Category: Sports

Bradley Kishpaugh of CHS Cross Country

The Coffee County CHS cross country season came to a close on Thursday at the Region 4AAA meet in Columbia. Facing one of the most difficult courses of the season, neither harrier team earned an individual qualifier for the TSSAA state meet. While posting team scores ahead of district rivals Lincoln County, Columbia and Shelbyville, neither Coffee County team will qualify for the state meet.
For the Lady Raiders, Emily St. John was the top fininsher as she finished in 26th place out of 89 runners. St. John ran the 3.2 mile course in 24:28. Sarah Pearson was close behind in 29th place with a time of 24:42. Trava Brown finished with a time of 27:16 and Byanka Woods ran a time of 28:09. Kara Mueller had a time of 30:20 and Zoe Mills finished at 30:22. Jasie Willis broke the tape at 31:31
For the Red Raiders, Bradley Kishpaugh was the top finisher as he finished in 33rd place out of a field of 107 runners. Kishpaugh ran the 5K course in a time of 19:57. Andres Cavalie finished with a time of 21:28. The trio of Reuben Chaput, Johnny Dulin and Jalen Cummings came in at 22:15. Renato Ayala came in at 23:36 and Jacob Melton broke the tape at 24:26.
The Raider and Lady Raider harriers of Coffee County Middle School and Coffee County CHS were guests on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show talking about their seasons. The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast LIVE each Saturday from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln. The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively on Thunder Radio.  You can download the podcast at:

http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/coffee-coaches-show_116699

Girls action between Westwood(blue) and College Street(black) on Saturday

Six Coffee County and Manchester elementary schools were in action on Saturday for the 2nd week of the season.  The 6 school paired off in 3 girls’ games and 3 boys’ games.  North Coffee had the week off on Saturday.

In girl’s games:
Hillsboro dumped Deerfield 28 to 12
Westwood stopped College Street 23 to 11
New Union bested East Coffee 24 to 6

In boys’ games:
Hillsboro eased past Deerfield 20 to 15
College Street edged Westwood 26 to 23
New Union got the best of East Coffee 27 to 12

This coming Saturday, East Coffee will get the bye week as the over 6 schools are in action in 3 doubleheaders beginning at 9 AM.  The games will be held at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym at CHS.  The schedule will be:

John Tavares recorded a natural hat trick and the Nashville Predators fell to the New York Islanders by a 6-2 final on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The regulation loss is Nashville’s fourth of the season, giving them a 5-4-2 record through 11 games to close out the month of October, not the effort they were hoping for to end the first segment of the season.

“I thought everyone could have been better tonight or more capable,” Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’re capable of playing better.”

A slow start gave way to a better second period, but Tavares scored all three of his goals in the third as the Islanders put six past goaltender Juuse Saros. And although Saros admitted after the game it wasn’t a good performance from him, the young goaltender was the last person any of his teammates were about to blame for the result.

“It’s all our fault, and we can’t do anything about it,” Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. “It’s just frustrating that we do that to [Saros]. He’s one of the best goalies in the world and his future’s so bright. We’re so lucky to have him, and we just can’t accept we gave him up like that.”

“We just weren’t sharp,” Nashville defenseman Yannick Weber said. “Things just didn’t seem to click. We gave up some chances, and we left Juuse out to dry.”

Jordan Eberle’s first of the season came on the power play and gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, before Forsberg altered the Nashville record books. Following up Kevin Fiala’s drive to the net, Forsberg deposited his eighth goal of the season to set a franchise mark for goals in the month of October.

But before the second stanza was completed, the Islanders added two more, once from Ryan Pulock on the power play and then another from Eberle with 30 second to play in the period. Two of Tavares’s three goals came within the first three minutes of the third frame; he added another before Craig Smith scored Nashville’s second of the night, his second in as many games.

Notes:

With his record eighth goal in the month of October, Forsberg passed former Preds forward James Neal, who tallied seven goals during the month in 2015 and 2016.

Matt Irwin, Cody McLeod and Samuel Girard were scratched for Nashville against the Islanders.

Nashville will now have two weeks in between home games at Bridgestone Arena as they embark on a four-game road trip next week. The Preds will start in San Jose on Nov. 1 before a back-to-back set with Anaheim and Los Angeles. They’ll then finish up on Nov. 7 in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Craig Smith’s 100th career goal proved to be the game-winner as the Nashville Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a 2-1 final on Friday night at the United Center.

The win is Nashville’s fifth of the season and gives them three out of a possible four points in Chicago this season.

After a first period that saw Nashville outshot 21-7 and allow a shorthanded goal to Chicago, Calle Jarnkrok and Craig Smith gave the Preds a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, a lead they never relinquished.

“Sometimes you’re going to have a period or shift or whatever that you’re not going to like, but it’s about making the adjustments, stepping up and making the big plays when the time is right,” Smith said. “I thought we did that, we executed well and a win’s a win.”

Perhaps the biggest reason for Nashville’s two points on Friday night was the man stopping the pucks. Pekka Rinne turned aside 43 shots in total, including 20 in the first period, to keep his team in it as he tends to do night after night.

“He gave us a chance,” Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “It could have been over, it could have been long gone by the end of the first period and it wasn’t. We were still hanging in there. We got going and were able to generate some chances, some goals in the second period and get on the scoreboard.”

No. 100 was worth two huge points.

The Preds winger, who has skated all 447 games of his career in Nashville, gave his club a 2-1 lead with a power-play marker in the second period, his second of the season.

One would be hard pressed to find a player who works harder or is in better shape on the Predators roster, and Smith’s perfectly placed wrist shot that beat Corey Crawford was a prime example of the skill he possesses.

“I’m so happy for him,” Rinne said of Smith. “He’s been here for a long time and been my teammate for a long time. We need all the scoring we can get, and Smitty is for sure one of those guys who has all the speed, the shot and the presence on the ice. I’m sure it feels good after this game too.”

The tally tied Smith for seventh on the franchise’s all-time goal-scoring list, becoming the eighth player in Preds history to reach the 100-goal milestone.

“I knew I was getting close, so it was cool,” Smith said of the milestone. “It’s a great play. [Colton Sissons] took the goalie’s eyes away for the most part and I just had to hit a window.”

Notes:

Samuel Girard returned to the Nashville lineup on Friday night paired alongside Roman Josi. Girard skated 13:32 of time on ice.

Anthony Bitetto, Matt Irwin and Cody McLeod were healthy scratches for the Preds against the Blackhawks.

The Predators are right back at it on Saturday night, this time at home to host the New York Islanders; puck drop at Bridgestone Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT.

Alex Nelson of Westwood basketball

The Westwood Rockets hosted Moore County on Thursday night at the Joel Vinson Gym.  In a pair of games you heard here on Thunder Radio, the Duck River Valley rivals battled before a packed house.  The Lady Rockets fell 46 to 23 while the Rockets won 32 to 14.

Moore County jumped out to an 11 to 0 lead in the first 2 ½ minutes of the girls’ game on their way to a 28 to 13 lead at the half.  Alex Nelson led the Lady Rockets in scoring as she finished with 8 points including buzzer beaters at the end of the 1st and 3^rd periods.  Kasen Holt added 5 points and Haidyn Campbell finished with 4.

Trent Thompson of Westwood basketball

The Rockets used a strong 2^nd quarter to seize control of the boys’ game.  The Rockets outscored Moore County 10 to 4 in that frame to take a 14 to 6 lead into the half.  Trent Thompson led the Rockets in scoring with 8 points.  Will Partin added 7 points and Bodey Todd had 6 points on a pair of 4^th quarter 3 pointers.

The Rockets and Lady Rockets travel to Huntland on Monday for a pair of conference games.  The girls’ game is set to get underway at 6 PM.

Download a copy of the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/

Samantha Kirby of CCMS basketball

The Coffee County Middle School 6^th grade basketball teams welcomed North Franklin to the CCMS gym on Thursday night.  In a pair of 1 point decisions, Coffee County split the doubleheader with North.  The Lady Raiders got a last second bucket off an offensive rebound to thwart a Lady Gator rally to capture a 26 to 25 win.  The Red Raiders had a furious 4^th quarter rally come up short in a 27 to 26 loss.

Despite hitting only 8 of 17 free throws, including 3 of 7 in the 4^th quarter, the Lady Raiders captured the season sweep over North.  Leading by 4 entering the final period, Coffee Middle missed a free throw in the closing seconds but an offensive rebound and put back by Samantha Kirby gave the Lady Raiders the thrilling win.   Remi Benjamin led the Lady Raiders in scoring with 11 points.  Kirby had 6 points including a 4 for 4 performance at the free throw line and the game winning bucket.

Jackson Shemwell of CCMS basketball

In the boys’ game, the Red Raiders got 14 points in the 4^th quarter but could not overcome the Gators to complete the comeback.  Coffee County outscored the Gators 14 to 4 in a furious 4^th quarter.  Ethan Hargrove led the Raiders in scoring with 7 points, including 5 in the 4^th quarter.  Jackson Shemwell added 5 points and Cooper Reed and Donovan Morgan each netted 4.

The Raiders and Lady Raiders are back at home on Monday night when they play host to Warren County.  The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM.

2017-2018 Motlow Lady Bucks Basketball Team

Fresh off the first trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament in program history, and featuring its sixth head coach in the past eight years, the Motlow women’s basketball program has its sights set on a return to the national tournament with the start of the 2017-18 season two weeks away.

Head Coach LaTanya Collins arrived at Motlow July 17, replacing Bart Walker, who coached one season at Motlow before accepting a position at Northwest Florida State. Collins has worked hard to recruit quality student-athletes to fill the squad despite the late beginning to the recruiting cycle. With 11 names listed on the roster, the Lady Bucks began finding out where they stand with multiple scrimmage contests during the month of October.

Early indications are that Collins has the Lady Bucks on the right track. After a pair or road trips to high-level junior college preseason events, one in Atlanta and one in Chicago, the Lady Bucks put six wins together without a defeat.

The Collins era will officially open on Friday, Nov. 10, when the Lady Bucks join the men’s team for a trip to Jackson to face Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) rival Jackson State. The following day, both teams play at Columbia State, another TCCAA opponent. The first chance to see the Lady Bucks at home is Nov. 15, when they host the Martin Methodist College JV at 5:30 p.m. at Copperweld Arena.

Collins has built her first Motlow roster around a pair of returning players who saw spot duty during the program’s outstanding 2016-17 campaign, which featured 27 wins, tying the program’s all-time record, a runner-up finish in the TCCAA tournament, and that wild-card invitation to the NJCAA tournament. Last year’s squad was ranked No. 18 in the nation by the NJCAA at the conclusion of the regular season.

Miranda Boutwell, a 5-8 guard from Linden, Tenn., who played her prep basketball at Perry County High School, returns after an injury-shortened season last year that saw her play in 14 games and average three points per contest. Also returning is Jewel Ledbetter, a 5-10 guard from Maryland who played in 18 games and averaged three points and one rebound per game.

Along with those two returnees, Collins has brought in four freshmen, four sophomore transfers, and will borrow one former Tullahoma Lady Cat from Motlow’s soccer roster.

The group of four freshmen includes two from Tennessee and two from outside the state. Mattie King is a 5-5 guard from Hohenwald who played at Lewis County, and Chantel Maxwell is a 5-7 guard who played her prep ball at LaVergne in rugged District 7-AAA. They are joined by Janna Lewis, a 5-9 freshman from Butler High School in Louisville, Ky., and Brianna Jones, a 6-4 post player from Waverly, Va.

Sophomore transfers include Tajah Clark, a 5-7 guard from Clayton, N.C., who played her first season at Fayetteville State University; Lynchawn Ebron, a 5-2 point guard from Washington D.C., who spent her first year at Mississippi Valley State; Joy Porter, a 6-2 post from Little Rock, Ark., who played one year at Independence Community College; and Jasmine Williams, a 6-3 post from Irvington, N.J. who spent last year at Lackawanna Community College.

The final piece of the Lady Bucks’ puzzle is 5-3 guard Anastasia Wellington, who started for four years at Tullahoma and has spent the first part of the academic year as a starter on Motlow’s soccer team. Wellington, who was recruited by Motlow for basketball when she came out of high school two years ago, sat out sports for a year and is only a freshman athletically, although she is in her second year of classes at Motlow.

Collins has added Tyler Dandridge and Chatney Spencer to her staff as assistant coaches, and former Motlow softball player Jamaica Johnson will serve as the team’s manager.

The Lady Bucks finished the 2016-17 season with a 27-6 record, tying the school record for wins with the 1989-90 squad. In addition to receiving an at-large bid to the national tournament, the Lady Bucks played in the TCCAA tournament championship game, falling to Walters State 58-49.

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 Claybusters got the 2017/2018 season off to a great start on Saturday as they captured team titles in all 4 divisions at the American Trapshooters Association (ATA) shoot at Big Springs in Christiana.  The senior division varsity team had a score of 476(out of 500) to outdistance 2^nd place Centennial by 51 targets.  The #2 Raider varsity team finished in 4^th place with a 383.  The senior division JV team had a score of 408.  The Intermediate Advanced shot a 411 and the Intermediate entry level team shot a 321.

For the senior varsity team, Hayden Jacobs led the way as he shot a 98 out of a possible 100 targets.  Zach Bonee and Austin Schaller each shot a 97, Lindsey Dickson broke 95 targets and Neil Slone had an 89.   The #2 squad was led by Colter Smith who fired a 95.  Victoria Majors shot 89, Braden Davenport broke 81 targets, Cheyenne Martin downed 65 and Kyndell Seay had a 53.

For the junior varsity squad, Tucker Carlton led the way with a score of 96.  Alexus Stacey had an 84, Brason Fletcher shot a 78, Jonah Wyatt fired a 77 and Blaine Schreck downed 73.  For the Intermediate Advanced team, Emma Mathews had the hot hand as she broke 91 clays.  Landon Meadows shot 87, Logan Meadows shot 81, Elizabeth Moore downed 79 and Aubrey Payne had 73.   For the Intermediate entry level shooters, Garrett Taylor shot down 83, Xavier Bartley had a 71, Dylan Hickerson shot 64, Riley Bellomy had 63, Emily DeFord shot 51 and Thomas Wiser got 46.

Members of the Claybusters will compete in an ATA individual event at the Highland Rim Shooters Club in Tullahoma on November 11^th.  For more information about the Coffee County Claybusters, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee-County-Central-High-Claybusters/167850859907447

The Coffee County CHS cross country team will compete in the TSSAA Regional meet on Thursday in Columbia.  The Raider and Lady Raider harriers will be attempting to advance to TSSAA State Meet to be held in Nashville in November.  Thursday’s meet will be held at Maury County Park and the girls’ race will begin at 3 PM.

The high school state meet is scheduled for Saturday, November 4^th at the Steeplechase course at Percy Warner Park in west Nashville.  The girls’ race will be first and go off at 10 AM.  The boys’ race follows at 10:45.  Members of the CHS and CCMS cross country teams, along with head coach Nathan Wanuch, will be guests on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show.  The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast each Saturday morning from 10 to 11 LIVE from the showroom of Al White Ford/Lincoln.  The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively on Thunder Radio.

Donovan Morgan of CCMS basketball

It was a busy night for the Coffee County Middle School 6^th grade basketball teams as Raider fans were treated to 3 games on Tuesday afternoon and evening at CCMS.  The Red Raiders took on West Tullahoma in an afternoon matinee before the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders tangled with Cascade beginning at 6.  When the night was over, the Coffee Middle 6^th graders had completed an impressive 3 game sweep featuring 3 comeback wins.

In the 4:30 afternoon game, the Red Raiders outscored West 8 to 4 in the 4^th quarter to capture a 30 to 27 win.  Trailing by one at the half and at the beginning of the 4^th quarter, Coffee County did not send the visiting Bobcats to the free throw line in the 4^th quarter to capture the victory.  Donovan Morgan led the Raiders in scoring as he had 11 points.  Cooper Reed added 6 points while Jackson Shemwell and Ethan Hargrove each scored 5.

The Lady Raiders used a big 2^nd quarter to erase a first half deficit in a 31 to 23 win over Cascade.  Coffee County’s girls also got a big boost from free throws as 5 of their 13 points in the 4^th quarter came at the foul line.  Marissa Medina led the Lady Raiders in scoring as she had 13 points.  Samantha Kirby added 5 points and Gracie Campbell chipped in 4 points.

Against the Cascade boys, the Red Raiders erased a 20 point halftime deficit to capture a thrilling 45 to 42 win and complete the Tuesday trifecta.  After seeing Cascade score 18 points in the first quarter and 17 in the 2^nd, Coffee Middle held the visitors to 7 points in the 2^nd half in the comeback.  Cooper Reed led the Raiders in scoring with 15 points.  Donovan Morgan added 12 points and Ethan Hargrove chipped in 11.

Coffee County returns to the hardwood on Thursday night as they play host to North Franklin.  That doubleheader will get underway at 6 PM.