Mavs ride four second-quarter TD passes to playoff victory
by Alan Sloan
Anderson County quarterback Brayden Sharpe fights for extra yardage against Seymour on Friday, Nov. 6. Sharpe stepped in after starter JD Gillum aggravated an injury. He helped spark a 28-point second-quarter explosion that propelled the Mavericks to a 35-3 victory in the opening round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs. Sharpe threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter, connecting twice with Lane LaRue and once each with Jaxon Price and Elijah Johnson. - Tony Cox
After trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, Anderson County kicked into high gear, erupting for 28 second-quarter points to take control of its TSSAA Division I-Class 4A opening-round playoff game and knock off host Seymour 35-3 Friday night, Nov. 6.
Although Mavericks star sophomore quarterback JD Gillum aggravated a recurring injury and had to leave the game early, backup Brayden Sharpe piloted his team to four touchdowns in the second quarter as the Mavs broke the game open.
Gillum’s status for the second-round playoff game at Red Bank on Friday, Nov. 13, remains uncertain. ACHS Coach Davey Gillum, JD’s father, listed his son as “questionable” for the game, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
The No. 3-seeded Mavericks improved to 7-4 overall.
“It was a good game for us overall,” coach Gillum said as the Eagles ended their season at 9-2. “Offense played well, defense played well. I think the big thing was the O-line and D-line really dominated the game on both sides. We were able to run the ball. I wouldn’t say at will, but with each play and each drive, it got easier and easier just taking control of the game.
Anderson County freshman Ella Tyler sets the pace during The Mounds cross-country meet in Oak Ridge in September. Tyler capped an outstanding debut season with a runner-up finish in the TSSAA Class AA state championship meet Friday, Nov. 6, at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, clocking a time of 18 minutes, 51.99 seconds. - Tony Cox
Anderson County freshman Ella Tyler came within seconds of a state championship Friday, Nov. 6, at the TSSAA Division I-AA State Cross Country Meet at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis.
Tyler held the lead at times down the stretch, but the sensational freshman fell just 2.09 seconds short of claiming the individual state title. She capped an outstanding debut season with a runner-up finish in 18 minutes, 51.99 seconds.
“I would not call it a photo finish, but in cross-country, it is pretty dang close,” ACHS Coach Harrison Calhoun said. “She had the lead when you’re going down the straightaway for the finish line. But there was just enough space left where that girl got ahead of her (Chaiti Ainpure of Liberty Creek, 18:49.90) and put some distance on her.”
Despite narrowly missing the championship, Tyler has three more opportunities to capture a state title during her high school career.
Clinton High School had two runners finish in the top 75 at the TSSAA Division I-AA state cross-country championships on Friday, Nov. 6, at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis.
Senior Cooper Bostrom led the Dragons with a 43rd-place finish in 17 minutes, 28.70 seconds.
Sophomore Lilian West paced the Lady Dragons, placing 74th with a time of 22:49.10.
Clinton Middle School’s Brooklyn Doherty drives to the basket for a layup against a Northview defender Thursday, Nov. 5. - Tony Cox
Clinton Middle School’s Lady Hawks opened their basketball season with a thrilling come-from-behind 30-28 victory over Northview, decided in the game’s final seconds Thursday, Nov. 5, at CMS.
Lady Hawk Brooklyn Doherty delivered the knockout blow, burying the game-winning 3-pointer with just 3.6 seconds remaining on the clock.
“It was more than just a season-opening win. It was a glimpse of what this team can become when hard work, discipline, accountability and belief come together,” CMS Coach Jessica Harrell said. “Every player contributed to the fight, and when adversity arrived, the Lady Hawks answered with resilience. A new coaching staff, a new look and a new season may have brought changes, but one thing remains unchanged: the Lady Hawks pride.
“We’re ushering in a new era filled with fresh energy, renewed expectations and a commitment to the Lady Hawks standard.”
Oak Ridge’s Amaijah Bishop looks focused and determined before taking to the course at the TSSAA Division I-AAA state cross-country championships on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis. The Lady Wildcats finished 16th in the team standings. - Izzy Smith | ORHS Sports Media
With a pair of notable performances and plenty of experience gained, Oak Ridge’s boys and girls cross-country teams wrapped up their seasons at the TSSAA Division I-AAA State Cross-Country Meet at Shelby Farms Park on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Though only one runner had previously competed at the state meet, the Wildcats finished 19th as a team with 528 points. The slightly more experienced Lady Wildcats placed 16th with 394 points.
“We didn’t have our best day, but we were really young; we didn’t have one senior on the boys or the girls team,” Oak Ridge head coach Ed Wright said.
“So it was a new experience boys-wise. Six out of the seven, that was their first state meet,” he added. “And so the girls probably ran as a whole better than the boys did because they kind of knew what to expect.”
For the Oak Ridge Wildcats, another promising playoff run ended in heartbreak.
After building a commanding 20-0 halftime lead, Oak Ridge watched Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett storm back for a stunning 21-20 victory Friday night, Nov. 6, in the opening round of the TSSAA Division I-Class 6A playoffs.
The Wildcats appeared poised to extend their lead to 23-13 midway through the fourth quarter, but a blocked field goal changed the momentum.
Dobyns-Bennett returned the blocked kick to the Oak Ridge 41-yard line, setting the stage for the Indians’ eventual game-winning drive.
With 2:10 remaining, standout senior quarterback Levi Chappell led the Indians to the end zone, scoring on a 2-yard run on fourth down. A successful 2-point conversion gave Dobyns-Bennett a 21-20 lead.
But the Wildcats weren’t finished.
Oak Ridge mounted one final drive, racing inside the Dobyns-Bennett 20-yard line in the closing seconds. However, a potential game-winning 34-yard field goal was deflected, sealing the Indians’ comeback victory.
Anderson County swimmers showed early-season progress in two meets against local competition at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center on Sundays, Nov. 1 and 8.
“Overall, they did really well. One of my veteran swimmers really did well,” ACHS Coach Stephanie Coker said about an individual performance during a tri-meet against Concord Christian Academy and Hardin Valley Academy.
“Kady Terry had an impressive time drop on Nov. 1, improving her 100-yard freestyle from 1:31.13 to 1:26.14 — and ended up having personal bests in her events on Nov. 1, so that was exciting to see at the very beginning of the season,” Coker said. “And she had never swum the breaststroke before, so she did exceptionally well in that.
Clinton High School’s swim team showed improvement despite a loss to Knox Central on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Clinton Community Center, as Coach Laura Knott challenged her swimmers to compete outside their comfort zones.
The meet also provided an opportunity to evaluate the progress of Clinton’s middle school swimmers, who share the same head coach.
“This meet against Central, I pushed my swimmers to stretch themselves, and I put them in a lot of events,” Knott said. “We put them in five events, so each one of them had to swim two relays, two individual events that they normally swim, but then they also had an exhibition event. It didn’t count for any points; it just gave them a time.
“So I really challenged them to go beyond what they thought they could do and challenged them with swimming something that they’ve never done before or just doing strokes that they might not be as comfortable with doing,” she added.
Clinton’s Jordan Smith, a 175-pound wrestler, competes against Hardin Valley Academy during the 2025 season. A returning state qualifier, Smith brings valuable experience and leadership to the Dragons’ wrestling program as they prepare for the 2026-27 season. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s wrestling team returns several state qualifiers and near qualifiers from last season, all capable of making another run at the state tournament in 2026-27.
And that doesn’t count a strong incoming freshman class, according to Head Coach Carl Nielsen, now in his second year at the helm.
Meanwhile, the Lady Dragons are starting fresh — literally — as they rebuild their program with an all-freshman team.
Boys team
“We have several seniors,” Nielsen said. “As far as my full lineup, we’re starting wrestle-offs this week and next week, so nothing’s going to really be set in stone at all the weights.
“But among our big returning wrestlers, we have senior Jordan Smith up at 175, a state qualifier last season; senior Adam Gonzalez, he’ll be at 165; and we have a sophomore, Hayden Duriat, who went to state last year at 113 as a freshman, and he’ll probably be going up to 126 this year as a sophomore.
“I have a good feeling about a junior, Keenan Hoskins,” Nielsen said. “I’m not exactly sure what weight he’s going to go. If I had to make a good guess, he’ll probably eventually get to 138. He may start the season at 144.
