Abby Woods signs her National Letter of Intent to attend Motlow on a soccer scholarship. Pictured are: Front Row(left to right): Abby Woods, sister; Lisa Woods, mother; Abby Woods; Chip Woods, father; and Cooper Woods, brother. Back Row: Kandy Gilley, CHS assistant soccer coach; Lafredo Ramirez, CHS assistant soccer coach; David Amado, CHS head soccer coach; Andy Lyon, Motlow head soccer coach and Lee Xixis, CHS assistant soccer coach. [Photo by Demarco Moore – Manchester Times]
Identified by her teammates as a kind and generous leader on Monday night, Coffee County’s Ashley Woods added to the week’s honors on Wednesday as she signed a scholarship to continue her soccer career at Motlow. The senior keeper signed her letter of intent with the Lynchburg junior college in a ceremony at Coffee County Central High School surrounded by family, coaches, teammates and friends. Woods, who was the starting keeper for the Lady Raiders this past fall, joins the 2nd year Lady Bucks soccer team with the expectation to contribute immediately.
Her high school coach, David Amado, praised Ashley for here “unequaled work ethic” as the quality that would serve Ashley best in her college career. “Ashley worked very hard to get where she is” said Amado. “I never had to demand total effort from her, she always gave a maximum effort” added Amado. Woods was in goal for Coffee County this spring as the Lady Raiders were the regular season district champions and advanced to the region tournament semifinals. When speaking of her senior season, Amado acknowledged that Woods presence in goal, especially early in the season, helped set the table for the spectacular season for Coffee County. “There were many times, early in the year, that having Ashley in goal was the biggest reason we had success” said Amado.
Motlow is coached by Andy Lyon, who interestingly enough, coached Ashley as a younger player in travel soccer as part of the Camp Forrest organization. “I have known Ashley for a long time” said Lyons when reached by Thunder Radio on Wednesday. “In all my years of coaching soccer, Ashley is one of the hardest working players(I have coached)” added Lyon. Lyon went on the describe Woods as a “good fit” for the Lady Bucks program; not only as a player, but as a student and teammate. “Ashley has always been eager to work hard” said Lyon.
Motlow will lose 5 players from last year’s team, including 2 former keepers. Lyon prefers to carry 3 keepers on his roster and wants those keepers to push to become better players. Lyon expects Woods to not only add depth, but to also compete for the starting keeper position.
The CHS wrestling team welcomed Blackman and Lawrence County to the Raider Academy on Tuesday night for a region tri-match. Taking on the 9th ranked Blaze of Blackman, Coffee County fell 72 to 10. Against Lawrence County, the Raiders fared only slightly better against the experienced Wildcats falling 66 to 18
Against Blackman, Evan Jaynes(at 145 pounds) got a win on an 11 to 2 major decision for Coffee County. Noah O’Shields(170) got a win via a pin fall for the Red Raiders. In the Lawrence County match, Coffee County got pin fall wins from Jaynes(145) and Hunter Massey(106) to go with a forfeit win from Reynaldo Reyes(182).
The Raider grapplers travel to Cookeville on Thursday for a 4 way duals meet. Coffee County will square off against the host Cavaliers along with Livingston Academy and Upperman. The first matches will get underway at 6 PM at Cookeville High School.
Motlow State redshirt-freshman Leo Castillo, shown driving to the basket in a game earlier this season, scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds during the Bucks’ 111-75 win over Nationwide Academy Saturday in West Plains, Missouri. [Photo by Jeff Reed Photography]
After three weeks off for the holidays, the Motlow Bucks split a pair of games in Missouri over the weekend and will jump back into TCCAA conference play Friday with a trip to Harriman to face Roane State.
The Bucks (11-2, 5-0) are ranked No. 7 in the latest NJCAA poll. Motlow traveled to West Plains, Missouri, over the weekend, falling to No. 24 Missouri State-West Plains 94-82 Friday, then beating Nationwide Academy 111-75 Saturday.
Now that the season has turned over the 2018 calendar, men’s teams will play the first game of all remaining TCCAA men/women doubleheaders. Friday the Bucks and Raiders will tip off at 4:30 p.m. central time, with the women’s contest to follow. Saturday, Motlow will travel to Walters State in Morristown, with the Bucks and Senators set to tip at 1 p.m. central.
The Bucks’ two losses have both come on the road to ranked teams, and Friday’s loss to West Plains resembled the early season loss at No. 1 Northwest Florida State in that the Bucks did not shoot the ball well while the home team did.
Motlow shot too many three pointers and didn’t make near enough, connecting on only 9-34 for 26.5 percent. The Bucks made only 42 percent of their shots from the field and hit 9-17 free throws. With only four assists on 32 made shots, statistics show the Bucks did not share the ball especially well.
Isaiah Hart led all Motlow scorers with 26 points on 11-19 shooting and added four steals and three rebounds. Rashawn Fredericks added to his double-double streak, scoring 17 points with 14 rebounds. Kevonte Corley also secured a double-double, scoring 13 points with 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists.
Dillon Smith had six points and two rebounds, Anthony Yarbrough scored six and added two boards, Derrick Rayford had five points, and Hayden Edmondson hit a three pointer and grabbed a pair of steals.
Saturday’s win over Nationwide Academy featured a strong shooting performance and much better ball movement for the Bucks. Motlow led 44-26 at the half and pulled away in the final 20 minutes. The Bucks shot 57 percent from the field, hit 14-29 three pointers and 25-37 free throws, and dished out 14 assists with 15 steals.
Hart, a sophomore from Murfreesboro who leads the Bucks in scoring with a 21 points-per-game average, led the way with 24 points, seven assists, four steals and three rebounds. Smith added 23 points on 6-9 three-point shooting and had two steals, and Leo Castillo had his best game as a Buck, just missing a double-double with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Yarbrough broke into double figures with 11 points and five rebounds, Kin Webster scored 10, Corley had six points and 12 rebounds, Edmondson scored six with two assists, Chad Emmons had five points and four rebounds, Justin Hill scored five with five rebounds and three steals, and Zaire Swaby scored three points and had five rebounds.
Visit the official website of Motlow Athletics at MotlowSports.com for rosters, schedules, stats and more. Interact with Motlow Athletics on social media at MotlowSports.
The Coffee County CHS basketball teams welcomed old rival Tullahoma to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Tuesday night. Playing before a huge and enthusiastic crowd, both Raider teams captured rivalry wins as each improved to 4 and 0 in district play. The Lady Raiders battled their way to a 47 to 30 win while the Red Raiders had to come from behind to win 45 to 42.
After a tight first period, Jacey Vaughn hit a huge 3 pointer to give the Lady Raiders a 3 point lead at the end of 1 period. Abby Morgan added a 3 pointer at the end of the half to stretch the lead to 12 going into the second half. The Lady Raiders stretched the lead to 22 points late in the 3rd quarter to coast to the win.
Jacey Vaughn and Abby Morgan led the Lady Raiders in scoring as each had 15 points. The juniors combined for all 12 first quarter points for Coffee County as they were named the Crazy Daisies co-players of the game. Bella Vinson added 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Lady Raiders improved to 16 and 1 on the season and 4 and 0 in district play.
The Red Raiders got off to perhaps their worst start of the year as Tullahoma rattled off 16 straight points to build an 18 to 4 lead after the first period. The Raiders battled back to cut the deficit to 3 points early in the 4th period but did not take their first lead until the final minute. Darius Rozier got a layup to put Coffee County on top 43 to 42 with 23 seconds left in the game. A De’Aaron Rozier steal and slam dunk with 4 seconds remaining put an exclamation point on the big win.
Darius finished with a game high 19 points, including 6 in the final period to be named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. De’Aaron added 9 points while Grey Riddle chipped in 6 points. The win improves the Raiders record to 11 and 4 overall and 4 and 0 in district games.
Coffee County will hit the road on Friday when they travel to Winchester. The girls’ game against Franklin County will tip off at 6 PM. Thunder Radio begins live coverage at 5:50 PM with the Powers Storage Pregame Show at 5:50.
Coming off a pair of wins on Monday, the Coffee County Middle School Raider and Lady Raider basketball teams hit the road for Warren County. In a pair of games originally scheduled for Thursday, Coffee County got a split in the conference doubleheader. The Lady Raiders won 38 to 29 while the Red Raiders lost 40 to 36.
The Lady Raiders used a big second half to stretch a 4 point lead into their 14th win of the season. Marley Perry and Kiya Ferrell led Coffee Middle in scoring as each finished with 16 points. Alyssa McClanahan added 4 points.
The Red Raiders led by 3 points in the 4th quarter of a nip and tuck boys’ game before Warren County hit a pair of huge 3 pointers to take the lead and the win. Connor Shemwell led Coffee County in scoring with 14 points. Dayne Crosslin added 9 points and Phinehas Rollman added 7.
Coffee Middle is on the road on again on Thursday night when they travel to Tullahoma to take on East. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM at East Middle School
Two goals in the first period and a dramatic offside challenge late was all the Nashville Predators needed to defeat the Edmonton Oilers for an 11th consecutive time, topping their opponent by a 2-1 final on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
The win is Nashville’s second-straight overall and extends its streak against the Oilers, with its last defeat to Edmonton coming in 2014.
“I thought we came out and had a good start,” Preds forward Craig Smith said. “That’s what we we’re looking for. We were just trying to get some points on the board and kudos to our video group getting that one at the end – that was really nice… I thought we managed the game well and got some points.”
A Nashville power play in the opening frame saw Smith collect a rebound and pot his 15th of the season for a 1-0 advantage, and then Viktor Arvidsson tapped in a loose puck at the side of the net and past Cam Talbot to give the Preds a two-goal lead after 20 minutes.
Edmonton Captain Connor McDavid cut the lead in half just 45 seconds into the second period, but Pekka Rinne and the Predators shut the Oilers down across the final 39 minutes, and a perfectly executed offside challenge (more on that below) sealed points 55 and 56 for the Preds.
Nashville now heads into the bye week with points in three straight, and for the most part, with a confidence in the way they’re playing in the new year.
“I think we have taken ownership in how we show up and how we need to play in the process to win games down the road,” Smith said. “I think it was definitely going our way, but now I think we are starting to really commit to doing the right things in our system. If you do that long enough, only good things can come.”
A Surgeon’s Eyes:
Their office is buried deep below the crowd at Bridgestone Arena, their faces hardly ever seen.
But the call that Preds Video Coach Lawrence Feloney and Video Coordinator Andrew Meloche made to challenge Edmonton’s second goal for offside, a goal scored with just over five minutes to play in regulation that tied the game at 2-2, got them some well-deserved recognition.
Win the challenge and the Preds hold a one-goal advantage once more. Lose, and not only is the game tied, but Nashville takes a delay of game penalty and gives Edmonton a chance to take the lead.
No pressure.
“He must have a surgeon’s eyes,” Rinne said of Feloney. “He does such a good job. I feel like now is a good time to talk about Lawrence; he doesn’t get enough credit. He’s the hardest working guy in this organization. When we get those breaks, that’s all Lawrence, so we’re happy to have him.”
“It was a big call those calls are close,” Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “Those guys have a lot of pressure on them and we had a look at it on the bench, too, but we rely on them because they see it first. They have different TVs and different angles, and they’re working it. Andrew Meloche as well, another guy, so both those guys back there, they’re trying to get it right, and they got it right tonight and they deserve a lot of credit.”
Bye-Week Boost:
Every win feels good, but collecting two points just before a five-day break is even better.
Tuesday’s victory over Edmonton allows Preds players, coaches and hockey operations staff to enjoy their vacations with a clear mind while enjoying some much-needed rest and relaxation.
And as Pekka Rinne stated, the Predators will come back ready to “hunt” as the second half of the season commences next week.
“All in all, I’m very happy with the way we’ve been playing, collecting wins and collecting points,” Rinne said. “At the same time, we can’t get comfortable. The biggest thing for us is to get re-energized over the break, get some rest, come back, and be ready to hunt again to try to get that top position in the West.”
“Everyone leaves feeling a little bit better about it,” Laviolette said. “You’re here to win hockey games and players don’t feel good when they lose. It puts everybody in the right frame of mind and a chance to get away and rest your mind and rest your body. You can do it on a winning note, which is positive, and come back and get ready to get going again.”
Notes:
With an assist on Viktor Arvidsson’s goal in the first period, Preds Captain Roman Josi recorded his 264th career point and is now in sole possession of sixth place on Nashville’s all-time scoring list, passing Steve Sullivan for the mark.
During Nashville’s 11-game win streak, the Preds have outscored the Oilers 33-13 and limited them to two-or-fewer goals 10 times, including four shutouts.
The Preds will now observe their League-mandated five-day break before returning to the ice for the remaining four contests of their five-game home stand, beginning on Jan. 16 when the Vegas Golden Knights come to town.
The Coffee County Middle School Raider and Lady Raider basketball teams welcomed Cannon County to their home floor on Monday night. In a pair of games you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Raider teams were back in action for the first time since December 14th. Neither team seemed to show any ill effects of the layoff as they each got wins. The Lady Raiders roared to a 32 to 19 win while the Red Raiders battled to a 38 to 33 win.
After a tight first half, the Lady Raiders went to the dressing room leading 18 to 11. Both Cannon County went 11 minutes and 13 seconds without scoring as Coffee Middle built a 32 to 11 lead with 2 minutes left in the game. Marley Perry was the leading scorer for Coffee County as she had 12 points. Kiya Ferrell added 9 points and Alyssa McClanahan added 6.
The Red Raiders trailed by 2 entering the 4th quarter but outscored the Lions 8 to 1 in the first 5 minutes of the final frame to battle to the win. Aiden Abellana hit a pair of clutch free throws 6 seconds left to ice the win. Dayne Crosslin and Conner Shemwell each finished with 9 points while 6th grader Ethan Hargrove came off the bench for a pair of 4th quarter 3 pointers to finish with 6. Abellana added 5 points including 3 free throws in the final 35 seconds.
Coffee Middle is on the road on Tuesday night when they travel to McMinnville to take on Warren County in a conference doubleheader. This game is a makeup of last Thursday’s game that was postponed due to schools being out. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM at Warren County Middle School.
The CHS freshman Red Raiders welcomed the Lincoln County Ninth Grade Academy to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Monday night. Looking to keep their perfect record intact, the Raiders jumped on the Falcons early as they captured a 72 to 28 win.
The Red Raiders jumped out to a lead of 24 to 6 after one quarter due in large part to a tremendous defensive effort which resulted in easy transition points. Coffee County extended the lead to 44 to 8 at the half on their way to their 4th win of the year against no losses.
Coffee County was led in scoring by Jaxon Vaughn who finished with 16 points. Hayden Hullett added 10 points. Ryan Farless finished with 9 points and C.J. Anthony scored 8 points as 10 different Raiders tallied points in the game.
The freshmen Red Raiders will host Tullahoma on Thursday night in another boys’ only contest. That game will tip off at 6 PM at CHS.
The Coffee County CHS basketball teams will play host to Tullahoma on Tuesday night before embarking on a 7 game road trip. Coffee County will play on the road for the remainder of January following Tuesday’s game and will not return to “The Patch” until February 6th. The Raiders and Lady Raiders will close out the regular season with a pair of home games on February 6th and February 9th. The District 8 AAA tournament begins on February 13th and will be held at Columbia Central High School.
Tuesday’s game, and all the Coffee County basketball games for the remainder of the season, will be broadcast on Thunder Radio. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM. Thunder Radio begins live coverage at 5:50 PM with the Char-El Apartment and Home Rental Pregame Show.
The Coffee County Raider and Lady Raider basketball teams returned to district play on Friday night at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym. Coffee County welcomed Lincoln County to Manchester as both Raider teams looked to remain perfect in District 8AAA play. A big 2nd half lifted the Lady Raiders to a 47 to 31 win. The Red Raiders got a last second shot by Garrett Booth to claim a thrilling 55 to 53 win.
After struggling mightily in the first half, the Lady Raiders got a pair of 3 point baskets in the final 2 minutes of the 2nd quarter to take a 18 to 17 lead into the halftime break. In the second half, Coffee County opened up on a 13 to 3 run to seize control for the win.
Jacey Vaughn had 3 three point baskets and finished with 19 points to lead the Lady Raiders in scoring. Vaughn was also 9 of 10 at the free throw line in the second half to earn the Crazy Daisies Player of the Game award. Bella Vinson finished with 18 points while Ashley Starks chipped in 6. The win improves Coffee County to 15 and 1 on the year and 3 and 0 in District 8AAA.
Garrett Booth of CHS basketball[Photo by Demarco Moore – Manchester Times]
Despite leading by 14 points with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Red Raiders went ice cold at the free throw line in the 4th quarter to allow Lincoln County to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining. As time wound down, Garrett Booth hit a running shot from 10 feet away just ahead of the final horn to give the Red Raiders a thrilling 55 to 53 win.
Coffee County was 4 of 11 at the free throw line in the 4th quarter as the visiting Falcons came close to pulling off the upset. Booth finished with a team high 16 points as he was named the Crazy Daisies Player of the Game. Grey Riddle had 11 points and DeAaron Rozier and Darius Rozier each netted 9 for the Raiders who improved to 10 and 4 overall and 3 and 0 in District 8AAA.
Coffee County will be back at home on Tuesday night when they welcome old rival Tullahoma to The Patch. The girls’ game will get underway at 6 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you all the action beginning with the Char-El Apartments and Home Rental Pregame Show at 5:50 PM.
