Category: Sports

Former CHS Pitcher Brianna Jones Throws No-Hitter in SIU Win

Southern Illinois pitcher Brianna Jones. [Photo courtesy of: SIUSalukis.com]

By Drew Hoffman, SIUSalukis.com

The Southern Illinois University softball team picked up its second win of the season, after Brianna Jones threw a no-hit shutout against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night. Jones pitched seven innings, had 10 strikeouts, and was one error and walk away from a perfect game.

“I thought she [Brianna Jones] threw really well tonight,” head coach Kerri Blaylock. “She was hitting on all her pitches and connecting on all her spots. She just had total command of the game.”

Southern started its day with a 3-1 loss to Nicholls State. Saluki sophomore Nicole Doyle got her first start of the season and made the most of it. She set the tone in the first inning by recording two strikeouts, then picked up two more in the second. She finished the game with six strikeouts and only allowed two hits. NSU picked up those hits in a timely manner in the fifth inning. After a lead off walk, Nicholls found three open gaps for three singles against Doyle and Brianna Jones, who came in relief, to score two runs and take the lead.

“I felt like Nicole threw five very good innings,” Blaylock said. “It was her first start since March of last year and she did very well. Nicole is going to be very good for us this year, no doubt.”

NSU tacked on another run in the top of the seventh inning to extend its lead to three before being retired by Jones. The bottom of the seventh began with two quick outs on two pitches for NSU before Merri Anne Patterson belted a 3-1 pitch over the left center field wall to give SIU its first run of the game. It was Patterson’s 16th home run of her Saluki career.

“Nicholls is coming off a 39-win season…they are a very good team,” Blaylock said. “We out-hit them, but they were able to string hits together. We came up in few RBI situations and just didn’t produce.”

After a few hours off the Salukis were back in action to take on Mississippi Valley State. SIU got on MVSU early, scoring two runs off a Shaye Harre double. That proved to be all Jones needed on the mound to finish the game. The sophomore set MVSU down in order the first four innings and picked up five strikeouts in the process.

SIU added three more runs between the third and seventh inning to make it 5-0. One of those three runs was provided by Savannah Fisher, who hit her third home run of the season.

The bottom of the seventh was more Jones in the circle, as she silenced any thought of comeback from MVSU by striking out the side. In her two starts this season she has struck out 13 batters and held hitters to a .150 batting average.

Coffee County Fastpitch League to Hold Signups

The Coffee County Fastpitch Association begins the final 2 weeks of signups this Saturday at the Ada Wright Center. The fastpitch softball league will hold signups from 9 AM to 2 PM on Saturday, February 18^th and Saturday, February 25^th. The league is open to kids ages 4 to 14 in 4 separate age divisions. Cost to participate is $40 per child with a sibling discount available. If you need more information, contact Matt Asher at 931-588-9919 or Renee Asher at 931-581-3668. You can also get more information by visiting the league’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeCountyFastPitchAssociation

Opening ceremonies and the opening day parade will be held on April 8^th.

Bucks Host Southwest Tennessee on Wednesday after Weekend Split

The Motlow State Bucks can clinch at least a tie for the regular season Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) championship Wednesday night when Southwest Tennessee visits Copperweld Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Bucks (22-4, 11-3) saw their 15-game winning streak come to an end Friday when they traveled to Walters State and dropped a 75-57 decision. Motlow bounced back on Saturday, beating Roane State 71-60 in Harriman.

The Bucks are two games ahead of Southwest Tennessee (16-7, 9-5), last year’s regular season and tournament champion, with four games remaining. A win by Motlow Wednesday night would leave the Bucks with a three-game lead with three games to play, and with a sweep of the Saluqis the Bucks would own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The TCCAA regular season champion clinches an automatic berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament (NJCAA), beginning March 20 in Hutchinson, Kansas. The TCCAA Tournament champion also clinches a berth in the national tournament. If the same team wins both the regular season and the tournament, then the conference tournament runner-up will advance to the national tournament. The Motlow men’s basketball program has made one previous national tournament appearance, winning one game and losing one in March, 2013.

The Bucks were off target shooting the ball Friday night in Morristown against Walters State. The Senators led 32-20 at the half and kept a comfortable lead throughout the second stanza. Motlow shot only 37.3 percent from the field, including 6-27 three-pointers.

Isaiah Hart led the Bucks with 15 points and added five steals. Damarcus Williams scored 13 and added eight rebounds. Rashawn Fredericks scored 10 points with 10 rebounds, Javion Hamlet had eight points and eight assists, and Kevonte Corley scored three with 10 rebounds.

Motlow looked and played much more like it has all season on Saturday, leading the Raiders 40-28 at the half and shooting 52.8 percent from the field.

Fredericks, who is making a serious case for conference Player of the Year, was spectacular with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Hart scored 17, including three 3-pointers, and Hamlet scored 16 points with eight assists. Aleks Zecevic added eight points and six rebounds, and Corley scored five while pulling down 10 rebounds. Jalen Bell added nine rebounds and scored a bucket.

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.

Braves Land 3-time All-Star Phillips from Reds

Former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) is acquired by the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

After recently becoming more concerned about the lingering effects a Jan. 28 auto accident had on Sean Rodriguez’s left shoulder, the Braves acted quickly to acquire Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for two Minor League pitchers.

The Braves announced the trade on Sunday afternoon, about 48 hours after they learned Rodriguez might miss a significant portion of the upcoming season.
That prompted the Braves to revisit previous talks with the Reds, who had spent more than a year attempting to trade Phillips. The 15-year veteran had used his trade-veto privilege to nix at least three other deals, including one that would have brought him to Atlanta in November.
Because the two teams had previously talked this winter, they were able to quickly complete the deal. The Reds will pay all but $1 million of the $14 million Phillips is owed as he enters the final year of his contract. In exchange, they will receive left-hander Andrew McKirahan and right-hander Carlos Portuondo, Minor League relievers who might have been released by the Braves by the end of Spring Training.
“We feel like we’ve gotten a really good player in Brandon Phillips,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “He solidifies our team and our lineup. We’re very excited to give Brandon a chance to come back to his hometown and to be a part of our lineup and our infield this year. This deal made a lot of sense for us.”
Phillips will now have a chance to serve as the Braves’ primary second baseman and play in front of many friends and family members. The 35-year-old, three-time All-Star graduated from suburban Atlanta’s Redan High School.
Phillips vetoed trades to the Nationals and D-backs last year, as well as at least one potential deal with the Braves in November, a short time before the Braves gave Rodriguez a two-year deal with the expectation that he would serve as their primary second baseman. That deal was completed to allow Ozzie Albies — the No. 2 second baseman in the Minors, according to MLBPipeline.com — to develop until he’s Major League ready.
As recently as Friday morning, the Braves were anticipating Rodriguez would be ready at the start of Spring Training. Rodriguez did not require hospitalization after he and his family were involved in a car crash that resulted in the death of a man who had stolen a police car in Miami two weeks ago. But lingering discomfort in Rodriguez’s shoulder led to surgery, and the Braves decided to revive their pursuit of Phillips.
The Braves have never given players a no-trade clause, and Phillips lost his full-trade veto privilege when this deal was made. But the Braves have to honor his contract’s limited no-trade clause — Phillips can block a trade to 12 teams — and they have guaranteed he would receive a $500,000 bonus if he is traded this year.
“Sean is going to be out for a while,” Coppolella said. “We’re not sure for how long. Our focus is on Sean and his family. Whenever he returns is secondary to the his health and his family’s health. Our primary concern is for their well being.”
Before finalizing this trade, the Braves had some concerns about a left hand injury Phillips suffered during the final week of last season. But they opted to take a chance on the possibility he will remain healthy.
Phillips batted .291 with 11 homers and a .736 OPS last year. The four-time Gold Glove Award winner and three-time All-Star finished the season strong, hitting .344 with an .844 OPS over his final 63 games.
While Phillips may serve as Atlanta’s primary second baseman, Jace Peterson will also see time at the position. Peterson’s ability to play each of the infield and outfield positions will compensate for some of the versatility that the Braves would lose with Rodriguez on the shelf.
Unlikely to experience a significant change in fantasy value as a result of this deal, the veteran Phillips remains a late-round mixed-league option given his ability to contribute double-digit totals in homers and swipes. In the bigger picture, the three-time All-Star will help lengthen a fairly formidable lineup with a handful of mixed-league assets — such as Ender Inciarte, Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and Dansby Swanson.
The trade’s biggest fantasy winner appears to be former Atlanta farmhand Jose Peraza, who will likely assume Cincy’s newly vacant second-base spot. After batting .324 with 21 steals across 256 plate appearances with the Reds last season, the 22-year-old speedster should be taken near the 100th pick in 2017 mixed-league drafts.

Spring Sports Practices Get Underway at CHS

Sarah West looks a grounder into her glove in an outfield charging drill during CHS softball practice on Monday.

Practice for the spring sports season got underway on Monday for the Central High School athletic teams. Tennis, track, softball, baseball and men’s soccer teams could all officially begin organized practices beginning on February 13^th.

As has been the custom for 20+ years, the Coffee County Lady Raider softball team got a jump start on the season with their annual Midnight Madness practice session. Hitting the field at exactly midnight on Monday morning, the Lady Raiders “came out with lots of enthusiasm” said head coach Steve Wilder. Coach Wilder also remarked that his team looked stronger and faster this season. They will continue practice after school the rest of the week.

Chase Harper prepares to send a pass upfield on Monday during the CHS soccer practice.

The Red Raider soccer team got practice underway on Monday afternoon at the Coffee County Raider Academy. The Raiders will attempt to get the bad taste of a sudden death extra-time loss to Tullahoma out of their mouth to end last season. Coach Robert Harper looks to have his most experienced lineup back along with a considerable amount of depth this spring. Harper returns considerable scoring potential up front and in the midfield with perhaps his strongest defensive team in years.

Members of the CHS Tennis teams practice under the lights on Monday at their new courts behind the Raider Academy.

The Red Raider and Lady Raider tennis teams also got practice underway on Monday night as they practiced under the new lights at their home courts at the Raider Academy. Coach Mike Ray will field a pair of young teams this season as graduation numbers have taken a toll the last 2 years. A large contingent of student athletes was on hand as the influence of a pair of middle school feeder programs are beginning to pay dividends.

Cade Giles(left) prepares to swing during CHS baseball batting practice on Monday at Powers Field

The Red Raider baseball team hit the field for the first time this spring on Monday afternoon as 2^nd year head coach David Martin will look to an experienced infield to guide his team in the early part of the season. “I expect us to be stronger defensively, but we still have starting and key backup positions up for grabs” said Martin. The Red Raiders will carry about 29 players between their varsity, JV and freshman teams.

And the Red Raider and Lady Raider track teams will get their organized workouts going on Wednesday afternoon at the newly remodeled track at Carden-Jarrell Field. Coach Nathan Wanuach begins his first season at the helm of the Coffee County track program.

Thunder Radio Announces Spring Sports Broadcast Schedule

[Click to open in a new window]

Thunder Radio takes seriously our commitment to being your hometown radio station. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce a tentative lineup for exclusive coverage of Coffee County Central High School baseball and softball broadcasts. Thunder Radio has been your eyes and ears for spring sports for 19 seasons and we are pleased to announce that Lucky Knott will return to airwaves this season to bring you unprecedented coverage of Red Raider baseball and Lady Raider softball in 2017.
Thunder Radio’s unrivaled coverage will bring you at least 18 regular season games, plus selected postseason games for the Raiders and Lady Raiders. Lucky Knott, the voice of the Raiders, will again lend his talents and passion to Thunder Radio’s exclusive broadcast. Also, the Thunder Radio sports staff will keep you updated with daily reports on all spring sports all season long as part of our daily sports updates online and in our sports broadcasts.
Our broadcasts will begin on Monday, March 13th with Coffee County baseball at Shelbyville. And, as always is the case with spring sports, when weather forces cancellations and postponements, Thunder Radio will keep you updated on that as well. For more than complete prep sports coverage, remember, nobody does sports like Thunder Radio!

Jake Fossick tosses one-hitter as Bucks beat Marshalltown, host Wallace State Tuesday

Sophomore Jake Fossick allowed only one hit through five innings to lead the Motlow State Bucks to an 11-1 win over Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College Saturday afternoon at the Driver Baseball Complex. The Bucks will be back in action Tuesday when they host Wallace State at noon for a doubleheader. [Photo by Jeff Reed Photography]

Motlow State sophomore Jake Fossick allowed only one hit and one run to lead the Bucks to an 11-1 win over visiting Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College Saturday afternoon at the Driver Baseball Complex on Motlow’s Moore County campus.

The Bucks (2-6, 0-0) had opportunities to win two more games in the four-game series, but failed to hold leads in the final inning. Marshalltown won both games Friday, 6-5 and 13-0, then came from behind to win the series finale Saturday 7-6.

Motlow will return to its home diamond on Tuesday, hosting Wallace State-Hanceville for a noon doubleheader. The two teams split a pair of games last week in Alabama. The Bucks will be on the road next weekend, heading to Niceville, Florida for a pair of games against Northwest Florida State and Andrew College.

Bryan Rosario pitched his second strong game in a row for the Bucks in Friday’s opener, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs with three strikeouts. He left with the Bucks leading 5-3, but reliever Camron Harper (0-1) couldn’t hold that lead as the Tigers scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Luke Allison and Colin Guscoff homered for the Bucks, with each garnering two hits and two RBI. Allison also stole a base and scored two runs.

Friday’s second game was not the Bucks’ finest hour, with the Tigers hitting everything in sight on their way to a 13-0, five-inning win. Chandler Hardiman (0-1) took the loss on the mound, securing only one out before allowing four earned runs. Gavin Bedsole pitched the final 4.2 innings, giving up nine runs on 13 hits. The Bucks managed only five hits.

Saturday started as a much better day for the home team as Fossick held the visiting Tigers in check. The Bucks scored early and often, notching two runs in the first inning, one in the second, six in the third and two more in the fourth to win it in five innings.

Guscoff hit his second homer of the season, with CJ Brown also slamming a round-tripper and driving in three runs. Guscoff and JD Robertson each drove in two runs, with Brown, Robertson and D’Marcus Guillory collecting two hits each.

The Bucks jumped out in front 2-0 in the first inning of Saturday’s nightcap, then fell behind 3-2 before regaining the lead with two runs in the third inning. Marshalltown tied it with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Bucks retook the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Motlow couldn’t secure the win though, as the visitors scored three in the top of the seventh to win the series 3-1.

Tyler Zak got the start for the Bucks and pitched well, allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Harper came on in relief with one out in the sixth and took the loss, while Jase Carvell got the final out of the inning. The Bucks were unable to answer in the bottom of the seventh.

Jacob Freeland slammed his second home run of the season for Motlow, while Zach Ehrhart had a triple and Kirby Smith a double. Allison drove in a pair of runs, while both Freeland and Robertson had stolen bases.

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.

Coffee County Basketball Sweeps Tullahoma

2017 Coffee County Basketball Seniors with cheerleaders and Dance Team members

A packed and partisan crowd at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Friday night saw Coffee County get a pair of convincing wins over Tullahoma to end the regular season on Senior Night. The Lady Raiders scored the first 13 points of the game in a 57 to 36 declawing of the Lady Cats while The Red Raiders used a 25 point 4^th quarter to tame the Wildcats 62 to 35.

A smothering Lady Raider defense forced five Tullahoma turnovers in the first 3 minutes as Coffee County raced out an early 13 to 0 lead. Seniors Bailey Morgan and Holli Smithson set the tempo early with their strong guard play and built a 20 point halftime lead to coast home to the season sweep of their cross county rivals.

Smithson finished the game with 17 points to be named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. Bailey Morgan added 9 points while fellow senior Aerial Williams added 8. The win gives Coffee County a final regular season record of 19 and 6 overall and 8 and 4 in district play.

After struggling against the Tullahoma zone defense in the first half, the Red Raiders made the necessary adjustments at the half to outscore the Wildcats 42 to 24 in the second half to capture a sweep in the boys’ game. The Red Raiders hit a trio of 3 pointers in the 3^rd quarter to open the driving lanes in the 4^th quarter and salt away the pesky visitors.

Senior Garrett Eldridge had 12 of his team high 21 points in the second half to lead the offensive assault. Fellow senior Grant Sadler had a pair of 3 pointers as he finished with 10 points along with senior Stephen Sullivan who added 10. Eldridge was tabbed the Crazy Daisies player of the game. The win gives Coffee County a final regular season record of 21 and 7 overall and 7 and 5 in district play.

Both Raider teams will open District 8AAA tournament play on Friday night when they will travel to Franklin County. The Lady Raiders will take the floor at 4 PM as they will battle the winner of Tuesday’s play-in game between Columbia and Tullahoma. The Red Raiders will play in Friday’s nightcap as they take on the Lincoln County at 8:30 PM. Both games will be held at Franklin County High School.

DOWNLOAD THE BROADCAST HERE

2017 Dist 8AAA Basketball Tournament bracket. Click to enlarge

CHS Swimmers Shine at State Meet

With the opportunity to put an exclamation point on a successful season, 4 swimmers for the the CHS Swim team did exactly that on Friday and Saturday. A set of standout performances in the 2017 Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association state meet this weekend in Knoxville caps off maybe the best season in scholastic swimming in Coffee County history. Ryan Farless, Jack Beachboard, Anna O’Connor and Kaylee Williams carried the banner for a talented and successful team performance this season.

Senior Ryan Farless set a new school record in the 100 yard butterfly on Friday with a time of 55.38 seconds. The performance was good enough for 29^th place as he cut over 3 seconds off his personal best time. On Saturday, Farless set another personal best in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 50.91 seconds to finish in 42^nd place.

Sophomore Jack Beachboard set a new personal best in the 200 IM with a time of 2:03.88 to capture a 25^th place finish. Beachboard came back on Saturday to set a new personal best in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:02.81 to finish in 28^th place.

Sophomore Anna O’Connor set a new personal best in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:06.90 on Saturday.

Freshman Kaylee Williams also had a wonderful first experience at state. On Friday, Kaylee captured a 58^th place finish in the 200 yard IM with a time of 2:28.11. On Saturday, Williams finished in 36^th place in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:13.53.

CHS Wrestling Season Comes to a Conclusion

CHS Wrestling coaches (left to right) Kyle Kriz, Roger Barlow(in back) and Randall Jennings(leaning forward) look on during action last season

The Coffee County Central High School wrestling season came to end on Saturday in the Region 5-AAA Individual Tournament. The Red Raiders failed to qualify a wrestler for the state individual tournament as a part of the 2 day regional tournament at Tullahoma.

The Red Raiders had a pair of wrestlers that were 1 win away from advancing to the state. Owen Teague(wrestling at 145 pounds) fell in the semifinal round of the consolation bracket to finish the tournament with a record of 2 and 2. Teague got a pair of pin fall wins before falling in a major decision. Rein Bozich(138) also made it to the consolation final before getting pinned to finish with a 2 and 2 record.

Noah O’Shields(126) finished the tournament with a record of 1 and 2 with a decision win. Dustin Duke(106), Joseph White(132) and Zach Adams(285) also competed for the Red Raiders.