Category: Sports

Picking up right where they left off last year, the Coffee County CHS volleyball team opened their season with another District 8AAA win on Tuesday night.  The Lady Raiders welcomed District 8AAA’s newest team, the Eaglettes of Shelbyville to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym as they sent the visitors home in straight sets 25-9, 25-10 and 25-17.  The names and the faces looked new in red and black, but the strong service game and effective offensive flow was highly reminiscent of the defending district champs.  Coach Andrew Taylor used 13 players on the night as Shelbyville had no answer for the strong net play of the Lady Raiders.  Coffee County scored 20 kills on the match as Diana Davis led the team with 6 kills while Peyton Nicoll added 5.  Maddie Taylor was the assist leader as she served up 10 assists.  Taylor also led the team in service aces with 9, while Davis added 7 for a Coffee County team that scored an amazing 27 aces in the 3 set match.  With the win, the Lady Raiders open the season with a 1 and 0 record overall and in district play.  Coffee County hits the road on Thursday night as they travel to Tullahoma for a 6:00 PM match.

CHS Soccer coach David Amado instructs junior Karson Young during the first half of Monday’s game.

Sharp passing produced numerous scoring opportunities and led the Coffee County CHS Lady Raider soccer team to a dominant 6 to 0 win over Riverdale on Monday night in the opening game of the season for both teams. “When we pass the ball, we have the opportunity to control the game and do some special things” said CHS head coach David Amado following the easy win for Coffee County. The Lady Raiders roared out to a 4 to 0 halftime lead as they controlled the time of possession and held the visiting Warriors to zero shots in the first 40 minute half. Caitlyn Moore got a pair of goals in the 22nd and 24th minute, the first off of a rebounded shot and the second one unassisted from a tough angle from the right edge of the 18 yard box near the end line. When Riverdale stepped up the physical play up front, Coach Amado moved Karson Young up top and she responded with a pair of goals in the 33rd and 37th minute, the first off a nice feed from freshman Abby Morgan, and the second on a long thru pass from Izzy Huddleston. McKenzie Anderson notched 2 second half goals, including one in the final minute as Coffee County out shot Riverdale 24 to 3 for the game. Ali Shelton and Halie Conner combined in goal for the shutout. Freshman Allie Amado had 2 assists and Moore added an assist for Coffee County as Coach Amado started 2 freshman and played 6 freshmen in the game. “We are beginning to believe we are a good team” added Amado “I am proud of their effort tonight.” The Lady Raiders hit the road on Tuesday as they make the long trek to Hamilton County to take on Soddy Daisy. The JV team will play at 4 PM while the varsity gets underway at 6 PM. The Lady Raiders return home on Thursday to take on Cookeville in a 7 PM match at the Raider Soccer Field.

Amanda Mukai of CCMS volleybal

A rematch with Highland Rim of Park City on Monday night, presented the CCMS volleyball team the chance to exact some revenge from a tournament loss on Saturday.  Coach Lora Selvog’s young Lady Raider team battled hard, but dropped the 2 set match on Monday night.  After a hard fought 25-20 loss in the first set, the Lady Raiders opened up a 14 to 10 lead over Highland Rim in the 2nd set.  At that point, the taller and more experienced Lady Hornets rallied back to capture the 2nd set 25 to 20 to seal the match.  Amanda Mukai and Abigail Parker each scored 3 service aces for the Lady Raiders, while Mukai, Keelie Hillis and Maddie Harryman each scored a kill. The Lady Raiders return home on Tuesday afternoon for a 4:30 PM match with Warren County at the CCMS gym.  Thunder Radio will be there to bring the broadcast of that match as part of their Home Town Tuesday series with the pregame show airing at 4:25.

The Great American Rivalry Series is proud to announce it will feature the “Coffee Pot Game” between annual rivals the Tullahoma Wildcats and the Coffee County Red Raiders in the Series’ first weekend of games for 2015. This 90 year old rivalry game will be presented this year by the United States Army and played on August 21 in Manchester. Highlighting some of the longest running rivalries in high school football, the 2015 Great American Rivalry Series will feature 100 showdowns nationwide. All of these games come with great football, hard earned sweat and a heavy dose of hometown pride.

For the 12th year, the Great American Rivalry Series has selected an exclusive collection of top-notch rivalries across the country, covering 40 states and over 100 cities throughout the country. Wrapped in tradition, these annual battles excite entire communities, while celebrating the schools, their teams, and their fans. We Know Friday NightsTM

Series founder Rick Ford notes that, “With all the traditions of these games including bonfires, pep rallies, and parades, high school football has brought communities together to watch their teams compete in these classic battles for more than one hundred years.”

The Tullahoma Wildcats and the Coffee County Red Raiders will take the field for week one of the 2015 Series, continuing their clash for the Coffee Pot Trophy, which has been played by these two Crompton Creek teams since 1924. Though few know the full history of the Coffee Pot, some believe the trophy got its start in the 1930s when businessmen from both cities had tired from replacing each school’s goalposts after a victory. Over the years Tullahoma has built up a 58-29 record over Coffee County (and there were two ties) and has kept the Coffee Pot on their side of Crompton Creek since 2007.

The Coffee County-Tullahoma game was selected as one of the top 100 must-see match ups for the 12th Annual Series and is always a highly anticipated game for both the Manchester and Tullahoma communities. The Red Raiders and Wildcats will both enter the game hungry as they attempt to start the year off on the right track with a big rivalry win.

An in-school Rivalry Fitness Challenge will also take place between the two schools during the week leading up to the game. The school that proves to be the fittest will be awarded a crystal trophy at halftime of the game. The winning team on the field earns year-long bragging rights with the Coffee Pot Trophy, and the Great American Rivalry Series Champions trophy, presented by the Army. The game’s Most Valuable Player and the top student-athlete from each school are also recognized as part of the Series.

“The Great American Rivalry Series and the Rivalry Series Fitness Challenge offers both academic and physical challenges, which reflect key elements of life as a soldier,” said Kelli Bland, U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s public affairs officer. “In the Army, we build our Soldiers physically, morally and academically; we build them to be qualified for life, not just the Army. We appreciate the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of these students.”

You can find more information at GreatAmericanRivalry.com or through the Series’ Twitter (@AmericanRivalry), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram accounts. Previews and past results will be posted throughout the season with details of the teams and the history of the rivalries, and after the game. Fans can relive the excitement with photo galleries and game recaps.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fans can add to the intensity of the rivalry via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram using #GreatAmericanRivalry. The Rivalry can also be found on Pinterest (AmericanRivalry) and YouTube. Fan photos posted with this hashtag may be featured on the Great American Rivalry Series website’s new Fan Photo Gallery, Pinterest Page and promoted via our other social media outlets.

ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN RIVALRY SERIES

In 2004, iHigh, Inc. (now known as BrainBox Intelligent Marketing) created the Great American Rivalry Series to celebrate this uniquely American sport and the cultural phenomenon of “Friday Night in America.” In its first 11 years, the Series has gone to more than 500 games in 40 states and continues to shine the spotlight on top high school football rivalries across the nation, where long-standing traditions are valued, expectations are sky-high, and fans are committed.

Lady Raider golfers (left to right) Sophie Vinson, Teagan Perry and Savannah Quick at the Golf Capital Invitational Tournament banquet on Saturday night in Crossville. (Photo provided)

The Lady Raiders of Coffee County competed against the best high school gold teams in the state this weekend in the prestigious Golf Capital of Tennessee Invitational held in Crossville.   Savannah Quick, Sophie Vinson and Teagan Perry shot a 2 day total of 331 as they earned a 3^rd place finish.  Tournament champion Rossview shot a 306 while Clarksville finished second at 311.  Ensworth was 4^th place at 351 and St. Mary’s of Memphis shot a 371.

Quick carded 81 each day to lead Coffee County at 162.  Vinson carded a 175 and Perry had an impressive 2 day total of 178 on the challenging Cumberland Mountain Bear Trace course.  After the weekend tournament, the Lady Raiders season record stands at 24 & 3.  Both boys and girls teams of Coffee County will host a match on Monday.  Shelbyville and Grundy County visit Willowbrook for the match with a 4:00 PM tee time.

Eliza Masters of Coffee County soccer

A pair of shutouts by keepers Ashley Woods and Megan Jones powered the CHS JV soccer team to a pair of scrimmage victories on Saturday. Eliza Masters scored a hat trick while Allie Amado banged home 2 goals in a 7 to 0 win over Wilson Central to open play on Saturday morning. Sam Ellison and Shelby Allen added goals for the Lady Raiders. In the noon contest, Masters and Amado each notched goals while Abby Morgan and Ashley Woods also found the back of the net in a 4 to 0 win over Lawrence Co. Coach David Amado was proud of his JV squad and their performance in the last scrimmage action of the preseason. The Lady Raiders are set to open the regular season on Monday night at Riverdale in a 7:00 PM contest.

CCMS volleyball coach Lora Selvog instructs her team during a recent match

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days on Friday and Saturday for the Coffee County Middle School volleyball team this weekend in Lincoln County. The Lady Raiders opened pool play on Friday night in the Lincoln County volleyball tournament with wins over Covenant Christian Academy of Huntsville and Flintville. Carrying a 4 and 0 season record into Saturday, the Lady Raiders dropped their final pool play game to Highland Rim of Park City entering bracket play in the early Saturday morning match. In the first round of the tournament, the Lady Raiders faced off against a taller Highland Rim squad which dropped Coffee County into the loser’s bracket. The Lady Raiders rallied to defeat Covenant Christian again before being eliminated by Blanche. The Lady Raiders season record stands at 5 and 3 on the season.
Though disappointed in the outcome, Coach Lora Selvog praised her team’s service game while lamenting too many unforced errors against teams featuring big and talented outside hitters. “We could never string together long scoring rallies while their big hitters were in the back row, but we learned a lot and look forward to seeing a couple of these teams again this season” said Selvog. The first rematch takes place on Monday at Highland Rim as the Lady Raiders will travel to Park City for the 6 PM game. The Lady Raiders return home on Tuesday afternoon for a 4:30 PM match with Warren County at the CCMS gym. Thunder Radio will be there to bring the broadcast of that match as part of their Home Town Tuesday series with the pregame show airing at 4:25.

Westwood linebacker/wing back Dylan Koon

Two long touchdown runs in the second half spelled doom for the Westwood Rockets on Thursday night as they fell by a score of 24 to 0 to Fayetteville in middle school football action. After forcing a Westwood punt on the first possession of the game, Fayetteville drove 89 yards in 11 plays to take an early 8 to 0 lead after a 28 yard TD run by QB Trey Allen and a 2 point conversion from Jaden Hadley. After that drive, the Rocket defense held the Tigers to minus 6 yards the rest of the first half. Dylan Koon had a huge 12 yard sack to stifle one drive for Westwood, but the Rockets could not maintain a drive.
The host Tigers took the second half kickoff and scored on the 1st play from scrimmage as Isaac Pace galloped 55 yards for a score and Allen added an insurance TD on the first play of the 4th quarter to seal the victory. Westwood substituted liberally in the 4th quarter as they finished the second half with 16 yards on 16 plays. Jacob Floyd led the Rockets with 16 yards rushing on 6 carries, while Koon added a3 yards on 4 carries.
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With the loss, Westwood’s record is evened at 1 and 1 overall and 1 and 1 in conference play. The Rockets are on the road for the third straight game next Thursday. Westwood will travel to Murfreesboro to take on conference foe Middle Tennessee Christian. That game is set to kick off at 6:30 PM.

CCMS midfielder Jenna Garretson

A goal in the final minute by Jade Arnold lifted the CCMS Lady Raider soccer team to a 3 to 2 win at Harris on Thursday night. The Lady Raiders, who were forced to come from behind in the second half, avenged their only loss of 2014 in the crucial conference win. Jenna Garretson started the scoring for the Lady Raiders with an early goal before Harris leveled the score just before the half. A turnover at midfield early in the second half led to a second Harris goal testing the Lady Raiders mettle. Garretson got her second goal at the 65 minute mark to once again level the score setting up a dramatic final 5 minutes. As the Lady Raiders pressed the attack late, Arnold gathered in a deflection to drill the game winner in the 70th minute. The conference win gives the Lady Raiders a 1 and 0 regular season and conference record heading into next week. The Lady Raider soccer team will be back in action on Monday as they travel to Winchester to take on North Franklin. That match is set to kickoff at 5:00 PM.

CHS Golfer John Parriger

Austin Farris and John Parriger each fired a 1 over par 37 to lead the Coffee County golf team to a resounding 154 to 190 win against Grundy County on Thursday.  Reid Lawrence shot a 39 on the day while Hayden Proffitt and Samuel Prater each carded a 41 on the tricky Sewanee course.   The Lady Raiders will be in action this weekend in Crossville at the Golf Capital Tournament. The Saturday/Sunday tournament tees off at 8:00 AM.  Both boys and girls teams will host a match on Monday.  Shelbyville and Grundy County visit Willowbrook for a 4:00 PM tee time.