COOKEVILLE -- Alcoa’s Gary Rankin could finally breathe a sigh of relief. After a season fraught with myriad challenges -- even for a hall of fame coach -- Alcoa wound up back where it was expected to be Friday: clutching a gold football in the … [Read more...]
Meigs County (2A) looks for title No. 1; Elizabethton (4A) wants repeat
By MIKE BLACKERBY For the second consecutive year Elizabethton and Meigs County found their way back to Cookeville. The Class 4A Cyclones and 2A Tigers will represent the 5Star Preps coverage area Saturday in the final day of competition at the … [Read more...]
Tradition-rich Oak Ridge football and Alcoa football look to add to history Friday at state
By MIKE BLACKERBY They’ve survived one of the most remarkable and unusual high school football seasons in history, fending off a gauntlet of opponents and navigating a COVID-19 minefield that changes almost by the minute. Now, it all comes down to … [Read more...]
Hurricanes stay hot: Morristown East boys basketball knocks off Greeneville, 65-53
By MIKE BLACKERBY MORRISTOWN – The quality early season wins are piling up for Morristown East’s boys basketball team. The Hurricanes, playing their fifth opponent that qualified for the state tournament last season, handled Greeneville 65-53 on … [Read more...]
Oak Ridge defense stymies South-Doyle in 14-0 win; Wildcats back to state for first time since 2005
BY MIKE BLACKERBY OAK RIDGE – It has been a long time coming, but it felt like old times at Blankenship Field on Friday night as Oak Ridge moved one victory away from its first state championship in 29 years. The Wildcats won their first semifinal … [Read more...]
TALE OF THE TAPE: Maryville versus Oakland, for the seventh semifinal round in a row
By MIKE BLACKERBBY There’s a reason Maryville and Oakland meet in the TSSAA football semifinals for the seventh consecutive season Friday night in Murfreesboro. … [Read more...]
Oak Ridge vs. South-Doyle: A 5A state semifinal story with many layers to tell
By MIKE BLACKERBY The game stands on its own merit. But there’s more. Much more. Unusual twists, sidebars and irony figure into the equation as Oak Ridge and South-Doyle serve up an intriguing post-Thanksgiving Class 5A semifinal playoff … [Read more...]
Denae Fritz and the Maryville girls’ basketball team flex muscle in Saturday showdown with Lakeway Christian
By MIKE BLACKERBY WHITE PINE – The Maryville girls' basketball team made offense look easy Saturday night in the Lakeway Christian Academy Hall of Fame Shootout. The Lady Rebels (3-0) bagged 13 3-pointers on their way to an impressive 77-60 win … [Read more...]
South-Doyle ousts two-time defending 5A champions, 21-14, behind Shawn Gary’s three TDs
BY MIKE BLACKERBY There will be a new state football champion in Class 5A in Tennessee. Shawn Gary scored three touchdowns and rushed for 146 yards on 35 carries as South-Doyle knocked off two-time defending state champion Central 21-14 in Fountain … [Read more...]
NINE TIMES – Maryville defensive back D.J. Burks sure-handed in secondary and on offense
By MIKE BLACKERBY D.J. Burks has emerged as a force on both sides of the ball for Maryville this season, but make no mistake about it. Burks still considers himself a defense-first guy. “Defense is a lot of fun,” said Burks, a 6-0, 185-pound … [Read more...]