Andrew Taylor has been named the head boys basketball coach at Coffee County Central High School.
“Coach Taylor has significant experience as both assistant and head men’s coach here at CCCHS,” Coffee County principal Paul Parsley said in a press release. “There is a mutual respect between coach Taylor and our student-athhletes, and his competence in coaching the game is recognized in our community and within basketball circles in the surrounding area. We are happy to entrust leadership in our men’s basketball program to coach Taylor as we move forward.”
It will be Taylor’s second stint as the basketball program head coach. He previously served as head basketball coach from 1998 through 2008, when he resigned. He has served as the head volleyball coach since 2008, building the Lady Raider volleyball team into a perennial power. He will remain as head volleyball coach. He has served as an assistant boys basketball coach the past 5 years with head coach Micah Williams, who resigned last month to take a head coaching job at Webb School.
Taylor is a graduate and former player at CHS.
Taylor will be a guest on The Coffee Coaches Show Saturday – which airs from 10-11 a.m. live at Al White Ford Lincoln.
Lady Raider tennis advances to team finals in district play
Coffee County’s tennis Lady Raiders have advanced to the District tennis finals as a team after a 4-3 win over Marshall County in the semi-finals.
In singles play, the Lady Raiders got wins from Lauren Perry (8-1), Rylea McNamara (8-1) and Wren Lawson (8-5). The doubles team of Perry and McNamara won 8-2 to give Coffee County the 4-3 edge.
The Lady Raiders will play Lincoln County in the championship match – date is yet to be set.
Meanwhile, the Raider tennis team is set to play in the team semi-finals at Tullahoma on Thursday, May 6.
Westwood soccer caps unbeaten season with championship win over Cascade
Westwood Middle School’s Rocket soccer team completed an unbeaten season with a 3-0 win over Cascade in the conference championship game on Friday at Dyer-Bouldin Field in Manchester.
Westwood finished 10-0-1 on the season.
Westwood dominated conference opponents, outscoring them 30-1 on the season in conference play.
Titans agree to terms with WR Fred Brown
The Titans have agreed to terms with former Denver Broncos receiver Fred Brown on a multi-year deal.
Brown, who played at Mississippi State, played in 14 games for the Broncos over the past two seasons, including one start.
Brown (6-1, 195) had two catches for 21 yards, including a 16-yard reception, in those contests. He’s also played on special teams, where he’s tallied five tackles.
Brown has also previously spent time with the Colts and Rams during his NFL career. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in June 2017 but was waived at the end of training camp. He was re-signed to the team’s practice squad a few weeks later in September 2017.
At the end of the 2018 season, Brown signed a reserve/futures contract with the Los Angeles Rams, but he was cut at the end of training camp and did not spend the 2018 regular season with any team before being signed by the Broncos in December 2018.
After playing in 13 games for the Broncos in 2019, Brown spent the majority of the 2020 season on Denver’s practice squad.
Brown made his first career catch, a five-yard reception, in Denver’s 16-0 win over the Titans in October 2019.
In 23 games at Mississippi State, Brown caught 50 passes for 785 yards and five touchdowns.
You can hear the Titans all season long in Coffee County exclusively on Thunder Radio.
Baseball, softball district tournaments start at home later this week
Coffee County Central High School’s baseball and softball teams will get their respective postseasons underway later this week.
The Red Raider baseball team finished the regular season 7-5 in District 8-AAA play, which was good enough for fourth place. The Raiders will host Columbia at 5:30 p.m. Thursday – a team the Raiders swept in a two-game series back on March 15 and 16 to open the season. This game will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio.
The no. 1 seed Lady Raider softball team finished 12-0 in regular season district play and will have a first round district tournament BYE. The Lady Raiders await the winner of Columbia and Shelbyville and will play that team at 6:30 p.m. Friday night at Coffee County High School. That game will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio. With a win, the Lady Raiders will play again on May 11 and that game will be at Lincoln County High School. The district tournament is double-elimination.
Both the baseball and softball teams will need to at least reach the championship game of the tournament to guarantee a trip to the Region 4-AAA tournament. Anything less would end the season.
For the Thursday and Friday home games – tickets are available at the gate and there are no capacity limitations.
BASEBALL: Raiders run-rule LaVergne on senior night
It took the Red Raider offense a few innings to get cranked up. But once it did, Coffee County Central never stopped scoring until the game ended.
Taking a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, Coffee County came alive at the plate and got some help from poor Wolverine defense to rattle off 11 runs and end the game 12-0. Jacob Holder lifted a high, 3-run home run just inside the foul pole to end the game.
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO. LISTEN TO THE REPLAY HERE.
The Raiders struggled to get the offense started early, stranding runners on base multiple innings – including leaving the bases loaded in the first. Holder finished with 4 RBIs – all coming in the fifth inning when he got two hits. Nolan Jernigan had an RBI double.
Hayden Hullett, Braden Brown, Wyatt Nugent each picked up RBIs and Brady Nugent knocked in 2 runs on a double down the third-base line.
The Raiders sent three different pitchers to the mound – all combining to allow just 1 hit.
Lane Spry started and struck out all three batters he faced. Jacob Sherrill struck out 2 in an inning of work and Mays Snipes pitched three innings, allowing one hit and striking out 4. He was credited with the win.
The win completes the regular season for the Raiders with a record of 18-9. Coffee County will open the District 8-AAA tournament by hosting Columbia at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are available at the gate. The game will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio.
Brady Nugent 
Wyatt Nugent 
Jacob Sherrill 
Lane Spry and Brendan Sheppard 
Hayden Hullett 
Lane Spry 
Wyatt Nugent, Lane Spry, Braden Brown, Cameron Boyett, Griffin Meeker, Hayden Hullett 
Lane Spry 
Braden Brown 
Wyatt Nugent (right) 
Hayden Hullett 
Griffin Meeker
SOFTBALL: Lady Raiders wrap regular season with 10-5 win over Huntland
Coffee County had three multi-run innings and got RBIs from four different Lady Raiders in a 10-5 win over visiting Huntland Monday night
The win caps the regular season for Coffee County with a 25-4-1 record as the Lady Raiders are set to open the District 8-AAA tournament this week. After finishing in first place, the Lady Raiders get a first-round bye and will play the winner of Shelbyville and Columbia at 6:30 p.m. Friday. That game will be at home and tickets will be available at the gate – no capacity limitations.
Monday night in Manchester, Coffee County broke the game open in the bottom of the third with four runs, then added three in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away and hold on.
Freshman Chesnie Cox finished with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the offensive effort for CHS. Sophomore Kaitlyn Davis also had a pair of RBIs for the Lady Raiders. Madison Pruitt and Justus Turner each drove in one run.
Kiya Ferrell, and Brianna Shelton each scored twice. Meanwhile, Olivia Evans reached base thre times and scored three runs – she also had an RBI.
Kaitlyn Davis picked up the win in the circle – giving up 5 runs on 10 hits. Only two of those runs were earned as the Lady Raiders did uncharacteristically commit four defensive errors.
TENNIS: Perry, McNamara win doubles championship
Coffee County’s tennis program had a banner day at the district tournament last week.
Lauren Perry and Rylea McNamara won the girl’s doubles championship and were both named all-district players.
Meanwhile, Jaden Talley finished as boys singles runner-up and also was named to the all-district team. Perry, McNamara and Talley will all be advancing to the regional tournament.
Coffee County’s Katie Lawrence won the junior varsity individual championship and Austin Dockrey won the boys junior varsity championship with Matthew Blomquist as runner-up. Johnathan Welch and Jonathan Nelson finished as varsity doubles runner-up.
TRACK & FIELD: Raider boys take first, girls second at district meet
Coffee County Central’s boys track team took first place in the District track meet on Friday in Tullahoma, with the Lady Raider team placing second among seven teams.
Below are Coffee County athletes who placed in the top 5 of their event.
Boys 400 meter dash
4 – Ethan Beath. 56.00
5 – Ethan Welch. 57.85
Boys 800 meter run
3 – Cayden Miller. 2:19.23
Boys 1600 meter run
1 – Jacob Rutledge. 4:43.66
3 – Garrett Masters. 4: 57.15
Boys 3200 meter run
1 – Jacob Rutledge. 10:44.65
2 – Garrett Masters. 11:04.90
3. Jacob Slabaugh. 11:59.18
Boys 110 meter hurdles
1 – Ethan Welch. 17.34
4. Zach Galy. 20.85
Boys 300 meter hurdles
1 – Zach Galy. 49.43
Boys High Jump
1 – Kelvin Verge. 6-01
5 – John Dobson. 5-09
Boys Long Jump
3 – Kelvin Verge. 18-09.50
Boys Triple Jump
4 – Kelvin Verge. 38-04
Boys Pole Vault
1 – Ethan Welch. 9-06
2 – Travis Martin. 9-00
4. John Dobson. 8-00.
Boys Discus
5 – Ethan Welch. 116-05
Girls 100 meter dash
5 – Maddie Sullivan. 14.07
Girls 200 meter dash
4 – Maddie Sullivan. 29.01
5. Kasen Holt. 30.28
Girls 400 meter dash
5 – Kera Marlow. 1:13.80
Girls 800 meter
5 – Zoe Mills. 2:53.71
Girls 1600 meter run
1 – Patricia Barrera. 5:48.79
Girls 3200 meter run
1 – Patricia Barrera. 12:41.50
4 – Kailee Rossman. 15:13.58
Girls 100 meter hurdles
3 – Madison Rooker. 17.74
Girls 300 meter hurdles
3 – Maddie Sullivan. 55.49
4. Alexis Rayman. 57.49
Girls High Jump
2 – Macy Tabor. 4-10
3 – Kenzie Givens. 4-08
Girls Triple Jump
3 – Madison Rooker. 29-10
Girls Pole Vault
2 – Madison Rooker. 6-00
Girls Discus
2 – Nikki Graham. 71-11.50
3 – Elli Chumley. 63-09.00
Girls Shot Put
1 – Elli Chumley. 33-03
3 – Holli Hancock. 27-03
5 – Brayden Tomberlin. 23.00
BASEBALL: Raiders split with Cavaliers, blowout Pioneers
Coffee County’s baseball team went 2-1 over the weekend with a 10-1 non-district win over Warren County Friday night and a 9-5 win over Cookeville at home on Saturday. The Raiders lost the second game of a double-header with Cookeville on Saturday, falling 4-2.
The Raiders move to 17-9 on the season and will host LaVergne for senior night at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Coffee County 10, Warren County 1
Griffin Meeker was nearly unhittable for the Raiders, allowing just four hits in a 7-inning complete game to lead the Raiders to a rout of Warren County on the Pioneer senior night in McMinnville.
Meeker struck out 5 Pioneers and needed just 93 pitches to get through the game. He allowed 1 run in the bottom of the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Raiders touched up three Pioneer pitchers for 10 hits in the win. Jacob Holder, Lane Spry and Nolan Jernigan all doubled and Hayden Hullett had a triple in the win. Holder and Hullett each had multi-hit games and combined for 5 RBIs. Braden Brown also had a hit and a pair of RBIs.
Cookeville 5, Coffee County 9
The Raiders played flawless defense, picked up a couple of highlight reel catches in left field from Wyatt Nugent and took advantage of 8 Cavalier errors to put together a 9-5 win. The Raiders led 6-1 after one inning and never looked back.
Braden Brown earned the win on the mound – allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits through 4 innings. He walked 5 Cavalier batters. Carter McKenzie and Brady Nugent carried it the rest of the way on the mound, with Nugent closing things out with a pair of strikeouts with the Cavaliers threatening in the top of the 7th.
Jacob Holder and Hayden Hullett each had two hits and two RBIs. Nolan Jernigan also had a hit and an RBI.
Coffee County 2, Cookeville 4
Coffee County struggled to get its offense off the ground in the final game of a Saturday double-header.
Coffee County managed just two runs on six hits – none of which were extra base hits. Hayden Hullett had an RBI for the Raiders at the plate on a hit.
Aiden Robertson took the loss on the mound for Coffee County. The sophomore worked 3 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 4 and struck out 5 while giving up a pair of earned runs.
Wyatt Nugent allowed 1 run in two innings and Charlie Pierce one run in 2 innings of work.
Brendan Sheppard 
Jacob Holder and Carter McKenzie 
Jacob Holder 
Brady Nugent 
Carter McKenzie 
Wyatt Nugent 
Hayden Hullett 
Wyatt Nugent 
Aiden Robertson 
Braden Brown 
Braden Brown 
Mays Snipes 
Griffin Meeker