&R Block.
An avid reader and dedicated golfer until late in life, Al spent his final
years as a resident of Brookdale Assisted Living in Tullahoma where he
endeared himself to all those around him. He is survived by his five
children, Alison Sheehan (Frank) (Laurel, Maryland), Susan DeBartolo (Jim
Dittman) (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Lauren Shields (Bob Smorodin) (University City,
Missouri), Stephen Bart (Trisha Gura) (West Newton, Massachusetts), and
Albert Bart, Jr. (Dawn) (Brentwood, Tennessee), eight grandchildren, and
two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his dear friend and
companion, Bertie Davis (Tullahoma, Tennessee). Preceding him in death was
his sister Lucy Sabatine Hutcherson, brother Salvatore “Sal” Bart, first
wife Sue Rowley Bart, second wife Joan Peterson Bart, and grandchild
Alexander Shields. Arrangements for a memorial service will be determined
at a later date, and the family asks that those who wish to do so remember
Al by making a contribution in his name to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation or Tennessee Golf Foundation. He will be greatly missed.
Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Tullahoma’s Chadwick wins Mr. Football Kicker of the Year
Tennessee’s best high school football players for 2021 were recognized at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards luncheon hosted by the Tennessee Titans.
More than 400 people, including the honorees, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, attended the 2021 luncheon at Nissan Stadium.
“This is such an outstanding honor for all 30 of the young men recognized today at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards,” said Bernard Childress, Executive Director of the TSSAA. “They were here not only due to their athletic ability that they displayed on the field throughout the season, but just as much for their outstanding character and academic achievements.”
High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists. A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2021 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration.
The awards were presented to the top football players in each of the nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. The top kickers in the state were also recognized. There were three finalists in this category, regardless of their school’s classification.
The Titans became sponsors of the Mr. Football Awards in 2007.
2021 TENNESSEE TITANS MR. FOOTBALL AWARD WINNERS
Division I, Class 1AKhalik Ganaway, Peabody
Division I, Class 2ATy Simpson, Westview
Division I, Class 3ACaden Buckles, Alcoa
Division I, Class 4ABari’On Brown, Pearl Cohn
Division I, Class 5ADe’Sean Bishop, Karns
Division I, Class 6ADestin Wade, Summit
Division II, Class ASteele Haynes, USJ
Division II, Class AAAlexander Broome, Lipscomb Academy
Division II, Class AAADallan Hayden, Christian Brothers
Kicker of the YearJustus Chadwick, Tullahoma
Monday tornado confirmed in Moore County
The National Weather Service office in Huntsville, Ala. has confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Moore County on Monday.
Severe weather hit the area Monday morning that resulted in some structure damage and multiple trees and limbs down in Tullahoma. The National Weather Service office in Huntsville survey team found that damage in Moore county was consistent with an EF-1 tornado.
However, damage in Bedford and Coffee counties is still being assessed by the NWS office in Nashville. If it is confirmed that damage was caused by a tornado, it could result in a longer ground track. NWS officials from Nashville were surveying damage in Tullahoma on Tuesday (Dec. 7). A report is expected to be released late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
The tornado in Moore County had estimated peak wind speeds of 86 miles per hour and was on the ground for 1.17 miles with a maximum path width of 80 yards. Again, it is possible that tornado also tracked into Coffee County. NWS Nashville is assessing that damage.
No injuries were reported from the storms. Tullahoma Utilities reported that about 2,500 people were without power at one point Monday morning as a result of the storms, in addition to approximately 1,100 Duck River Electric customers.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Coffee County shortly before 8 a.m. Monday morning, specifically for the Tullahoma area.
Tennessee gas prices drop 3 cents over past week
Tennessee motorists saw a little relief at the pump over last week as gas prices fell three cents, on average, across the state. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.06 which is nine cents cheaper than one month ago and $1.16 more than one year ago.
The average price per gallon of regular unleaded in Coffee County is $3.09 – that is 3 cents over the state average and 26 cents below the national average of $3.35. That price is also 12 cents higher than neighboring Rutherford County and 26 cents more expensive than neighboring Bedford County.
The most expensive gas in the nation can be found out west, where motorists pay $4.68 cents per gallon.
“Consumers may be catching a break at the pump right now, but it’s not for a very good reason,” said Stephanie Milani, Tennessee Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “A potential COVID-19 induced economic slowdown hurts everyone and could prompt OPEC to slash production if oil prices drop too low.”
- 45% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.00
- The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.82 for regular unleaded
- The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.36 for regular unleaded
National Gas Prices
Pump prices continue to tumble as fears of a possible COVID-19 global economic slowdown pushed oil prices into the mid $60s per barrel—a price not seen since August. Also helping to ease upward pricing pressure was the decision by OPEC and its oil-producing allies not to cut production. The national average for a gallon of gas dipped 4 cents on the week to $3.35. For consumers, gasoline prices were last this low on October 20.
On December 2, OPEC and its allies, a group referred to as OPEC+, announced it would stick to its plan, for now, to raise production by 400,000 b/d in January. The move was likely in response to the Biden Administration’s call to increase supply to tame high fuel prices.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks increased by more than 4 million bbl to 215,422 million bbl last week. Meanwhile, gasoline demand dipped from 9.3 million b/d to 8.8 million b/d. The slight decrease in demand contributed to falling prices, while lower crude prices also put downward market pressure on pump prices.
Today’s national average of $3.35 is seven cents less than a month ago and $1.19 more than a year ago.
National Oil Market Dynamics
At the close of last week’s formal trading session, WTI decreased 24 cents to settle at $66.26. Crude oil prices decreased last week due to uncertainty of the COVID-19 omicron variant’s impact on demand and the announcement that OPEC+ will ramp up production by 400,000 b/d in January. Additionally, EIA reported minimal draws on U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, which decreased by 900,000 bbl from the previous week to 433.1 million barrels. This week, crude oil prices could continue to fluctuate. Market watchers will keep a close eye on crude oil inventories and the impact that the omicron variant has on demand.
Water main break sends East Coffee students home early Tuesday
Students at East Coffee Elementary School got an unplanned abbreviated day of school Tuesday thanks to a water main break.
School officials called for parents to pick up their students at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, after what they described was a “water main break” at the school, which is located on McMinnville Highway.
All other schools in the district remained on normal schedule for the day.
Lady Rockets remain unbeaten in WMS sweep of Community
Lady Rocket 7th grader Jules Ferrell went off on Monday, exploding for 24 points to lead the Lady Rockets to a 49-24 road win over Community. The win keeps WMS unbeaten for the year.
Audri Patton pitched in 12 points and Reece Finch 9 in the win. Westwood had a comfortable 27-10 lead at the halftime break.
Meanwhile, the Rocket boys had a strong second half in a 42-34 win over Community.
Both teams will play Coffee Middle School Tuesday night at CMS. This will be the first time the two schools have played in basketball since 2007. Tip is at 6 p.m. for the girls with the boys to follow. Both games will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio: 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app and thunder1320.com.
Birthdays- December 6
Kristen Ware
Shane Green
Lacy Fauikner- 9- Pizza Winner!
Haidyn Campbell
Terry Shelton