2015 may be best remembered as the year of change on Red Raider Drive. Dismissals of the boys’ basketball coach and head baseball coach soiled the headlines in a tumultuous February. The retirement of long time softball coach Terry Floyd brought sadness to the community in the early summer. The “promotion of the Red Raider football team to the new “Super 32” Class 6A filled the hearts of many with a foreboding fear. And the resignation of the athletic director, along with the restructuring of the athletic administration structure had the potential to quell the momentum gained by the department in the previous 2 years. Resilient as they are, the athletes and staff survived the storms and entered this school year ready to tackle the challenges, as they fed off the successes of the past while continuing a growth started in 2014. As 2015 winds down, let us celebrate the accomplishments of ALL the sports and athletes at CHS that represented their school and community with honor.
The 2015 CHS Golf teams show off their trophies following the district tournament – Photo provided
The Lady Raider golf team won their 3rd straight region title before finishing with a 4th place finish at the state tournament in September. The Red Raiders finished 2nd in the region as John Parigger qualified for the state tournament as well. Parriger, a junior, is the 3rd different Red Raider to compete at the state tournament in the last 3 years, while the Lady Raiders have been represented for the last 4 years.
Sarah Pearson shows off her 7th place medal
The CHS Track team advanced 3 athletes to the state meet for the 23rd straight season in May as Sarah Pearson, Kani Johnson and Taylor DeBerry competed at the Blue Cross State Championships. Pearson was the lone medalist in the group as she finished in 7th place in the pentathlon.
Daniel Larsen (red cap) fires off the blocks at state championship… Photo provided
Daniel Larson of the CHS swim team completed his high school career by advancing to the state meet in February. Larson registered Top 40 finishes in the 100M backstroke and the 100M butterfly at the state meet as he graduated with a majority of the CHS Swim Team records. This season has begun a youth movement as more than a dozen region qualifying times have been secured by underclassmen.
The Lady Raider Tennis Team shows off their District Title trophy after winning the District 8AAA Title
The Lady Raider Tennis claimed a district title in May as they defeated Shelbyville in the finals before falling in the region tournament to Siegel. The doubles team of Alex Crossland and Savannah Hodge also advanced to the region tournament before falling in the semifinals. The Lady Raider tennis team returns 5 of the 6 members of last season’s team for this coming spring.
Coffee County CHS soccer players named to District 8AAA All-District team.
The Red Raider soccer team used a challenging schedule of “friendlies” to prepare themselves for the postseason and the plan worked nearly to perfection. The Raiders won 6 out of 7 games during a late season stretch, including a Coffee Cup win over Tullahoma, to advance to the finals of District 8 tournament. Coffee County finished as runner-up in District 8 and pushed unbeaten Oakland to overtime before being eliminated in the Region semifinals by a score of 2 to 1.
Brittney Jones accepts her Miss Softball trophy
After winning the regular season district title, the Lady Raider softball team finished the year with runner-up finishes in the district and the region tournaments and missed advancing to the state tournament with a 1 run loss to Ooltewah in the sectional. Graduating senior pitcher Brianna Jones finished her career with more than 1,000 strikeouts and was named the AAA Miss Softball for Middle Tennessee by the Tennessee Softball Coaches Association.
CHS Lady Raider Volleyball team celebrates they District 8 Runner up finish
The Lady Raider volleyball team advanced to the region tournament for the 4th straight year as they finished in 2nd place in the district tournament. The Lady Raiders were eliminated in the region semifinals by Siegel. Senior Diana Davis was selected as the Most Valuable Player for District 8AAA.
CHS Soccer coach David Amado instructs junior Karson Young
The Lady Raider soccer team also enjoyed a late season surge as they made it to the district semifinals to earn a 3rd place district finish. The Lady Raiders fell to a talented Lincoln County team who went on to advance to the state tournament.
The Red Raider football team also advanced to the state playoffs losing in the 1st round to Science Hill. The Raiders season was highlighted by the recapture of the cherished Coffee Pot with a 42 to 7 massacre of Tullahoma along with a 46 to 7 drubbing of Warren County on Homecoming. While not getting a win over the highly vaunted “Rutherford County teams,” Coffee County nearly upset Riverdale while playing exceptionally well against state quarterfinalists Smyrna and Blackman.
While both of the CHS basketball teams had early exits from the district tournament last winter, each has had strong starts to this season. Coach Herb Horton has his young Lady Raider squad playing with passion and intensity. First year Red Raider coach Micah Williams takes a 500 record into 2016 as he continues to mold his team into his style. Look for a bright future at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym in the coming years.
CHS Wrestler Josh Tobitt
The CHS Wrestling team failed to qualify a wrestler for the state tournament last winter, but Coach Roger Barlow has his young squad working hard in their new home this season. The Red Raiders have christened their new home at the Coffee County Raider Academy the “Meat Grinder” and look forward to establishing a foundation for future success in wrestling for Coffee County.
CHS baseball Class of 2015
The Red Raider baseball team would just as soon forget the many obstacles that they faced at the beginning of the season. The 9 person senior class and interim head coach Jon Spears battled their way into the district tournament where they clawed their way to a 5th place finish. New head coach David Martin was hired in late May and helped oversee a summer of competition that promises a return to glory on the diamond at Powers Field.
Members of the Red Raider Cross Country team as they “Run for Thomas” #ThomasStrong
And the CHS Cross Country team completed their 2nd season of competition after the return of the program following a 25 year hiatus. The season was highlighted by an emotional meet performance at Sewanee on October 1st. The Raider and Lady Raider teams ran for their cancer stricken teammate Thomas Millaway.
2016 promises to be another great year for Coffee County sports and Thunder Radio will keep you updated with all the great performances daily. We begin our 2016 coverage with Red Raider & Lady Raider basketball on Saturday as Coffee County travels to Grundy County. The girls game will tip off at 4 PM, but we begin our coverage with the Char-El Apartments & Home Rental pregame show at 3:50.
