BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Getting to its first state championship game in more than three decades turned out to be a hand-wringing experience Friday for the Alcoa boys' basketball team. A turnover here. A missed free-throw … [Read more...]
2023 5Star Preps Baseball Season Preview
BY JESSE SMITHEY As basketball winds down this week and baseball heats up, now is the proper time to release our 2023 5Star Preps Baseball Preview. We have 60 players to know and we have a look at some potential postseason contenders. THIS … [Read more...]
DIVISION I BOYS STATE, Day 3: Fulton Falcons trounce MLK Royals by 40 in 2023 Class 3A State Semifinals
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Fulton senior guard Marcellus Jackson walked to midcourt with 2 minutes, 44 seconds, left in the third quarter Thursday night against MLK and told his teammates not to let up. As someone who doesn't comprehend … [Read more...]
DIVISION I BOYS STATE, Day 3: Alcoa Tornadoes win first state tournament game since 2004; hold off Pearl-Cohn for 65-62 win
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — The final 1 minute, 10 seconds, of Thursday's Class 2A state quarterfinal wasn't unnerving at all for Alcoa boys' basketball coach Ryan Collins, even though star player Jahvin Carter got whistled for his fifth foul … [Read more...]
DIVISION I BOYS STATE, Day One: McMinn County Cherokees fall to Memphis Overton in 4A quarterfinal
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — The standard has changed with McMinn County High School boys' basketball. No longer is it just trying to get the better of Cleveland. No more is it just beating Bradley Central. Nope. Expectations have … [Read more...]
DIVISION I BOYS STATE, Day One: Youth-laden Sevier County can’t match strengths of Hillsboro in 4A state quarterfinals
MURFREESBORO — Ken Wright, the longtime head boys basketball coach at Sevier County High, had been playing with house money for weeks. His Smoky Bears squad, the one with a 6-8 record heading into January and the one with freshmen littered across … [Read more...]
FCA FISHING FILES: Karns sophomores Hunter Owens, Clayton Kelley have ‘One-in-Million’ day fishing
BY DAVE LINK LENOIR CITY – Hunter Owens figured it might be a good day early Saturday morning (March 11) during the third stop of the Bass Pro Shops-Sevierville High School series on Fort Loudon/Tellico Lakes. He had no idea how good it would … [Read more...]
DIVISION I BOYS STATE: Fulton Falcons dispense of state-rookie Volunteer, 69-55, in Class 3A quarterfinal
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — You'll likely see a different version of Fulton's boys' basketball team come time for their Class 3A state semifinal on Thursday night. Not personnel wise. But effort. While head coach Jody Wright didn't … [Read more...]
Webb guard Lukas Walls, Bearden post Avery Treadwell win 2023 TSSAA Mr. and Miss Basketball awards, respectively
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Lukas Walls and Avery Treadwell capped their high school basketball careers in style Monday during the TSSAA Mr. and Miss Basketball award ceremony at MTSU's Murphy Center. Lukas Walls, a 6-foot-3 senior from … [Read more...]
DIVISION I GIRLS STATE: McMinn Central gets zoned out, 56-37, against defending-champion Westview in 2A Championship
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — By the most generous of estimates Saturday night, Westview High School girls basketball coach Brian Haskins figured that his team played man-to-man defense for maybe two minutes this entire season. Two minutes. … [Read more...]