Austin-East takes down rival Fulton 69-67 behind Cherry’s 41

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Austin-East’s brotherly duo of Shane and Condis Cherry finished the game with a combined 58 points (Shane 41, Condis 17), outdueling Fulton’s twin tandem of Taj and Denaj Kimber, who combined for 35 points (Taj 18, Denaj 17) for a 69-67 win, as it was a packed house with standing room only inside Jody Wright Arena on Saturday afternoon. “When I took the job, I knew (the rivalry) was big, but I didn’t know it was this big,” said second-year Austin-East head coach Denard Bertram. “It’s a testament to see the stands packed with both …

Tyler Lee

Smoky Mountain Sports Boy’s Preseason Top-10

Preseason Boys Rankings Preseason Boys Rankings Fulton (18) Bearden (1) Alcoa (1) William Blount Farragut Sevier County Gatlinburg-Pittman Austin-East Morristown West Morristown East

Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge hangs on against Austin-East 24-14

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Pigeon Forge came away with a 24-14 win at Austin-East on Friday night, as the Tigers overcame a slow start to gain control and seal the game with an interception late in the fourth. Pigeon Forge fumbled on the first drive and them fumbled the snap on their next offensive play. The Tigers were lucky to survive the damage only trailing 6-0 with 8:38 left in the first. Ayden Littles ran for a 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put Pigeon Forge in front 7-6, which was the halftime score. “We had so many …

Austin-East snaps 15-game losing streak with win over Northview

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Northview Academy was coming off their first on-field win of the season — a 35-0 shutout of Claiborne — but laid an egg on Friday night, allowing Austin-East to pick up their first win in 15 games, on homecoming, with a 42-8 romp over the Cougars. The Roadrunners got on the board first with a 1-yard touchdown run by Markeyis Billingsley for a 7-0 lead. Austin-East was leading 21-0 when Alex Cruz-Mendoza dodged several Roadrunners and scooted 86 yards for the score. Cruz-Mendoza connected with William Kirby on the two-point conversion attempt, cutting the lead …

Gatlinburg-Pittman picks up first win of season at Austin-East

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Gatlinburg-Pittman traveled to Knoxville Friday night and came away with a resounding 44-27 win over Austin-East after tough losses to Seymour and Alcoa to start the season. “I am proud of these kids,” Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Brad Waggoner said. “They have kept battling. It is hard when you lose an overtime game and a game last week that wasn’t close. I knew on Monday and Tuesday that we would win this game by the way we practiced.” The game was close early on, as the Highlanders led 21-14 late in the second quarter. Gatlinburg-Pittman would …