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Your vote needed for CHS senior Matthew Pittman
Coffee County Central High School senior Matthew Pittman has been nominated as the Scholar Athlete of the school through the United States Marine Corps’ Great American Rivalry Series.
You can vote to help Pittman!
Voting will open at 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 at www.garshofteam.com, not limited to one vote per person. ALL votes will be counted towards the final tally up until December 14th at 11:59 pm, EST.
Vote early. Vote Often. Only the top 25 Great American Rivalry Series® Scholar Athletes will make the inaugural team – one for the record books, and become eligible for an additional scholarship in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This can’t happen without your support and input. Be sure to use the image below in promoting your votes for your Scholar Athlete!
Titans lose Lewan for the year with torn ACL
By Titans Online
Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan has been lost for the season.
Lewan, a three-time Pro Bowler, delivered the news on Monday. Lewan left Sunday’s game against the Texans with a knee injury.
“I wanted to let everyone know I got an MRI today,” Lewan said via Twitter. “I Tore my ACL yesterday against Houston. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m going to handle this rehab like a Pro and come back better than ever. Thank you @Titans fans for your support. #NoBadDays”
Now, the Titans must do their best to replace Lewan, who has started 85 games since being drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Ty Sambrailo stepped in to play left tackle on Sunday, and he’s been the first off the bench this season. Dennis Kelly, meanwhile, has started all five games at right tackle.
Titans Coach Mike Vrabel on Monday said the team will evaluate all options while placing Lewan on Injured Reserve. He said tackle Isaiah Wilson, the team’s first-round pick in the 2020 draft who was added to the 53-man roster last week after spending the first part of the season on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list, is making progress.
“Disappointed for Taylor – he works extremely hard and we’re confident he’ll be back (next season),” Vrabel said. “But that’s kind of what we’ve done, it’s how we operate – we’ll get the next guy in there and we’ll see what is best for the team and try and move forward with the next guy in there. Ty has played a bunch in that back-up role in the first five games.”
Sambrailo, signed by the Titans as a free agent after playing previously with the Broncos and Falcons, played in 57 games with 13 starts before joining the Titans.
Wilson has worked hard on his conditioning to put himself in a better position to help the team, Vrabel said.
“Ty has played in this league – he’s played multiple positions and he has versatility,” Vrabel said. “He had to play in there (vs. J.J) Watt early (vs the Texans), but I thought he settled down and played well like he has in the past for us when he’s needed to come in there and play.
“As for Isaiah, we haven’t practiced much. We have to get out there and practice and evaluate where that is this week and see where he can help us.”
On Monday, after news of Lewan’s injury surfaced, Vrabel was even asked about scenarios like moving Kelly from left to right tackle, or even moving guard Rodger Saffold to tackle, a position he’s played in the past.
“We’ll go through all the scenarios and we’ll figure out which ones we think are best for the players, and best for the team,” Vrabel said.
The Titans face the Steelers on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. You can hear that game live on Thunder Radio, your home for the Tennessee Titans in Coffee County.
No foul play in death of MPD Captain Patterson
Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott said Monday that after reviewing preliminary autopsy report of Manchester Police Department Captain Chris Patterson, no foul play is suspected.
Patterson was found dead Friday, Oct. 16, just outside his truck on Blue Springs Rd. with a single gunshot wound.
Patterson, 42, was a longtime veteran of the Manchester Police Department and was serving as the Administrative Captain.
The investigation, which was led by Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and Coffee County District Attorney General’s office, is now closed.
Manchester Police Department has parked a patrol car in front of city hall in memory of Patterson. The community is welcome to leave flowers and other items with the car. Manchester Police Department is located at 200 W. Fort St. in downtown Manchester. (pictured below)
IRS extends stimulus check deadline to Nov. 21
More than 110,000 Tennessee residents have yet to receive their stimulus payments, according to data from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. More than $100 million could be left unclaimed if residents don’t file their taxes.
Coordinator of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program at United Way of Greater Nashville Tamara Kreigh cited many reasons people don’t file.
“They just didn’t have the income, or perhaps they’re in that in-between area because of their age, they’re just coming out of school and didn’t work enough hours or earn enough to have a filing requirement,” Kreigh said.
The Internal Revenue Service recently extended the deadline to claim stimulus money to November 21. Individuals who make less than $66,000 a year can get free help filing their taxes and find out if they are eligible for a stimulus payment at GetYourRefund.org.
An estimated 5 million Americans haven’t received stimulus checks because the IRS doesn’t have the addresses of non-filers. Kreigh said that’s flexible cash families are entitled to – at a time when many are struggling. She said many of her clients are on the brink financially.
“But we consider that money just left on the table. And that’s money that can really help,” she said. “I’m hearing all kinds of stories: some of them are homeless, some of them are close to homeless – they’re staying with friends.”
Kreigh said systemic barriers have left out large groups of people, including many who aren’t equipped with tax refund literacy or resources – such as internet access – needed to file.
“If anybody’s ever read an IRS document, you know that it can be confusing,” she said.
One poll by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found most stimulus-check recipients used the money to pay off debt or cushion their savings accounts. It remains unclear whether Congress will pass another coronavirus relief package that includes a second round of stimulus payments.
-Report from Nadia Ramligan, Tennessee Public News Service
Gas prices in Tennessee remain 9th best in nation
Tennessee gas prices dropped by a penny, on average, over the last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $1.93 which is a penny less than one month ago and 41 cents less than one year ago.
Average price in Coffee County is a penny below the state average, at $1.92 per gallon. The national average sits at $2.16 for a gallon regular unleaded.
“Decreases in U.S. gasoline demand, supply and imports helped push pump prices lower on the week,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “It’s likely that motorists will continue to see pump prices decline this week.”
Quick Facts
• 90% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.00
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.73 for regular unleaded
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.23 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee remains the 9th least expensive market in the nation
Braves squander series lead, eliminated from postseason
Despite losing Mike Soroka in early August and spending most of the season without more than one or two dependable starting pitchers, the Braves won a postseason series for the first time since 2001 and finished a win away from their first World Series since 1999.
But even while overcoming so much, the Braves also squandered a 3-1 series lead. Just add it to the pain felt in Atlanta, a city still haunted by Larry Bird besting Dominique Wilkins in Game 7 and a squandered 28-3 lead in a recent Super Bowl.
It also doesn’t help that the Braves have lost four of their past five NLCS appearances and six straight winner-take-all games, including Game 5 of the NL Division Series against the Cardinals in 2019. So while progress was made, the conclusion was all too familiar for Atlanta fans.
“We heard it all year that the Dodgers were the best team in baseball,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We took them to Game 7, and we gave them a little heart murmur in this series. We gave them all they could handle. They just made all the right plays at the right time.”
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CHS’ Pittman nominated as Great American Rivalry Series scholar athlete – your vote needed
Coffee County Central High School senior Matthew Pittman has been nominated as the Scholar Athlete of the school through the United States Marine Corps’ Great American Rivalry Series.
You can vote to help Pittman!
Voting will open at 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 at www.garshofteam.com, not limited to one vote per person. ALL votes will be counted towards the final tally up until December 14th at 11:59 pm, EST.
Vote early. Vote Often. Only the top 25 Great American Rivalry Series® Scholar Athletes will make the inaugural team – one for the record books, and become eligible for an additional scholarship in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This can’t happen without your support and input. Be sure to use the image below in promoting your votes for your Scholar Athlete!
Coffee County’s Red Raiders fight big, come up short in homecoming loss to Pioneers
Coffee County fought with everything it had Friday night against unbeaten Warren County.
Even though the Raiders scraped together big plays on defense and special teams, uncontrollable factors seemed to be in favor of the Pioneers of Warren County Friday and the Pioneers left Carden-Jarrell Field with a 35-19 victory.
The loss all but eliminates the Raiders from playoff contention and was the first at home for the Raiders this season.
“Our guys played hard, they played physical,” said CHS head coach Doug Greene. “I’m really proud to be their coach.”
Big plays for the Raiders came on defense and special teams.
Trailing 21-0 with five minutes to play in the first half, Red Raider CJ Anthony picked up a kickoff bouncing at the 20 yard line and weaved through Pioneers for an 80-yard touchdown.
Then on the first possession of the second half, pressure on Warren County quarterback CJ Taylor forced an errant pass that landed in the hands of Raider linebacker Tristan Galy, who rumbled 45 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 21-13.
Warren County answered on a CJ Taylor touchdown run to put the Pioneers up 27-13. Taylor, a major college recruit with SEC offers, was mainly kept under wraps by the Raider defense. Unofficially, Taylor finished with just 68 yards on 19 carries – his lowest totals of the season. He had touchdown runs of 15 and 5. He did throw for two touchdowns – one for 55 yards on a busted coverage and another 18-yard strike to Kasen Holder in the final minutes.
The Raiders got a second defensive score with 9:07 to play, as the defense stuffed Taylor on fourth and short, ripped the ball out and Matthew Pittman picked it up and rumbled 45 yards for a score. The Raiders missed the extra point, leaving the game at two possessions at 28-19.
Coffee County was unable to get its offense going in the second half.
Despite the great effort and the big plays, it was a big, questionable play in the first half that left its mark on this game.
Coffee County took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards on 11 plays to the Warren County goal line. On the 12th play, Tristan Galy appeared to score. After seconds laying on top of the pile, Warren County’s Clay Thompson ripped the ball away from Galy and sprinted 100 yards the other way for what the officials ruled a Pioneer touchdown, putting Warren County up 7-0.
Coffee County falls to 4-4 with the loss, Warren County improves to 8-0.
The Raiders travel to Oakland Friday, Oct. 23. You can hear that game live on Thunder Radio. (Listen to the replay of the Warren County game by clicking here. )
Manchester’s Major Shelton honored by TSSAA for longtime service
The offering of a prayer muted the whistle.
Major Shelton had just made a key decision while officiating a high school game in Chattanooga when the late, great TSSAA Hall of Fame coach Henry Bowles informed Shelton of his intent to lift up Shelton.
“Coach Bowles looked at me when I ran by him,” Shelton said, “ and he said, ‘Major, I’m going to go to church tomorrow and pray for you.’
“You can’t tee up a guy who’s said he was going to pray for you.”
Shelton’s contributions and memories from officiating Tennessee high school sports, primarily basketball and baseball, touch five different decades and nearly total a full 50 years; he’s the October recipient of the TSSAA’s Distinguished Service Award.
Continue reading this story from the TSSAA by clicking here.
Titans win in overtime to remain unbeaten
The never-say-die Titans did it again on Sunday, rallying for a 42-36 overtime win over the Texans in dramatic fashion. You heard the game live on Thunder Radio, the official home of the Tennessee Titans in Coffee County.
Derrick Henry’s five-yard touchdown run was the game-winner. It capped a six-play 82-yard drive that sent the Nissan Stadium crowd into a high-fiving frenzy.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill connected with receiver A.J. Brown on a seven-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left to force overtime.
Tannehill completed 30-of-41 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the contest, and directed some gut-check drives late.
Henry ran for 221 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown run.
The Titans improved to 5-0 with the win.