By JESSE SMITHEY COOKEVILLE — They weren't supposed to be here. But they just may win the whole thing. In what continues to be one of the more remarkable seasons and program-changing turnarounds in area high school girls' basketball history, … [Read more...]
Blake Derrick no longer girls’ basketball coach at The King’s Academy
BY JESSE SMITHEY Roughly a year after helping The King's Academy girls' basketball program reach the Division II-A championship game, head coach Blake Derrick stepped away from his post. … [Read more...]
REGION BOYS ROUNDUP: Greeneville, Harriman win region championships; Cosby, JeffCo still alive
By JESSE SMITHEY The Greeneville Greene Devils went for a three-peat in Region 1-AA on Thursday night, and Harriman sought its first Region 2-A championship since winning the Class A state championship in 2017. Both got what they … [Read more...]
2021 GIRLS REGION ROUNDUP: Sevier County, Grainger, Oneida win championships
By JESSE SMITHEY While he had staffers at Northview's overtime win against Alcoa and Bearden's triumph over Maryville, we still want to go spotlight some of the night's big moments. Sevier County. Grainger. Oneida. They captured region … [Read more...]
The FINAL FIVE – 2021 Boys Region Semifinals (Tuesday, March 2)
By JESSE SMITHEY What. A. Night. The boys' region semifinal elimination games rarely disappoint. And they certain did not on Tuesday. In tonight's FINAL FIVE, we go in-depth with wins by Cosby, Fulton, Jefferson County, Bearden, Oak Ridge … [Read more...]
Union County girls basketball coach Roger Murphy steps down; school alum takes over
By JESSE SMITHEY The final words on its 2020-21 high school basketball season penned just a handful of days ago, the Union County girls' basketball program announced a coaching change Tuesday. Longtime girls coach Roger Murphy resigned to … [Read more...]
FINAL FIVE: Sevier County, Bearden, Oneida, Northview, Tellico and more survive (March 1, 2021)
By JESSE SMITHEY The FINAL FIVE takes us tonight to region semifinal elimination games. We hit on Sevier County, Bearden, Oneida, Tellico Plains, Northview Academy, Alcoa, McMinn Central, Meigs County, Grainger and South Greene. … [Read more...]
Lakeway Christian Academy finds its new football coach
By JESSE SMITHEY A fledgling Lakeway Christian Academy football program has been bereft of a consistent head-coaching presence since its beginning. And for the last two months, it hasn't had a head coach at all. But now, the Lions have their … [Read more...]
The FINAL FIVE, boxscores and scoring leaders – Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021
By JESSE SMITHEY Elimination games were the theme of the night Saturday, as boys played region quarterfinals across the state. Check out tonight's FINAL FIVE (big stories), boxscores and stats from around the area. … [Read more...]
Both Knoxville Catholic basketball teams secure Division II-AA state tournament berths
By JESSE SMITHEY The Knoxville Catholic boys' basketball team will have some company in Cookeville next week, when they try to defend their Division II-AA state championship. The Lady Irish will be playing in the arena, too. On Saturday, … [Read more...]