Two Coffee County Lady Raider softball seniors will have the opportunity to represent Central High School one more time.
Senior Lady Raiders Keri Munn and Justus Turner have been selected by the Tennessee Softball Coaches Association to play in the TSCA All-Star Game.
The game will be held June 17 at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro.
Munn and Turner were starters for the CHS Lady Raider softball team that finished as AAA State Runner Up.
Coffee County High School’s Red Raider football team and cheerleaders led a large effort to collect items and monetary donations for the Isaiah 117 House during the team’s spring intra-squad game in May.
Last week the team was able to deliver donations to the Isaiah 117 House – including 2 van loads of toys, pajamas, diapers, toothbrushes and $700 cash.
Players that helped deliver were Derrick Scott, Jahlin Osbourne, Ashton Ferrell and Kurt Jesch.
“I am very proud of our players and the community,” said CHS head football coach Doug Greene.
The Isaiah 117 House is a location in Monteagle serving multiple counties – the purpose is for a safe, comfortable location for children who have been removed from custodial care while awaiting foster placement or DCS.
It was a ride for the ages.
Coffee County Central’s softball team gave everything it had, pushing Farragut to the brink, but ran out of gas in the TSSAA State Championship Friday in Murfreesboro – falling 4-2.
The second place finish for Coffee County sets a school record for best placement by the storied softball program, which has reached the state tournament a handful of times.
“When you get there, the first goal you have is to not be the first team out,” said Coffee County head softball coach Brandon McWhorter. “You want to prove that you belong. We did that.”
And then some.
Coffee County battled out of the loser’s bracket, beating Siegel and Dickson County on Thursday and then fighting a downpour to beat Summit 12-4 Friday morning and advance to the state championship against Farragut Friday afternoon. The Lady Raiders would have had to beat Farragut twice in the same afternoon to win the state title after waking up and winning a 9 a.m. game the same morning. It was a tall task.
“Farragut is a good team,” said McWhorter. “Our girls fought and they gave it everything they had all week. The community support was just awesome and we couldn’t have got this far without that. It was incredible to see.”
Coffee County 12
Summit 4
The Lady Raiders needed to beat Summit at 9 a.m. Friday morning to advance to the title round – and they left no doubt.
Kaitlyn Davis had 6 RBIs, including a grand-slam, and senior Justus Turner blasted a grand slam over the center field fence to lead an offensive onslaught that buried Summit early. CHS took advantage of erratic Summit pitching – as CHS batters were hit 7 times and earned 7 walks.
Keri Munn earned the win in the circle – allowing 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6. The win sent Coffee County to the state championship game against Farragut for the first time in school history.
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY BY CLICKING HERE.
Coffee County 2
Farragut 4
Coffee County took the lead against the Admirals – but the Lady Raiders couldn’t hold on and Farragut won the state championship Friday afternoon.
It took a while for the scoring to get started – then the Lady Raiders finally broke through in the fifth inning.
Kiya Ferrell pulled a ground ball to the right side of the field and beat out the first baseman to the bag. In the process, Chesnie Cox scored and Olivia Evans motored all the way around from second to put Coffee County up 2-0.
Farragut answered immedietely.
The Admirals put three on the board in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead.
The Lady Raiders loaded the bases in the sixth and Olivia Evans hit a line drive on the nose. But it went directly to the right fielder and ended the threat.
“I think when they took the lead there (in the fifth) we kind of knew it was over,” said senior Justus Turner. “We were tired. Nobody said that, but you kind of just knew.”
The Lady Raiders graduate three seniors from this year’s team – Eliza Carden, Turner and Keri Munn.
Tryouts for next year’s team are next week.
“We couldn’t have made this run without every single person on this team, all 23 of them,” said McWhorter.
photos – Coffee County vs. Summit
All incoming freshman students at Coffee County Red Raider Academy who want to play for the Red Raider football team should attend upcoming orientation.
The orientation is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 1. It will be a brief informational meeting at the Coffee County football facility (located at Coffee County High School next to the practice field – 100 Red Raider Dr.).
Everyone should bring completed physical paperwork if available.
The Coffee County Central Red Raider football team will kickoff the 2021 season on Aug. 20 at Franklin County. You can hear the Red Raiders all season long on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM.
Multiple area prep teams will have their tryouts this week.
CMS Baseball
Will have tryouts Thursday, Friday and Saturday (June 3-5) from 5-6:30 p.m. each day. Players should be prepared for the field or indoor facility at CMS based on weather. Bring completed physical paperwork.
CHS boys basketball
Will have tryouts for incoming freshmen June 1-2 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Freshmen must bring a copy of their current physical.
Coffee County dug deep. The Lady Raiders “held the rope.” They “fought as one.” They “played for Weave.”
Pick whichever piece of motivation you wish – all that matters is the Lady Raiders won two elimination games in the TSSAA Spring Fling state tournament on Thursday and are one of only three teams remaining in the state of Tennessee.
You heard all the action live on Thunder Radio.
Coffee County 4
Siegel 1
Siegel put a beating on Coffee County when the two teams met just one week ago in the Region 4-AAA championship.
Coffee County got its revenge Thursday. Justus Turner had three RBIs and a home run and Keri Munn stifled the Star bats to eliminate Siegel from the state tournament.
The Lady Raiders scored 1 in the first and never let go of the lead. Turner put the Lady Raiders on the board with a bloop single that moved Kiya Ferrell home. Ferrell finished with a pair of hits and two runs scored.
CHS added insurance runs with a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh. Turner grounded out to short stop but an errant Siegel throw allowed Alivia Reel and Ferrell to come across the plate.
The CHS defense made big plays when it needed to. Siegel plated a run in the sixth to make the score 2-1 and had runners at first and second with one out – Lady Raider second baseman Justus Turner made a full extension dive up the middle and threw out Emily Hawkes at first base – a play that certainly saved one run. With two outs, Siegel tried a bunt that Ferrell pounced on and threw out at first.
Madison Pruitt also made a full extension diving catch in left field for the Lady Raiders.
Munn picked up the win in the circle – striking out 7 and allowing 3 hits. The one run scored was unearned.
Turner was named Mid Tenn Turf Player of the Game on the Thunder Radio Broadcast.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL REPLAY OF COFFEE COUNTY VS. SIEGEL
Coffee County 2
Dickson County 0
Just an hour and a half after beating Siegel, Coffee County turned around in the 85 degree heat and shutout Dickson County.
Keri Munn pitched her second game in a row and her stat line was eerily similar to the first game – 7 strikeouts and three hits. She didn’t walk a batter and didn’t let a Cougar score.
Coffee County once again got the scoring started early. Kiya Ferrell singled to start the game and scored on a ground-rule double by Munn.
Ferrell finished with three hits on the game and scored both Coffee County runs – another in the third.
The Lady Raiders pounded the ball, picking up 12 hits, but stranded 9 runners on base.
Ferrell and Munn were named Mid Tenn Turf co-Players of the Game on the Thunder Radio broadcast.
Up next
Coffee County will play Summit at 9 a.m. Friday at Starplex #1 in Murfreesboro.
If the Lady Raiders win that game, they will advance to the championship game at 3. They will have to beat Farragut twice to win the state title. The “if necessary” game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m – all games are weather permitting.
Every pitch, every out and every run will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio, beginning at 8:45 a.m.. Tune in at 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM on the Manchester Go smartphone app and at thunder1320.com.
Coffee County Central Track & Field had four athletes competing in the TSSAA Spring Fling Track Meet on Thursday at Rockvale High School in Rutherford County.
Senior Kelvin Verge showed up with his best jumping shoes. Verge set a personal record with 6-feet-4 inches, which was good enough for fourth place in the state and tied a CHS record.
Meanwhile, Ethan Welch placed 14th in the pole vault and Travis Martin 12th in Pole Vault.
Jacob Rutledge just missed the medal standing by 3 spots, placing 11th in the 1600 meter run.
After a poor offensive showing, the Coffee County Central Lady Raider softball team still managed to put itself into position to tie or win against Farragut Wednesday afternoon in the TSSAA State Tournament in Murfreesboro.
Emily Schuster, Olivia Evans and Kiya Ferrell each earned a walk to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh and Lady Raiders trailing 2-0, but a fly ball by Chesnie Cox that looked like it might drop in behind third was gobbled up by Farragut’s Cameron Young to end the game and drop the Lady Raiders into the loser’s bracket of the state tournament.
The end of Wednesday’s game was a culmination of offensive frustration for Coffee County. The Lady Raiders managed just 2 hits all game – an infield single by Justus Turner and a single by Keri Munn. Coffee County swung through pitches all afternoon, striking out 15 times at the plate against Farragut lefty Avery Flatford.
Coffee County is still alive in the tournament, but the road to a state championship just got much tougher. The Lady Raiders will play Siegel at approximately 11:30 a.m. Thursday (game time will likely be closer to 12:15 p.m.) Thursday at Starplex #1. A win would put CHS in another game on Thursday at 4 p.m. A loss would end the season.
If Coffee County can win both games on Thursday, the Lady Raiders will play at 9 a.m. Friday – a win in that game would put them in the finals where they would have to win twice.
Thursdays game (or games) will be broadcast LIVE on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, Manchester Go smartphone app and thunder1320.com
Overtime is a fickle friend.
After winning two-straight games in extra time to tie their Round One series, the Nashville Predators were back in OT for Game 5, looking for another win after regulation to shift the series in their favor.
Two consecutive playoff wins in overtime for the first time in franchise history did not extend to three, however, as the Carolina Hurricanes scored at 2:03 of the fourth period on Tuesday night.
Yakov Trenin tallied twice for the Predators, but Jordan Staal ended things, as Carolina came back to defeat the Predators at PNC Arena. The result gives Carolina a 3-2 series lead and puts the Preds on the brink of elimination with Game 6 on Thursday in what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere in Nashville.
Hear the Nashville Predators on Thunder Radio courtesy of realtor Charlie Gonzales – Weichert Realtors Joe Orr & Associates.
It isn’t supposed to look easy when you get to the state tournament.
But Coffee County sure made it look that way Tuesday.
Coffee County Central High School’s Lady Raiders used 11 hits, including a 2-run home run from Keri Munn to beat Collierville’s Dragons 11-0 in the first round of the TSSAA Spring Fling State Tournament Tuesday, May 25 in Murfreesboro – a game you heard broadcast LIVE on Thunder Radio.
Coffee County was hot from the start – putting 4 runs on the board in the first inning and two more in the second. A five-run fourth inning allowed the Lady Raiders to use some substitutes and end the game early via mercy rule.
Coffee County picked up multiple hits from Kiya Ferrell and Chesnie Cox at the top of the CHS lineup – the two combined to go 6-for-6 with 3 RBIs and 5 runs scored.
Kaitlyn Davis pitched in an RBI on a double. Keri Munn closed the scoring when she launched a double well beyond the fence in the fourth inning.
Munn was solid in the circle – allowing just one hit over four inning of work while striking out 8 to earn the win. Kaitlyn Davis pitched a perfect inning in relief.
The Lady Raiders will play Farragut at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at McKnight Park Field #1. Game time could be later due to an earlier game on that field. Thunder Radio will be there for the broadcast beginning at approximately 11:15 a.m. A win Wednesday morning will put CHS in the winner’s bracket finals and just one win from the state title game.
