Clinton erases deficit, survives 63-62 in rivalry showdown
by Ken Lay
Clinton High School senior guard Bryson Maddox is closely guarded by Anderson County freshman standout Colton Lawson during the Dragons’ rivalry game against the Mavericks on Friday, Feb. 6. The Dragons edged the Mavericks, 63-62, to claim the District 4-AAA regular-season championship. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s boys basketball team did not have its sharpest performance Friday night, but the Dragons found a way to finish the job.
Clinton rallied late to edge crosstown rival Anderson County, 63-62, in its District 4-AAA finale on the road, closing out a perfect regular-season league slate. The Dragons (23-7 overall, 8-0 district) trailed for much of the night and fell behind by as many as nine points before tightening up defensively down the stretch.
“I just don’t think we were very good for three quarters,” Clinton coach Chris Lockard said. “We struggled offensively, and defensively we really didn’t play all that well.
“We had possessions where guys took plays off, and Anderson County is a good team that did some really good things. We just weren’t responding.”
Clinton’s response finally came after halftime. The Dragons forced Anderson County (11-12, 6-2) into 13 second-half turnovers, including nine in the third quarter, swinging momentum in a tightly contested rivalry game played before a spirited crowd.
“We got better on defense in the third and fourth quarters,” Lockard said. “They had 13 turnovers in the second half, and we had eight steals in the second and third quarters.
“Then Bryson Maddox, Jaxson Alcorn and Ben Tackett started scoring.”
Maddox poured in a game-high 25 points, Alcorn added 14 and Tackett chipped in nine.
The teams were tied 27-27 at halftime before Anderson County used a 20-15 run in the third quarter to grab a 47-42 lead heading into the final period. Clinton, however, leaned on its experience in the closing minutes, a difference Mavericks coach Jordan Jeffers said showed late.
“We have a young team, and tonight it really showed for the first time,” Jeffers said. “Clinton is an older team. They’re more experienced and more tested than we are.”
Jaxon Price and Justin Bunch scored 14 points apiece for Anderson County, while Cam Lawson finished with 10 and Landry Sharp added nine.
The Mavericks had little time to dwell on the narrow loss. Anderson County traveled to Maynardville on Saturday for a makeup game at Union County and rebounded with an 80-53 win over the Patriots.
After leading 32-25 at halftime, the Mavericks pulled away in the second half. Colton Lawson scored 20 points, while Cam Lawson added 18. The brothers combined to make seven 3-pointers. Bunch and Rocky Brown scored seven points each.
“Sometimes it’s good to have to come back and play,” Jeffers said. “It’s good not to sit and worry about a loss for a whole weekend.”
Clinton opened the week with a 65-28 district victory over Gibbs on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. Maddox scored 20 points as the Dragons led 38-14 at halftime after holding the Eagles to just three points in the second quarter.
Clinton returns to action Thursday night on the road against Powell at Jeff Hunter Gymnasium.
Keys to the game
Clinton forced 13 second-half turnovers — including nine in the third quarter — to swing momentum after trailing by nine.
Veteran poise proved decisive as the Dragons’ experienced roster closed out the final minutes against a young Anderson County squad.
Bryson Maddox’s game-high 25 points, along with key scoring from Jaxson Alcorn and Ben Tackett, powered Clinton’s late rally.
Clinton High School’s Josie Moody dribbles along the baseline while being guarded by Anderson County’s Julia Owens during Friday night’s District 4-AAA matchup. Moody finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots for the Lady Dragons. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s girls basketball team claimed the District 4-AAA regular-season championship Friday night — and did so with a measure of payback.
Clinton High School Lady Dragons traveled across town for a second meeting with rival Anderson County High School Lady Mavericks and came away with a 48-31 victory, avenging an earlier loss this season.
Clinton (25-2 overall, 7-1 district) leaned on its defense to secure the title.
“I thought we played well defensively, but we still didn’t have a great game offensively,” Lady Dragons coach Alicia Daugherty said. “But we played hard enough and worked hard enough to get the win.
“When you outwork and outhustle your opponent, you’re going to win. When you don’t, the opposite is going to happen.”
The Lady Dragons placed four players in double figures. Addi Gamble and Caylin Taylor scored 14 points apiece, while Josie Moody and Lanee Carmichael added 10 each.
Anderson County High School’s boys wrestling team turned in a strong performance at the Region 2-A Championships over the weekend.
The Mavericks finished second in the team standings Saturday, trailing only Pigeon Forge at the tournament held at Gibbs High School.
Anderson County left Northeast Knoxville with eight state sectional qualifiers, including five regional champions.
“We’ve always been more of a tournament team this year than a dual team,” Mavericks coach Matt Slone said. “We had nine sectional qualifiers and five region champions, and we did enough to finish second and be region runner-up as a team.
Four Clinton High School wrestlers have qualified for the Class AA sectionals.
The Dragons produced one Region 2-AA runner-up and three third-place finishers in their respective weight classes.
Freshman Emmanuel Rangel finished second at 120 pounds. Freshman Hayden Durliat (113 pounds) and juniors Adam Gonzalez (157) and Jordan Smith (175) each placed third in their respective weight classes.
“I’m really happy for these kids that have earned this opportunity,” Clinton first-year head coach Carl Nielsen said.
Donovan Rainey made her fourth appearance at the Tennessee Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships. The senior swimmer competed in two events — the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke — during the weekend competition in Nashville.. - Submitted
Anderson County High School swimmer Donavan Rainey closed her high school career on a strong note over the weekend.
Rainey made her fourth consecutive appearance at the Tennessee Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships, competing in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke at the state meet in Nashville.
She placed 21st in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 9.56 seconds. Rainey finished 25th in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:14.76.
“She swam great,” Anderson County coach Stephanie Coker said. “It was a great experience for her and a great way for her to finish her high school career.
“She dropped her times in both events and finished higher than she was seeded,” Coker said. “She’ll continue to swim for the Anderson County Aquatics Club, and her little brother, Shea, is still swimming, so she’ll remain involved in the sport.”
One Clinton High School swimmer competed in the Tennessee Interscholastic Swimming Championships last weekend in Nashville.
Ryan Keller qualified for the 500-yard freestyle at the state meet, which was contested Friday and Saturday.
Keller earned his state berth at the Knoxville Interscholastic Championships, held at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatics Center.
Swimming in the second heat of the 500 freestyle finals, Keller posted a time of 5 minutes, 16.30 seconds, shaving nearly a full second off his previous best.
“Ryan swam really well and he was really consistent,” Clinton assistant coach Laura Knott said. “He did well and had a great experience.
“I’m glad he got the opportunity to compete, and we’re really looking forward to next year.”
Four Oak Ridge High School swimmers closed out the 2025-26 season on the sport’s biggest stage, competing in the Tennessee Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday and Saturday in Nashville.
The Wildcats entered three swimmers in individual events, but Oak Ridge’s strongest performances came in the relays.
“I thought they swam pretty well. We didn’t finish inside the top 16 in any of our individual events,” Oak Ridge coach Alicia Williamson said. “We had our two relay teams finish in the top 25.”
Oak Ridge’s relay team of Dorian Volcansek, Micah Brown, Mason Greenhalgh and Jasper Springer placed 17th in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Wildcats also finished 22nd in the 200-yard medley relay.
Overall, Oak Ridge capped a successful season, finishing unbeaten in dual meets.
“We had a good year and we went 5-0 in dual meets,” Williamson said.
Oak Ridge’s Adam Englehardt (150) advanced to the TSSAA Class AA Sectional Championship on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Northeast High School. Shipp is joined by Joey Marin Shipp (215), Sebastian Acevedo (126) and Nick Englehardt (106) as sectional qualifiers for the first-year Oak Ridge Wildcats wrestling program. - Kaylin Dimmer | ORHS Sports Media
In its first season fielding a wrestling team, Oak Ridge High School qualified four boys for the Class AA Sectional Championships, set for Saturday at West Ridge High School in Northeast Tennessee.
The Lady Wildcats also produced a sectional qualifier as freshman Haylee Rackcleff advanced from the regional tournament at Knoxville Halls on Friday night.
Coach Bam Thomas said the Wildcats have enjoyed a successful inaugural season, but he emphasized the program is still chasing more.
“If the season was over today, we could be happy,” Thomas said. “We finished third in the district and we had five sectional qualifiers, but we’re never satisfied.”
For the Wildcats, senior A.J. Englehardt (150 pounds), freshman Sebastian Acevedo (126), sophomore Joey Marin Shipp (215) and junior Nick Englehardt (106) all advanced from the Region 2-AA Tournament at Farragut’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium on Saturday.
Oak Ridge made steady progress throughout the 2025-26 season, though the Wildcats encountered a rough stretch around Christmas that prompted the coaching staff to adjust its approach.
“We decided we were going to scale down and go back to fundamentals, and that seemed to pay some dividends,” Thomas said. “I’m really proud of these kids, and I’m happy they’re going to have this opportunity in our first season.”
Inclement weather has forced local high school basketball teams to postpone or cancel games over the past two weeks.
Oak Ridge High School’s girls basketball team has not spent much time on the court during that stretch. The Lady Wildcats were able to squeeze in a pair of District 4-4A contests last week, however, salvaging a split against McMinn County and Hardin Valley Academy.
On Friday night, Oak Ridge (7-14 overall, 4-7 district) carried a slim halftime lead but could not hold on in a 64-53 loss to the Lady Hawks at Wildcat Arena. The Lady Wildcats led 31-28 at the break but fell short in their bid to sweep the regular-season series against Hardin Valley, coached by former Oak Ridge standout and two-time Miss Basketball winner Jennifer Wilson Galloway.
Hardin Valley (12-12, 4-6) seized control after intermission, outscoring Oak Ridge 21-5 in the third quarter to swing the momentum.
“That’s kind of been the story of our season,” Oak Ridge first-year head coach Kevin Tubbs said. “We can look really good at times, and then we turn around and look ragged at other times.
“But I really appreciate our crowd coming out, and I appreciate our student section. It’s fun. It’s fun to play basketball, win or lose.”
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Lady Wildcats outlasted McMinn County 55-46. Evaiya Mitchell led Oak Ridge with 21 points, while Alani Mitchell added 18. Jenayah Pippins chipped in nine points as the Lady Wildcats completed a regular-season sweep of the Lady Cherokees.
Prior to his team’s District 4-4A game Friday night, Oak Ridge High School boys basketball coach Aaron Green issued a challenge: defend with purpose.
The Wildcats responded in emphatic fashion, avenging an earlier loss to Hardin Valley Academy with a 76-39 victory Friday night at Wildcat Arena.
Oak Ridge jumped out quickly, opening a 24-10 lead in the first quarter and never letting up. The Wildcats turned the tables after a 70-63 loss earlier this season, controlling the tempo and cruising to the win.
“I think we came out and played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, and for the first time in a long time, I gave them a challenge,” Green said. “We gave up 70 points to them over there, and that’s just unacceptable. We didn’t guard well.
Football players from Anderson County, Clinton and Oak Ridge high schools were named CAREacter Star athletes.
The CAREacter Star Athlete Program is based on a five-point star system that includes the basic traits of a true champion, whether on or off the field.
Those traits are attitude, character, grades, community service and performance.
“In the world of athletics today, more emphasis is placed on the spirit of competition, rivalries and winning and less on the important traits of character, values and leadership,” says longtime Knox County coach Dave Moore, who started the CAREacter Star Athlete Program in 2005.
“It is our responsibility to encourage our student athletes to succeed not only at the athletic skill level, but more importantly, at the game of life.”
The Anderson County High School players included: Reese Russell, Mason Mcmillan, Karnell Mills, Eli Tolley and EvanPyatt.
Clinton High School player include: Jaxon Herrell, Bryson Maddox, Ryin Jones, Konner Baylis and Ryker Armes.
Oak Rige High School players named are: Eli Pearson, Blaine Stansberry, JT Gormley, Adam Washington and Gabe Arrington.
Norris’ Avery Goehring shoots from the 3-point line during the Lady Senators sectional tournament game against Madisonville. - Dwane Wilder
The Norris Middle School Lady Senators authored a memorable run on the basketball court during the 2025-26 season.
The recently completed campaign saw Norris claim both the district regular-season championship — completing a perfect run through district play — and the district tournament title.
The Lady Senators also swept Jacksboro and Robertsville and notched an early-season victory over Clinton.
Norris’ season, however, came to an end with a 40-35 loss to Madisonville in the opening round of the sectional tournament.
Addie Blevins scored 13 points and pulled down several rebounds for the Lady Senators in the season finale.
“We had a great season, especially if you look at where we were when I took over two years ago,” Norris coach Derek Wallace said. “I was glad to see them achieve their goals, especially our eighth graders.
“We have 14 girls coming back and some good players, and I’ve known most of them since they were about 8 years old. I’m happy with our season, and I’m excited about our offseason and our future.”
Aree Jeffers, daughter of Anderson County head coach Jordan Jeffers, strikes a pose while cheering Friday night during the Mavericks’ rivalry game against Clinton. A familiar face on the sidelines for several years, Jeffers was head over heels as the Mavericks’ littlest cheerleader joined in the school-spirit fun. - Tony Cox
