Clinton pitcher McKenna Gavin delivers to the plate during the Lady Dragons’ 10-3 victory over Anderson County on May 6. Gavin started in the circle and pitched four innings, facing 19 batters in the district tournament contest. - Ellie Hatmaker
A successful season came to a heartbreaking end for the Clinton High School softball team Monday night in the semifinals of the Region 2-AAA tournament.
The Lady Dragons, who shared the District 4-AAA regular-season championship with state power and defending Class AAA champion Gibbs, saw their season end in walk-off fashion as they came up short in a 6-5 loss to District 3-AAA champion Cocke County in Newport.
The Lady Red scored the winning run on an RBI single by Chloe Niethammer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Niethammer delivered her game-winning hit after Clinton’s Mandy Chambers blasted a three-run, game-tying homer in the top of the frame, making the score 5-5.
“Mandy’s three-run home run was one of the things that went right for us,” Lady Dragons Coach Leonard Sams said. “Norah Elliott went 3-for-4 for us tonight.
Anderson County seniors Anaya Witkowski, Jocelyn Amos, Chloe Freeman and Marissa Valero walk onto the field for the pregame coin toss before Thursday night’s region flag football championship game at Coalfield High School. The Lady Mavericks saw their inaugural TSSAA-sanctioned season come to an end with a 38-12 loss to the Lady Yellow Jackets. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School saw its 2026 flag football season come to an end Thursday night with a 38-12 road loss to Coalfield.
The Lady Mavericks, who played in a Knox County league in late 2024, completed their first TSSAA-sanctioned campaign with an 11-7 overall record. They went 6-2 in league play.
On the first night of the postseason, Anderson County defeated Happy Valley 38-0, and shut out Fulton 26-0, avenging one of its league losses to the top-seeded Lady Falcons.
“We did a good job against Happy Valley and we did a good job against Fulton,” Lady Mavericks Coach Jonathan Cotton said.
“We didn’t play well at Coalfield, and they did a good job controlling the clock against us in the second half.
“They didn’t give us a chance to come back.”
Cotton said he was pleased with the 2026 campaign.
“When you look at the scores from all over the state, you see that we, in East Tennessee, have some of the most- competitive games from week to week,” he said.
Mavericks standouts advance to State Championship meet
by Ken Lay
Anderson County’s Joseph Hall soars through the air during the long jump competition at last week’s sectional meet at Maryville College. Hall won the event with a leap of 23 feet, 8.75 inches, to earn a berth in this week’s TSSAA Class AA state championships in Knoxville. - Tony Cox
Ava Moody will end her illustrious high school track career on the state’s grand stage, and she’ll get to do it close to home.
Moody, Anderson County High School’s senior distance specialist, had a big day at the state sectionals Thursday at Maryville College, winning both the girls’ 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs.
She has won multiple state championships in both cross country and track, and her final high school competition will come next week at the TSSAA Class AA state championships at the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track in Knoxville.
Moody won the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 56.54 seconds. She also crossed the finish line first in the 3,200 in 11:01.99.
Clinton’s Angel Venegas works the ball upfield while shielding off Anderson County defender Stevie Johnson during the District 4-AAA tournament semifinals. The Dragons advanced with a 4-1 victory over the Mavericks. - Tony Cox
In a span of 48 hours, the Clinton High School boys soccer team experienced the highs and lows of postseason competition.
On Monday, May 4, the Dragons defeated crosstown rival Anderson County 4-1 in the District 4-AAA tournament semifinals.
The following day, Clinton saw its season come to a heartbreaking end with a 1-0 loss to eventual district champion Gibbs in the semifinals at Ernest Whited Stadium in Corryton.
The Dragons finished the 2026 season with an 8-4 overall record.
Clinton’s Natalie White closes in on Bearden quarterback Nicole Smith-Harris during the region championship game Friday night at Dragon Stadium. The Lady Dragons applied steady pressure throughout the contest, but Bearden claimed a 39-20 victory to end Clinton’s inaugural season. - Dwane Wilder
Clinton High School’s flag football team saw its inaugural season come to an end in the region championship game late last week.
The Lady Dragons dropped the region title game to Bearden 39-20 on Friday night at Dragon Stadium.
With the win, the Lady Bulldogs avenged a 13-7 regular-season loss to Clinton.
Clinton quarterback Lanee Carmichael went 13-for-18 in her final game. She totaled 131 passing yards and threw three touchdown passes.
Josie Moody was the Lady Dragons’ leading receiver, finishing with four receptions for 55 yards.
Anderson County’s Wil Ridenour delivers a pitch against Gibbs in the Region 2-AAA tournament on Friday night. Ridenour worked five innings and faced 26 batters in the Mavericks’ 6-4 loss. Anderson County rebounded Saturday with a win over Seymour to advance to the Class AAA sectional series against defending state champion Greeneville. - Ellie Hatmaker
Anderson County qualified for the Class AAA state baseball sectionals Saturday, but the Mavericks had to take the long road.
To make the state tournament, they will have to win a best-of-three series on the road against defending state champion Greeneville.
The series between Anderson County and the Greene Devils opens at 6 p.m. today, May 13.
The Mavericks, the District 4-AAA runners-up, opened regional tournament play with a 3-2 victory over District 3-AAA champion Seymour at Gibbs High School’s Morgan Wallen Field in Corryton.
Anderson County started fast, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning.
After the Eagles pulled within 2-1, the Mavericks scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh. Seymour made things interesting in the bottom of the inning when it scored again.
Oak Ridge took care of business quickly in the Region 2-4A baseball tournament late last week.
The Wildcats (32-9-1) needed just one game Saturday morning as they posted an 8-4 victory over host and District 4-4A rival Farragut at John Heatherly Field.
The Admirals won two of three games against Oak Ridge in the recent District 4-4A tournament to claim the district title and earn the right to host the region tournament.
Saturday’s matchup marked the sixth meeting between the teams this season.
Farragut and Oak Ridge split the regular-season series in the Wildcats’ first season in the district.
The Admirals are the four-time defending Class 4A state champions and the only Class 4A baseball state champions in TSSAA history.
Oak Ridge will open a best-of-three state sectional series against Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett today at 6 p.m. at Bobby Hopkins Field.
Farragut, the region runner-up, will travel to Johnson City to face Science Hill.
One of East Tennessee’s top high school boys basketball coaches will not return for the 2026-27 season.
Oak Ridge High School Coach Aaron Green announced his resignation from coaching Monday, May 4, and said he isn’t looking to return to the game.
“I have no desire to coach again,” he said. “When you look at my coaching career, counting college, I’ve been coaching for 27 years, and as you get older, your priorities change.
“You never say ‘never,’ but as you get older, things change. That’s why I’m calling it a resignation and not a retirement.
The 2026 season came to an end for Clinton Football Club last week.
CFC, a soccer team composed of student-athletes from Clinton Middle School, saw a successful campaign close with a 7-2 loss to Carter in the postseason tournament semifinals Thursday.
Clinton was short-handed against Carter because the match took place on the same night as a school trip. That left CFC without seven players, including four starters.
Samuel McMurray scored when he converted a free kick. CFC also benefited when Carter scored an own goal.
“I was missing seven players and four starters,” CFC Coach Jake McMurray said. “The game conflicted with a school trip. Samuel scored on a free kick, and it was a nice goal.
“We played with 10 men.”
Clinton finished the season with nine wins.
It opened tournament play with a 6-1 victory over Cedar Bluff Yellow on Monday, May 4.
Juan Zorro had a hat trick, and Samuel McMurray scored twice for CFC, which also tallied on an own goal by Cedar Bluff.
“We had a great season,” he said. “I’m happy with our development, and I’m happy with the unselfish play.
“I’ve learned a lot about coaching defense. The players and the coach are both always learning and developing. We had 19 kids on our roster, and 14 of those 19 players scored goals this year.”
Clinton’s Maliyah Drake soars through the air during the long jump competition at last Thursday’s Section 1-AA championships in Maryville. Drake posted a leap of 13 feet, 10.25 inches, to finish eighth. She also helped the Lady Dragons’ 4x100-meter relay team break the school record with a time of 53.86 seconds. - Tony Cox
The 2026 track and field season came to an end last week at the Section 1-AA championships on Thursday at Maryville College.
The Dragons and Lady Dragons had a successful spring.
Neither team, however, will have representation at the state championships which will be at the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track in Knoxville for the first time in three seasons.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have any state qualifiers this year, and that’s kind of a disappointment for the coaching staff after we’ve had people at the state meet the last two years,” Clinton Coach Tim Kumes said.
“But we had some great results on the day with some new [personal records], but nothing that qualified for state.
Clinton senior Ryker Armes signed his national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio. Armes, seated center, is joined by family members during Monday’s signing ceremony at Clinton High School. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School football player Ryker Armes will continue his academic pursuits and football career.
He made it official Monday, just five days before he walks across the stage to accept his high school diploma.
Armes signed a national letter of intent to play football at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.
He knows he’ll be a long way from home, but said the coaching staff made him feel at home at the school.
“It’s about six-and-half hours from here, an hour-and-a-half from Columbus,” he said. “I went up there on a visit and they talked to me, and they wanted me, and they kept texting me.
After two seasons as Clinton Middle School’s girls basketball coach, Jason Love is moving on.
But he won’t be too far away from CMS.
Love was recently named an assistant coach for the Clinton High School girls basketball team.
Love, who led the Lady Hawks to a third-place district finish during the recently completed 2025-26 season, was named to Head Coach Alicia Daugherty’s staff after Assistant Coach Duane Leffew retired.
Leffew, who spent two seasons as an assistant with the Lady Dragons, has coached sports for more than five decades.
Love also has worked as an assistant boys basketball coach at Clinton Middle School, where he teaches science.
“We had a really good team this year, and we finished third in the district,” Love said. “We just ran into Maryville, and they had a great team.
“We went 16-5.”
Love played football and basketball at Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville before moving on to play football at Maryville College.
He said he is looking forward to the next step in his coaching journey as he joins a Lady Dragons team that won the District 4-AAA regular-season title and tournament championship and reached the Region 2-AAA tournament semifinals.
“I’m looking forward to joining Coach Daugherty’s staff and learning from her,” Love said.
