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CMS releases football schedule; to play conference only
Coffee County Middle School has released its football schedule for the fall 2020 season – what will be a shortened season due to COVID-19.
The Red Raiders will open the season on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at home against rival Tullahoma. It will be the first of six CTC conference games, The CMS Raiders normally play eight games – six conference and two non-conference – but were forced to shorten the season to conference only contests.
“Due to COVID-19 and finishing in time for basketball, we are only playing conference games,” explained CMS athletic director Kyle Harris.
The Raiders could have the opportunity to play a seventh game if they reach the CTC conference championship game. The Raiders made it to the title game last year, losing to Tullahoma.
CMS head coach Bryan Morgan and players Brady Wright and Cole Pippenger will be guests Saturday (Aug. 1) on the Coffee Coaches Show from Al White Ford-Lincoln. You can listen to the show from 10-11 a.m. on 107.9 FM, 106.7 FM, 1320 AM or stream by clicking here.
The full CMS schedule is below:
Aug. 18 Tullahoma Home 6:30
Aug. 25 Harris Middle Away 6:30
Sept. 1 South Middle Away 6:30
Sept. 8 North Middle ** Home 6:30
Sept. 15 Warren Co. Away 6:30
Sept. 22 White Co. Home 6:30
Oct. 3 CTC Championship Game TBA
**Homecoming Game.
CHS golf teams open 2020 season at Tullahoma
The weather held out Thursday for the Coffee County Central High School Red Raider and Lady Raider golf teams to open the season at Lakewood Country Club.
The Red Raiders got off to a slow start in the seasons first match and placed seventh. Meanwhile, the girls took second out of three teams.
For the Lady Raiders, Cadie Prater led the way with a 107, followed by Maggy Crouch with a 117, Kira Jarrell 122 and Araya Hughes 126.
For the Red Raiders, Logan Hale led the way with an 88. Blake Perry and Zack Tidwell each followed with a 108 and David O’Conner shot 119.
The Coffee County golf teams will be back on the course Tuesday, Aug. 4, when they travel to take on Cookeville at the Cookeville Country Club.
Fried shines, Braves top Rays to split season series
Max Fried ended his breakthrough 2019 season with an unceremonious relief appearance in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, in which his high school buddy, Jack Flaherty, helped the Cardinals advance past the Braves.
As Fried spent the past few months working out with Flaherty, St. Louis’ ace, he gained confidence in his own ability to establish himself among the game’s elite starters. The Braves lefty took another step toward that status as he posted zeroes through the first six innings of a 2-1 win over the Rays on Thursday night at Truist Park.
“Every night he goes out there, I feel like there’s a potential for him to throw eight or nine [scoreless] innings,” Braves closer Mark Melancon said. “He’s had his ups and downs. … The last couple of years, he’s been the guy you count on in big situations. It’s been fun to watch him mature.”
Fried has frequently been a part of some special groups. Before he was taken by the Padres with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, his teammates at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles included Flaherty and White Sox All-Star pitcher Lucas Giolito.
Now, the 26-year-old Fried finds himself fronting a rotation with Mike Soroka, who produced the NL’s third-best ERA during last year’s stellar rookie season. These two young hurlers will significantly impact the Braves, who have uncertainty at each of the rotation’s other three spots.
“[Max] quietly had some kind of year last year,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “There was a lot of attention given to Mike [Soroka], but when you go back and look at Max’s year, it was pretty special, too. That’s a pretty good feeling for an organization to have two young guys of that caliber.”
Against the Rays, Fried retired the first 14 batters he faced, recorded seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits over 6 2/3 innings. The lone run charged to his line was scored by Willy Adames, who hit a double with two outs in the seventh and raced home on Ji-Man Choi’s single off Luke Jackson.
“He’s just growing as a pitcher,” Snitker said. “It was efficient. His stuff was good. You could tell he was really locked in and pretty focused. It was pretty fun to sit and watch him.”
Fried needed just 38 pitches to complete the first four innings in perfect fashion, and he kept the Rays off the bases until Mike Brosseau knocked a single up the middle with two outs in the fifth. The Atlanta southpaw promptly retired Brosseau with a quick pickoff at first base.
Of the 14 balls the Rays put in play against Fried, just three had an exit velocity above 95 mph, which is the benchmark for a hard-hit ball per Statcast.
“He was aggressive,” Adames said. “He was throwing a lot of strikes. We just let him get that confidence. He was mixing pitches really well. I thought his offspeed was amazing today and his pitch count was not a big thing for him. He had a pretty good game, and we couldn’t attack him and try to take him out of the game early.”
Fried has allowed three earned runs through his first 11 innings (two starts) this year, and opponents have hit just .132 (5-for-38) against him. He led all NL left-handers with 17 wins last year, but he stumbled down the stretch of his first full season and was moved to the bullpen for the postseason.
After making strong relief appearances in Games 1 and 2, he was unexpectedly called upon after the Cardinals had chased Mike Foltynewicz in the 10-run first that decided Game 5.
Nearly 10 months after seeing Flaherty shine for the Cardinals in that clincher, Fried is determined to produce a much more memorable conclusion to this season.
“I think any time you end the season with a bad taste in your mouth, it gives you a little extra motivation,” Fried said. “The last couple of offseasons have been about working and refining my delivery. I’m always eager to learn and eager to get better.”
Predators win exhibition game in prep for series with Arizona
Victor Arvidsson scored a pair of goals Thursday and the Nashville Predators shutout the Dallas Stars 2-0 in an exhibition outing in Edmonton.
The game was an exhibition as the Predators prepare to begin the playoff qualifying series, which begins Sunday at 1 p.m. as the Predators take on Arizona in the first of a best-of-five series. You will be able to hear part of the broadcast following the conclusion of the Atlanta Braves’ Sunday game on Thunder Radio.
Manchester, Coffee County Schools release hybrid plan details
Coffee County Schools and Manchester City Schools released a joint statement Thursday that explains what a hybrid school schedule will look like in the case that active COVID-19 cases are to reach .5 percent of Coffee County’s population.
As part of the re-entry plan to school, each system agreed that they will offer regular school schedule if the COVID-19 active cases remain below 0.5 percent of the active population of Coffee County. If the count reaches 0.5 percent through 1.0 percent, there will be a hybrid plan in place. If the active count surpasses 1.0 percent, schools will not offer in-building learning.
As long as active cases remain below about 0.5 percent (or about 285 cases), schools will be in session with an online learning option for students who choose. But if numbers reach .5 percent of the county’s estimated population, the school’s will make changes. There are 188 active cases of the virus in Coffee County as of 2 p.m. Thursday, July 30.
According to Manchester Schools and Coffee County Schools, on a hybrid schedule, students will be divided into two groups – Group A and Group B. The districts are working together to ensure that family groups attend schools on the same day to minimize disruption to families. A student’s presence in Group A or Group B will be communicated on the first full day of school, Aug. 5.
If there is a hybrid schedule, Group A will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, Group B will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays will be determined by each school district if a hybrid schedule is initiated.
The most vulnerable learners will be eligible to attend more days. These students include all students in prek through second grade, students with disabilities and English language learners.
Active COVID-19 cases in Coffee County now at 188
There are now 188 total active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County as of 2 p.m. Thursday, July 30. These numbers are according to the Tennessee Department of Health. This is 16 more than the previous day.
Meanwhile, across the state of Tennessee active cases actually declined slightly as of Thursday’s count. There are about 69 fewer active cases than the previous day.
There are approximately 36,498 active cases in Tennessee. There have been 996 confirmed deaths since March, and 4,572 hospitalizations in Tennessee.
Unemployment claims fall in Tennessee last week
According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce, there were 19,461 new claims for unemployment filed in Tennessee for the week ending July 25. This was down over 6,000 from the prior week. There have now been 759,584 total claims for unemployment filed in Tennessee since COVID-19 pandemic began in March.
Meanwhile, continued claims fell for the 11th consecutive week, but only slightly. There were 242,397 continued claims for unemployment, down only 1,000 from the previous week.
In Coffee County, there were 167 total initial claims filed last week, and 1,762 continued claims.
FEATURE FRIDAY: Helping the local honey bee population is easy
Written by Susan Campbell, Thunder Radio
Since ancient times, honey bees have been seen as symbols of wealth, good luck and prosperity.
Considered magnificent and highly productive insects, honey bees are vital for stable, healthy food supplies and play a vital role in nature’s ecosystems.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), pollinators such as honey bees are a vital part of agricultural production. Unfortunately, honey bees are rapidly disappearing due to climate change and pesticides, with the number of honey bee hives in the U.S. dropping from 6 million in the 1940s to about 2.5 million today.
In an attempt to reverse this trend, in 2009 a small group of beekeepers petitioned the USDA for recognition of honey bees and beekeeping, which is now recognized as National Honey Bee Day. The event is now managed by honeylove.org, a California-based nonprofit.
Locally, rangers at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park in Manchester will celebrate National Honey Bee Day on Aug. 15, according to Ranger Leigh Gardner.
“We will be celebrating our bees as well as other pollinators by discussing the important role they play in our ecosystems as well as in our economy,” Gardner said. “We will also be constructing bee hotels at the park.”
Bee hotels are small structures that can be placed in individual gardens and will encourage the bees to stay, according to Gardner.
“Many bees don’t live in colonies. They are solitary and function without a hive. These bee hotels give them a safe space to call home. They are easy to construct, look neat in a garden, and are good for bees.”
Registration for the program will be open soon at this link. Cost to participate is $5 per box, which covers the cost of materials. To learn more, email Gardner at leigh.gardner@tn.gov.
Old Stone Fort is located at 732 Stone Fort Dr. in Manchester. Learn more at the website, or by visiting Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park on Facebook.
(Feature Friday is a weekly segment at www.thunder1320.com, written by award winning Coffee County writer Susan Campbell. )
FACTS ABOUT HONEY BEES
–Planting nectar-bearing flowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens draws honey bees.
–Honey bees are super-important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. Bees transfer pollen between the male and female parts, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit.
–Honey bees live in mostly in hives. The members of the hive are divided into three types. The queen runs the entire hive. Her job is to lay the eggs that will spawn the hive’s next generation of bees. The queen also produces chemicals that guide the behavior of the other bees. The workers are all female and their roles are to forage for food (pollen and nectar from flowers), build and protect the hive, and clean and circulate air by beating their wings. Workers are the only bees most people ever see flying around outside the hive. The drones are the male bees, and their purpose is to mate with the new queen. Several hundred live in each hive during the spring and summer.
–Honey bees produce 2-3 time more honey than they need.
–If the queen bee dies, workers will create a new queen by selecting a young larva (the newly hatched baby insects) and feeding it a special food called “royal jelly.” This enables the larva to develop into a fertile queen.
–Honey bees beat their wings 200 times per second.
–Each bee has 170 odorant receptors, which they use to communicate within the hive and to recognize different types of flowers.
–The average worker bee lives for just five to six weeks. During this time, she’ll produce around a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.
–The queen can live up to five years. She is busiest in the summer months, when she can lay up to 2,500 eggs a day.
–Source: National Geograpic
TSP HONEY PROJECT
Last year, Tennessee State Parks and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation launched the TSP Honey Project at 31 state parks with at least two hives at each park. In 2020, apiaries will be added at 10 additional parks. Many parks sell the honey in the gift shops based on the hive’s production. If a park’s hives have produced enough honey, bottling usually occurs sometime between May and September. Learn more by clicking here.
Participants in this year’s National Honey Bee Day celebration set for Aug. 15 at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park will create bee houses similar to these that can be placed in gardens to encourage bees to stay. Material cost is $5. To learn more, email Ranger Leigh Gardner at leigh.gardner@tn.gov.
Teen Actors Guild to present ‘War of the Worlds: The panic broadcast’ beginning Aug. 7 at Manchester Arts Center
The Teen Actors Guild reopens the Millennium Repertory Company’s 2020
season at the Manchester Arts Center with *War of the Worlds: The Panic
Broadcast, *beginning August 7.
In 1948, the WBFR radio ensemble recreates the colorful events surrounding
Orson Welles’s 1938 radio adaptation of the science-fiction classic,
including the full original broadcast. Complete with commercials and live
sound effects, this radio-play-within-a-radio-play is a thrilling homage to
the golden age of radio and a timely reminder of what fear can do to a
society.
Directed by Landon Spangler, the cast includes Carter Cantrell, Ethan
Cusick, Nik Dunavant, Karisha Glover, Madelyn Hansen, Maddison Helms,
Travis Lawson, Tanner Maccaganone, Zach Smith, Zoe Stinson, and Sarah
Turner. Stage manager is Colleen Wainright.
See it live (with limited seating) or watch from any device with video on
demand. Information on both is at millenniumrep.org or by calling
931.570.4489.
*War of the Worlds* runs August 7 – 9, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and
Sunday at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and
military, and $10 for students; video streaming is $10.95. The MAC is
located just off the Manchester square at 128 E. Main St.
PICTURED BELOW:
Photo credit: RMS Photography
Photo 2 l-r: Tanner Maccaganone, Nik Dunavant, Karisha Glover, Zoe Stinson,
Travis Lawson, Zach Smith, Carter Cantrell, Sarah Turner, Maddison Helms,
Madelyn Hansen, Ethan Cusick
CHS football team holds first practice in helmets, shoulder pads
With clearance from Governor Bill Lee’s office Tuesday, the Coffee County Central High School football team wasted no time getting started.
The Red Raiders were on the practice field in helmets and shoulder pads Wednesday afternoon. They had already practiced in helmets for two days as part of the heat acclimation period. The Raiders will be in helmets and shoulder pads again Thursday and Friday before they can begin practicing in full pads.
The CHS Raiders open their season at home on Friday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. when they take on Franklin County. Thunder Radio will be on hand for our 63rd consecutive year of play-by-play action of the Raiders.
