Category: Sports

The Westwood Middle School football team hosted their annual football awards banquet on Tuesday night.  The highlight of the evening is the awarding of the Brian Gregory Memorial Award.   2019 is the 35^th year of the award that was established in 1985 to honor the most outstanding student/athlete on the Rocket football team. 

Brian was a former Westwood, and Manchester Central, football player who died in a tragic farming accident while in high school.  The 2019 recipient selected was Izick Sierra who played fullback and linebacker for the Rockets as well as handling the kicking duties. 

If you’re still working through what happened in Washington between the Predators and Capitals, you’re not alone.

Four lead changes, including a 3-1 advantage for Nashville and a 4-3 lead for Washington in the third period, gave way to a 5-4 triumph for the Predators on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena. The back-and-forth victory is Nashville’s eighth-straight win against the Caps overall and their fourth consecutive season sweep.

With the Capitals sitting in first place in the NHL standings and holding a 23-2-3 record when leading after two periods, the dramatic win for Nashville is sure to be cherished even more than most. Still, earning two points to draw within four of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot has to be the most important part of the evening.

“We just stuck to it,” Preds forward Rocco Grimaldi said. “Being up 3-1, and then them coming back, especially with just the way that the goals were going and just crazy bounces, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

“It’s definitely a good confidence boost tonight, and knowing that when we stick together we can go and get the job done,” Johansen said. “It’s definitely a good reminder that when we stick together we can be successful.”

The game’s opening period featured five goals in total, and three of them came from the visitors. After Richard Panik made it 1-0 Washington at 9:28, it was less than a minute later that Preds defenseman Jarred Tinordi fired home his first-career goal on a one-timer from the left point.

Mark Tinordi, Jarred’s father and a Capitals defenseman for a number of seasons, was in attendance to see his son hit the twine for the first time in his career.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Jarred said of his goal. “It was a good pass by [Filip Forsberg]. He kind of left it on a platter for me. I shot it, and I didn’t quite see it go in, but I just saw him coming in with a big hug, so it was nice.”

Less than three minutes later, and in the dying seconds of a Nashville power play, Filip Forsberg went cross crease to Mikael Granlund, and the winger roofed his 10th of the season to give the Preds their first lead of the night. Roughly three minutes after that, Roman Josi found Rocco Grimaldi streaking to the net, and the speedy forward beat Braden Holtby on the backhand to put the Predators, 3-1.

Just 24 seconds after that, however, Nashville netminder Juuse Saros misplayed the puck behind the net right to Alex Ovechkin, and Washington’s captain tallied his 693rd career goal to bring the Caps to within one.

In the second stanza, another Predators’ miscue saw Nick Bonino accidently put the puck into his own net off of Saros, and Tom Wilson scored on the power play before the period was out to give the Capitals a 4-3 advantage heading into the third.

“That could have been a time where we could have been frustrated, like, ‘You got to be kidding me? Here we go again,'” Grimaldi said. “But, I thought we came out for the third period and took it to them for most of that period. I thought it was a good job, good response for our team.”

On most nights, the final ledger almost always reads in Washington’s favor after an opening 40 minutes like that, but the visitors did not forsake their identity. Something they vowed to do after Monday’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Johansen put an exclamation point on a strong night for the Predators’ penalty kill (4-for-5) with a shorthand goal three minutes into the final period. The center rifled a shot past a Capitals’ defender and on the far side of Holtby for the all-important tying marker.

Johansen also collected an assist 12 minutes later – and in the final five minutes of regulation – on Yannick Weber’s first of the season. Yes, that’s two players with their first goals of the season in Game No. 49.

A power play at 16:03 and a few more stops for Saros sealed the victory for Nashville over the remaining seconds, and the Predators poured off their bench to congratulate their goaltender in a game that had a little bit of everything.

“One of the things we talked to the team about before the game was… in every game there’s going to be adversity,” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. “The goals of this game – one, obviously you want to win it, but the second one is we come out of this game, win or lose, with some identity of pushback and getting through those situations. In this game, we had all kinds of it where it was some odd goals with some tough bounces. I really like the fact that we were able to stay with it and get rewarded for it.”

It remains to be seen what a win like this – on the road, against the League’s top team and with tough bounces all night – could do for the Preds, but it should at least serve as a boost to a team that needs points just about every night the rest of the way.

“That was a gutsy win for us in here,” Tinrodi said. “We started the game the way we wanted to, and then we had some bad breaks in the second period. But the group found a way to do it in the third period, and it took a lot of guts. Hopefully this is the thing that we build off of.”

Notes:

Colton Sissons (Injured Reserve) did not play on Wednesday in Washington, but he is on the trip and could return to the lineup soon.

Tinordi entered the lineup in favor of Matt Irwin on Wednesday night. Yakov Trenin was also scratched for the Preds.

Nashville will finish their back-to-back set on Thursday night (at 6:30 p.m. CT) in New Jersey against the Devils before returning home to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

The Coffee County CHS basketball teams welcomed Franklin County to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Tuesday.   The Lady Raiders gave Coach Joe Pat Cope his 200^th career win with a 51 to 24 triumph over the Rebelettes.  The Red Raiders avenged their only district loss of the year in a 72 to 44 win.  In the process, Coffee County swept their 9^th straight doubleheader dating back to December.

The Rebelettes came out in a zone defense daring the Lady Raiders to shoot the outside shot to beat them.  The Lady Raiders were up to that task hitting 12 First National Bank 3 pointers on the way to the win.  Coffee County jumped out to a 9 to 1 lead in the first 2 minutes and never trailed in the contest.  Freshman Jalie Ruehling was the leading scorer for the Lady Raiders as she finished with 15 points to be named the Stone Fort Mortgage player of the game. Ellie Chumbley finished with 8 points and Marley Perry, Bella Vinson and Ellie Graham all tacked on 6 points apiece.  The win moves Coffee County’s record to 21 and 3 overall and 8 and 0 in district play. 

The Red Raiders held the Rebels scoreless in the 4^th quarter as they rolled to their 7^th straight district win.  Coffee County had great ball movement all game long as they raced out to a 23 to 10 lead in the 1^st quarter.  Franklin County cut the lead to 9 in the 3^rd quarter before the Red Raiders dominated the final period.  Jaxon Vaughn was the leading scorer for Coffee County as he had 19 points to earn the Stone Fort Mortgage player of the game honor.  Rod Brinkley came off the bench to score 11 points.  C.J. Anthony and Kyle Farless each netted 8 for the Red Raiders. The win moves Coffee County’s record to 16 and 6 overall and 7 and 1 in district play. 

Coffee County travels to Shelbyville on Friday to take on the Eagles and Eaglettes.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all the action.  Opening tip is set for 6 PM; we begin our live coverage with the Char-El Apartments and Home Rental Pregame Show at 5:50. 

Download the broadcasts at: https://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

The Coffee County Middle School Lady Raider basketball team opened play in the TMSAA Sectional Tournament on Tuesday night at Stewarts Creek Middle School.  The Lady Raiders matched up against Rockvale Middle in a rematch of a battle from November 7^th.   Coffee County saw their season come to a close in a 37 to 31 defeat.

Leading 16 to 14 at the half, the Lady Raiders saw Rockvale outscore them 12 to 6 in the 3^rd quarter to take a lead they would not surrender.  Rockvale hit 11 of their 17 free throws in the 4^th quarter to salt away the victory.   Taylor Anthony was the leading scorer for the Lady Raiders as she finished with 9 points.  Channah Gannon dropped in 7 points and Olivia Vinson netted 6 points for the Lady Raiders.  Coffee County finished the year with a final record of 19 and 7 while finishing in 2^nd place in the CTC regular season, postseason tournament and Area 6 tournament. 

The Red Raiders of CCMS will open tournament play on Wednesday when they square off against Blackman Middle at 4:30 PM at Stewarts Creek Middle.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all the action.  Our live coverage will begin at approximately 4:25.

The Westwood Middle and Coffee County Middle School swim teams closed out their season on Saturday in the MTHSSA Regional Championship in Nashville. Seven members of the Coffee County Middle School squad qualified for regionals while 5 members of the Westwood Middle School team posted qualifying times.

On the day, Abby Gilday of Westwood was the top finisher as she qualified for the finals in the 200 freestyle and finished in 15th place. In the team relays, the Westwood girls finished in 28th place in the 200 freestyle relay and 31st place in the 200 Medley Relay. Individual finishers were:
Abby Gilday – 15th 200 freestyle(finals – 11th in prelims); 16th 500 freestyle
Elsie Lazalier – 29th 100 freestyle; 38th 100 breaststroke
Ansley Beachboard – 50th – 100 breaststroke; 233rd 50 free
Cale Hays – 135th – 50 free;

For the Coffee County Middle School team, their 200 Medley relay and 200 freestyle relay teams each finished in 37th place. Individual finishers were:
Natalie Wanner – 22nd 50 free;
Brayden Kesling – 24th 200 IM; 35th 100 backstroke
Emily Snider – 35th 100 butterfly; 85th 100 free
Katelynn Hale – 41st 200 IM; 86th 100 backstroke
Christian Bourn – 58th 100 breaststroke; 134th 50 free

The Coffee County CHS freshmen Lady Raiders welcomed Cannon County to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Monday.   The Red Raiders game with Cannon County was cancelled at the request of the Lion’s coach.  The Lady Raiders fought hard before falling 40 to 35. 

Coffee County came close to getting the upset.  The Lady Raiders went on an 11 to 0 run in the 2^nd quarter to grab a halftime lead.  Leading by 1 point entering the 4^th quarter, the Lady Raiders turned the ball over in crucial situations as Cannon County rallied for the win.  Coffee County was strong at the free throw line hitting 13 of 17 for the game.  The Lady Raiders were led in scoring by Maggie Crouch who had 15 points.  Nia Sheffield had 9 points and Kennedy Norman-Young finished with 5. 

The Coffee County Middle School Lady Raider basketball team opens play in the TMSAA Sectional Tournament on Tuesday night at Stewarts Creek Middle School.  The Lady Raiders will take on Rockvale in the 8:30 game on Tuesday night.  The Red Raiders will open up tournament action on Wednesday at 4:30 PM as they take on Blackman Middle. 

Thunder Radio will be on hand on Wednesday to bring you the broadcast of the boys’ game as part of the 1^st National Bank Hometown Sports Series.  Josh Peterson will be on the call beginning with the pregame show at 4:20.  The sectional tournament concludes on Friday with the sectional tournament champions advancing to the state tournament. 

Mikael Granlund scored in the first period, and Viktor Arvidsson tallied late, but it wasn’t enough, as the Nashville Predators returned from the bye week with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The result left the Preds frustrated with their efforts in the second period in particular, especially considering a quality start and a late push to try for the tie.

“We just got away from the identity that we want to play with [in the second period],” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. “When you narrow the game down it really comes down to that second period, and we’ve got to dissect that. We’ve got to talk to the guys about it, and see why we came out and played the way we did in the first period, and then, [have an understanding of] where we went in the second period. We’ve got to do a better job understanding that you’re not always going to have the lead, and you’ve got to have pushback in games. [We need] a little bit more mental fortitude and consistency in what we’re doing and consistency throughout our lineup.”

William Nylander gave the visitors a 1-0 lead early in the contest, but less than a minute later, Mikael Granlund answered for the Predators with his ninth of the season, as he went short side on Frederik Andersen.

Zach Hyman put Toronto up by one again before the opening period was out, and the Maple Leafs added two more in the second stanza that left the Predators searching for answers.

“The first [period] was good, and then our second [period], we don’t play well, they score one or two and it just kind of keeps going from there,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of it after they score a goal. That next shift has got to be going our way. There’s going to be times when they have the puck, that momentum – that’s normal… You’ve got to find a way to get out of it… As a team, we’ve got to do a way better job of coming back and changing momentum to our way.”

Arvidsson slid the puck into the net with roughly seven minutes to play in regulation to bring the Predators back within two, but even with a late push, Nashville was unable to find the twine again before the Maple Leafs iced it with an empty-netter.

“We have to win games, and we need to play way better,” Granlund said. “We’re going to play this kind of game where we play 20 good minutes, but that’s not going to be enough. We have to do it better, the way we play. That has to change. We’re not going to win hockey games otherwise.”

Nashville will head back on the road for a back-to-back set, and it starts Wednesday in Washington (at 6:30 p.m. CT), a formidable foe.

One game into the final 10 weeks of the regular season, the challenge still remains for the Predators to find a way to climb back into a playoff spot. But the group can’t look at the entire road map. The next game comes again the Capitals, and the Preds need to find a way to correct the issues that arose Monday night.

“There’s different things that present teams positively and negatively every year; and right now, our biggest task from the coaches to the players is finding a way where we can put multiple games together, put full games together,” Hynes said. “It’s on everybody – the coaches and the players, and I think that’s what our challenge is. The good thing is we know what the challenge is. It’s not like you’re at a dartboard. I think we know exactly what we have to take care of, and that’s part of what our challenge is as a group. That’s what we have to overcome.”

Notes:

Forward Colton Sissons skated with the team on Sunday and Monday morning, but he remains on Injured Reserve with a lower-body injury.

The Predators are headed to the Nation’s Capital to start a back-to-back set. Nashville will face the Caps on Wednesday (at 6:30 p.m.) before travelling to New Jersey to meet the Devils on Thursday (at 6:30 p.m.).

The Coffee County CHS basketball team traveled to Columbia on Friday for a district doubleheader with Columbia.  The Lady Raiders grabbed their 20^th victory of the season with a 62 to 44 win over the Lady Lions.  The Red Raiders played a near perfect 2^nd half to get a 57 to 46 victory and the district sweep.

In the girls’ game, Coffee County opened up a 16 point lead going into the halftime break and pushed the lead 22 with 6 minutes left in the game.  Bella Vinson was Coffee County’s leading scorer as she netted 27 points to be named the Stone Fort Mortgage player of the game.  Jenna Garretson added 14 points and freshman post player Chloe Gannon finished with 8 points off the bench.  The win keeps the Lady Raiders in 1^st place in the district with a 7 and 0 record in league games and a 20 and 3 mark overall.

In the boys’ game, Coffee County carried a 1 point lead into the half and outscored the Lions 18 to 9 in the 3^rd period to own a 10 point advantage entering the final period.  The Red Raiders held off a pair of furious rallies in the 4^th quarter as Columbia got the deficit to 6 points on 2 different occasions.  C.J. Anthony led the Red Raiders in scoring as he had 12 points to be named the Stone Fort Mortgage player of the game.  Jaxon Vaughn chipped in 11 points and Jaylon Wooten knocked down 10 points, including 3 clutch free throws in the 4^th quarter.  The win improves the Raiders district mark to 6 and 0 as they sit atop the district standings. Coffee COunty improved to 15 and 6 with the huge road win.

The Raider teams return home on Tuesday night.  Coffee County will play host to Lincoln County at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  Thunder Radio will be on hand, as always, to bring you all the action.  Tip off for the girls’ game is 6 PM; we begin our exclusive live coverage with the Powers Storage pregame show at 5:50. 

Download the broadcasts at: https://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

The Westwood basketball teams concluded play in the Warren County Elementary League postseason tournament on Saturday.  The Rockets ended the season with a one point loss to Morrison 23 to 22.  The Lady Rockets completed their perfect season with a 49 to 26 win over Morrison. 

The Lady Rockets capped off a 17 and 0 season with a dominating win over the Lady Tigers of Morrison.  Westwood got off to a slow start trailing 9 to 4 after 1 quarter of play.  The Lady Rockets cranked up their defense holding Morrison to 1 free throw as they outscored the Lady Tigers 14 to 1.  Westwood poured in 33 points in the 2^nd half to roll to the big win.  Bryleigh Gray led Westwood in scoring with 13 points.  Princess Penaloza finished with 9 points as both Gray and Penaloza got all their points in the 2^nd half.  Allie Sullivan netted 8 points and Leonor Moreno scored 7 for Westwood.  After the game, Moreno was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.  Gray and Penaloza were named to the all-tournament team.  The Lady Rockets finish the season as the preseason tournament champions, the regular season conference champions and the postseason tournament champions. 

After leading 12 to 9 at the half, the Rockets saw Morrison tie the game in the 3^rd quarter.  The Rockets missed 4 free throws in the 4^th quarter as they dropped their 2^nd straight 1 point loss.  Jayden Carter led the Rockets in scoring with 6 points.  Caiden Warren added 5 points and Cayden Trail chipped in 4.  The Rockets finished the season with a record of 13 and 4 and the regular season conference title.  Carter and Warren were named to the all-tournament team.