By JESSE SMITHEY Catholic junior point guard B.J. Edwards and Lakeway Christian Academy senior guard Jordaynia Ivie came home from Cookeville with gold hardware Saturday. While the trophies weren't of the state championship variety, the two … [Read more...]
STATE BOUND: Northview Academy breaks through, Maryville advances with ease
By JESSE SMITHEY Take a deep breath and exhale, Northview Academy. You finally did it. Your girls' basketball program, in just its seventh year, broke through Saturday night and earned the state-tournament berth it has been on a fast track … [Read more...]
Improbable and impressive postseason run by Catholic girls’ basketball ends with state runner-up
By JESSE SMITHEY An improbable and unexpected postseason run by the Catholic High School girls' basketball team met a heartbreaking end Saturday night at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. Hutchison School of Memphis downed the Lady Irish, 41-34, in … [Read more...]
Catholic boys’ basketball repeat bid falls short in state semis; starting five to return in 2021-22
By JESSE SMITHEY COOKEVILLE - Momentum can be a fickle, unpredictable and disloyal element to a postseason basketball game. It can stay for minutes, quarters, halves. But for the Catholic boys' basketball team Friday night, momentum didn't … [Read more...]
DOUBTERS HUSHED: Catholic girls’ basketball (15-16) advances to Division II-AA State Championship Game
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...]