For the second straight season, Anderson County had a football game declared a no contest because of severe weather.
The Mavericks opened their 2025 campaign Friday night at Powell and completed one half before lightning forced suspension. The game was slated to resume Saturday at Scarbro Stadium but was later canceled and ruled no contest.
Anderson County darted out to an 18-0 lead and was ahead 18-7 when play was halted. Powell quarterback Deuce Rodgers exited the game in the first half with an injury.
Freshman quarterback JD Gillum, son of head Coach Davey Gillum, made an immediate impact in his high school debut. He tossed touchdown passes on the Mavericks’ first two possessions, a 6-yard strike to Brayden Sharpe midway through the first quarter and another to Deameion Leavell from the same distance.
Clinton High School cheerleaders lead the Dragons onto the field to open the 2025 season against Heritage. The game was later declared a no-contest because of inclement weather. - Dwane Wilder
Dragon fans got their first look at the home stadium’s new scoreboard on Saturday, but the debut of the Jake Dawson coaching era will have to wait a few more days.
The Dragons were hosting Heritage in a game rescheduled from Friday, but lightning prevented the teams from finishing the first quarter. The Mountaineers took the opening kickoff and drove for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead before lightning strikes in the area forced a 44-minute suspension. A close strike shortly afterward led officials to clear the stadium.
When play resumed, Clinton nearly tied the game on a touchdown run that was called back by penalty, but the contest was halted again because of lightning. Although a restart looked possible, continued strikes stretched the delay until officials finally called the game at 9:32 p.m. after 1 hour, 27 minutes.
Despite a few early bumps in the 2025 season, Clinton High School volleyball Coach Lorri Johnson isn’t ready to panic.
“It’s early and I’m starting some freshmen and they’ve got to grow up a little bit,” Johnson said. “We’re 3-4, and it’s about where you are in October and not in August.”
The Lady Dragons opened the campaign on a high note with a road win at Hardin Valley Academy. After dropping the opening set, Clinton rallied for a 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21 victory.
Jailie Rodd paced the Lady Dragons’ attack with nine kills and two digs. Macy Wandell added eight kills and three aces, while Claire Barrett and Parker McGhee tallied six kills each. Barrett also had four blocks, and McGhee finished with two. Josie Moody notched 13 assists, seven kills, one block and 14 digs.
Anderson County’s Elle Long (2) and Lillian McCormick (4) rise for a block against the Lady Wildcats during recent volleyball action. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School’s volleyball team opened its season with a hectic stretch, playing eight matches in six days.
The Lady Mavericks (4-4 overall, 1-1 in District 3-AAA) capped the week at the annual Showdown at the Sunsphere in the Knoxville Convention Center, where they went 3-2. The tournament featured top programs from Tennessee and Kentucky.
ACHS defeated Webb School of Knoxville (25-22, 21-25, 15-4), Knoxville Central (25-22, 25-17) and Rhea County (25-17, 25-23). The Lady Mavs fell in straight sets to Science Hill and lost a tight three-setter to West Ridge (25-27, 25-23, 16-14).
Earlier in the week, Anderson County split a pair of district matches, sweeping two-time defending champion Clinton 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 after falling to Oak Ridge. The Lady Mavs opened their season Aug. 18 with a loss to Lakeway Christian.
Clinton High School’s Sahara Lowe follows through on a shot during a recent golf match. - Dwane Wilder
Clinton High School continued its 2025 golf season Thursday in a four-team match at Oak Ridge Country Club.
The Dragons finished third, but Coach Matt Cain left the course encouraged.
“This is a fun team to coach and they just keep getting better,” Cain said. “I don’t have a senior on the team, and three of my scorers hadn’t played high school golf before this year. But this is the most fun I’ve ever had as a coach. I love them all.”
Host Oak Ridge won with a team score of 161. Anderson County was second (162), followed by Clinton (164) and Campbell County (168). The Cougars are coached by Cain’s brother, Michael.
“It was nice to beat Campbell County,” Cain said. “My baseball players and my freshman are all improving.”
Grant Hannah, the Dragons’ lone returning player, led the team with a 39.
“Grant led the way for us like he always does,” Cain said.
Two newcomers from the CHS baseball team contributed: JP Robbins shot 41, and Aden Golden carded a 42. Freshman Finn Pridemore also finished with a 42.
On the girls’ side, Sahara Lowe was the lone Lady Dragon competing. She closed with a 49 and made two birdies, one on a chip-in and another on a putt, Cain said.
Oak Ridge defenders Nate Stephens (67) and Kayden Stuart (0) bring down Halls running back Ezra Hastings during the Wildcats’ 2025 home opener Thursday night. Oak Ridge was the only Anderson County football team able to complete its opening game, which was played ahead of inclement weather. - ORHS Sports Media
The 2025 high school football season has already reached a milestone for Oak Ridge High School.
The Wildcats leaned on their defense to topple Knoxville Halls 28-13 Thursday night at Blankenship Field.
The victory marked the 700th in program history. Oak Ridge, which has fielded a team for 82 years, is the fastest school in Tennessee to reach the milestone.
It was defense that set the tone early. The Wildcats intercepted Red Devils quarterback Amari Lethgo three times and returned two for touchdowns in a game that was never really in doubt after Tyree Porter’s 79-yard pick-six gave Oak Ridge a 6-0 lead with 3 minutes, 39 seconds left in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked.
In one of its closest matches of the season, the Oak Ridge High School boys golf team claimed a narrow victory Thursday in a four-way meet at Oak Ridge Country Club.
The Wildcats shot a team score of 161 to edge Anderson County (162), Clinton (164) and Campbell County (168).
“We have some good golf here in our area. All you have to do is see how close this thing was,” Oak Ridge Coach Scott Hinton said.
“The big thing about this was that it was a chance to see how we stacked up against a team in our district, Campbell County. Of course, Clinton and Anderson County aren’t in our district anymore, but they’re really good teams.”
Jefferson Middle School kept its perfect record intact, but it didn’t come easily.
The Eagles improved to 3-0 with a 14-8 Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference victory over Loudon on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Blankenship Field.
Jefferson opened fast as Adrian Gomez returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. But that was the Eagles’ only score until the final minutes.
Loudon answered by returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and adding a two-point conversion to go ahead 8-7.
“It was a strange game,” Jefferson Coach Sean Jesse said. “Adrian returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and then they had the ball for the rest of the first quarter. Then they returned the opening kickoff of the second half and led most of the game.”
Oak Ridge’s Lilah Kim traps a pass near the touchline while holding off a Knox Catholic defender. - ORHS Sports Media
The Oak Ridge High School girls soccer team didn’t get the start it wanted to the 2025 season.
The Lady Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision to Knoxville Catholic on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Blaine Stadium in Knoxville.
“Our girls just came in with the mindset that we’re good, and they didn’t take the game seriously,” Oak Ridge Coach Trenna Underwood said. “I think this was a wake-up call for us.
“We had our chances all over the place. We had 1-v-1s with their goalkeeper, hit the crossbar, and just couldn’t finish. It was a rough night.”
Oak Ridge (0-1) got its lone goal when Hayven Laurendine converted a penalty kick in the second half.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier this week. Oak Ridge played its home opener Tuesday against Knoxville West (results were not available at press time). The Lady Rebels are expected to contend in the ultra-competitive District 4-AAA race.
The Lady Wildcats will then head into the Bearden Invitational, where they’ll meet Webb School of Knoxville on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Maryville on Friday and Greeneville on Saturday.
Underwood said her team’s attack must sharpen.
“Our forwards are going to have to be more composed and better at the net,” she said.
“We’re going to have some tough games. I don’t want to call these preseason games, but I’m using them to get us ready for what really matters, and that’s the district and the region.”
Robertsville Middle School’s struggles on the gridiron continued last week.
The Rams, defending Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference champions, are still searching for their first victory of 2025 after being shut out 38-0 by Spring City on Thursday night in Rhea County.
Robertsville dropped to 0-3, but interim Head Coach Tyler Carr said he hopes the loss can be a teaching moment.
“We learned some important lessons, and it’s like I told the kids, I’m 38 years old and this game still teaches me and humbles me,” Carr said.
Carr said the most difficult part is watching his eighth-graders, many of whom have enjoyed success before, struggle with the reality of losing.
“They’re hurting right now, and I know 12- and 13-year-old boys don’t want to hear that — they want to win,” Carr said. “But we just have to keep getting better. We have five more chances to win some ballgames.”
Spring City, now atop the league standings with Norris and Jefferson, has emerged as an early conference favorite.
Robertsville will return to action Thursday when it hosts Christian Academy of Knoxville.
Clinton Middle School Hawks running back Canyon Long looks for running room against a Lenoir City defender during recent gridiron action. - David Woods
After opening the 2025 football season with a win, Clinton Middle School has now dropped two straight games.
The Hawks fell to Lenoir City 14-0 Thursday night at home.
Despite the loss, CMS Coach Eric Woodard said he sees steady improvement.
“We continue to get better every day,” Woodard said. “We had a kid who basically just started playing. Canyon Long is a running back and a linebacker. My two Uriahs, Uriah Mounce and Uriah Pickett, both played really well on the offensive and defensive line.”
Penalties proved costly against the Panthers.
“We had some big penalties at crucial times,” Woodard said.
Clinton trailed just 6-0 late when a punt-return touchdown was wiped out by a blindside block. A holding penalty deep in the red zone and a roughing-the-punter call also stalled momentum.
“We don’t have a very high football IQ right now, and that’s my fault,” Woodard said. “That’s not the kids’ fault, and I’ve got to get that straightened out.”
Norris Middle School’s football team kept its perfect record intact with another dominant performance last week.
The Senators (3-0) traveled to West Knoxville and routed Christian Academy of Knoxville, 44-26, Thursday night at Warrior Stadium.
The win over the Warriors was a complete team effort for Norris, which was slated to put its unbeaten mark on the line against Jefferson (3-0) Tuesday at Anderson County High School. Results were not available at press time, but Norris Coach Richie Noe said he expected a battle.
“Tuesday night should be a heavyweight fight for this age level,” Noe said. “We tell the kids all the time that there are bigger games ahead, but this is the biggest game you’ve played in your lifetime thus far.”
The Senators rolled despite missing two key players to illness and injury.
“I love how this team was able to still function at a high level even though we were without Stephen Blakney and Cannon Carroll,” Noe said. “This group keeps evolving, and we like the direction it’s headed.
“We have a ton of eighth-graders who didn’t start against Elizabethton (in a scrimmage) earlier this season,” the coach said. “Take Nathan Greene, for example. He got his first touchdown Thursday, but more importantly, he filled in for Cam (Wilcox), giving him breaks at fullback.”
Wilcox, the team’s leading scorer, added two more touchdowns against the Warriors.
Hunter Wade starred again on both sides of the ball, recording 14 tackles on defense while adding a touchdown run and a touchdown pass on offense.
Skyler Whitson had a big night, catching two touchdown passes and grabbing an interception.
Quarterback Cooper Downs went 11-for-18 for 250 yards and three touchdowns while avoiding turnovers for the third straight week.
