By MIKE BLACKERBY Greeneville was one of the marquee teams of the 2010s in Tennessee prep football. The Greene Devils show no signs of slowing down heading into a new decade under first-year head coach Eddie Spradlen. … [Read more...]
5STAR PREPS 2020 Cross Country Season Preview: The Teams and Runners to Know
It could be a banner season for high school cross country in the 5Star Preps coverage area. Specifically, the deck appears to be stacked locally among Region 2 Large Schools. “It’s kind of back to the way it used to be,” said Hardin Valley coach … [Read more...]
How will lack of scrimmages affect area high school football programs?
It begs the question. Because of Covid-19 restrictions there will be no scrimmages or jamborees before the Aug. 21 season opener for area high school football teams. That means no big measuring-stick scrimmages against other teams like in recent … [Read more...]
Lenoir City Football hoping for major strides in 2020 with 15 starters back
By MIKE BLACKERBY Lenoir City is looking for a sharp turnaround to its football fortunes in 2020. Despite coming off a 1-10 season that ended with a 60-14 loss to Powell in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, Panthers coach Jeff Cortez is … [Read more...]
With 17 new starters set to debut in 2020, Maryville Football still preparing for same expectations — STATE
By MIKE BLACKERBY The losses off Maryville’s state Class 6A championship football team were staggering, perhaps even historical in nature. All told, 17 senior starters – including longtime fixtures like Tee Hodge, Cade Chambers, Mason Shelton, A.J. … [Read more...]
UPDATED: Governor Bill Lee gives OK for football and girls soccer to start
UPDATE, Friday, July 31, 2020 (5:57 p.m.): Gov. Bill Lee -- three days after announcing he would green light fall sports like football and girls soccer -- signed the executive order to allow for football and girls' soccer to begin on … [Read more...]
Former Knoxville basketball player on circuitous path to big-time college basketball
By MIKE BLACKERBY Brandon Clifford predicts that Jayden Doyle’s high school basketball sojourn will pay off in the long run. Doyle, a 6-foot-5, 184-pound shooting guard who left South-Doyle basketball after his sophomore season, will play for his … [Read more...]
Hardin Valley football trying to pick up where 2019 season ended
BY MIKE BLACKERBY Despite heavy losses to graduation, Hardin Valley coach Mike Potter hopes momentum from a strong finish to the 2019 football season carries over to this fall. After starting 1-6 a year ago, the Hawks reeled off three consecutive … [Read more...]
‘LATE BLOOMER’: Jalen Geer continues to grow into frame and into D1 recruit
By MIKE BLACKERBY Jalen Geer’s football career experienced a meteoric rise the last two years at Grace Christian. He hopes to take it to another level this fall at Palmetto Prep Academy in Columbia, S.C. … [Read more...]
Northview Academy football to show marked improvement over 2019
By MIKE BLACKERBY Heath Woods isn’t sure how many more games Northview Academy will win this season after going 1-9 in 2019. He can’t guarantee that the Cougars will make a dramatic jump in the standings after finishing sixth among seven teams in … [Read more...]