Category: Sports

Westwood now has a new head football coach for the first time in 18 years.

Justin Kanjanabout has been named the new coach of the Westwood Rockets – replacing Chad Dyer, who retired from coaching football after 18 seasons at the helm.

The name Kanjanabout should sound familiar to area football fans. He was a standout running back at Coffee County Central High School and most recently has served as offensive coordinator for Coffee Middle School – a team that has won back-to-back conference titles. He also spent time coaching at with the CHS Red Raiders prior to CMS. He played college football at Maryville College.

Kanjanabout has been employed with the Tennessee Department of Education for the last 7 months and was a 3rd grade teacher the 2 prior years at New Union Elementary. 

“We are looking forward to the excitement and energy that Coach Kanjanabout will bring to Westwood Middle School and the football program,” said WMS principal Jim Stone. “We will be hosting a meet-and-greet for our players and Coach Kanjanbout soon.”

Kanjanabout will be a guest on The Coffee Coaches Show this Saturday, Nov. 6. The show airs every Saturday from 10-11 a.m. live at Al White Ford Lincoln. Listen at 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app and thunder1320.com.

North made a couple of runs at the lead but Coffee County Middle’s Lady Raiders kept their distance, eventually pulling away for a 47-34 win Monday night in Manchester – a game you heard live on Thunder Radio as part of the Capstar Bank Hometown Sports Series. (click here to listen to the broadcast replay)

The Lady Raiders led 24-15 at the half and 38-21 after three quarters. North closed the gap in the fourth quarter but the Lady Raiders maintained control behind Ella Arnold and her 17 points, along with Natalie Barnes’ 16 points. Jaydee Nogodula pitched in 8.

Coffee County was solid at the free throw line, hitting 8-of-12. That was much better than the Gatorette performance of 4-of-13.

The win improves CMS to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in CTC play. The Lady Raiders travel to South for their first road game at 6 p.m. Thursday.

North Boys 32, Red Raiders 26

A quick start looked like the CMS Red Raiders had finally found some level of comfort on offense Monday night. But it all fell apart.

The Raiders jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but 14 turnovers and missed shots under the basket allowed North to pull ahead and pull away in a 32-26 CMS loss.

The score was tied 13-13 at half at 15-15 after three quarters.

North dominated the 4th, pulling ahead and never really giving the Raiders an opportunity during high leverage minutes. CMS struggled with 14 turnovers – 9 coming in the second half. North started 0-of-9 at the free throw line, but hit 5 of their final 7 to help ice the game.

CMS was led offensively by Luke Campbell and Jase Cashion, each with 8 points. David Lewis added 7. The Raiders fall to 0-3 on the young season, 0-2 in conference play. They will play at South Thursday, Nov. 4.

THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO AS PART OF THE BEN LOMAND CONNECT HOMETOWN SPORTS SERIES. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE REPLAY.

Titans running back Derrick Henry will undergo foot surgery on Tuesday and there is no timetable for his return, Titans coach Mike Vrabel said on Monday.

Henry suffered the injury in Sunday’s 34-31 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts.

“Derrick is going to have surgery in the morning,” Vrabel told reporters today at Saint Thomas Sports Park. “We are not going to put a timeline on when he may return. I know that he’ll do everything that he can to work himself back, to be able to help this football team. And whenever that is, that’s when it will be.”

Henry carried the ball 28 times for 68 yards in Sunday’s game against the Colts. Vrabel said the team found out after the game there was an issue with Henry’s foot, and “the issue is going to need to be fixed.”

In eight games in 2021, Henry has totaled 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on 219 attempts, along with 18 receptions for 154 yards to give him a total of 1,091 scrimmage yards.

“I know that Derrick will be around our team as soon as he can,” Vrabel said. “I know that is important to him, and I know that will be important to our team. And we will have to move on. We’ll have to move on unfortunately without him in the short term, and not look back.”

Henry, who ran for 2,027 rushing yards in 2020 to capture his second straight rushing title, is averaging 117 rushing yards per game. He was on a pace to finish the year with 1,991 rushing yards.

Of all players in NFL history with a 2,000-yard rushing season, Henry’s 937 rushing yards in 2021 are the most of any player in their first eight games in the season after hitting the 2,000-yard mark. The previous mark was held by Barry Sanders with 872 rushing yards in Detroit’s first eight games of 1998.

Vrabel said the Titans will evaluate their options at the position, from players on the roster to potentially other players who could be signed.

Vrabel said Henry is disappointed. He said he “always hopeful” Henry might be able to return this season, “but I’m not going to put any expectations on any sort of timeline.”

“I hate to speak for our players, but Derrick is disappointed, everybody is,” Vrabel said. “We spent a lot of time together with the coaching staff and with the players, so you never want to see any of them injured in any capacity. So I know that Derrick is going to work extremely hard to get back to do everything he can to help this football team.”