Clinton’s Jaxson Alcorn elevates for a jump shot over an Oneida defender during summer league action Friday at Anderson County High School. - Tony Cox
As Clinton High School’s boys basketball team navigates its summer schedule, veteran Coach Chris Lockard is taking a different but familiar approach to developing the Dragons.
It’s a strategy that has served both Lockard and the program well in the past.
“This summer, we’re not doing a lot of technical stuff,” Lockard said. “We’re analyzing and trying to find out what the players’ strengths are.
“When you let kids play, they usually go back to their strengths, the things they do well.”
When the regular season tips off in November, Clinton will return several players from last season’s
The Dragons, however, must replace some key contributors who graduated in May.
“We have a lot of guys back and I feel good about our team, but we’ll have to replace some key pieces,” Lockard said.
The 2026-27 high school basketball season won’t officially tip off until November, but late spring and early summer are anything but a time to rest for local teams and student-athletes.
The days are hot, the stands are far from full, and there are no cheerleaders or pep bands.
Still, area teams are putting in long hours, while many multi-sport athletes balance practices and competitions across several sports.
At Anderson County High School, boys basketball Coach Jordan Jeffers and the Mavericks are already laying the groundwork for the coming season.
Anderson County will continue its summer schedule through June 19 as the team establishes its identity.
“We’re going to be a different team than we were last year,” said Jeffers, who will begin his fifth season as the Mavericks’ head coach. “Last year, we were a young team, and now we’re an old team.
18U squad splits four games to launch its summer campaign
by Ken Lay
Coal Creek 18U starting pitcher Hayden Ault delivers to the plate during a summer baseball game against the Sweetwater Blue Sox on Thursday, June 4. Ault worked four innings for Coal Creek, throwing 63 pitches while facing 21 batters. - Tony Cox
The Coal Creek 18U baseball team opened its summer season with mixed results last week, splitting four games.
Coal Creek (2-2) opened the campaign with a doubleheader sweep of William Blount in Maryville on June 2, winning the opener 2-1 before taking the nightcap 5-3.
The highlight of the evening came in Game 1, when Coal Creek pitcher Jack Wilson tossed a complete-game no-hitter. Wilson worked all five innings, allowing one unearned run and four walks while striking out five.
He also contributed on the bases with a stolen base.
William Blount scored its lone run in the bottom of the first inning before Coal Creek answered in the third. Carter Daugherty drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the tying run.
‘I grew up in Clinton, and I’m a Clinton guy through and through. ’ Nick Richmond CMS Hawks Head Coach
Clinton Middle School has tapped a former player to take the reins of its boys basketball program.
Nick Richmond is no stranger to the returning players on the Hawks’ roster. He served as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach under former Head Coach Matt McGhee during the 2025-26 season.
By nature, middle school basketball in East Tennessee is fluid, with most varsity teams throughout the region dominated by eighth-graders.
“That’s the thing; I had all the guys on this year’s varsity team on the JV team last year,” Richmond said.
“Middle school was my first taste of coaching, and I was thankful that (Principal Jason) Chambers gave me the opportunity to coach the JV team last year.”
Richmond is a Clinton native. He played football and basketball while growing up.
“I was probably better at football,” Richmond said. “I just always liked basketball better.
“I grew up in Clinton, and I’m a Clinton guy through and through,” he said. I went to Clinton Elementary, Clinton Middle and Clinton High School.
Anderson County High School girls basketball Coach Mitch Cupples and the Lady Mavericks have wasted little time since the start of summer break.
The Lady Mavericks recently completed a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp in preparation for the 2026-27 season.
“We played there on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday,” Cupples said. “We played six games and two JV games.
“We were busy last week. We’ll be busy this week and we’ll be busy the next week. We’ll have our team camp June 15-16, and we’ll go to Hoop Fest in Nashville June 18-19.”
Area high school basketball teams use the summer months to lay the groundwork for the coming season, integrate new players and help them adjust to the speed and demands of the varsity game.
“We have some freshmen who can’t practice with us until their school is out, and we use the summer to get those players used to the speed of the high school game,” Cupples said.
“That can sometimes be stressful, and I would rather them go through that now than go through that in November.”
Seventy young Dragons participated the 2026 Clinton High School basketball camp held May 26-28 at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. - Submitted
Clinton High School boys basketball Coach Chris Lockard held the school’s annual boys youth basketball camp last week.
The camp, which took place May 25-28 at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium, hosted 70 players.
During the event, they worked on fundamentals, competed in games, and participated in shooting contests under the direction of Lockard and his coaching staff.
The camp was open to players in grades 1-10.
“We worked on fundamentals, and we had game play and contests,” Lockard said. “We had another great Dragon Camp at the Donnie Dome.
“We had 70 campers, and the Dragon basketball team was working on teamwork, skill and loving the game,” Lockard said.
