Category: Sports

Rashaan Evans(right) with NFL commission Roger Goodell after being selected as the Titans #1 draft pick on Thursday night. [Photo by Associated Press/TitansOnline]

With the Titans, head coach Mike Vrabel is putting those leadership traits to use.

Vrabel put Evans, the team’s first-round pick, in charge of the rookies during the offseason. He wants him to make sure they’re on the bus on time in the morning, in the weight room, and at breakfast before meetings.

He’s liked what he’s seen on the field as well.

“I’ve seen him do a better job in the huddle, and taking control,” Vrabel said of Evans. “It’s not that he has all the answers, but he has been very conscientious, so we have all been pleased with that attitude.”

Evans, an inside linebacker, has welcomed the responsibilities.

“I embrace that role,” he said. “And I know there’s a lot of guys in that group that can do the same thing.”

Selected 22nd overall by the Titans, Evans played in 53 games for the Crimson Tide, where he totaled 152 tackles, 15 sacks and 19 quarterback hits.

He was a full-time starter in 2017, when he tallied 74 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, six sacks and seven quarterback hits.

Evans hasn’t been perfect, something Vrabel admits. But he made strides from the beginning of the offseason program to the end of this month’s minicamp.

“I think he’s got a lot to learn,” Vrabel said of Evans. “I think he’s conscientious. He’s not where needs to be to start for our defense and that’s OK. There’s no expectations, these guys all want to say, ‘Did I exceed expectations?’ We haven’t played a game yet. Whether it be Rashaan or Harold (Landry), as long as these guys are coming out each day and they’re getting better at something, that’s what we’re worried about and I think they have. I think he’s improved but we all have a long way to go.”

Evans said he has a better understanding of the defense. He’s watched extra film. He’s taken notes, and learned from the veterans.

“It’s gone well,” he said, “just me getting used to the NFL lifestyle and getting ready for camp and things like that.”

Titans inside linebackers coach Tyrone McKenzie said Evans has handled himself like a pro in his first few months on the job.

“He has been growing, maturing, and taking strides in the right direction learning the defense and building his role on the team,” McKenzie said. “I think the biggest thing for Rashaan, and I’ve told him, is to come in every day, and try and win the day. Win the meeting, win each play. Just focus on getting better each day and everything is going to fall into place. Just try and take it one game at a time.

“His instincts, and the way he carries himself, he is very mature. He has done well, and he just has to keep working. He’s a worker. He asks all the right questions and he is willing to learn.”

The Titans wrapped up minicamp on June 14.

The team is scheduled to practice in training camp for the first time on July 26.

Evans said he’ll be ready.

“Just continue to keep improving, man,” he said. “I just want to keep working on the little things and just continuing to develop the chemistry with the guys I have on defense.

“I am very excited. To play my first game in the NFL, it is something I have been dreaming of my whole life. So I am already looking forward to it.”

Many of the Nashville Predators’ top prospects – including 2017 first-round draft pick Eeli Tolvanen, 2016 first-rounder Dante Fabbro and many of the players selected by the club at next weekend’s 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas – will participate in the team’s 2018 Development Camp from June 25-29 in Nashville.

The camp officially opened on Monday, June 25 with team meetings, off-ice testing and the first of the week’s three on-ice sessions. Prospects will also hit the ice for practices on Tuesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 28 at Centennial Sportsplex.

The camp will culminate with the Future Stars Game on Friday, June 29 at 7 p.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena. General admission tickets to the game are on sale now and are available for a $10 donation (free for Season-Ticket Citizens by request) to the Ford Ice Center Scholarship Fund. A plaza party presented by Lee Company will begin at 5:30 p.m. and all fans in attendance will receive a Preds giveaway item.

The purpose of the camp is to educate and direct players in their pro development and conditioning programs. The week’s events will be headed up by Predators Director of Player Development/Milwaukee Admirals GM Scott Nichol and Strength and Conditioning Coach David Good, with assistance from the rest of the Nashville Predators and Admirals’ (AHL affiliate) coaching and hockey operations staffs. The training itinerary features a variety of on- and off-ice testing, dry-land activities and workouts, on-ice fundamentals work, video sessions, media and nutrition education and team-building activities. The prospects will also receive instruction on training principles such as sport-specific power and strength enhancement, flexibility and off-ice conditioning.

Jorge Mateo broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI triple in the top of the 9^th inning on Tuesday night and propelled the Nashville Sounds to a 5-4 victory over the Oklahoma City Dodgers at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Sounds.

The Sounds trailed 2-0 in the 5^th when Mateo started the team’s scoring by singling off Brock Stewart to score Sheldon Neuse. Then Melvin Mercedes and Nick Martini connected on consecutive RBI triples, and Ramon Laureano grounded out to score Martini and give the Sounds a 4-2 lead. Neuse has seven multi-hit games in his last 11, and Martini now has reached base safely in 55 consecutive games as a Sound.

Norge Ruiz, up from Double-A Midland to make his Sounds debut, turned in a quality start but lost the 4-2 lead on what became his final pitch of the night. He surrendered a two-run homer to Henry Ramos in the seventh for a 4-4 game. Ruiz gave up four runs – three earned – on six hits in six-plus innings and got a no-decision. That set the stage in the ninth for Mateo, who blasted a triple off the fence in center to score Steve Lombardozzi for the game-deciding run. Dean Kiekhefer (5-0) notched the win, and Bobby Wahl recorded his fifth save. That duo combined with Carlos Ramirez for three scoreless relief innings. Former Sound Pat Venditte (3-2) suffered the loss for the Dodgers.

The four-game series continues Wednesday at 4:35 p.m. with a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games. Eric Jokisch (1-7, 4.50) faces in Manny Baneulos (8-3, 2.88) in Game 1, and Ben Bracewell (0-2, 6.46) opposes Drew Hutchison (1-1, 9.00) in Game 2.

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.

Indy Eleven has Nashville SC’s number. On Tuesday night at First Tennessee Park, two first half goals by the visitors broke Nashville’s unbeaten streak in the USL and perfect record at its home field with a 2-0 win.

90’ in a Nutshell

A corner led to the first Indy goal in the 16’ minute as defender Karl Ouimette was able to head in the cross from Ayoze to put Nashville behind for the first time at home. Indy doubled its lead in the 35’ minute as Justin Braun was able to beat Nashville keeper Matt Pickens low.

Nashville dominated the ball for much of the second half, but was unable to find the net as Indy’s defense hunkered in to prevent getting beat. The strategy worked as Indy recorded its seventh shutout of the season.

Goals

16’ IND Karl Ouimette (assisted by Ayoze)

35’ IND Justin Braun (assisted by Ayoze)

Quotable

NSC Head coach Gary Smith – “I think the story of the evening, really, for us was that after dominating pretty much between the penalty boxes, we weren’t clinical enough or incisive enough in their box. They got numbers behind the ball and did a pretty decent job, something that we’ve done pretty well in the past. So we had a bit of a taste our own medicine there. They were clinical enough in our penalty box to take away a good victory.”

Key Stat

Nashville SC – 8 corners. Despite getting eight corner kicks, Nashville was unable to find the net.

Standings Update

Nashville drops to 6th in the East with the loss.

Up Next

The home stand will continue on Saturday night for Nashville SC as Atlanta United 2 will come to town for the first time. Kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

The mandatory summer dead period for all TSSAA sports began at 12:01 AM on Sunday, June 24 and ends at midnight on Saturday, July 7. During this time there is to be no activity in high school sports or any middle school sports sanctioned by the TSSAA.

Coaches and players can’t hold workouts and all school facilities are to be closed. To quote the definition from the TSSAA bylaws, Dead Period-No coaching, observing, or contact between coach and players in sport involved. There is no practice, no open facilities, and no weight training/conditioning.

The TSSAA instituted this period 20 years ago to ensure that high school athletes had some form of summer break allowing for family vacations. With the dead period families are given the chance to plan vacations together and not worry about summer camps and workouts.

TSSAA regulations forbid coach-led practices, weightlifting or conditioning during the two-week, all-sports dead period that annually covers the last week in June and the first week in July. Coaches are not allowed to have contact with athletes during this period or to mandate any type of practice-related activities.

The dead period was implemented at the request of school administrators who wanted to give coaches and athletes an across-the-board break in addition to sport-specific dead times. Mandating the dead period in the summer levels the playing field and gives everyone a break, according to TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress.

For more information on TSSAA rules visit their website at : www.tssaa.org

Tickets for USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T, on Sept. 11 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, will go on sale Tuesday, June 26 at 10 a.m. CT.

Tickets can be purchased through ussoccer.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will be available for purchase at Nissan Stadium at a later date. Tickets for this event will be mobile only.

Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with your name and preferred number, VIP access, and other unique benefits) are available starting Friday, June 22 at 10 a.m. CT exclusively through ussoccer.com. Group tickets (30-ticket minimum) will be available through ussoccer.com starting Wednesday, June 27, at 10 a.m. CT.

Coaches Circle and Presidents Circle members supporting the U.S. Soccer Development Fund can receive individual customer support and concierge services for their ticketing needs. Click here or contact circles@ussoccer.org for more information.

North America’s biggest soccer spectacle will write its latest chapter beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT, with coverage on ESPN, UniMas and UDN. The meeting will take place during the first FIFA international window following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the marquee match continuing the MNT’s aggressive campaign of competing against the top teams in the world.

Though a heated rivalry on the field, this match also brings together two of the nations that will host the FIFA World Cup in North America in 2026 in one of the USA’s 17 candidate host cities. Currently home to United Soccer League side Nashville SC, the Music City is set to join Major League Soccer in 2020 and has shown a rich history of supporting the MNT, with attendance rising across each of the team’s five visits since 2006. Most recently, the USA began its march to the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup title by playing to a 1-1 draw with Panama in front of 47,622 fans.

Having won the first meeting that took place in the 1934 FIFA World Cup, the USA has faced off with El Tri 67 times – far more than any other international opponent. Though Mexico showed considerable dominance through the rivalry’s first 50 years, a new generation of U.S. players began to turn the tide during the 1990s, leading to the MNT’s own supremacy in the series, going 13-7-6 since the turn of the century.

Monday night’s scheduled series opener between the Nashville Sounds and Oklahoma City Dodgers was postponed due to unplayable field conditions at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The game will be made up in a doubleheader Wednesday. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. with game two beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will be seven innings.

The two teams will continue the series as scheduled Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. followed by Wednesday’s doubleheader and conclude it Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.

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.

A darkened Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym for Friday’s Red Raider basketball game.

The Coffee County Red Raider basketball team closed out the summer scrimmage season on Friday with a scrimmage doubleheader at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  Coffee County opened up with a 57 to 48 win over Moore County.  After the passing of a thunderstorm that knocked out the power to CHS, Coffee County beat Cannon County 65 to 45 in a gym lit by emergency lights and ambient light through the glass exit doors.

Against Moore County, the Raiders got 20 points from Darius Rozier and 9 from Andrew Mahaffey.  Nine different Red Raiders scored in the win. Coffee County was 3 for 8 at the free throw line which hampered them pulling away from the Blue Raiders of Lynchburg.

In a second game that was delayed due to the passing of the severe storm, Coffee County got off to a red hot start.  The Raiders jumped out to a 17 to 3 lead over Cannon County as they controlled the first quarter.  The Lions cut the lead to 6 points in the 2^nd quarter before the Raiders pushed the lead back to 12 at the half.  The Raiders never allowed the lead to fall below 12 points in the second half.  Rozier led the Raiders in scoring with 17 points.  Mahaffey added 12 points and Chase Simpkins scored 9 points while Harley Hinshaw chipped in 7 points.

Red Raider basketball coach Micah Williams was a guest on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about the summer season and his team’s progress.  The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast each and every Saturday morning LIVE from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln.  The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively here on Thunder Radio beginning at 10 AM.  That interview can be downloaded at: https://www.podcastgarden.com/login/audio-28/28184/CCS062318Podcast.mp3

High scores were the theme of the day on Saturday at the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program(SCTP) state championship in Nashville.  The Coffee County Claybusters joined in the success as they earned a 3^rd place team finish in the Senior/Varsity Division.  Additionally, a pair of Raider shooters finished in the Top 5 as individuals.

The team of Austin Schaller(who hit 100 out of 100 targets), Hayden Jacobs(99), Colter Smith(97), Neil Slone(96) and Lindsey Dickson(95) shot a team score of 487 to finish 2 clays behind 1^st place Middle Tennessee Christian.

For the men, Austin Schaller tied for 1^st place in the preliminary round with a perfect score of 100.  Schaller had to settle for a 3^rd place finish in the shoot-off.  Hayden Jacobs captured an 8^th place finish with his 99.   Other Coffee County individual scores were: Colter Smith(97) in 33^rd place; Neil Slone(96) 48^th place; Tucker Carlton(95) in 102^nd place; Blaine Schreck(94) in 104^th place and Brason Fletcher(92) in 163^rd place.  There were 408 shooters in the men’s Senior/Varsity Division.

For the ladies, Lindsey Dickson captured a 5^th place overall finish with her score of 95.  Victoria Majors came home in 8^th place as she also powdered 95 clays.    Other Coffee County finishers were Alexus Stacey who shot an 89 for 33^rd place; Cheyenne Martin(83) in 62^nd place and Emily DeFord(74) in 85^th place.  There were 104 female shooters in the Senior/Varsity Division.

The Nashville Honky Tonks wrapped up the 2018 Battle for the Boot series with a 5-2 defeat Sunday night at the hands of the Round Rock Dance Halls.

Round Rock’s Drew Robinson picked up right where he left off from Saturday’s game. Robinson slugged a game-tying two-out home run Saturday night and then crushed an 0-2 pitch beyond The Band Box to lead off Sunday’s ballgame. The Honky Tonks responded in the home half of the frame. Jorge Mateo singled and swiped second base. Four batters later he came around to score on a play that saw two errors committed by Round Rock shortstop Cliff Pennington.

Sheldon Neuse continued his hot-hitting with an RBI single in the fourth. With the infield in, Neuse lifted a base hit into shallow right center field to put the Honky Tonks in front 2-1. Neuse tried to start a rally in the ninth with another base knock but was left stranded on first base. Neuse is now batting .355 with 6 RBI in his last 11 games.

Round Rock went ahead for good in the sixth inning with a four-run frame on a pair of two-run doubles. Ryan Rua laced a double to right field off Nashville’s Kyle Finnegan while Nick Noonanripped his into the right center field gap off Jake Sanchez. It was Finnegan’s first appearance since May 9 after suffering an oblique injury. Danny Coulombe, Ryan Dull, and J.B. Wendelkeneach turned in a shutout inning out of the Honky Tonks bullpen.

After leading 2-1 after four innings, the Honky Tonks went quietly the rest of the way. Nashville recorded just one hit in the final five innings and struck out seven times, all by Dance Halls reliever Jeff Springs.

The Honky Tonks turn back into the Sounds as they hit the road for a four-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Game one of the four-game series is scheduled for Monday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Right-hander Norge Ruiz (0-0, –) starts for Nashville in what will be his Triple-A debut against right-hander Brock Stewart (1-0, 2.55) for Oklahoma City. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Post-Game Notes

-With tonight’s 5-2 loss, Nashville dropped to 33-40 on the season.

-Drew Robinson’s leadoff home run was the first belted against the Sounds since May 15, 2015 when John Andreoli went deep for the Iowa Cubs.

-Nashville is now seven games below .500. It is the low water mark of the season.

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.