Clinton senior Kenzlee Hutchison powers through her shot put throw at the South-Doyle Invitational on Saturday, April 11. Hutchison set a school record with a toss of 34 feet, 3 inches, winning the event by 2 feet, 9½ inches. - Tony Cox
Kenzlee Hutchison etched her name into the Clinton High School track and field record book over the weekend at a meet in South Knoxville.
Hutchison, a senior and three-sport athlete for the Lady Dragons, broke the school’s girls shot put record Saturday at South-Doyle High School with a throw of 34 feet, 3 inches.
She also ran cross country and played basketball for Clinton. Hutchison helped the Lady Dragons reach the Region 2-AAA tournament semifinals after they won the District 4-AAA regular-season title and tournament championship.
During her time in Clinton’s track and cross country programs, Hutchison has emerged as a leader and mentor for younger athletes.
She may be a young woman of few words at times, but that does not mean she is not a leader.
“She is very measured,” Clinton cross country and track Coach Tim Kumes said. “She’s very measured in the way she reacts to the kids on the team, and she doesn’t waste time on things that are not really positive.”
Clinton High School’s softball team picked up a key District 4-AAA victory Monday afternoon, edging crosstown rival Anderson County 4-3 in an in-school game at ACHS.
Mandy Chambers hit a solo home run, while Sara Bishop, who has been swinging a hot bat for the Lady Dragons, went 1-for-4 with a double.
Maddisyn Reynolds and Bryana Holt each singled and scored, and Norah Elliott added a single and an RBI.
Clinton, which was outhit 8-6, also had a busy week and notched perhaps the biggest win in program history Thursday, slipping past state power Gibbs in Corryton.
Bishop clubbed a solo home run and Holt singled and drove in two runs.
Chambers singled and scored, while Elliott went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Reynolds added two hits.
Chloe Freeman races toward the goal line after hauling in a pass for Anderson County against Coalfield. Freeman, Jacelyn Amos and Anaya Witkowski each had more than 60 receiving yards in the Lady Mavericks’ 26-13 victory over the Lady Yellow Jackets. - Tony Cox
The week was a successful one for the Anderson County High School flag football team.
The Lady Mavericks defeated Coalfield 26-13 Thursday night, avenging an earlier loss to the Lady Yellow Jackets this season.
Anderson County darted out to a fast start and built a 26-0 halftime lead.
The Lady Mavericks added the game after a cancellation.
“Stone Memorial canceled on us, so we played Coalfield again,” Anderson County Coach Jonathan Cotton said. “We were ahead 26-0 at halftime and we subbed down.”
Anderson County’s Ava Moody pushes to the finish line in the girls’ 800-meter run at the Farragut Invitational on Saturday, April 11. Moody placed second in 2 minutes, 19.17 seconds. - Barry Houchen
When Anderson County High School track and field Coach Harrison Calhoun took his teams to West Knox County for the Farragut Invitational, he viewed it as a meet where his athletes could earn a few more opportunities to improve their marks.
“This ... was a high-level meet and was well-run and very competitive,” Calhoun said after his athletes posted solid marks Saturday at Farragut High School.
“I looked at this as an opportunity meet for our kids.” he said. “It was a chance for our kids to get their times down if they wanted to, or a chance to try something new. We had some kids get some [personal records], and we did what we went over there to do.”
The Lady Mavericks had three athletes post Top 10 finishes in the 800-meter run. Ava Moody was second with a time of 2 minutes, 19.17 seconds. Rachel Garbes was sixth at 3:05.00, and Lily Franklin took 10th in 3:22.88.
Clinton’s Kyleigh Gallaher reaches for a forehand return during a singles match against Fulton on Wednesday, April 8. Gallaher stayed aggressive from the baseline for the Lady Dragons and won the match 8-0 at Jaycee Park. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s tennis teams split a match with Fulton last week.
The Lady Dragons cruised past the Lady Falcons 9-0, surrendering just two games in singles play and two more in the three completed doubles matches.
“Our girls are playing well and they have a lot of experience,” Clinton Coach Hannah Cunningham said.
At No. 1 singles, senior Josie Moody posted an 8-0 victory. At No. 2, Molly Buchanan won 8-1. In the No. 3 singles slot, Kyleigh Gallaher earned an 8-0 win, while Izzy Woods claimed an 8-1 victory at No. 4. At No. 5 singles, Leah Hernandez picked up an 8-0 win for the Lady Dragons.
Clinton also swept doubles play in impressive fashion.
Anderson County shortstop Rilynn Benson fires across the infield after fielding a ground ball during Friday’s game against Bearden. - Tony Cox
Anderson County closed out the week on the diamond Friday night with a 13-3 home victory over Bearden.
Things got off to an inauspicious start for the Lady Mavericks, who fell behind 3-0 early.
But Anderson County bounced back and scored 13 unanswered runs.
“We got down 3-0, but then our bats got going and we won 13-3,” Lady Mavs Coach Lindsey Verner said after the victory.
Anderson County broke out of its offensive lull with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Lady Mavericks added another run in the fifth and six more in the sixth.
Cindle Justice went 2-for-3 with two doubles. She drove in two runs and scored once. Kara Waddell was 2-for-3. She tripled, scored two runs and drove in two more. Reece Brock had three hits, scored twice and added an RBI.
Trinity Lawson had two hits and drove in two runs for ACHS, which pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of five errors by the Lady Bulldogs.
Earlier in the week, the Lady Mavericks dropped a 4-0 decision to Gibbs.
Harlee Taylor had two hits against the Lady Eagles, while Ella Varner doubled.
“Against Gibbs, we played well, but we had an error and we just didn’t get our bats going,” Verner said.
On Monday, the Lady Mavericks dropped a 4-3 decision to Clinton despite outhitting the Lady Dragons 8-6.
Waddell had two hits, a stolen base and an RBI. Bella Brummett doubled and drove in a run. Marlea Finstad singled and scored, while Brock added a single and an RBI.
Clinton’s Maliyah Drake lands in the sand during the long jump at the South-Doyle Invitational on Saturday, April 11. Drake’s leap of 15 feet earned first place, topping the field by 1 foot, 3 inches. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s track and field teams competed Saturday at South-Doyle High School in South Knoxville, and both the Dragons and Lady Dragons posted strong marks.
A school record fell for the Lady Dragons as Kenzlee Hutchison won the girls shot put with a toss of 34 feet, 3 inches.
Clinton’s Maliyah Drake also had a big day, posting a personal-best effort in the long jump to win the event with a leap of 15 feet. The mark was nearly 2 feet better than her previous best of 13-2.
“Kenzlee was amazing with the school record,” Clinton Coach Tim Kimes said. “Maliyah did a great job. We were standing there when she did it, and we knew it was going to be special.
“She went 15 feet, and her previous best was 13-2.”
Clinton High School’s boys and girls track and field teams are in the midst of a successful 2026 season, and Coach Tim Kumes couldn’t be happier.
Early last week, however, Kumes and his teams shifted their focus to giving back, as the Dragons and Lady Dragons hosted a clinic for the Clinton Blaze elementary school track program.
The clinic has become an annual event.
“We’re having a great season, but I tell the kids that there comes a time when you have to think about your legacy,” Kumes said. “This is a chance for our kids to give back and work with kids who look up to them.
Clinton High School’s flag football team entered the week atop the district standings.
The Lady Dragons (6-1 overall, 5-0 district) rolled past Halls, 52-6, Friday night as quarterback Lanee Carmichael completed 18 of 22 passes for 271 yards and seven touchdowns. She also had five carries for 23 yards.
Clinton’s other touchdown came on the ground as Natalie White scored. She finished with 23 yards on five carries.
Addi Gamble was a force on both sides of the ball as she had seven receptions for 144 yards and four touchdowns. She also had three interceptions against the Lady Devils.
Hanna Harvey had three catches and a touchdown, while Josie Moody had two receptions for 51 yards and a score.
Clinton opened the week with a 48-6 road win over Knoxville West on Tuesday, April 7.
Carmichael completed 14 of 17 passes for 232 yards and five touchdowns. Emersyn Williams added a 2-yard scoring run.
Clinton’s Will Brooks dives back to first base as Seymour’s Dannen LaVella fires a throw across the diamond during Friday night’s game. Brooks went 2-for-4 to pace the Dragons at the plate. - Tony Cox
It was a tough week on the diamond for the Clinton High School baseball team as the Dragons dropped three games.
Clinton (7-13 overall, 2-2 in District 4-AAA) opened the week by being swept in a two-game league series against crosstown rival Anderson County Mavericks.
The Dragons came up on the short end of an 8-0 decision against the Mavericks as Anderson County pitcher Wil Ridenour hurled a two-hit shutout. He went seven innings and finished his complete-game performance with seven strikeouts. He also singled in the contest.
Jackson Webb and Jaxon Young both singled for the Dragons, who were blanked at home on Monday, April 6.
Clinton Football Club won a pair of matches last week.
The team, composed of student athletes from Clinton Middle School, opened the week with an 8-3 victory over Farragut Silver.
Osman Amaya and Lucas Metchikoff each scored two goals and had an assist. Juan Zorro scored twice, while Jordan Cuevas and Evan Short added goals against Farragut.
“Farragut was a formidable opponent,” CFC Coach Jake McMurray said. “They’re a good team.”
Later in the week, CFC routed Northwest White 8-3.
Samuel McMurray recorded a hat trick for Clinton. Zorro finished with two goals and two assists. Fabio Espinosa scored twice, while Tylen Cook converted a penalty kick. Cuevas added two assists.
“I would credit our unselfish play for our success,” McMurray said. “We completed 169 passes against Northwest.
“We have 19 players on our roster, and 13 have made it onto the score sheet. I’d like to see them all get a goal.”
The Anderson County High School baseball team returns to action today when it travels to South-Doyle. The Mavericks took Monday and Tuesday off after a busy week in which they won six of seven games.
They closed the week with a 10-0 victory over Clay County on Saturday as Levi Skeen went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, one run scored and a home run.
Jeremiah Owens was 1-for-2 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Anderson County catcher D.J. Pierce had two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
The Mavericks also defeated Lebanon, 4-0, as Nolan Benson went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. He also doubled and drove in a run for Anderson County, which entered the week riding a five-game winning streak.
Skeen doubled and drove in a run, while Blake Lowe had two stolen bases and two RBIs.
The Clinton Middle School track and field teams delivered an impressive all-around performance Friday night in Maynardville, highlighted by multiple event victories, podium finishes and continued growth across the boys’ and girls’ programs.
On the boys’ side, Clinton’s speed was on full display.
Levi Braden led the way with a dominant outing, winning both the 100-meter dash in 12.33 seconds and the 200 in 25.25 to establish himself as one of the top sprinters in the field.
The Hawks also claimed a major victory in the 4x100-meter relay, as Bishop Demott, Matthew Crowe, Uriyah Pickett and Braden combined for a first-place finish in 50.26.
Pickett added another standout performance in the field events, winning the discus with a throw of 94 feet, 4 inches. Crowe contributed with a fourth-place finish in the long jump, while Clinton showed depth across the sprint and relay events.
Clinton Middle School Hawks baseball showed resilience this week, splitting a two-game district series with North Middle, dropping a 6-4 contest at home Tuesday before responding with a 13-9 win on the road Thursday.
On Tuesday at the Fairgrounds, the Hawks fell behind early and were unable to fully recover. North capitalized in the first inning, taking advantage of timely hitting, walks, and a Clinton error to build an early lead they would not relinquish.
Despite the deficit, Clinton continued to battle at the plate. Pierson Lollar led the Hawks offensively, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Hawks collected six hits on the night but were unable to overcome North’s early advantage and eight walks drawn by the visitors.
Clinton flipped the script in Thursday’s rematch, exploding offensively in a 13-9 win highlighted by a decisive fourth inning.
