Category: Sports

Coffee County CHS football coach Doug Greene has announced there will be a meeting with all incoming freshman football players and parents on Tuesday, May 26th at 5:30 at the high school. The coaching staff with be getting information from the players and will give schedules and calendars to the parents. The varsity players will begin summer workouts on Tuesday May 26th at 7:00 am.  Players will need to check the schedule to see their time slot.  Any upperclassmen that wishes to join the team needs to contact Coach Greene via email at: greened@k12coffee.net

Coach Greene will be a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about summer workouts.  The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast live each Saturday at 10 AM from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln.  The Coffee Coaches Chow is heard exclusively on Thunder Radio.

We knew the opponents. Now, we know the exact dates and times for the four preseason games for the Tennessee Titans.

Here’s the schedule:

Saturday, August 15: Titans at Redskins (1 p.m.)

Saturday, August 22: Giants at Titans (7 p.m.)

Saturday, August 29: Titans at Buccaneers (6 p.m.)

Thursday, September 3: Bears at Titans (7 p.m.)

All four games will broadcast on WKRN (Channel 2) in Nashville.

Earlier this week, Titans Coach Mike Vrabel said he’s hoping the Titans will be able to hold joint practices against at least one team during training camp. The Titans held joint practices with the Patriots in Nashville last season and with the Buccaneers at Saint Thomas Sports Park in 2018.

There’s at least a chance the team might go on the road, if the situation allows it, this August.

“There have been some discussions,” Vrabel said. “I would anticipate once we get a little more clarity on what training camp looks like, that I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to practice with one, if not two teams.”

It’s unclear what the 2020-21 NHL season may look like – or when it might start – but Philip Tomasino would like a chance to participate.

Arguably the top prospect in the Nashville system, the Predators selected the now-18-year-old forward in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. All Tomasino did in his first season as a member of the Preds organization was post 40 goals and 100 points in 62 games split between Niagara and Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League.

Those notable numbers were more than enough to keep the attention of the Preds, and Nashville Assistant General Manager Jeff Kealty said back in April that while the organization will always do what’s best for the player’s development, he wouldn’t be surprised to see Tomasino compete for a roster spot at training camp.

Tomasino was not only honored to hear those remarks – he fully intends on making them a reality.

“My goal is to make the NHL and make the Nashville lineup next year, and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen,” Tomasino said Monday via video conference. “It’s going to be a little different summer in terms of training and stuff like that, but come camp time, I’m going to be ready… If it doesn’t [happen], it’s not the end of the world. I can go back to juniors, but like I said, right now the focus is to make Nashville and be a part of the Predators lineup next year.”

There’s a difference between saying so and doing so, of course, but Tomasino just might be able to make it happen. Very few teenagers play in the NHL – Tomasino would be 19 next season – and it often takes at least a couple of campaigns to develop before many prospects turn pro.

If the Predators determine Tomasino does need more time to round out his game, he would head back to the OHL, as opposed to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals due to transfer agreements. He wouldn’t be opposed to doing so if necessary, however, especially considering the success he found with Oshawa.

Tomasino joined the Generals after a midseason trade from the IceDogs, the first time he had ever experienced a situation that required him to switch clubs in such a setting. He didn’t waste any time making an impression either. A five-point outing on his first night with the Generals led to 18 goals and 43 points in just 26 contests with his new club.

“It was new to me, but it’s nice to have that experience and know what it’s like to be on a new team and be traded,” Tomasino said. “A lot of credit to the staff and the players on Oshawa for helping me adjust so quickly and always being there for me from the start. They made my transition really easy, a lot easier than I expected.”

Like every other hockey league in North America, the OHL went on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early March. Eventually, the OHL, which is part of the Canadian Hockey League, saw the remainder of the season canceled, forcing Tomasino into an offseason earlier than he’d ever experienced.

But while the Mississauga, Ontario, native was in the midst of the best statistical season of his young career, he was also receiving plenty of feedback from his NHL club. Tomasino lists Predators Director of Player Development Scott Nichol and Forward Development Coach Sebastian Bordeleau as two voices who were in constant communication over the past several months to help the skilled centerman become better.

“They’re always there for me,” Tomasino said. “The development coaches came to a few games throughout the year, and it was nice to have that feedback. I hadn’t really had that the last few years, but it was nice to have someone there watching your game and helping you get better and critique your game a little bit. It was great for me, and I learned a lot. I want to credit the organization for helping me out.”

Still, it takes elite talent to put up 100 points in one of the top junior leagues in the world, and there’s no denying Tomasino’s potential is something to be excited about.

He says he models his game after New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal – one of Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro’s best friends, and one of the top forwards in the NHL. No one would complain if Tomasino could one day put up numbers like those that come off the stick of Barzal on Long Island.

And while Tomasino may have to wait until his 20s to do just that, perhaps it won’t take that long. Because for all the unknowns right now, this much is certain – the Predators like the quiet confidence shown by a fresh-faced forward from the Toronto suburbs.

“I’ll be ready to go [when training camp starts] and compete for a spot,” Tomasino said. “That’s my goal, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that that’s a possibility.”

As MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) negotiate the structure of the 2020 season they hope to begin in early July, details about what that season will look like continue to come to light. One of the most important matters is the suite of safety protocols that will be put into place to minimize — to the greatest extent possible — the spread of COVID-19 among players and team personnel.

On that front, MLB has presented to the MLBPA a 67-page proposal that includes numerous steps designed to keep players and other personnel as safe as possible during the 2020 season. Our own R.J. Anderson detailed the most important measures for regular testing and social distancing contained within the proposal.

This weekend, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted out another proposed change for 2020:

@Joelsherman1
1 interesting item from MLB proposal: Fighting and instigating fights are strictly prohibited. Players must not make physical contact with others for any reason unless a normal and permissible part of game action. Violations of these rules will result in severe discipline.

Players who initiate and participate in brawls are already subject to ejection by the umpire and then perhaps fines and suspensions from the league, but this implies that those penalties will be stepped up in severity. Unlike so many other sports, an on-field fight in baseball is necessarily a mismatch at the outset (theoretically it’s nine players in the field against one batter), so it’s all but impossible to prevent the benches from the clearing and even the bullpens from emptying.

Since MLB will place a priority on maintaining as much social distancing as possible, ramped-up penalties for fighting certainly make sense.

Beyond this, there are of course legitimate concerns that the recent sign-stealing scandals could lead to an uptick in on-field “vigilantism,” and this measure may on some level also be a response to those possibilities. Suffice it to say, a full-on brawl followed by a positive coronavirus test result from one of the principals could create season-compromising havoc. There’s a debate to had over whether stiffer penalties could overcome the emotions of the moment, but MLB wants to err on the side of strong disincentives.

The Coffee County CHS dance team invites you to take advantage of the final day of their online team store.  The team store features apparel for all the Red Raider fans in your family including tank tops, sweatshirts, men’s and women’s shirts and even hoodies.  The team store is powered by Bonfire and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Coffee County CHS dance program.  Sales end on Monday, May 18th. You can visit the online store at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/cchs-spirit-wear-fundraiser/?fbclid=IwAR0fZXCgxgVDkd5dlh-BwiN3nAZlYSeCTsfwAZI5kMUUnwZvanZ2SCBmJ7o

Coffee County CHS basketball coach Micah Williams announced on Friday that the annual Coffee County Basketball Skills Camp has been cancelled for 2020.  The camp, which was scheduled for this summer. 

The camp will be held each summer at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  The camp is open to boys and girls in the 2^nd through the 8^th grade.  Coffee County CHS basketball caoch Micah Williams runs the camp with help from members of the CHS basketball team and the coaching staff.  The camp will return in the summer of 2021.  

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.