The Coffee County Central Lady Raider softball team took care of business in a summer scrimmage Wednesday in Manchester, dropping Riverdale 8-2 in Manchester.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Lady Raiders pulled away with 2 runs in the third, 3 in the fourth, 1 in the sixth and 2 in the seventh.
Kaitlyn Davis, Channah Gannon and Paisley Campbell all had RBIs at the plate.
A stable of Lady Raider pitchers got to work in the circle. Samantha Cothran tossed a perfect inning and Savannah Cooper and Channah Gannon teamed up to work three scoreless innings. Davis allowed 1 earned run and struck out 4 over three innings of work. She allowed three hits.
Braves return from all-star break on Friday
Trailing the first place Mets by 4 games and 1 game below .500 for the season, the Atlanta Braves return to the diamond on Friday, July 16 hoping to be better in the second half and make a playoff push.
Granted that will be difficult without Ronald Acuna Jr., who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last week, and no hope for Mike Soroka to return this season after a second achilles injury.
The Braves play the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, beginning with a 6:20 first pitch Friday. Catch the Braves live on Thunder Radio at 107.9 FM, 1320 AM and 106.7 FM. Thunder Radio is your exclusive home for Braves baseball in Coffee County.
Lil Lady Raider volleyball camp set for next week
Students entering grades 4-8 have an opportunity to learn from one of the best volleyball programs in the region next week at the Coffee County Central Lady Raiders’ “Lil Lady Raider Volleyball Camp.”
The camp is set for July 19-20 at the CHS gym. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon both days. Cost is $40 and all participants can register and pay at the door.
The CHS Lady Raider volleyball program is fresh off its best season in program history, finishing Region 4-AAA runner-up and reaching the state sectional match. The team fell one win short of the state tournament.
Former Raider Alontae Taylor to represent UT at SEC Media Days
The Southeastern Conference office announced Wednesday that redshirt senior wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. and senior defensive back Alontae Taylor will join head coach Josh Heupel to represent the Vols at the 2021 SEC Football Media Days next week in Birmingham, Alabama.
Tennessee’s trio will make the media rounds Tuesday, July 20 at The Wynfrey Hotel. ESPN and SEC Network will provide live coverage of the event, with Coach Heupel set to make his Media Days debut on the main podium at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT.
Jones and Taylor will also be making their first appearances at SEC Media Days, as all three Tennessee representatives are scheduled to visit with local, regional and national members of the media to preview the upcoming season.
Taylor is a graduate and former standout for the Coffee County Central Red Raiders.
Gannon named new head coach of Westwood Rockets basketball
Westwood didn’t have to look long, or far, for its next head basketball coach.
Thunder Radio Sports has learned that Anita Gannon has been named the next head coach of the Westwood Rocket basketball program.
Gannon replaces Jerry Brown, who resigned last week to take a high school assistant girls position in Davidson County.
Gannon comes to the Westwood program with a 20-year coaching history that includes multiple levels of AAU, Shelbyville middle-school age boys and girls and elementary-level in Manchester. She has spent the past two years as an assistant on Joe Pat Cope’s Lady Raider staff at Coffee County Central. She will remain on staff as a CHS assistant while coaching at Westwood.
“Right now, there are a few games on the schedule that could interfere with the high school schedule and of course Westwood takes priority, even though my daughters play at CHS,” explained Gannon.
After a decorated high school career at Shelbyville Central from 1988-91, Gannon played collegiate basketball at UT Chattanooga rom 91-95. While in High School, Gannon’s Shelbyville teams won state championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Gannon joins the Westwood Middle School teaching staff as a social studies and ELA teacher.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Westwood family and to help with our school and our athletic department.”
Gannon will be a guest on the Coffee Coaches Show Saturday, July 17 live from Al White Ford Lincoln. Show time is 10-11 a.m. at 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM.
Coffee County’s Hall makes cheer team at Tennessee Tech
Cheerleading is a passion for Kenadi Hall. And now she gets to pursue that passion at the collegiate level.
After graduating from Coffee County Central High School in May, Hall has tried out and successfully made the co-ed Cheer Team for Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.
Below are clips of an interview Thunder Radio sports conducted with Hall after learning she made the cheer team.
SOFTBALL: Lady Raiders to host Riverdale in summer scrimmage Wednesday
The Coffee County Central High School Lady Raiders will be on the field Wednesday for a summer scrimmage. The Lady Raiders are set to host Riverdale at 5 p.m. Wednesday – weather permitting.
Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the game.
The Lady Raiders are fresh off their best season in program history – finishing state runner up in the TSSAA Spring Fling State Tournament in May. CHS will use the summer to search for replacing two starters who graduated- Justus Turner and Keri Munn – and break-in new freshmen players.
You can hear Lady Raider softball all spring long on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, thunder1320.com and the Manchester Go app.
Predators icon Pekka Rinne announces retirement
Nashville Predators goaltender and franchise icon Pekka Rinne announced his retirement from the NHL today following a decorated 15-year career.
Rinne, 38 (11/3/82), retired after spending his entire 683-game NHL career with the Predators. He is etched in Nashville’s record books as the franchise leader in nearly every goaltending category, including games played, wins (369), goals-against average (2.43), total TOI (39,413:29), shutouts (60) and saves (17,627), and in NHL history, he sits 19th in shutouts and tied for 19th in victories. He finished his career with a record of 369-213-75.
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“For more than 15 years, I’ve been on an incredible, life-changing journey with the Nashville Predators that has taken me to more places than I could have ever imagined and given me more than I could ever hope to give back,” Rinne said. “This decision wasn’t easy, but I know this is the right one at the right time. As I announce my retirement, I’m thankful for my parents, sisters, fiancé Erika, everyone in the Predators organization – management, coaches and trainers – my teammates and my youth coaches back in Finland. Last but not least, I’m thankful for the people of Nashville. Each of you helped me grow into the man, father and person I am today.”
Winner of the 2018 Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, Rinne was also a finalist for the award three other times (2011, 2012 and 2015), a four-time NHL All-Star (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019) and was twice voted to the NHL’s year-end All-Star Teams, including a First Team nod in 2017-18. Rinne’s career goals-against average of 2.43 is tied for the fourth-best mark among goaltenders with at least 350 wins in NHL history, trailing only Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Jacques Plante. Further signifying his impact on the NHL’s record books, Rinne is one of 12 goaltenders in League history to notch at least 350 wins and 60 shutouts, with eight members of that group enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In addition to topping numerous Predators records, the Kempele, Finland, native retired as one of the best hockey players the country has ever produced, owning the most games played, wins and shutouts by a Finnish-born goaltender in NHL history.
“For years, Pekka has been the face of our franchise on and off the ice,” Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile said. “The role he played in making the Predators organization into something so much more than just a hockey team cannot be understated, and what he means to our team and community makes him one of the most special players and people you’ll ever meet. It’s cliché of what you would want from your best players, but Pekka gave us a chance to win in every single game he played and led our team during the most competitive era of our franchise. While we will miss his talent and leadership in our locker room, we want to congratulate him and his family on an exceptional career, and we’re all looking forward to seeing him continue to make a positive impact on our community in the years to come.”
Rinne went 10-12-1 in 24 appearances in 2020-21 and posted a shutout in the final game of his NHL career on May 10 vs. Carolina, a night that culminated with a standing ovation from the Bridgestone Arena crowd and a solo lap around the ice with his family in attendance. In June, he won the 2021 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the “player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community,” a recognition of the 15-year commitment he has shown to improving the lives of everyone in the city he now calls home.
“It is impossible to properly express just how much Pekka means to the Predators organization and our entire community,” Predators President and CEO Sean Henry said. “His incredible career and milestones achieved are eclipsed only by his generous spirit and contagious passion for others. Pekka defines our franchise and truly embodies the spirit of SMASHVILLE; both are better because of him.”
Originally drafted by the Predators in the eighth round (258th overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Rinne played in three games – including his League debut on Dec. 15, 2005, a 5-3 win over Chicago – before assuming the team’s No. 1 goaltender role in 2008-09. His rookie season, where he finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting, began a 13-year stretch in which Rinne led all NHL goaltenders in shutouts (60), was second in wins (369) and third in games played (680).
In 2009-10, his second season as a full-time starter, Rinne recorded the first of his eight career 30-win campaigns – one of eight goaltenders in NHL history to accomplish the feat – and followed it up with one of the best statistical seasons of his NHL tenure in 2010-11, posting career-bests in goals-against average (2.12) and save percentage (.930) en route to being named a Vezina Trophy finalist and earning a spot on the NHL’s Second All-Star Team. He closed out the 2010-11 season by leading Nashville to its first playoff series win in franchise history, taking down Anaheim in the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals; during that postseason he claimed six of his 45 career playoff victories, tied for the 26th-most in NHL history.
Rinne recorded the first of his three career 40-win seasons – tied for the second-most such campaigns in NHL history and one of only seven NHL goaltenders all-time to do so – in 2011-12, leading the League with 43 while being named a Vezina finalist for the second year in a row. After missing parts of the following two seasons due to a hip infection that required surgery, Rinne’s 2014-15 campaign saw him earn another nod as a Vezina finalist thanks to a 41-17-6 record and 2.18 goals-against average. He was also named Nashville’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the first of two such nominations in his career (2021).
SOFTBALL: Lady Raiders to participate in summer scrimmages Tuesday, Wednesday
The TSSAA dead period is over and fall sports teams are scurrying to prepare for the 2021 season that begins in about a month. However, spring sports are hard at work, too.
The Coffee County Central High School Lady Raiders will be on the field this week for a pair of summer scrimmages. The Lady Raiders travel to Smyrna on Tuesday and will host Riverdale on Wednesday. Both scrimmages are set to begin at 5 p.m. and the public is welcome to come and enjoy.
You can hear Lady Raider softball all spring long on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, thunder1320.com and the Manchester Go app.
SOFTBALL: Munn named to TSWA Softball all-state team
Add another postseason plaque to the wall for Coffee County Central softball player Keri Munn.
On Monday, Munn was named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association AAA All-State Team. She was the only Lady Raider on the list and one of three pitchers in the state selected.
Munn graduated in May and has signed with MTSU. Munn was 27-4 in the circle for Coffee County through the 2021 season, striking out 268 batters.
Coffee County’s softball team compiled a 34-7-1 record during the 2021 season, finishing as state runner up in a deep run at the TSSAA Spring Fling in May. It was the best single-season finish in program history.