Carter

Carter falls to Webb in opener 46-21

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Carter did not start the season the way Coach Justin Pressley had hoped after a solid showing in last week’s jamboree at Knox Central. The Hornets kept pace with Webb early, trailing just 19-14 at the half, but a 27-point second half by the Spartans sent Carter home with a 46-21 loss. Pressley was unable to coach the game however, as he served a suspension for being ejected during last season’s first round playoff loss to Elizabethton, as Carter assistant Dustin Dudley served as head coach for the game. “We’ve got a lot of stuff …

Jefferson County

Sevier County wins defensive battle 7-6 over Jefferson County

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – If you like a lot of scoring and offensive firepower, then Thursday night’s game between rivals Sevier County and Jefferson County was not for you. It was a defensive slugfest, especially in the second half, as Sevier County scored on its first drive and Jefferson County scored in the second quarter, with the only difference being a blocked extra-point that gave the Smoky Bears a 7-6 season-opening win. “I’ve never heard of an ugly win,” Sevier County head coach Todd Loveday said. “I’ll never apologize to win any kind of game. Jefferson County is a …

Thad Wells

Two-A-Days: New Lakeway Christian Coach Thad Wells views Lions as ‘sleeping giant’

BY BRIAN HAMILTON Lakeway Christian enters its third season as a football program looking to find its footing in Division II Class A. The Lions made big strides in 2021, finishing 4-7 (thanks to a pair of COVID-19 wins) and the school’s first ever playoff berth before losing to Nashville Christian 41-7. While the 2021 campaign doesn’t seem like strides for some teams, it certainly was after Lakeway did not win a game on the field in its inaugural season, as its only win — against Lee (VA) — came in the season opener, which was a COVID-19 forfeit. The …

Alcoa State Champs

Two-A-Days: Alcoa sets sights on 8-peat with Nix at helm

BY BRIAN HAMILTON Alcoa completed its seventh consecutive Class 3A championship run last December, defeating East Nashville 45-14. The Tornadoes now hold the longest streak of TSSAA championships in the common era. Believe it or not, however, Alcoa is only halfway to breaking the nation record of consecutive state titles, as St. Louis from Hawaii won 14 straight from 1986 through 1999. South Dakota’s Sioux Falls Washington has also been credited with 14 straight from 1951 through 1964, but during that day and age, many of those titles were viewed as mythical. Regardless, Alcoa seemingly has a stranglehold on Class …

Alcoa Softball

Hodge’s Walk-off gives Alcoa 4-3 win over Riverside

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MURFREESBORO – For all the games that were played on Tuesday’s opening day of Murfreesboro’s Spring Fling, Alcoa and Riverside may have saved the best game for last. The Lady Tornadoes and the Lady Panthers battled into extra innings until nearly 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time before Trinity Hodge hit a single to first base and an error allowed Kara Pitts to come home for the game winning run. Alcoa just narrowly escaped its first matchup of the week with a 4-3 win in nine innings. “Trinity had a great at bat earlier in the day when …