Category: Sports

New Milwaukee Admirals coach Karl Taylor[Photo courtesy of NHL.com]

It was quite a transition in such short order, leaving the Texas Stars – a team he had served as an assistant coach with for the past four seasons – but a chance had arisen to become the boss of his own club once more. There was a vacancy in Milwaukee that needed filling, and it didn’t take Predators General Manager/President of Hockey Operations David Poile, Predators Director of Player Development/Milwaukee General Manager Scott Nichol and Predators management long to decide Taylor was the right man for the job.

On June 29, the 47-year-old native of North Bay, Ontario, became the seventh head coach in Admirals’ history, the next to be tasked with developing players at the AHL level to become mainstays in the NHL, specifically in Nashville.

“To come into Nashville and be part of this organization is an outstanding opportunity,” Taylor said. “I don’t take the trust lightly that they’ve given me.”

Prior to his stint in Texas, Taylor was an assistant with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, and he spent six seasons as a head coach in the ECHL before that, three with the Reading Royals and three more with the Ontario Reign.

Combine that with experience coaching at the Canadian university level and playing time as a forward in the Ontario Hockey League, as well as five seasons at the University of New Brunswick, and Taylor is simply one of those who has paid his dues in the game, worthy of a chance to become a head coach in the AHL.

Taylor recognizes the balance that is necessary between filling out the NHL roster while also putting together a competitive product for the top minor-league affiliate. The Preds have signed a number of players to two-way deals in the past 10 days, including names like Connor Brickley, Rocco Grimaldi and Jarred Tinordi, who will undoubtedly assist with those goals.

Those free-agent acquisitions will team up with prospects already in the system in an attempt to get the Admirals back to the postseason after missing out in 2017-18 for just the third time in the past 17 years, and it’s up to Taylor to guide the way.

“The way it’s done now with the salary cap, your young players must get to the NHL sooner, and our job is to get them there before they’re expected to be there,” Taylor said. “As we move forward, the main focus for us is just trying to get good people, as Nashville always has, in the right positions so we can be successful in Milwaukee.”

Over the years, Taylor has honed his skills in getting the most out of his players, a philosophy that starts with him becoming just as familiar with their personality as their slap shot.

“Every player is different… You have to treat everyone individually,” Taylor said. “For me, the No. 1 thing is getting on their ground and finding out what makes them tick. You can’t treat everyone the same, that’s not what it is… but getting to know them on that personal level so that when you do need the fire or you need to ask for more, they know it’s for the right reason. It’s not for the coach’s personal gain, it’s to help them get where they want to go.”

And make no mistake – every player under Taylor’s tutelage strives to skate on the ice in an NHL rink with regularity. In order to do that, they must impress the man who helped guide his previous club to within one win of a Calder Cup title.

Poile and others in the Predators organization often say the road to Nashville runs through Milwaukee. The 12 skaters on the current Predators roster who have traveled that trail are living proof, and Taylor is more than familiar with the pattern.

For him, this is an opportunity to help shape the next wave of Predators stars, to join a group all working for the same thing.

“When you’re part of something bigger than yourself like here in Nashville, [that’s special],” Taylor said. “Everyone’s in it together trying to build something special, the final goal being the Stanley Cup. For us in the American League it’s the Calder Cup, but for us as an organization, obviously the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal.

“When you’re part of something bigger than you, it’s a great feeling, an opportunity to have an impact with these kids and how you develop them, with the final goal being winning that last game.”

Ashley Evans(right) slides safely into 2nd base with a stolen base on Monday night.

The Lady Raider softball team of CHS welcomed Moore County to Terry Floyd Field on Monday night for a summer scrimmage.  The 2 teams battled to a spilt in a pair of 5 inning games.  Moore County won the opener 7 to 2 while the Lady Raiders rallied to capture an 8 to 1 win in the nightcap.

Five Lady Raider errors in the first game led to 4 unearned runs in the loss.  Coffee County got a leadoff double in the bottom of the 1^st inning from Ashley Evans.  Evans moved to 3^rd on a bunt single and scored on a Sarah West sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1.  Moore County added 3 runs in the 3^rd and 2 in the 5^th to secure the win.  Haley Miller got a lead-off walk in the 5^th and her pinch runner Olivia Evans scored on an Eliza Carden double for Coffee County’s other run.  Abigail Parker had a pair of singles for the Lady Raiders.

In the nightcap, Keri Munn was outstanding in the circle as she threw a 2 hitter allowing no earned runs with 8 strikeouts.   The Lady Raiders erupted for 6 runs in the 3^rd inning to take the win.  Munn had a 2 RBI single.  Kiya Ferrell had a double and a single and 1 RBI.  Parker had a single and was hit by a pitch while scoring 1 run.

Nashville Sounds infielder Nick Martini and right-handed pitchers James Naile and Bobby Wahl have been named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team as announced by the league today. All three were selected as reserves by the PCL office.

The 2018 Triple-A All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11 at 8:00 p.m. CST at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be carried live with Sounds broadcaster Jeff Hem on the call and televised on MLB Network.

Martini, 28, is hitting .306 (72-for-235) with 40 runs, 36 RBI, 11 doubles, 5 home runs and 2 triples. The Illinois native is currently on a 57-game on-base streak, tied for the second-longest streak in professional baseball since at least 2009.

It’s the second career All-Star Game selection for Martini, who was named a Texas League All-Star in 2015. Martini is among PCL leaders in walks (45, 2nd) and on-base percentage (.417, 7th). He had a 21-game hitting streak from May 22-June 19 and leads the Sounds with 19 multi-hit games.

Naile, 25, is 5-6 with a 3.93 ERA (87.0 IP/38 ER) in 15 starts. The Missouri native is among PCL leaders in starts (T-2nd) and innings pitched (3rd). Naile is one of only three pitchers in the league to throw a complete-game shutout in 2018. The right-hander blanked the Omaha Storm Chasers at First Tennessee Park on April 15.

It’s the first career All-Star Game nod for Naile, who was named PCL Pitcher of the Week for his performance from April 5-15 when he started the season with 18 1/3 scoreless innings.

Wahl, 26, is 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA (33.0 IP/10 ER) and nine saves in 29 games. The Virginia native is among PCL leaders in games finished (23, 2nd), games (T-5th), saves (6th), and leads all PCL relievers in lowest batting average against (.162) and highest strikeout per nine-inning ratio (13.65).

It’s the first career All-Star selection for Wahl, who has recorded at least one strikeout in 27 of his 29 appearances. His 51 strikeouts are the second-most among all PCL relievers.

The last time the Sounds had three players play in a Triple-A All-Star Game was in 2009 when Alcides Escobar, Brendan Katin and R.J. Swindle played for the PCL in Portland.

The three Sounds join Athletic Trainer Brad LaRosa and Hem, who were both named All-Stars in the last two weeks. The remainder of the PCL All-Stars and International League All-Stars can be found at www.milb.com.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

Members of the CHS volleyball team warm up prior to the beginning of camp on Sunday afternoon.

The mandatory summer dead period for all TSSAA sports, which began on Sunday, June 24, ended at midnight on Saturday. Beginning on Sunday, coaches and players could hold workouts and teams could open up school facilities for summer workouts and conditioning as outlined in the TSSAA handbook for each individual sport.
Local middle school and high school football, volleyball, cross country and soccer teams can begin preseason conditioning prior to their first official practice day on July 23rd. The Coffee County Central High school golf will begin organized practice sessions on Monday, July 16th.
The Coffee County Central High School volleyball team got the jump on everyone as they hosted a skills camp which began on Sunday afternoon.  The Lady Raiders, looking to repeat as District 8AAA champions, welcomed former MTSU volleyball coach Paul McCormick for the 8th straight year to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  The Legacy Volleyball Camp will have around 50 high school and middle school girls participating in the 3 day camp which concludes on Tuesday.

The Coffee County Central High School softball team will resume summer workouts on Monday night as they will host a scrimmage with Moore County.  The 2 teams will square off at 5 PM in a pair of 5 inning scrimmage games.  Both games will be held at Terry Floyd Field.
For more information on TSSAA rules for each sport, visit their website at : www.tssaa.org

The Nashville Sounds powered their way to a 5-3 win over the Iowa Cubs Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 10,904 at First Tennessee Park.

The Sounds jumped on Iowa’s Jen-Ho Tseng early as Ramón Laureano launched a solo home run to lead off the game. Steve Lombardozzi then ripped a ground rule double to the deepest part of the ballpark, right-center field. Three batters later Franklin Barreto flexed his muscles by powering a two-run home run the opposite way and push Nashville’s lead to 4-0.

Tseng then settled down for Iowa and tossed four straight hitless innings after the first frame, which included a stretch of nine straight batters retired, including five strikeouts in a row. He finished with seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings while allowing four runs on three hits.

For the second night in a row Nashville got a strong outing on the mound from a Major League rehabber. Trevor Cahill started and looked sharp as he fanned seven batters and allowed just three hits en route to four shutout innings.

Nashville picked up its first hit in four innings when Brett Vertigan began the sixth by tripling down the right field line. The center fielder was left stranded 90 feet from home plate. Nashville got back on the scoreboard in the seventh inning as Sheldon Neuse showed off his power. The third baseman crushed a solo home run to the deepest part of the ballpark in right center field.

Norge Ruiz came out of the bullpen in the sixth inning in what was the first relief outing of his career. He clinched his first career Triple-A win as he tossed 3.0 inning of one-run ball.

The final game before the All-Star break is scheduled for Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Ben Bracewell (0-1, 3.72) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Eddie Butler (0-1, 27.00) for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With tonight’s 5-3 win, the Sounds improved to 41-45 on the season.
• Ramón Laureano hit a leadoff home run for the Sounds, their second leadoff home run of the season and first since Jorge Mateo did so on May 3 at Colorado Springs.
• Trevor Cahill made a Major League rehab appearance for the Sounds. His pitching line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. He threw 65 pitches, 42 for strikes.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41^st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

The scoreboard read 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes, but the action on the field was anything but insignificant.

In front of 18,228 fans at Nissan Stadium, Nashville SC drew first-place FC Cincinnati 0-0, despite firing 20 shots, 13 of which came in the first half. Matt Pickens made a pair of key saves and the Nashville defense limited Cincinnati’s high-powered offense to just 12 shots. Both teams had big chances throughout the match but were unable to convert.

90 in a Nutshell

Nashville SC started the match with some tremendous pressure going forward. The players were able to navigate the Cincinnati midfield with some ease, but couldn’t find Grade-A chances. The match got physical as well, as Nashville forward Brandon Allen was pushed down in the penalty area with no whistle blown.

Just before halftime, Nashville’s Lebo Moloto ran a give-and-go at the top of the box, took a blistering shot and rang it off the far post. Nashville continued to pressure, but could not find the back of the net before the halftime whistle.

The home side kept the pressure up early in the second half. In the 69’ minute, Alan Winn put a header just wide of the net for Nashville’s best chance of the half to that point. As the half rolled on, Cincinnati started to put the pressure on and benefitted from a handful of corner kicks. Pickens continued to dazzle and stifled the Cincinnati front lines, including one key run in the 85’ minute to stop a dangerous-looking Cincinnati run. Late in the half, Allen had another good run towards goal, but the Cincinnati defense recovered in time to snuff it out. FC Cincinnati had the last chances before the referee blew the game dead and ushered in the fireworks display.

Quotable

Head Coach Gary Smith

“If I look at the body of work that’s been achieved from our last fixture here against Pittsburgh, I’m absolutely delighted. I thought we played some excellent soccer, created some wonderful chances in the first period which was for sure our best opportunity to break the deadlock.”

“And possession, and I thought against one of the top sides if not the top side, and certainly number one in the league at the moment. We showed some wonderful qualities with and without the ball. In the first half we limited them to very little while also looking extremely bright. And understandably in the second period, with the type of individuals and the caliber of players that they have you, expect them to make one or two openings.”

Key Stat

FC Cincinnati – Two shots on target. Cincinnati entered the match as the top scoring team in the USL with 35 goals and one of the league’s top scorers in Emmanuel Ledesma. Thanks to some strong midfield play and stout backline fortifications, Nashville SC only let two shots go on target as Matt Pickens recorded his league-leading ninth clean sheet.

Standings Update

Nashville now has 27 points in the standings thanks to the draw, but move down to fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference thanks to wins by Louisville City FC and Indy Eleven. The club is just two points out of third place and three points clear of ninth place.

Up Next

The club hits the road in USL play for the first time in over a month when it takes on the Charlotte Independence on Wednesday, July 11. Nashville is back home at First Tennessee Park on Wednesday, July 25 to take on Atlanta United 2.

Four Nashville Sounds’ pitchers shut down the Iowa Cubs in a 4-1 win in front of 8,879 fans at First Tennessee Park Friday night.

Raul Alcantara started for the Sounds and one-hit the Cubs over three scoreless innings before giving way for Oakland Athletics right-hander Daniel Mengden. Pitching on a Major League rehab assignment, Mengden went 3 2/3 innings and limited Iowa to one unearned run.

The Sounds built an early lead behind Alcantara with a pair of runs in the first inning. Ramon Laureano started the bottom of the first with a triple to the gap in right-center. Steve Lombardozzi followed with a run-scoring single to plate the first run of the night. Lombardozzi later scored on a wild pitch to give Nashville a 2-0 lead.

With a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Jake Smolinski started a rally with a sharp single to left field, his second hit of the game. Anthony Garcia followed with his team-leading 14^th home run of the season to give the Sounds a 4-0 lead.

Mengden followed Alcantara in his first rehab assignment since landing on Oakland’s disabled list on June 23 with a sprained right foot. Iowa scored a run in the seventh with the help of a throwing error.

Dean Kiekhefer relieved Mengden with two outs in the seventh and stranded a runner. The southpaw started the eighth before Bobby Wahl entered with one out and a runner at first. He retired Chesny Young and Taylor Davis to hold the 4-1 lead.

Wahl came back out for the ninth and issued a lead-off walk before retiring the next three hitters to earn his 10^th save of the season.

Game four of the five-game series is scheduled for Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Trevor Cahill (0-1, 3.72) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng (2-9, 7.25) for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With tonight’s 4-1 win, the Sounds improved to 40-45 on the season.
• Daniel Mengden made a Major League rehab appearance for the Sounds and picked up his 11^th career win with Nashville. His pitching line: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He threw 66 pitches, 38 for strikes.
• Anthony Garcia hit his team-leading 14^th home run of the season – a two-run shot in the fifth inning. He also leads the Sounds with 44 RBI.
• Bobby Wahl recorded his 10^th save of the season. The 10 saves are tied for fourth-most in the Pacific Coast League.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41^st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

Coffee County Central High School Red Raider basketball coach Micah Williams announces the 2018 Kid’s Skills Camp.  The camp will be held on July 16^th through the 19^th at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  The camp will run from 9 AM to noon each day and cost for the camp is $50 per camper.  The camp is open to boys and girls who will be in the 2^nd through the 8^th grade in the upcoming school year.

If you need more information, contact Coach Williams at : williamsm@k12coffee.net

The Nashville Sounds dropped game two of their five-game series with the Iowa Cubs 7-1 Thursday night after a six-run sixth inning from Iowa.

Nashville starter James Naile brought his A-game through 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and fanning six batters. The wheels fell off after that as the next six I-Cubs hitters collected a hit off Naile before he was pulled. He yielded three singles and three doubles. Ryan Dull then entered the game for Nashville and allowed his inherited runner to score on an RBI-double from Bijan Rademacher.

For the second night in a row the Sounds jumped out to an early lead. In his first at-bat back with the Sounds after a stint with Oakland, Franklin Barreto worked a one-out walk in the second inning. Catcher Bruce Maxwell then scorched a double into the right field corner to bring Barreto around to score. The lead would last three innings until Iowa erupted for six runs in the sixth. Iowa added another run in the seventh off Jake Sanchez.

Casey Coleman made his I-Cubs debut on the mound and turned in a solid outing. The right-hander limited the Sounds to just one run on three hits while striking out nine batters.

Nashville had an opportunity to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning as the first two batters reached base but Coleman struck out the next three batters to end the threat.

Game three of the five-game series is scheduled for Friday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (0-0, –) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. (3-8, 4.42) for the Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

• With tonight’s 7-1 loss, the Sounds dropped to 39-45 on the season.
• Nick Martini extended his consecutive on-base streak to 65 games when he walked in the sixth inning. Martini’s streak is the longest by a Nashville player in the Pacific Coast League era and is the longest active streak in professional baseball. Since April 14, Martini has reached safely in every game he has played in with the Sounds. The 65-game on-base streak is the second-longest in professional baseball since at least 2009 when MLBAM began tracking the statistic.
• Martini’s 10-game hitting streak was snapped.
• Ramón Laureano tallied a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to a modest five games. He has scored a run in each of his last three games.

The 2018 season is the Sounds’ 41^st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

The pinnacle of the Summer of Soccer is here.

This Saturday, Nashville SC takes on first-place FC Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium at 7:30 PM. It’s expected to be a barn-burner in front of some of the loudest fans in the USL.

If you haven’t been out to a Nashville SC game yet this year, or are looking for a reason to hop on the bandwagon, here are 10 reasons why you should join the biggest sports party of the summer in the Music City.

1. Marquee Matchup

In terms of the quality of soccer, the intensity on the field should match the intensity in the stands on Saturday. This will be a matchup of the first-place team in the USL Eastern Conference against the third-place team in Nashville SC. Those kinds of matchups don’t come around very often.

It will also be Nashville’s first-ever matchup as a top-three team against a fellow top-three team. Depending on the result and the result for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Nashville could move up into second place in the USL Eastern Conference as a first-year professional club.

2. Late Goals

Whatever you do, don’t leave a Nashville SC match early.

Nashville is particularly good at scoring late goals. In fact, the team has scored eight goals after the 75’ minute. The most notable of these was Ropapa Mensah’s goal at the death to beat North Carolina FC 1-0 on June 16.

3. Our Players Can Bust a Move

Nashville knows how to put on a show, and Nashville SC is no different.

When Nashville’s scorers put the ball in the back of the net, they know how to celebrate properly. Lebo Moloto has cut a rug quite a few times after scoring big goals.

4. It’s Loud. Very Loud.

Like cheering? Like drums? Like getting loud for your favorite team?

You’ve come to the right place.

5. Matt Pickens Is Your New Favorite Goalie

Nashville is no stranger to good goalies. The Nashville Predators have had a long lineage of good goalies, from Mike Dunham and Tomas Vokoun to Pekka Rinne.

On the soccer pitch, there’s a new sheriff in town, and his name is Matt Pickens.

There’s only one Matt Pickens, and he’s been an integral part of why Nashville SC has had so much early season success.

6. It’s Fun for the Kids

Need something to do with the kids on a Saturday night? There’s no better place to be than a Nashville SC match. It’s loud, it’s raucous, but it’s also fun for the whole family. Just look at how much fun these future Nashville SC stars had.

7. There are Fireworks

Can’t get enough of the fireworks on the week of the Fourth of July? We’ve got you covered.

Stick around after the game for a firework display so grand it could only be done here in Nashville. Sources say that it’s going to be lit.

8. We’ve Got Famous Fans

All the biggest names in Nashville are on board with Nashville SC. Singers, Predators and Titans players and other stars have all come out to games and donned the blue and gold.

9. It’s a Future MLS Rivalry

Both Nashville and Cincinnati will be entering the MLS in the coming years, so you can be there to witness the first meeting of what should become a longstanding rivalry between two passionate soccer cities.

10. It’s a Saturday Night in Nashville

It’s the weekend after Independence Day. What better way to enjoy your Saturday night in Nashville than a soccer game with thousands of friends cheering on Nashville’s soccer club, followed by a firework display and a night out on the town?

Tickets are still available at NashvilleSC.com/tickets.