Jonathan Lewis(left) and Kylan Mantooth(right) show off their catch at Saturday’s Tennessee Bass Nation State Championship [Photo Provided] A pair of Coffee County Youth Bass Club members traveled to East Tennessee on Saturday to compete in the Tennessee Bass Nation Junior Division State Championship.  Kylan Mantooth and Jonathan Lewis, who captured the Central Tennessee Bass Nation Region Championship on May 30th, made the long trek to Dandridge to fish Douglas Lake.  The duo ended up faring well on an unfamiliar lake as they finished in 11th place.  In 2019, Mantooth also claimed a region title, only to suffer damage...

by Mark Bowman – MLB.com Though Bryce Elder slid to the fifth round, the University of Texas right-hander still received the third-round money he was seeking. Per MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Elder and the Braves agreed to terms on an over-slot signing bonus worth $850,000. Atlanta has now signed each of the four players it selected in the 2020 MLB Draft. The club has not yet confirmed this agreement. When the Braves selected Elder in the fifth round, it was apparent he would need more than the $336,600 assigned to the slot where he was picked. The club created the...

The Manchester Youth Baseball Association was in action on Thursday with 6 games contested in 4 age divisions.  In the 6U Division, Cooper Sports squeaked past Lovelady Auto Parts 20 to 19.  Tied at 14 entering the final inning, Cooper pushed across 6 runs to Lovelady’s 5 in the decisive 4th inning for the win.  Walker McKnight had the walk-off RBI double and added a pair of singles for Cooper.  Owen and Isaac each had 4 hits and 4 runs at the top of the Lovelady lineup.  Kolton Strickland of Dr. J’s crosses home ahead of the throw after...

by Jim Wyatt – TitansOnline.com Kevin Byard’s Instagram post for his mom’s new house Kevin Byard has played in a Pro Bowl, and he’s been voted a team captain by his teammates. The Titans safety, who has 17 interceptions over the past three seasons, is regarded one of the best in the game at his position. But there’s something else Byard is even more proud of – he bought his mother a house recently. “That’s probably one of the biggest milestones that I’ve accomplished in my playing career, for sure,” Byard said. “To get drafted, and second to be...

After 2 days of proposals, there is a glimmer of hope that Major League Baseball could be played in 2020. On Wednesday, the league reportedly made a proposal for a 60-game season that featured prorated pay for players, something the union has been asking for since talks began. On Thursday, the MLB Players Association(MLBPA) made a counter proposal. While a deal has yet to be reached, there’s clearly some progress being made. The MLBPA took the next step Thursday with a counterproposal calling for a 70-game season. MLBPA leader Tony Clark released the following statement Thursday afternoon: “We delivered...

June means certain things in Manchester, Tennessee…vacations, hot weather, Bonnaroo, and dominant performances for the Coffee County Claybusters.  Since its inception in 2005, the Coffee County Claybusters have consistently had state and national championship individuals and teams represent Coffee County Central High School and Coffee County Middle School.  2020 will be a little different as the Claybusters competed on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tennessee AIM State Championships in Nashville.  With the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling most of the spring season, the American Trapshooting Association made the decision to not award team titles due to the lack of team competition...

Thursday MYBA Schedule 6U at Tee Ball Field 7:30 PM – Lovelady Auto Parts vs. Cooper Sports 8U at Fast Pitch Field 5:00 PM – KK’s vs. Dr. J 7:30 PM –Interstate Auto vs. Lions Club 10U at National League Field 5:00 PM – First National Bank vs. Chico’s Bail Bonds12U at Aaron Miller Field 5:00 PM- Bush Insurance vs. Peoples Bank 7:30 PM- First Vision Bank vs. Shelter Insurance The material and information contained in this story may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, for commercial gain, without the express written consent of Coffee County...

By Mark Bowman – MLB.com After making four selections in last week’s shortened MLB Draft, the Braves are now evaluating some of the undrafted free agents who can immediately provide some organizational depth. Because these players cannot receive a signing bonus that exceeds $20,000 this year, very few of the players being targeted are projected to become top prospects. The players willing to sign are primarily college seniors or juniors who are worried about how this year’s coronavirus shutdown could affect their future at their current school. According to Baseball America, here are three undrafted free agents who have...