Friday’s snowfall and a weekend of sub-freezing temperatures forced the cancellation and rescheduling of several local prep sporting events. Below is a list of cancellations and postponements.
– CCMS Basketball game at home for Monday with Cannon County is CANCELLED and will not be made up
– CHS Basketball game from Friday with Columbia was postponed and rescheduled for Monday, January 16th. Varsity girls’ game will begin at 4 PM.
– CHS Girls’ Basketball game at Baylor on Saturday was CANCELLED and will not be made up
– CHS Wrestling appearance at the Stewarts Creek individual tournament from Saturday was CANCELLED and will not be made up
– CCMS Basketball game from Thursday night with Warren County was postponed and moved to this Tuesday, January 10th at CCMS
– Coffee County Youth Basketball from Saturday was postponed. The postseason tournament will begin this Saturday, January 14th beginning at 9 AM at CHS.
The Chicago Blackhawks got a bounce in the third period, and the Nashville Predators weren’t rewarded with one of their own.
After Nashville evened the score early in final frame, Chicago went back ahead off a scramble in front with roughly eight minutes remaining. The Preds then hit the post three times down the stretch and ultimately fell to the Blackhawks by a 5-2 final on Sunday night at the United Center.
Ryan Hartman recorded a natural hat trick in the third, including two empty-net tallies as time wound down to give the Hawks their third victory over Nashville this season.
“I thought for the most part, our game was pretty good tonight,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “We deserved better in the third period. I think we hit three or four posts and they get their one chance and they score. That seems to be the way it’s going right now.”
After Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first, courtesy of a goal from Artemi Panarin, Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm struck back on the very next shift to even the score with his second of the season.
Niklas Hjalmarsson gave the Blackhawks the lead back before the opening stanza was out, and the 2-1 score held until the third period when Austin Watson crashed the net and poked home a loose puck to tie things at 2-2. Later, Hartman converted after the puck hit off of his pants and into the net for the game-winner, with Nashville able to beat Corey Crawford – but not the post – for the remainder of the game.
“Our guys fought hard to tie it up [in the third],” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “At that point, it could’ve been 3-2, 4-2, 5-2 with the posts we hit, and it wasn’t. It didn’t drop for us.”
“We came back, they scored first, we came back again, but we’re fighting right now,” Ellis said. “Hard work is probably the only thing that’s going to get us out of this. It’s frustrating, but we can only look to each other and hopefully get more effort and more consistency and find some success with that.”
Forced to play without forwards James Neal, Viktor Arvidsson and Colin Wilson due to injury at different points throughout the three-game trip – including the absence of all three tonight – the Preds will head back home and look to get healthy once more as they hit the halfway point of the season later this week.
“Like anything in life, if you dwell on stuff and wake up each morning worried about the past; that’s not going to do you any good,” forward Ryan Johansen said. “Its frustrating at the moment right now, but tomorrow’s a new day. We go back home, hopefully find some success there and just hopefully get back on the right track. That’s all we can worry about.”
Notes:
Colin Wilson (lower-body injury) and Viktor Arvidsson (upper-body injury) missed Sunday’s game and are considered day-to-day. James Neal, Miikka Salomaki and P.K. Subban are on Injured Reserve.
With two assists against the Blackhawks, Mike Fisher now has seven points (2g-5a) and three multi-point games in his last five outings against Chicago.
The Predators next game comes at home against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Thunder Radio will join that game in progress on the Nashville Predators Radio Network immediately following our broadcast of Coffee County basketball.
Craig Smith evened the score in the third period, but the Florida Panthers got the lead back and hung on for a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators at BB&T Center on Friday night. The result sees Nashville’s four-game road win streak come to an end, giving them a one-goal loss as they conclude their back-to-back set in Florida.
Juuse Saros received the start in net and made 32 saves on the night. The outing was just the second time in seven games this season he’s given up more than one goal.
“For whatever reason, we didn’t generate enough chances and made it easy on them,” Preds Captain Mike Fisher said. “We came out in the third with a little more urgency and played pretty good, had some chances and felt like we were taking over the game, but the first two periods, we weren’t skating, we weren’t good enough.”
“They were a little bit quicker than us to start the game,” Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “I thought the speed picked up as the game went on, but they seemed to have the jump on us early on.”
After Greg McKegg scored early for the Panthers, Saros and the Preds held their opponents off the scoresheet until Craig Smith found twine at 5:03 of the third, his seventh of the season and first since Nov. 23. But five minutes later, Jonathan Marchessault got a shot to squeak past Saros and the Predators were unable to beat James Reimer on a late push, ultimately falling on the road for the first time in their last five tries.
“Juuse was really good, and the travel, the back-to-back might have gotten to us, because it just seemed like we had no legs [in the first two periods],” forward Ryan Johansen said. “In the third, I was impressed with the guys – we really threw it all out there, just couldn’t tie it up.”
After two games in the last 48 hours, the Preds will get a chance to rest on Saturday before getting together with the Blackhawks on Sunday evening at United Center.
“Always a good test,” Johansen said of facing Chicago. “Always a fun building to play in. We’ll get some rest and focus on another big divisional game on Sunday.”
Notes:
During Friday’s game, a one-year contract was announced for defenseman Matt Irwin that covers the 2017-18 season. After starting the season in the AHL, Irwin worked his way back to the club and has been up ever since, with the new deal reflecting his superior play for the Predators.
“I’ve been around long enough that you know your opportunity will come at some point, and it’s just one of those things where it’s what you do with it,” Irwin said. “I know I can play in the League and to just come to work every day, work hard and I couldn’t be more happy and thankful for the opportunity they have given me… The Preds gave me an opportunity to come back and contribute, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.”
James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson did not play in Friday’s game with upper-body injuries and remain day-to-day.
Twenty-year-old and 2014 second-round pick Vladislav Kamenev skated in his first NHL game on Friday night, registering one shot and one hit in 10:21 of ice time.
The Predators next game will be the finale of their three-game road trip, a Sunday evening (6 p.m. CT) contest in Chicago, before returning home to host Vancouver on Tuesday. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as part of the Fifth Third Bank/Nashville Predators Radio Network.
Because of hazardous weather conditions, the Coffee County Youth Basketball League tournament games that were scheduled for Saturday, January 7 have been moved back one week to Saturday, January 14. Therefore, the tournament semi-finals will be moved to Saturday, January 21 and the finals and consolation games will be moved to Saturday, January 28. The cheerleader exhibition will also be held on January 28. All game times will remain as scheduled.
Based on the regular season records, the following lists show the seeding for the tournament.
Girls
1 – Westwood
2 – New Union
3 – Hillsboro
4 – College Street
5 – North Coffee
6 – East Coffee
7 – Hickerson
Boys
1 – College Street
2 – Westwood
3 – Hillsboro
4 – Hickerson
5 – New Union
6 – North Coffee
7 – Deerfield
8 – East Coffee
The tournament schedule for January 14 is:
9:00 – Boys – East Coffee vs. College Street
10:00 – Girls – Hickerson vs. New Union
11:00 – Boys – Deerfield vs. Westwood
12:00 – Girls – East Coffee vs. Hillsboro
1:00 – Boys – North Coffee vs. Hillsboro
2:00 – Girls – North Coffee vs. College Street
3:00 – Boys – New Union vs. Hickerson
* Westwood girls got a first round bye.
Thunder Radio will keep you updated on results and pairings throughout the elementary tournament and bring you interviews with the champions on the Coffee Coaches Show later in the month.
Thursday night’s Coffee County Middle School basketball game with Warren County was postponed on Thursday night due to the possibility of bad weather. Thursday night’s games with Warren County have been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 10th. The game was also scheduled to be a part of the 1st National Bank Hometown Sports Series. Our next broadcast of middle school basketball will be on Monday when Coffee County hosts Cannon County at the CCMS Gym. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM. Thunder Radio will bring you live coverage beginning with the pregame show at 5:50 with Lucky Knott on the call.
Tonight on Thunder Radio will be Coffee County Central High School basketball as the Raiders and Lady Raiders will take on Columbia at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym. Friday night is the 2nd district game of the week after Coffee County’s sweep over Lincoln County on Tuesday night. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you all the action. Our live coverage begins at 5:50 with the Char-El Apartments and Home Rental Pregame Show. The Lady Raiders will travel to Chattanooga on Saturday to take on Baylor. The varsity game is scheduled for 6 PM(EST) in the girls’ only contest.
The shot total wasn’t there for the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, but the goals were.
Nashville tallied four times on their first eight shots, and Colton Sissons recorded his first career hat trick to help lead the Preds to a season sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 6-1 victory on Thursday night.
“There wasn’t a lot of room out there… but where it wasn’t a high event game, I do like the fact that we competed pretty hard defensively on the puck,” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “They’re a good team, they’re fast, dynamic, and our guys showed up right from the start and played hard tonight.”
After Tampa Bay cut Nashville’s two-goal lead to one, Colton Sissons answered back – for the first time – and the Preds just kept rolling from there, thanks in part to two more from the young forward.
Sissons scored into an empty net to make it 5-1 in the third, and then, with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy back in net, got his third of the night and his first career hat trick.
“It’s kind of surreal, honestly,” Sissons said. “I’ve been struggling to find the back of the net in general, so to pot three tonight feels pretty good.”
Sissons essentially had an empty net to finish off the trick, but actually whiffed on the first opportunity, a fact not lost on his teammates. In the end, he had plenty to smile about after all.
“The guys were chirping me for missing the first swipe, so just tried to bear down on the second one,” Sissons laughed.
“It was a big night for Siss,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “He’s a guy that works every night, and he deserves it.”
Despite ultimately falling in overtime the last time they scored first, the Predators record still stands at a rock-solid 11-0-4 when getting the game’s opening goal.
Mike Fisher put the Preds in the driver’s seat early after he finished off a slick pass from Ryan Johansen on the power play at 2:25 of the first. Filip Forsberg’s sixth goal in his last eight games put the visitors up by two goals early in the middle frame, and Nashville had the rare luxury of playing with a multiple goal advantage in the first half of a contest.
“Just starting the right way has been huge,” Sissons said. “Our energy and our compete level [were there] right out of the gate, and just keeping it simple; sometimes you get too creative or try and do too much and sometimes you just have to chip the puck in behind their D and just make simple plays like that.”
Ryan Ellis’s fifth of the season – and fourth point in two games against Tampa this season – didn’t count. Then it did. Then it almost didn’t again. Then it definitely did.
“To get it taken away, given and challenged again was kind of funny,” Ellis said. “But it was a huge goal for our team, it’s a good feeling.”
Originally ruled a non-goal on the ice due to goaltender interference, the Predators challenged that Viktor Arvidsson hadn’t actually inhibited Vasilevskiy from making the save. After a review, the officials and Toronto’s instant replay “war room” agreed. That just led to Tampa Bay challenging that the scoring play was offside, however. After several more minutes crawled by, the video evidence was ruled “inconclusive” in large part to the puck entering the zone in the air.
A lesson in perseverance, maybe?
“I don’t think I’ve seen the double challenge before,” Sissons said. “But I think they made the right call.”
Notes:
James Neal is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Harry Zolnierczyk logged his second game in a Preds sweater in Neal’s absence.
Forward Viktor Arvidsson skated in his 100th career game against the Lightning on Thursday night.
Pekka Rinne is now 7-0-1 all-time versus Tampa Bay.
The Predators jet across the Sunshine State in preparation to face the Florida Panthers on Friday night to finish off their back-to-back set. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as part of the Nashville Predators Radio Network following Coffee County basketball.
The Coffee County Middle School basketball teams return to the court tonight as the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders welcome Warren County to the CCMS gym. Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you the broadcast as Lucky Knott will host the 1st National Bank Hometown Sports Series broadcast. This important conference doubleheader will begin with the girls’ game at 6 PM. Thunder Radio will bring you live coverage beginning with the pregame show at 5:50.
Don Rhoton compiled an amazing 669-268 record during his 18 years as head baseball coach for Motlow State Community College from 1989-2006. Rhoton, currently the athletic director at Franklin County High School, will be inducted into the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 13, at Nisbett Center on Motlow’s Moore County campus.
Former Motlow State Community College head baseball coach and athletic director Don Rhoton will be inducted into the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 13, at Nisbett Center on Motlow’s Moore County campus.
The ceremony will be held at halftime of the women’s basketball contest between the Motlow Lady Bucks and visiting Walters State. Both teams are nationally ranked and the winner will be in sole possession of first place in the TCCAA standings. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game to follow.
“We are extremely proud to welcome Coach Rhoton back to Motlow and to see him finally receive this honor of being inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame,” said Scott Shasteen, athletics director at Motlow. “Don built a baseball powerhouse here and helped change the lives of hundreds of young men. We invite all of his former players and those who have followed his successful career to come out and support him on this memorable night.”
Rhoton was the head coach of the Motlow baseball program during its most successful stretch. From 1989 until 2006, Rhoton’s teams won 669 games while losing only 268. He also served as Motlow’s athletic director from 1995-2006.
His teams won TCCAA/Region VII championships in 1998 and 2000, and finished as the national tournament runner-up in 2000, falling to San Jacinto, Texas in the national championship game. The 2000 team posted a school-best 57-13 record and recorded a program record 17-game winning streak.
Rhoton was named the TCCAA Coach of the Year three times, and his teams won seven consecutive Eastern Division titles from 1994-2000. Sixteen of his former players made it to the professional ranks, including current San Francisco Giants pitcher Bryan Morris. During Rhoton’s 18 years at Motlow, he coached 114 players who continued their careers as student-athletes at four-year institutions.
Prior to his career at Motlow, Rhoton coached the Franklin County High School baseball team for 11 years, compiling a 213-97 record and winning five district titles and two region championships. He is currently the athletic director at Franklin County High School in Winchester.
Rhoton joins three other members of the Motlow State athletics family who have been inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame. Joe Daves started the men’s basketball program and coached it for nine years from 1969-78, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Carr McCalla, former Motlow men’s basketball head coach and athletics director, was inducted in 1998, and former Bucks baseball player and professional baseball player David Weathers was inducted last January.
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.
Aerial Williams of CHS basketball [Photo by Demarco Moore-Manchester Times]
Hoping to start the new year off on a winning note on Tuesday night, Coffee County welcomed Lincoln County to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym. The Raiders and Lady Raiders captured the district basketball doubleheader sweep over with the visiting Falcons and Lady Falcons to begin 2017 with a bang. The Lady Raiders dumped the Lady Falcons 52 to 48. The Red Raiders dominated the Falcons in a 58 to 38 victory.
After falling behind by 9 to 0 to start the game, the Lady Raiders rallied in the last 11 minutes of the first half to tie the game at intermission by closing out on an 18 to 9 run. Coffee County struggled to begin the second half and fell behind by 6 with 30 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter. But the turning point of the game came thanks to a 5 point eruption to end the quarter. After a basket, freshman Ashley Starks got a steal, a basket and a free throw in the final seconds to send Coffee County into the final period with the momentum to get the big win. Coffee County was 10 of 17 in the 4th quarter at the free throw line to salt away the win.
Aerial Williams led Coffee County in scoring with 10 points, including hitting 3 of 4 free throws in the 4th quarter to be named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. Abby Morgan finished with 9 points and Jacey Vaughn added 7 for the Lady Raiders.
Stephen Sullivan of Red Raider basketball[Photo by Demarco Moore – Manchester Times]
The Red Raiders played tenacious defense and neutralized the post play of Lincoln County to capture the win over district leading Lincoln County. The Raiders went on a 12 to 5 run to close out the 1st quarter as Coffee County led for 29 of the 32 minutes in the game. Lincoln County made a run in the 2nd quarter to cut the deficit to 5, only to be outscored by Coffee County 11 to 2 in the final 5 minutes of the first half. In the second half, Coffee County opened up a 21 point lead at one point as Coach Micah Williams was able to empty his bench.
Stephen Sullivan was fantastic on both ends of the floor as he led the Raiders in scoring with 15 points and was named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. Garrett Eldridge and Tyrese McGee each added 11 points and De’Aaron Rozier chipped in 9.
On Friday, the Raiders welcome Columbia to “The Patch” for the 2nd district game of the week. The girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you all the action. Our live coverage begins at 5:50 with the Char-El Apartments and Home Rental Pregame Show. The Lady Raiders will travel to Chattanooga on Saturday to take on Baylor. The varsity game is scheduled for 6 PM(EST) in the girls only contest.
Friday’s snowfall and a weekend of sub-freezing temperatures forced the cancellation and rescheduling of several local prep sporting events. Below is a list of cancellations and postponements.
