Category: Sports

The CHS golf teams open the regular season on Tuesday with a pair of matches in Fayetteville.  The Raiders and Lady Raiders will look to build off their performance from last Thursday as they open the season against district rival Lincoln County.   The Lady Raiders finished in 2^nd place at the Lakewood Invitational preseason tournament on Thursday led by Savannah Quick.  Quick, who shot a 2 over par 74 on Thursday, is joined by senior captain Teagan Perry and Sophie Vinson as the favorites to try and qualify the Lady Raiders for  the state tournament for the 5^th straight year.

On the boys side, senior captain Hayden Proffitt and junior John Parrigger lead a young Raider team.  Freshmen Austin Farris and Samuel Prater are also expected to contribute this season as the Red Raiders look to return a golfer to the state tournament for the 4^th straight season.

Tuesday’s match will take place at the Fayetteville Country Club and is scheduled to tee off at 9:00 AM.  The Raiders will host their first home match of the year on Monday, August 3^rd beginning at 1:00 PM.  The Raiders and Lady Raiders will play host to the always strong Cookeville teams at Willowbrook.  Mike Ray is the head coach for Coffee County as he begins his 8^th season at the helm of the golf program.

The Coffee County High School Lady Raider soccer team will host the annual preseason play day on Saturday at the Raider Soccer Field and Carden-Jarrell Field, both behind the Raider Academy. Both the Lady Raider varsity and junior varsity teams will be in action beginning at 9 AM. The varsity will play 3 games at Carden-Jarrell Field as they take on Warren County at 9 AM, Franklin County at 10:20 AM and Wilson Central at 2:20 PM. The Lady Raiders will also take on Smith County at 1:00 PM on the soccer field. The JV Lady Raiders will have 3 games on the soccer field beginning at 10:20 AM. The JV team will take on the Warren County JV at 10:20, the Shelbyville JV at 11:40 AM and the Franklin County JV at 1:40 PM.

CHS Lady Raider Play Day Schedule – August 1st

former Motlow softball coach adn athletic director, Tori Raby-Gentry

“We appreciate Tori and the time and effort she has given to the college,” said Tunstill. “As a former player and an alumnus, Tori will always be a part of the Motlow family and we wish her well.”

Raby-Gentry was named head softball coach in June 2011 and compiled an 84-107-2 record during her four years leading the program. Her best season was 2015 when the Lady Bucks went 27-19-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the TCCAA/Region VII tournament. She played for Motlow in 1996-97 and was named the team’s most valuable player following her sophomore season.

“After four years of coaching at Motlow and 15 years of college coaching I have decided that it is time for a new direction,” said Raby-Gentry. “I am thankful for the opportunities I was given here at Motlow and I will miss the support and relationships built with our administration, faculty, staff, and of course the student athletes.”

The next Motlow softball coach will be the school’s sixth since the program began in 1995. Jackie Reavis and Mike Holt were co-head coaches during that first season, followed by Angela Tulley who stayed two years and compiled a 58-25 record.

Gary Barfield took the reins in 1998 and established the Lady Bucks as one of the premier junior/community college softball programs in the southeast, culminating in the school’s only state championship and national tournament appearance in 2009. Barfield left following the 2011 season and is now the head coach at Tullahoma High School.

Baseball Head Coach Dan McShea has been named interim athletic director. Motlow will immediately begin the process of searching for a new head softball coach. The new coach will inherit a quality roster with eight returning sophomores and a talented freshman class.

Devin Taylor of the 11 and 12 year old Wild Bunch from Manchester won the TYBA home run derby this past weekend at the TYBA state tournament. (Photo provided by TYBA)

The 9 and 10 year old Raiders of Manchester won the Tennessee Youth Baseball Association State Recreation Championship on Sunday. The Raiders finished off the day on Sunday with 3 wins, including a victory over the DeKalb County All Stars in the championship game. The win capped the 3rd state title for a Manchester team in this year’s TYBA state tournaments. The 11& 12 year old Wild Bunch of Manchester also had a good week-end, highlighted by a home run derby winner. Devin Taylor of the Wild Bunch crushed a grand slam home run this weekend to claim the home run derby crown.

Monday marks the beginning of full contact fall football practice for prep teams in Tennessee. Teams from Westwood Middle, Coffee County Middle, as well as Coffee County Central High School will look to add this physical element to their practice schedules as they prepare for preseason scrimmages and jamborees. The Rockets of Westwood Middle will be the first local team to get in a fall scrimmage on Thursday night with their annual Blue & White Game scheduled for a 7 PM kickoff at Dyer-Bouldin Field. The Rockets follow that up with a Friday Jamboree game at Cascade at 6:30 PM against Mt. Pleasant. The Raiders of Coffee County Middle School will hold their first scrimmage of the preseason on Friday night as they travel to Smyrna to take on Rock Springs. The Coffee County CHS Red Raiders will travel to Grundy County on Friday, August 7th.

The CHS golf team opens their regular season on Tuesday as they travel to Fayetteville to take on Lincoln County. Both boys and girls teams will tee off at 9 AM.

The CHS volleyball team will hold their annual Alumni Game on Friday, July 31st beginning at 6:00 PM at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym. The Lady Raiders will return to action on Saturday, August 1st as the travel to Chattanooga for a scrimmage play day. The volleyball team will also hold signups on Friday beginning at 5:00 PM for girls in grades 4th thru 6th for their youth volleyball league. The final day for signups is Saturday, August 8th.

The Coffee County CHS girls soccer team will host a scrimmage playday on Saturday, August 1st at the Raider soccer field behind the Raider Academy.  Games will begin early on Saturday morning and continue all day.  Thunder Radio will update the schedule for the playday later in the week.

The Coffee County Middle School softball team will hold tryouts on July 27th and 28th at the CCMS Field. 6th and 7th graders will tryout on both dates from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Any 8th graders wishing to try out will only need to attend the July 28th session, also from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Students wishing to tryout should bring their own softball gear and a copy of their current physical. Parents will need to be prepared to drop off their kids, and then pick them up again at 6:00 PM as this will be a closed tryout session.

The Coffee County Central High School softball team will hold MAKE UP tryouts on July 28th & 29th at Terry Floyd Field. Time for both sessions is 7 PM to – 9 PM. Student athletes will to bring with them their own softball equipment plus the completed & signed physical/consent forms are REQUIRED.
For more information, contact Steve Wilder at: 731-445-4896.

The CHS Cross Country team will hold their first practice of the year on Monday, beginning at 5:00 PM at the former Old Stone Fort Golf Course. Students wishing to run cross country should show up with their physical form. If you need more information about the cross country team, contact Robert Harper via email at: harperr@k12coffee.net

A go-ahead home run by Adonis Garcia helped the Braves halt the Cardinals’ five-game winning streak and avoid a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win at Busch Stadium on Sunday.

Having lost an early two-run lead, the Braves got a jolt when Garcia connected for his first home run in his fourth career game. Cardinals starter Michael Wacha (11-4) served up the blast in the final inning of his six-inning start.
“To drive a ball out of the ballpark, especially in this ballpark, which is a fair ballpark, into the right-field bullpen, that’s some pop,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Ryan Lavarnway and Cameron Maybin tallied RBI singles off Wacha in the second.

“Early on, I was just having a little trouble finding the strike zone, leaving some balls up in the zone,” Wacha said. “[I] gave up an 0-2 hit [to Maybin] that drove in a run. I’ve got to do a better job with those counts and being able to put them away and not give those up.”
Braves starter Matt Wisler picked up his fifth win in seven career starts by limiting the Cardinals to two runs over seven innings. The Cards peppered the rookie for seven hits, but they had three innings end with a runner stranded at third.

After a weekend full of offensive frustration, the Braves cobbled together a pair of second-inning runs. Lavarnway doubled home Eury Perez, then Maybin singled home Lavarnway, who has hit safely in all seven games he’s played in since the Braves acquired him from Baltimore in June. Atlanta also benefited from a pair of walks in the second.

“That was nice to kind of break the ice there,” Gonzalez said. “We had some nice at-bats against Wacha. … He kind of settled in a little bit and gave his team an opportunity to win the game, but we had some good at-bats. We really did.”
Wacha wobbly: Though he did last long enough to throw six innings for the 14th time this season, Wacha labored early. He threw 51 pitches over the first two innings and allowed eight baserunners (three via walks) in the first three. Over his last three starts (17 innings), Wacha has allowed 13 runs.

“There were a couple things that happened today that would have made that look radically different,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “Some of those are outside his control. That’s pitching, too. You’re going to have plays not happen. You’re going to have calls not go your way. You have to figure out a way to get through it.”
When the Braves called up Garcia on Saturday, Gonzalez admitted he knew little more about the 30-year-old Cuban than that he wielded a potent bat. Atlanta was in need of one, having just traded Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, and Garcia came through with his first career home run to put the Braves ahead 3-2 in the sixth.

“I’m twice as happy now that I hit a home run,” Garcia said through a translator. “I accomplished my dream by getting up here to the big leagues, and I’m just happy that I was able to help the team win as well.”  The Cardinals tied the game in the fifth with a pair of doubles. Kolten Wong stretched a single into a two-base hit to lead off the inning, then moved to third on a groundout and scored easily when Matt Holliday sliced a double into the right-field corner. The Cards rank second in the National League with 174 doubles.

In his first start since injuring his wrist on June 17, Braves All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1-for-4 with a broken-bat single in the third inning.

Former Baltimore outfielder Nick Markakis and the Braves continue a 10-game road trip when they open a three-game set on Monday night against the Orioles at 6:05 CT, with left-hander Alex Wood on the mound.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast beginning at 6:00 PM.

Nashville struck first but the New Orleans’ bats responded, swiftly defeating the home team 9-6 at First Tennessee Park on Sunday night.

With Sounds primary leadoff hitter Craig Gentry given the night off, Joey Wendle stepped into the tone-setter role in the first inning and performed admirably, tripling to start the game. Next batter Andy Parrino drove Wendle in and the next two batters – Ryan Roberts and Jason Pridie – followed suit loading the bases with no outs. Parrino then scored on a wild pitch and the other runners moved into scoring position. Roberts would score on a Dayan Viciedo sacrifice fly and the Sounds led 3-0 after one.

That lead would not hold however, as New Orleans batted around in the fourth inning springing for five runs off Nashville starter Nate Long (2-3), ending his day after 3 2/3 innings pitched. Aaron Kurcz came in out of the Nashville ‘pen to retire the final out of the frame.

Isaac Galloway continued to be a thorn in Nashville’s side collecting a two-out, two-run single off Kurcz the following inning. The outfielder entered the series hitting just .235 this season, but has at least one hit and one RBI in each of the three games (5-for-12, 6 RBI) in the series.

Phil Coke relieved Kurcz pitching a scoreless sixth before surrendering an RBI single to Jhonatan Solano in the 7th inning. Galloway then came around to score on a wild pitch by Coke, extending the New Orleans lead to 9-3.

Nate Freiman attempted to spark some momentum for the Sounds, leading off the 7th with a solo homer off former Sounds pitcher Chris Narveson. Two batters later, Wendle hit a ground-rule double. He then scored when an innocuous fly ball off the bat of Roberts fell between the Zephyrs second baseman and right fielder.

Carson Blair duplicated Freiman’s effort to start the ninth inning, taking Lay Batista’s offering over the wall in left to make the game 9-6. Nashville could not capitalize on the momentum however, falling by the same score.

Looking to avoid the sweep, the Sounds will send Barry Zito (6-7, 3.54) to the mound Monday night. He will be opposed by impressive Marlins’ prospect Jose Urena (6-1, 2.44). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

With an eighth-inning sacrifice fly off Braves reliever Luis Avilan, rookie Stephen Piscotty interrupted a pitchers’ duel between former teammates and lifted the Cardinals to a 1-0 win over Atlanta. The victory, which came in front of a Saturday night sellout of 45,862 at Busch Stadium, gave the Cards their sixth five-game winning streak of the season.

Returning to St. Louis for the first time since being traded away last November, Shelby Miller matched Carlos Martinez through seven scoreless innings. The Cardinals finally broke through in the eighth, which opened with a Yadier Molina single and a walk to Randal Grichuk. With one out, Piscotty delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to give the Cardinals their 11th final at-bat win of the year.
Martinez, who took Miller’s rotation spot this year, pitched a career-best eight innings as he became the National League’s fourth 11-game winner. He worked around a bases-loaded jam in the second en route to his 11th consecutive quality start.

“I think that’s his best outing we’ve seen, just from the fact that he gives up a couple hits and as soon as he does, he’s throwing some of the best sinkers maybe we’ve ever seen from him to induce groundballs, double plays,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That usually tends to be the next step a guy takes, figures out how to be a little stingier with his pitches. … Just a phenomenal start from him.”

Miller found himself as a hard-luck loser again. He remains winless since mid-May and has made nine starts in which he’s received no run support.  “It was everything you expect it to be,” Miller said. “It was a lot of fun. Obviously, a tough game and we kind of lost it at the end, but other than that, on my part, I felt good. We made some key defensive plays, got some double plays that were huge and got us out of a little jam.”

Piscotty is still waiting to make his first start at Busch Stadium, but in the meantime, he collected his first career RBI in a key spot. After initially sending Dan Johnson up as a pinch-hitter with runners on the corners and one out, Matheny swapped out Johnson for Piscotty, once the Braves countered with the lefty Avilan. Piscotty worked a six-pitch at-bat before lifting a fly ball just deep enough to right to allow pinch-runner Pete Kozma to score.

Miller received a lengthy ovation from Cardinals fans when he came to the plate in the second inning, but he struck out with the bases loaded in what turned out to be the Braves’ best scoring chance of the game. A.J. Pierzynski and Adonis Garcia had singled before him, and Martinez intentionally walked Andrelton Simmons with two outs so he could face Miller.

“I like the way we battled against a tough pitcher in Martinez, and when he gives you an opportunity, you’ve got to take advantage and we didn’t today,” Gonzalez said. “He made some nice pitches also.”

For the 13th time in Miller’s 20 starts, the Braves scored three runs or fewer, and for the 10th time they scored two runs or fewer. Miller’s record is 0-6 when Atlanta scores between 0-2 runs.

Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman woke up expecting to play for the club’s rookie league affiliate in the Gulf Coast League, but when that game was rained out, he successfully lobbied to be activated for the first time since injuring his wrist on June 17. He arrived in the second inning and flied out to left field as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He remained in the game at first base.

Rookie right-hander Matt Wisler gets the nod for his seventh big league start on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. CT, as the Braves are expected to welcome Freeman back to their lineup.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast beginning with the pregame show at Noon.

Brad Mills was one out away from going the distance, turning in a solid start but taking a loss in the 3-1 defeat to the New Orleans Zephyrs on Saturday evening at First Tennessee Park.

Mills got the ball in the second game of the series and cruised his way through the first three innings. He sat the first 11 batters down in order, remaining perfect until a two-out walk in the fourth. The lefty kept the ball low in his 19th start of the season, mixing in his changeup to help him tie a season high with six strikeouts.

The Zephyrs posted two of their runs in the fifth off the Sounds starter. Austin Nola worked a one-out walk, one of three free passes that Mills conceded, and would score on the team’s first hit of the night. The knock came off the bat of Isaac Galloway, who smoked a healthy triple into the gap in right-centerfield. An errant throw from Craig Gentry short-hopped the cutoff man and Galloway ended up scoring to put the visitors in front 2-0.

The two-run fifth never seemed to bother Mills, who delivered a career-high 8 2/3 innings. He induced his team-leading 18th groundball double play in the sixth and notched his 10th quality start of the season. Ozuna spoiled Mills’ hopes of a nine-inning start by ripping a 3-0 pitch just over the leftfield wall to force his exit. The 8 2/3 innings marked the longest start by a Nashville pitcher this season.

Jason Pridie and the Sounds finally broke the seal in the seventh inning and cut the deficit in half. Pridie led off the inning with a single that dropped when Marcell Ozuna took a step back and slipped on his way to make a play on the shallow fly ball to centerfield. After swiping his second bag of the night, the All-Star eventually plated on a RBI groundout from Nate Freiman.

Nashville outhit New Orleans, 6-3, but was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and dropped their fourth straight game. Pridie led the offense with a pair of singles.

Game three of the four-game set commences on Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. The Sounds will have Nathan Long (2-2, 4.32) make the start and the Zephyrs are expected to throw Robert Morey (1-2, 2.83) in the 6:35 p.m. game.

After opening his career with five no-decisions, lefty Tim Cooney notched his first Major League win while throwing a career-high seven innings in the Cardinals’ 4-2 victory over the Braves at Busch Stadium on Friday night.

Cooney received most of his support from center fielder Randal Grichuk, who connected for a two-run homer and scored twice against Braves starter Manny Banuelos. Three of the four runs Banuelos allowed over five-plus innings came with two out.

The Braves shaved a four-run deficit in half with a two-run sixth that snapped Cooney’s 12-inning scoreless streak. Cameron Maybin’s RBI double off Cooney was Atlanta’s only extra-base hit of the night.  “This was definitely my best fastball command, as well as off-speed pitches,” said Cooney, who finished seven innings on 74 pitches. “When you’re able to locate the ball, good things are going to happen. I was definitely on today, and I feel like I’ve been getting a little bit better each start.”

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 35-12 at home this year and are a season-high 28 games over .500. The Braves have won just three of their last 11.

Just as he did on Thursday, Grichuk blasted a two-run homer in his first at-bat of the night on Friday. This one followed a two-out walk by Yadier Molina and traveled 421 feet to move Grichuk into second place on the team’s home run leaderboard. Grichuk later singled, swiped second and put the team ahead, 3-0, by scoring on Mark Reynolds’ two-out hit.

“It’s all about approach for Randal,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “If he has an idea and waits and gets the pitch that he’s looking for, he can mis-hit a ball and it’s still going to leave the park. Just here recently, I think some things are really starting to click for him because you’re seeing the consistent at-bats.”
The Braves generated their offense in the sixth when the eight-hole hitter, Andrelton Simmons, led off with a single to center and advanced to second on Banuelos’ second sacrifice bunt. Maybin doubled for the first time since July 4 to score Simmons, and then the center fielder scored on a wild pitch after taking third on a groundout.

Cameron Maybin hustles home from third base on a wild pitch from Tim Cooney, trimming the Braves’ deficit to two runs
Siegrist shines as substitute: With closer Trevor Rosenthal unavailable after pitching on three straight days, the Cardinals tapped Kevin Siegrist as their closer du jour. Siegrist earned his fifth save by striking out Jonny Gomes to end the game with the potential tying runs on base.
“First and second with Jonny Gomes at the plate, who historically wears out left-handed pitching, you feel pretty good about that situation,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Siegrist made some nice pitches on him.”

Banuelos started with a perfect first inning but surrendered runs in each of the next three frames while struggling at times with location in his fourth Major League start.  Banuelos’ four earned runs were the most he’s allowed in one start after giving up a total of three — two earned — over 15 2/3 innings in his first three starts.
Shortly before first pitch, the Braves finalized a deal that included Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe going to the Mets for young right-handers Rob Whalen and John Gant. Though the trade was not announced until after the game, the Braves had to play the game without Johnson or Uribe available.

The Braves send former Cardinals righty Shelby Miller to the mound in the second game of the series on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. CT.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast beginning with the pregame show at 6:00 PM.