Sports and Outdoors

The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top football players in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, December 2, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. For the 18th consecutive year, the top kicker in the state will be recognized with a Mr. Football Award, regardless of classification.

A superior defensive effort and a phenomenal performance by 2019 Class 2A Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist Nick McClendon was way too much for Eagleville as the fourth-ranked Forrest Rockets (12-0) remained undefeated after an impressive 32-6 second round playoff win at the Murrey E. Holton Memorial Field in Chapel Hill Friday night. “This is the first time in school history Forrest is 12-0, that’s a huge accomplishment and this team is now in a league of their own, they came out fighting all night long,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said.

The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top football players in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, December 2, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Three finalists for each category will be announced by Mike Keith on the Titans website at www.titansonline.com on Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00 a.m. CST / 12:00 p.m. EST. The three finalists for each award will be the ones invited to attend the awards luncheon at Nissan Stadium, where the winner of each award will be announced.

For the second season in a row, the Marshall County Tigers opened up the TSSAA 4A state playoffs against the Stone Memorial Panthers out of Crossville. Unlike last year’s matchup, which was decided in overtime on a game winning two-point conversion by the Tigers (9-2), Marshall County won the 2019 contest going away by a score of 39-8. The seventh-ranked Tigers host second-seeded DeKalb County (7-4) from Smithville, who beat third-seeded Tullahoma (7-4) 45-34 in Friday night’s second round contest at Preston Hopkins Field in Lewisburg.

The fourth-ranked Forrest Rockets turned in a solid effort in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs, coming away with a relatively easy 37-7 win over the Hickman County Bulldogs on a frigid Friday night at the Murrey E. Holton Memorial Field in Chapel Hill. “We came out focused and ready to play,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said. “Our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and that allowed us to control the pace of the game.”

The Region 6A third-seeded Collinwood Trojans made the long haul from Wayne County to renew an old rivalry with the Region 5A second-seeded Cornersville Bulldogs on a cold night at Frog Bottom in the opening round of the TSSAA Class A playoffs Friday night. Cornersville’s Brady Calahan rushed for 104 yards and the Bulldogs turned back the Trojans 31-10 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Both teams were appearing in their fourth consecutive TSSAA opening round playoff games with Collinwood hoping to break a three-game playoff losing streak and Cornersville seeking to extend their season, as the 2017 and 2018 teams did, and reach the 1A Championship game at Cookeville.

Each week during the 2019 season the Maxwell Football Club will recognize outstanding performances with two weekly awards. The Maxwell Award Player of the Week will be recognized for overall performance on offense, defense or special teams, and the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week will be honored for outstanding defensive play. Players selected do not have to be represented on the Maxwell or Bednarik Award watch lists.

Individuals and schools presented A.F. Bridges Awards at TSSAA Regional Meetings November 11, 2019 Schools and individuals from all parts of Middle Tennessee were recognized at the TSSAA Regional Meeting at Hillwood High School on Thursday, November 7 as part of the 20th Annual A.F. Bridges Awards program...

Four schools playing this weekend participated in the first TSSAA Playoffs in 1969: Lake County, Loudon, Oneida, South Pittsburg. Loudon and South Pittsburg were champions in Class AA and Class A, respectively. Oneida appeared in the first three Class A playoff fields...

The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top football players in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, December 2, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. For the 18thconsecutive year, the top kicker in the state will be recognized with a Mr. Football Award, regardless of classification. Five semifinalists are announced in this release for each classification and the Kicker of the Year category. There are six classifications in Division I and three in Division II. Three finalists for each category will be announced by Mike Keith on the Titans website at www.titansonline.com on Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00 a.m. CST / 12:00 p.m. EST. The three finalists for each award will be the ones invited to attend the awards luncheon at Nissan Stadium, where the winner of each award will be announced.

Looking back at the championships, memorable games and performances Tennessee high school football begins anew this week with the kickoff of its second season, aka the TSSAA State Football Playoffs. And the 2019 edition of the playoffs, which will crown nine state champions in Division I Classes 1A-6A and Division II A, AA and AAA, marks the 50th anniversary -- and 51st season -- of TSSAA's first-ever batch of playoff champions.

The typical cross county course is 5000 meters in length, but is must seem like it took a million miles to get there for Forrest coach Jennifer Gaskill, who took over the cross country team five years ago. “My first year coaching five years ago we had seven runners (girls and boys combined) and we didn’t even have enough to qualify as a team,” said Gaskill, who is a first-grade teacher at Chapel Hill Elementary School. “I knew I wanted to bring running back to life at Forrest.”

Following a one year hiatus, the region championship returned back to Lewisburg after the Tigers dominated Nolensville (8-2, 4-1) in front of the statewide audience as the MyTV30 Friday Night Rivals game of the week. With every major media entity from the Mid-State represented in Lewisburg, Marshall County (8-2, 5-0) held the Knights scoreless for three and a half quarters before two late Nolensville touchdowns fixed the region championship final at 30-14 in the Tigers’ favor.

The Cornersville Bulldogs traveled to Maury County Friday night, wrapping up the regular season versus the Division II-A Zion Christian Academy Eagles and they used the bruising running of Cason Warner and two touchdowns runs by Rhett Woodard to turn back the Eagles 33-22. With the denied appeal of using an ineligible player by Fayetteville on Tuesday by the TSSAA, the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-1)) finished in second place in Region 4A and host Collinwood (5-5, 4-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. at Frog Bottom in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs.

The Board of Control voted to deny the appeal of Fayetteville High School regarding the eligibility of a student-athlete that initially caused them to forfeit 6 football contests. Fayetteville’s overall record remains at 4-6. The standings for the Region 5-A playoffs are as follows:...

Was there ever a doubt? Not to the Forrest Rockets, who pulled off an epic 16-13 region title clinching win in comeback fashion over Lewis County Friday night at the Murrey E. Holton Memorial Field in Chapel Hill to secure Forrest’s first unbeaten regular season since 1980. “It feels great, it feels awesome, these kids have worked so hard, winning the region was one of our goals and we are just lucky to be 10-0 this week,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said. “Lewis County is a heck of a team, they came in physical from the first whistle to the last, I’m just glad we could outlast them.”

The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's six Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through November 4, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:...

Special night for Special Needs kids The name didn’t matter. Nor did any label. It was, ultimately, billed the ‘Maryville Football Experience.’ Turns out, it was the experience of a lifetime for most everyone in attendance at Maryville High School last month, where storied Shields Stadium was the venue for perhaps its most unique football event.

Who's Hot RB Cam Akers, Florida State Yup, there's still some life left in the Seminoles. It's been a rocky season in Tallahassee, to be sure. But Florida State shook off a tough loss to Wake Forest a week earlier to flatten Syracuse and even its record at 4-4. Akers, who has run well all season long, was the offensive centerpiece for Willie Taggart, rushing 20 times for 144 yards and a career-best four touchdowns...

The LMS Tigers looked really strong Tuesday night at Cornersville as they displayed a high-flying act, a swarming defense, dead-eye three-point shooting, and some strong rebounding in a 40-21 win over the Bulldogs. Marcus O’Neal was the only player in double figures in the game as he led the LMS offensive attack with 14 points with 12 coming on four three-pointers. The tall Ronnie Lyttle had seven points, a couple of blocked shots, and a myriad of rebounds for the Tigers, who jumped out to a big 15-2 lead after the first period.

Each week during the 2019 season the Maxwell Football Club will recognize outstanding performances with two weekly awards. The Maxwell Award Player of the Week will be recognized for overall performance on offense, defense or special teams, and the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week will be honored for outstanding defensive play. Players selected do not have to be represented on the Maxwell or Bednarik Award watch lists.

It’s the last week of the regular season. Numerous games across the state will have major playoff implications. Some games will have an impact on seeding and some will decide a team’s fate as to whether or not they qualify for the playoffs. There are 168 games to be played during Week 11, with nearly all of them (151) that are region matchups...

It was rainy, wet, and nasty at Wartrace Friday night, but the Forrest Rockets shook off the adverse conditions and used a stout defense that caused four turnovers, some big special team’s plays, and a second half offensive explosion to blank Cascade 37-0 to remain undefeated on the season. “Our kids came out and played well all night long, it was a great team win for us,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said. “We had a slow start, but we made some adjustments in the second half and started to play Forrest Rocket football.”

The Cornersville Bulldogs (5-3, 3-1) took Highway 64 East to the hometown of Johnny Majors in Huntland to battle with the Huntland Hornets (4-4, 2-1) on Thursday night. The game was moved to Thursday night due adverse weather predicted for Friday night, but it did not seem to affect the Hornets as they used a punishing running game to batter the Bulldogs 35-7.

Marshall County coach Thomas Osteen will be going into a familiar situation when his Tigers host Nolensville (8-1, 4-0) on Friday night for the Region 4-4A championship. The Knights? Not so much.

The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's six Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through October 28, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:...

For the 20th consecutive year, The A.F. Bridges Awards program includes awards for School System Administrator of the Year, Principal of the Year, Athletic Director of the Year, Female Coach of the Year, Male Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, and Contributor of the Year. The awards recognize 63 individuals from across our state that represent what’s best in high school athletics. Recognition was made in the above mentioned categories in each of the nine athletic districts in our state. Cornersville Athletic Director Eric Crabtree and Bulldog head football coach Gerard Randolph won the awards in Athletic District 6.

The Forrest and Cornersville girls’ Cross Country teams qualified for the DI State Championships at the Percy Warner Park Steeplechase Course in Nashville on Saturday as the Lady Rockets came home in first place while the Lady Bulldogs finished in third place to punch a ticket to the state championships.

The CMS Lady Bulldogs hosted intra-county rival LMS Tuesday night in Cornersville and came away with an easy 36-11 win. First-year Cornersville coach Martha Jane McMasters is off to a great start to her new career as the Lady Bulldogs are 6-0 start to the season. “It’s an unbelievable feeling being back here in Cornersville,” McMasters said. “I’m so excited to be here and get this opportunity.”

There are no dusty trophies or faded letterman’s jackets that Maurice ‘Mo’ Patton points to as foundation in his sportswriting career spanning four decades. Rather, Patton’s approach emanates from a passion for sports and a desire to chronicle the achievements and hard work of young people and their coaches, particularly at the high school level in the state of Tennessee...

The Richland Raiders made the trek over the hill to Frog Bottom to face the Cornersville Bulldogs for a Region 5A tilt Friday night. The Bulldogs used a fourth quarter 20-point swing, highlighted by running back Brady Calahan’s 81-yard run for a touchdown and Cornersville came away with a 41-21 victory in a tough-fought, gritty game.

An injury riddled Forrest Rockets squad took the field versus Community Friday night, but it didn’t matter as Chapel Hill came away with an impressive 28-0 shutout win on Senior Night to remain unbeaten on the season. “It’s an awesome win, these seniors work hard and they are a great group, so I’m glad we got this win,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said. “We hit some big plays early on and then were able to run the clock.”

When the population boom that saw Spring Hill rise from 1A powerhouse in the same region as Forrest to a 5A school in the same region as Nashville area squads in the span of a decade finally slowed down with the Raiders moving back to 4A in 2003, the Maury County school and Marshall County locked horns annually as region foes. Far from a rivalry, Marshall County has dominated the series ever since, with a 17-1 overall record beginning in 2003, including two Tiger playoff wins over the Raiders.

The Best of Marshall County Cross Country race, featuring runners from all three county high school was held on Thursday at Henry Horton State Park. Senior Zach Sheppard from MCHS was the boy’s winner and freshman Jaedyn Stalnecker from Forrest was the girl’s winner...

Who's Hot QB Lynn Bowden, Kentucky Actually, Bowden is a wide receiver. Kentucky's best wide receiver, in fact. But when Sawyer Smith was scratched, Bowden stepped behind center and put the offense on his shoulders. With no QB experience at this level, the versatile junior threw for 78 yards and a score and rushed for196 yards and two more touchdowns in a 24-20 victory over visiting Arkansas...

This week, over 30 contests are set to be broadcast by schools across the state on the NFHS Network. Your subscription to the NFHS Network sends money back to the schools and helps to cover the costs of offering the service. Watching the games are easy, whether it's on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Download the NFHS Network app from Google Play or the iTunes App Store and take the live coverage with you wherever you go...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its newest members of the TSWA Hall of Fame on Thursday, including Tommy Bryan (Lebanon), Teresa Walker (Associated Press) and Mark Wiedmer (Chattanooga). The three individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 9, 2020, at Cumberland University.

Weird stuff happens when Marshall County and archrival Giles County meet on the gridiron and it was no different on a cold and rainy Friday night at Preston Hopkins Field in Lewisburg as the Bobcats scored with just over a minute to go in the game and then held off a last second charge by the Tigers to steal a 14-10 win. “I don't think the weather really affected us,” MCHS coach Thomas Osteen said. “We just did not do a good enough job executing in crucial situations and on the opportunities we had deep in their territory.”

Along with Leigh Beasley Cook, Forrest’s Sara Browning is the only woman golfer to make multiple Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association state golf tournament appearances for the Lady Rockets, dating back to the 1974-1975 season when records were first recorded by the TSSAA. Beasley went to state three times, shooting a two-day total of 188 as a sophomore on her home course at Buford Ellington inside Henry Horton State Park, 185 as junior at Old Fort in Murfreesboro, and in her senior season, Beasley Cook carded a 194 at Pickwick State Park in Savannah.

After a big 2-1 win at Cornersville in Monday’s opening round of the District 6-A Tournament, the action moved to Forrest on Tuesday where the Lady Rockets fell 2-1 to top-seeded Cascade in a semifinal matchup. The Lady Champions (12-2-1, 9-0-1), who are undefeated in district play over the past three seasons, will be seeking their third straight district title when they take on Huntland in Thursday night’s title game after the Lady Hornets beat Community 2-1 in the second quarterfinal game Tuesday night.

The Forrest Lady Rockets travelled to Cornersville Monday night to take on the Lady Bulldogs in a District 6-A Tournament quarterfinal soccer match. In a back and forth game that saw both teams scratch and claw, Lady Rockets’ sophomore Justina Mosley slipped in the go-ahead goal with 15 minutes left in the second half to propel Forrest to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory.

This Veteran's Day Weekend, A Soldier’s Child (ASC) Foundation will be honoring those that served before us and all that are currently serving. Contestants will hit a 5k obstacle course and BATTLE for a great cause; the children of our fallen American defenders of freedom. All profits from this event will be donated to A Soldier's Child Foundation...

The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's six Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through October 14, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:...

The Cornersville Bulldogs (4-2, 2-0) took the trip to Lincoln County where they faced the Fayetteville City School Tigers (6-0,4-0) with first place in Region 5-A on the line. In a bruising football game with numerous penalties on both teams and big plays from each, the Tigers used a 91-yard run in the fourth quarter by Jacious Clark from their own one-yard line that led to a go-ahead touchdown as Fayetteville came away with a 28-14 victory and the region title.

The E.A. Cox Middle School Cougars (5-3) came to Preston Hopkins Field to face the Lewisburg Middle School Tigers (6-2) on Thursday night to determine the championship for the Big South Conference. The Tigers, using the “Wildcat” formation featuring Antomme Cowthorne were too much for the Cougars as LMS rolled to a 27-6 victory. The Tigers had beaten the Cougars 24-12 in their last meeting two weeks ago on E.A. Cox’s home field. LMS received the opening kickoff and Cowthorne ran it back to the Tigers’ 23-yard line.

A Thursday night showdown in Lawrenceburg featured two teams heading in opposite directions as Lawrence County started the season 3-1, but had lost two games in a row against Nolensville and 2A Forrest by a combined 80-7 total heading into the Region 4-4A matchup. The Tigers, however, had also started the season 3-1 but won its past two games by a 77-32 margin and continued the winning streak in easy fashion with a 48-3 thumping over the Wildcats.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its All-State teams for softball for the 2018-19 academic year on Friday for classes A, AA and AAA in Division I and one team in Division II.

Nothing can stop the Rockets! The Forrest Rockets stared down adversity and shrugged it off with a calm resiliency Friday night as they travelled to Summertown for the biggest Region 5-AA game of the year and came away with a gut-wrenching 13-6 win over very tough Eagles’ squad. “Summertown is a great football team, they played hard from the first whistle to the last whistle,” Forrest coach Eli Stephenson said. “They were physical up front, luckily we were a little bit more physical than them and we came out with the win.”

ho's Hot QB Shane Buechele, SMU Next time a friend wants to talk key transfer quarterbacks for 2019, be sure to drop Buechele's name. He's been a central figure in the Ponies' improbable 5-0 start and 44 points per game. Facing a possible letdown in Tampa after shocking TCU a week earlier, SMU smoked USF, 48-21, behind four Buechele touchdowns, including three through the air.