Category: Sports

The Westwood soccer team hosted their home opener on Friday as they welcomed White County to Dyer-Bouldin Field.   The Rocket defense held the visiting Warriors without a shot on frame in the non-conference friendly.  Westwood got goals from 6 different players as they rolled to the 9 to 0 win. 

Joel Barrera got the scorefest started early as he potted a goal 30 seconds into the match off an assist from Aiden Smith.  Smith added his own goal in the 6^th minute as Barrera provided the helper.  Nico Sanfilippo added a goal in the 8^th minute off a feed from Caleb Cargile to put Westwood up 3 nil.  Izick Sierra added a hat trick with 3 goals before the half.  Sierra got assists from CyBrody Dyer, Sanfilippo and Joan James. 

Barrera started the 2^nd half with a goal in the 35^th minute as James provided his second assist.  James added a goal in the 40^th minute as Alexander Petaton provided the assist before Junior Petaton ended the game via the Mercy Rule with Westwood’s 9^th goal in the 45^th off an assist from Smith. 

The Rockets return to action on Thursday when Westwood plays host to North Franklin.   That match will get underway at 5 PM and it is the opening broadcast in the People’s Bank Hometown Spring Sports Series.  And, as always is the case with spring sports, when weather forces cancellations and postponements, Thunder Radio will keep you updated on that as well.  For more than complete prep sports coverage, remember, nobody does sports like Thunder Radio! 

Pekka Rinne was outstanding once more, but the goaltender’s efforts weren’t enough, as the Nashville Predators fell in overtime, 2-1, to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

The result gives the Preds a much-needed point in the standings, but the goal is two, and Nashville was only able to get one of their 43 shots past Chicago netminder Corey Crawford.

“At this time of the year, it’s hard to get the points, and tonight we got one,” Rinne said. “We have to move on. [We have a] game tomorrow right away, but I don’t know, it’s frustrating when you lose. I don’t think it was a very good hockey game overall, just two teams afraid to lose the game.”

“We’re getting excellent goaltending, it’s just the situations in front of him,” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. “We get the power plays, [but then] we’re taking the penalties on the power play, we don’t produce, and then… you give those guys an opportunity on the power play. [Rinne is] doing the best he can. I mean, he played a heck of a game, and we’ve just got to be better in front of him.”

The scoreboard read 0-0 after the opening period, but the Predators were thankful to be in a tied hockey game. Rinne made the first eight saves of the contest and later stopped Brandon Saad on a breakaway and a subsequent penalty shot. It was the third penalty shot Rinne has denied this season and the 12th of his career.

Nashville also killed off the majority of two Hawks’ power plays in the frame. The line of Craig Smith, Kyle Turris and Rocco Grimaldi generated most of the Predators’ attack and time in the offensive zone, and got Nashville up to 10 shots prior to the conclusion of the first 20 minutes of the contest.

The story of the second period was similar to the first: Rinne making saves on one end with the Preds’ offense chipping away with shots on the counter attack. Nashville drew three penalties in the middle frame, including 1:13 of time on a 5-on-3 power play, but only saw their shot total rise as a result. The visitors put 20 shots on the Hawks’ net in the middle period alone.

Finally, with 5:04 left in the second, Grimaldi found Mattias Ekholm off the rush, and the defenseman beat Crawford with a wrister for a 1-0 lead.

The Hawks earned two more chances on the power play in the third period. After Rinne made two of his best saves of the season, the home team finally broke through with a point shot that deflected on its way into the net.

The remaining 11 minutes of regulation was played evenly, with both goaltenders maintaining a 1-1 score until overtime.

“We had some quality looks, and that’s the other thing, too, is we try to extend the lead and we didn’t,” Hynes said. “We weren’t able to do that tonight… I think it was the special teams, and it wasn’t as buttoned up as the game needs to be. Ultimately, it cost us.”

Late in OT, Alex DeBrincat picked off a pass in his own end and beat Rinne on a breakaway to send the Hawks home happy and the Predators wanting more.

“It’s a huge one point,” Rinne said. “We’re still right in it, and we’re outside looking in, and we can still do it. But there’s not a ton of room for error either.”

The Predators won’t have much time to stew about Friday’s contest; the Columbus Blue Jackets are already in Nashville waiting for a Saturday night tilt at Bridgestone Arena – an outing that starts a five-game homestand for the Preds.

“A point is a point, but [Rinne] played unbelievable, and it would have been nice to get him some run support, but it didn’t happen tonight,” Preds Associate Captain Ryan Ellis said. “It’s a tough way to lose the game, but I thought all in all we competed.”

Notes:

Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis returned to the lineup after missing 20 games with an upper-body injury. Yannick Weber was scratched as a result.

Nick Bonino missed the contest due to illness. Colin Blackwell took his place in the lineup; his last game action was previously on Feb. 8 in Edmonton. Blackwell collected a secondary assist on the lone Nashville goal.

The Preds will complete their final back-to-back set of games of the month – and second in as many weekends – when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

The Coffee County CHS Red Raider basketball team opened up play in the District 8AAA Tournament on Thursday night.  Coffee County squared off against Columbia at Lincoln County High School in the tournament’s semifinal round.  In a game you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Lions of Columbia hit 12 three pointers as they stunned the Red Raiders 66 to 62 in overtime. 

Coffee County held a 3 point lead in the closing seconds of regulation only to see the Lions hit a 3 point basket with 5 seconds remaining to force the overtime period.  In overtime, Columbia scored the last 5 points of the game to grab the heart-breaking win.  The Red Raiders were 12 of 21 at the free throw line in the loss.  Kyle Farless came off the bench to score 17 points as he was Coffee County’s leading scorer and the Stone Fort Mortgage player of the game.  Jaylon Wooten finished with 14 points while Jaxon Vaughn and C.J. Anthony each netted 10 points. 

The Red Raiders return to action on Saturday in the consolation game for the District 8AAA Tournament at Lincoln County High School.  The boys’ consolation game will tip off at 2:00 PM as the Red Raiders will take on Lincoln County.

The Lady Raiders will open up tournament play on Friday night as they square off against Franklin County.  That semifinal matchup will take place at Lincoln County High School beginning at 6 PM.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you the broadcast of all of the Coffee County basketball games throughout the postseason.  Thunder Radio is proud to be the official station of Coffee County athletics. 

Download the broadcast at: www.thunder1320.com/downloads

Two members of the Coffee County Red Raider wrestling team opened up competition in the TSSAA State Wrestling Tournament in Franklin on Thursday.  Cardin Stump and Gavin Prater were in action in Day #1 of the 3 day tournament featuring 32 wrestlers in each weight class. 

Prater, a sophomore, wrestled in the 145 pound weight division as he entered the tournament with a match record of 29 and 10.  Prater dropped his first round match by a 3 to 2 decision to Kyle Cooley of McMinn County.  In the consolation bracket, Prater dropped a 13 to 4 decision to end his state tournament.  After being tied 2 to 2 at the end of the first round, Robert Bramblett of Spring Hill dominated the final 2 periods for the win. 

Stump, a junior, wrestled in the heavyweight class as he entered the tournament with a match record of 24 and 11 on the season.  Stump won his opening round match in impressive fashion as he beat Terrance Lucy of Knoxville Central in 16 seconds via a pinfall.  In the round of 16, Stump lost a heart-breaking 4 to 2 decision to Tyson Love-Jones of Cordova.  In the consolation match, Stump trailed 6 to 2 entering the 3^rd round but erupted for 5 points to force an overtime round.  In overtime, Stump grabbed a takedown with 13 seconds remaining in the round to grab the 9 to 7 decision win over Don Munoz McAmis of Morristown West. 

Stump returns to Franklin on Friday as wrestling continues at 10 AM.  The medal matches will take place on Saturday.  The Lady Raider wrestlers will weigh-in at 8:30 on Friday and their first round matches will begin at 10 AM on Friday morning.  The girls’ championship will also be held on Saturday beginning at 10 AM.  Tickets for the event are $10 daily with a parking charge of $5 per car.

You can keep track of their performances in real time online at: http://www.tssaasports.com/wrestling

The Westwood soccer opened the season on Wednesday as they traveled to Winchester for a matchup with South Franklin.  The Rockets dominated the match possessing the ball for 42 of the 60 minutes.  In the end, 5 different players scored for Westwood as they came home with a 7 to 0 win. 

The Rockets got off to a fast start as Isaac Simmons scored in the 9^th minute off an assist from Izick Sierra.  Torrin VanZanbergen netted a goal 3 minutes later off an assist from Nico Sanfilippo.  Elias Ramon added a goal before intermission after Sierra provided his 2^nd assist to give Westwood a 3 to 0 halftime lead.  After intermission, Caleb Cargile, Simmons, William Rogers and Ramon all added 2^nd half goals.  Sierra assisted on all 4 goals in the second half.  Elijah McCoy stopped both shots that the he faced in goal. 

The Rockets will be back in action on Friday when they host their home opener.  Westwood will take on White County beginning at 6 PM at Dyer-Bouldin Field.  Westwood will be back at home on Thursday, February 27th when they play host to North Franklin.   That match will get underway at 5 PM and it is the opening broadcast in the Thunder Radio Spring Sports coverage calendar.  And, as always is the case with spring sports, when weather forces cancellations and postponements, Thunder Radio will keep you updated on that as well.  For more than complete prep sports coverage, remember, nobody does sports like Thunder Radio! 

The Coffee County CHS Red Raider soccer team will host their annual Red Raider Jam scrimmage play day on Saturday.  The event will take place behind the Coffee County Raider Academy on the Raider Soccer Field and Carden-Jarrell Field.   Ten varsity squads and 6 JV teams will fill out a field that will feature 32 games.  The action gets underway at 8 AM with the last game beginning at 4:45 PM.

The Coffee County varsity squad will play games at 8:35 AM and 1:50 PM on the football field plus games at 9:45 and 4:20 on the soccer field.  The JV team will open up at 8 AM on the football field before finishing up with 3 games on the soccer field.  The JV team will play their last 3 games at 9:10 AM, 10:55 AM and 3 PM. 

Nashville Soccer Club unveiled Tuesday a series of rituals and activations that will take place during the club’s inaugural match in Major League Soccer against Atlanta United FC on Feb. 29, presented by Renasant Bank. Fans planning to attend will want to get in their seats early to see Judah and the Lion, Charles Esten and Lzzy Hale featured in a night when sports and entertainment come together in Music City.

In a partnership with Judah and the Lion, Nashville SC has teamed up with the Nashville based alternative rock band to create the official club anthem titled “Never Give Up On You.” The band’s 20-minute performance, which will include the anthem, will take place after both teams leave the field following warm-ups.

Following the anticipated entrance of both teams on the pitch, American singer and actor Charles “Chip” Esten will perform the National Anthem. The multitalented artist is no stranger to the Music City and has cemented his place in the industry with his songwriting and countless live performances. Esten, a soccer advocate himself, was a key supporter of the #MLS2Nashville campaign that brought MLS to Music City.

As Nashville SC players set up on the pitch to kick off their inaugural season in MLS, fans will want to pay attention to The Backline section where rock artist Lzzy Hale will be the first to perform the Gibson Guitar Riff. A GRAMMY-winning singer and songwriter with her band Halestorm, Lzzy is renowned as one of the best vocalists in rock and roll throughout her career and will now spearhead a new trend for Nashville SC fans. The Gibson Guitar Riff is a special ritual that will showcase different artists throughout the season as they increase the energy by riffing live on an NSC customized Gibson guitar right before kickoff.

In addition to the exciting performances in store for the home opener, Nashville SC will be unveiling its collaborative community project “One Nashville Under Gold” banner. The project is a collection of images representing Nashvillians from all walks of life, symbolizing the club’s motto; One Nashville Under Gold, as well as MLS’s “Soccer for All” initiative. The banner will be displayed at each home match and will highlight our fans, supporters and community partners across the region. Nashville SC’s honorary flag bearers for this match will be youth from the International Teen Outreach Program of Glencliff High School and the 101st Airborne Division, Screaming Eagles, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

A special section of the stadium will be presented in the home opener as Nashville SC unveils Section 615, presented by DEX Imaging. Named after the area code of the Music City, this section is dedicated to people, groups and community organizations who are doing good work in and around Nashville. The first guest of the season will be Oasis Center, a nationally recognized organization designed to help young people in Middle Tennessee move into a happy, healthy, and productive adulthood. In addition, to Section 615, Nashville SC will also be introducing “Our Hero of the Match” presented by Hyundai, a matchday moment to celebrate those members making an impact in our community.

Be a part of history! Tickets to Nashville SC’s inaugural MLS match against Atlanta United FC, presented by Renasant Bank, are available through Season Ticket Memberships starting at just $425 ($25 per game) and through single game and group tickets. Be sure to secure your place in history with the best seats for Feb. 29 and throughout the inaugural season by visiting NashvilleSC.com/Tickets or calling 615-750-8800.

The Coffee County CHS Raider wrestling team opens up competition in the TSSAA State Wrestling Tournament on Thursday.  Four Raider grapplers will represent Coffee County Central High School in the 3 day state championship.  Gavin Prater and Cardin Stump will compete for the Red Raiders while Lady Raider wrestlers Alanna Coker and Mary Wolfrum also qualified for the state girls’ championship. 

Prater will wrestle at 145 pounds, while Stump qualified in the heavyweight division.  For the Lady Raider wrestlers, Coker will compete at 115 while Wolfram has qualified in the 125 weight class.

The state tournament will begin on Thursday at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park in Franklin.  The boys weigh-in will take place at 1 PM on Thursday with wrestling getting underway at 3 PM for the first 2 rounds. Wrestling continues on Friday at 10 AM with the championships on Saturday.  The Lady Raider wrestlers will weigh-in at 8:30 AM on Friday and their first round matches will begin at 10 AM on Friday morning.  The girls’ championship will also be held on Saturday beginning at 10 AM.  Tickets for the event are $10 daily with a parking charge of $5 per car.

You can keep track of their performances in real time online at: http://www.tssaasports.com/wrestling

The Westwood soccer team’s Tuesday scrimmage at home against South Franklin was postponed due to wet field conditions at Dyer-Bouldin Field.  The match will be made up on Wednesday in Winchester beginning at 4:30 PM.  The match is set to be played behind the football field at the site of the former Franklin County High School off Dinah Shore Boulevard. 

The Rockets open the regular season on Thursday, February 27th when Westwood plays host to North Franklin.   That match will get underway at 5 PM and it is the opening broadcast in the Thunder Radio Spring Sports coverage calendar.  And, as always is the case with spring sports, when weather forces cancellations and postponements, Thunder Radio will keep you updated on that as well.  For more than complete prep sports coverage, remember, nobody does sports like Thunder Radio!