Down 4-2 and facing the end of their season, the Coffee County Central Red Raiders rallied for 7 runs in the 5th and added 4 in the 6th for good measure to dispatch of Warren County 13-5 in the loser’s bracket finals of the District 6-4A Tournament Tuesday night in Manchester.
Coffee County managed the 13 runs on just 8 hits, thanks to 7 Warren County errors.
But a win is a win, regardless. And with a small, 4-team district, that means the Raiders advance to the title round Wednesday and get an automatic spot in the Region 3-4A semi-finals next Monday, May 16.
A bases clearing triple by Jacob Sherrill was a big blow for the Raiders in the win over Warren County. Jacob Holder also notched a pair of RBI and Nolan Jernigan knocked in 2 and had a double.
Timmy Henderson picked up the win – working 5 innings and allowing 4 runs (1 earned) while striking out 8 Pioneer batters. Brady Nugent tossed the final two innings.
The Raiders will now play Franklin County at home in the district championship at 5 p.m. Wednesday – but CHS will need to beat the Rebels twice to win the title. If they do win, they will host a region elimination game on Monday. If they lose, they will travel to the Chattanooga area.
Rebels 3, Coffee County 2
The Raiders had a chance to advance to the title game earlier in the day Tuesday by winning the winner’s bracket finals against Franklin County. But CHS squandered a pair of bases loaded opportunities and eventually lost 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning in Manchester.
The Rebels outhit the Raiders 9-5 and 4 CHS errors didn’t help the Raiders’ cause. Jacob Holder was stellar through 7 innings – allowing 1 earned run and striking out 11 while scattering 7 Rebel hits.
Cole Pippenger took the loss in relief, going 1 and 2/3 innings before the Rebels won in the 9th. A throwing error set the Rebels up with runners on 2nd and 3rd and they won on an infield single.
SOCCER: Raiders advance to district title with 3-1 over Franklin Co
A small district makes for a fairly simple tournament layout. Win one and your in – and that’s exactly what the CHS Red Raider soccer team did Tuesday, dropping Franklin County 3-1 in the District 6-4A semi-finals to advance to the championship game.
The Raiders got a goal early from freshman Manny Gonzales, who scored on a corner kick from Mike Arrunada. John Martinez added the next to goals on assists from Arrunada to put CHS up 3-0. The Raiders will play either Shelbyville or Warren County in the Championship at 7 p.m. Thursday. The win also puts the Raiders in next week’s region semi-finals on Tuesday.
TRACK & FIELD: 5 CHS athletes qualify for TSSAA State Track Meet
Five Central High School athletes qualified for the TSSAA State Track meet with their performance on Tuesday at the state sectional meet in Cookeville.
Qualifying to the state for Coffee County were: the 4×800 relay team of Kailee Rossman, Elli Chumley, Patricia Barrera and Madison Rooker; Elli Chumley in shot put; Ethan Welch in discus throw and pole vault; Madison Rooker in pole vault.
Welch placed third in pole vault with a height of 10-6 – just shy of 11-feet, which won the day.
On the girls side of pole vault, Rooker placed second with a height of 7-6.
Elli Chumley placed second in shot put with a distance of 35-3.50, just shy of 37-3.25, which took first place. Welch placed fourth in discus with 130-2.
Meanwhile, the 4×800 girls team took 4th place at 10:18.64, just .47 of a second away from third place – but still good enough to qualify for the state meet in Murfreesboro.
John Dobson 
Cole Fowler 
Gracie Fowler 
Ethan Welch
SOFTBALL: Lady Raiders advance to district title, region tournament
Coffee County softball is headed to the district championship.
Kaitlyn Davis tossed six shutout innings and Jalyn Moran lifted a home run in the first as the Lady Raiders shutout visiting Shelbyville 8-0 Tuesday night in Manchester – a game you heard live on Thunder Radio.
The win for Coffee County puts the Lady Raiders in the District 6-4A championship Wednesday night in McMinnville at 6 p.m. The Lady Raiders will need to beat the Lady Pioneers twice to claim a district title. Both games (if necessary) will be Wednesday night. The district champion will host the Region 3-4A semi-finals on Monday, May 16. The runner-up will travel in those semi-finals.
Tuesday night in Manchester, CHS got on the board with a 3-run first inning, powered by a 2-run home run by Moran, who went on to pick up three hits and 3 RBI on the night. She was named Thunder Radio’s player of the game (sponsored by Brett Harris with Farmers Insurance).
Olivia Evans (2), Haidyn Campbell and Channah Gannon all picked up RBI for CHS. Kiya Ferrell picked up 3 hits and led the team with 3 runs scored. CHS outhit Shelbyville 12-2. The loss ended the season for Shelbyville.
Kaitlyn Davis was stellar in the circle for the Lady Raiders. She allowed 1 hit in the first then retired 16 Shelbyville batters in a row before allowing another hit in the sixth. Both Eaglette hits were infield singles. Davis struck out 4 over 6 innings of work. Samantha Cothran pitched a perfect 7th to close the game.
Coffee County will be at Warren County Wednesday night – first pitch in game one at 6 p.m.
CMS track sends one to state meet
Coffee County Middle School Track & Field is sending one athlete to the TMSAA State Meet.
Zander Gomez qualified for the state meet – he turned in a personal record distance of 18 feet, 2.75 inches in the long jump at the sectional to qualify. Gomez’s distance was good enough for fourth place. Brandon Brooks of Mill Creek took first place at 18 5.75.
Coffee Middle golf thumps Harris Monday
Coffee County Middle golf team put a beating on Harris at WillowBrook Golf Course Monday, May 9, winning 11 flags to 1.
The team of Tallan Crosslin and Lucas Turner won 2 flags to 1. The remainder of CMS pairings won clean 3-0 sweeps: Cade Williams and Skylar Releford; Noah Costello and Luke Lowe; and Brayden Kesling and James Bradley.
Westwood baseball announces tryouts
Westwood Middle School baseball team has announced tryouts for next year’s team.
Tryouts will be held June 9 from 5-8 p.m. at the Babe Ruth Field at Fred Deadman Park.
Tryouts are open to upcoming 5th through 8th graders enrolled in Manchester City Schools for the 2022-23 school year.
Upcoming 7th and 8th graders will tryout from 5-6:30 p.m. and incoming 5th and 6th graders will tryout from 6:30-8 p.m.
Anyone with questions should contact head coach Reed Wolfe at 731-694-6492.
Robertson named District pitcher of the year; 4 other Raider baseball players named all district
Coffee County Central Junior Aiden Robertson frustrated opposing district teams all season long at the plate.
Opposing coaches took notice.
The right-handed hurler was named District 6-4A co-Pitcher of the Year Monday night. Robertson went 5-0 in district play, striking out a remarkable 69 batters over 39 innings of work. He led the pitching staff with a 1.26 ERA.
The Raider baseball team had four other players named 6-4A All-District: Brady Nugent, Caleb Moran, Jacob Holder and Cole Pippenger.
The Raiders will host Franklin County in the winner’s bracket finals of the district tournament at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Cole Pippenger 
Caleb Moran 
Brady Nugent 
Jacob Holder
Busy slate of postseason action Tuesday for spring sports
Multiple area teams will be in action Tuesday, May 10 for postseason play.
The CHS Lady Raider softball team will look to stave off elimination in the District 6-4A tournament at home at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Raider baseball team will play either Shelbyville or Franklin County in the winner’s bracket finals at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Manchester.
Also on Tuesday, CHS track & field will be going to Cookeville for the state sectional / state qualifier. And the CHS Red Raider soccer team will play an elimination game in the first round of the district tournament against Franklin County – in Winchester at 7 p.m.
COLLEGE CHECKUP: Munn gets plenty of work during freshman season at MTSU
MTSU Blue Raider softball season came to a premature close over the weekend.
Of note is the large workload that freshman Keri Munn – a former CHS Lady Raider – got for the Blue Raiders this season.
Munn had 14 appearances on the year. She finished with a 3-5 record and a 3.25 ERA. She tossed three complete games for the Lady Raiders.
Overall, MTSU went 19-34 on the year.
