Clinton head swimming coach Jan Smith is retiring after more than 33 years of serving Clinton schools in that role. Current and past swim team members celebrated the milestone with ‘Coach Jan’ at a surprise retirement party held at Clinton High School on Thursday, Jan. 29. Pictured are: (from left) Morgan Smith, Jerry Smith, Jan Smith, Travis Smith, Laura Knott and Jarvis Marlow. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School swim coach Jan Smith may be retiring but that doesn’t mean that she’s going anywhere,
She’s been a face around Clinton and the sport of swimming for more than five decades and that’s a relationship that won’t soon end,
“I told the kids that I won’t be their head coach anymore,” said Smith, who has been a head coach at Clinton High as well as working with the middle school since 1989. “But I’m not going anywhere.
“I’m not going to go home and just wait to die. As long as I’m able, I’m going to be around.”
Smith’s contributions to Clinton were celebrated at a retirement ceremony last week as the community honored her and the county commission honored her with a proclamation for her contributions to generations of Clinton swimmers.
She’s been a mentor but she also admits to learning from her athletes.
“When I started, we had 24 events and we had male and female swimmers and they all competed in two relays and two or three individual events,” Smith said, “And we had to enter all of that by hand, and then we went to computers and I didn’t know much about all that.
‘So I askead the kids, and they taught me about how to do all of that.”
Anderson County senior swimmer, Donovan Rainey, returns to the Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Championship for the fourth year in a row. Rainey will compete in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststoke. - File Photo
An Anderson County High School senior will close out her prep career this week on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Donovan Rainey will make her fourth consecutive appearance at the Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Championships, set for Friday and Saturday in Nashville.
Rainey will represent the Lady Mavericks in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke at the state meet.
“It should be a good meet,” Anderson County coach Stephanie Coker said. “This is her fourth year going to state, and it’s always great and always fun.
“It’s fun even when swimmers don’t go all four years because you get to see them compete at the pinnacle of their season. For her, it’s her fourth trip, so she’s really excited.”
Braylen Hayden, a 6-foot-7 senior guard, logged 23 minutes and finished with five defensive rebounds, two assists and one block in the Dragons’ 60-44 home win over Scott on Thursday night. - Ellie Hatmaker
Mother Nature disrupted high school basketball schedules last week, and snow and ice could remain a factor this week.
Clinton High School’s boys basketball team managed to play its lone scheduled game—albeit 48 hours later than originally planned.
The Dragons (21-7 overall, 6-0 in District 4-AAA) remained perfect in league play with a 60-44 victory over Scott Thursday night at the Don W. Lockard Gymnasium.
Clinton started hot, outscoring the Highlanders 17-10 in the opening quarter and stretching its lead to 40-17 by halftime. The Dragons scored just 20 points in the second half but held on to remain atop the district standings.
“I think we’re playing well right now, and I think some of the adjustments that we’ve made have worked out,” longtime Dragons head coach Chris Lockard said.
Anderson County’s Landry Sharp drives into the paint during the Mavericks away matchup with District 4-AAA rival Gibbs. The Eagles visited the Mavericks on Thursday Jan. 29. Anderson County won the home game 71-37. - Ellie Hatmaker
As the 2025-26 basketball season nears its conclusion, Anderson County High School boys basketball coach Jordan Jeffers is both optimistic and surprised.
The Mavericks have two District 4-AAA games remaining, and if they can defeat Union County for a second time and avenge their lone league loss to crosstown rival Clinton, they could clinch a share of the regular-season championship.
Anderson County (10-11 overall, 5-1 in the district) last played Thursday night, routing Gibbs 71-37 at home. The Mavs were scheduled to face Union County on Friday, but the game was postponed and tentatively rescheduled for tonight (Feb. 4) in Maynardville.
The season hasn’t been without challenges. Anderson County endured a six-game losing streak around the holidays while dealing with multiple injuries to starters. But the Mavericks have bounced back, winning five of their last six games.
Mikee Teasley, 2025 Mr. Baseball and Oak Ridge senior, is joined by family members to celebrate the siging of his letter-of-intent to continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. - ORHS Sports Media
Oak Ridge High School senior Mikee Teasley has officially finalized plans to continue his education and baseball career.
Teasley, a standout pitcher and third baseman for the Wildcats, signed his National Letter of Intent last week to play at the University of Tennessee. The signing ceremony was held at Oak Ridge High School.
He committed to the Volunteers in October 2024 and said playing for the Big Orange has always been his dream.
“I grew up in East Tennessee and I’ve always bled orange,” said Teasley, who was named Class 4A Mr. Baseball in 2025 after leading Oak Ridge to a second consecutive state tournament appearance. “I was all Vols growing up and I’ve always followed them, no matter if they were good or not. The 2024 national championship appealed to me.
“But the thing that really appealed to me was going to the Alabama football game and seeing that crowd and the fan base and how supportive they were.”
Oak Ridge’s Gary Carlisle celebrates after earning a pin against Roman Hollifield in the 165-pound weight class during the Wildcats’ home wrestling match. The dual marked Oak Ridge’s first home match of the 2025-26 season and its first in approximately 70 years. - Kaylin Dimmer | ORHS Sports Media
The Oak Ridge High School wrestling team celebrated a historic night last week.
The Wildcats, who are fielding a team for the first time in approximately seven decades, hosted the Rumble in the Ridge Thursday night at Wildcat Arena. It was Oak Ridge’s first home dual meet of the season and it featured vendors and a live DJ.
But more importantly for the Wildcats, they defeated cross-county rival Clinton, 44-28, before a packed and spirited house.
In recent years, Oak Ridge and Bearden comprised a co-op program, but now the school has a program of its own and the community showed up to support the new resident program at ORHS.
“The turnout was great for us,” Oak Ridge coach Bam Thomas said. “It was great for our seniors to get to wrestle in front of their community.
“It was a big win and another big step for us. We had vendors and we had a live DJ, and it was a great night and we look forward to having more home meets next year.”
It was obviously a special night for Oak Ridge, but things didn’t get off to a good start on the mat.
Three time State Champion DanceCats huddle before performing during the Rumble at the Ridge wrestling match Thursday, Jan. 29, at Oak Ridge High School. The dance team helped celebrate the Wildcats’ first home wrestling match of the 2025-26 season and the school’s first wrestling program in nearly seven decades. - Kaylin Dimmer | ORHS Sports Media
Clinton’s Cailyn Taylor shoots a jumper during the Lady Dragons’ 58-28 win over Scott on Thursday night. Taylor scored a game-high 22 points — matching her jersey number — to lead Clinton. - Ellie Hatmaker
Clinton High School’s girls basketball team made the most of its only game last week, notching a 52-28 District 4-AAA victory over Scott at the Don W. Lockard Gymnasium.
The Lady Dragons clinched a regular-season sweep of the Lady Highlanders on Thursday and improved to 23-2 overall and 5-1 in district play.
Cailyn Taylor led the way with 22 points for Clinton. She also tallied four steals, two assists and two rebounds.
Addi Gamble, the Lady Dragons’ senior point guard, added 10 points, six rebounds and three steals. Jailie Rodd finished with seven points, four steals, three assists and one rebound.
Bethany Lowe scored 15 points to lead the Anderson County Lady Mavericks to a 55-23 district victory over Gibbs last Thursday night. - Ellie Hatmaker
Anderson County High School’s girls basketball team cranked up the defensive pressure in its lone game last week.
The Lady Mavericks forced eight early turnovers and never let up in a 55-23 District 4-AAA win over Gibbs Thursday night at home.
“I think we forced 38 turnovers in the game,” Lady Mavs head coach Mitch Cupples said. “I challenged the girls a little bit to come out and set the tone, and they did a good job doing that. They probably did the best job of that that they’ve done all year.”
Anderson County jumped out to an 18-6 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Lady Mavericks led 33-19 at halftime and extended their advantage to 55-20 by the end of the third quarter, triggering a running clock in the final frame.
Bethany Lowe finished with 15 points to lead the Lady Mavericks. Macy Basford added 14, and sophomore Ashton Thurman posted a career-high 11 points.
“I had a sophomore, Ashton Thurman, score a career high,” Cupples said. “She had 11 points and played her best game on varsity.”
Due to inclement weather, Anderson County’s scheduled games against Union County (Friday), Oneida (Monday) and Powell (Tuesday) were postponed.
The Norris Lady Senators claimed the District 6 Tournament championship with a 30-29 win over Robertsville on Thursday night. Esa Minor was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. - Dwane Wilder
Norris Middle School’s latest victory may not have been pretty, but it delivered something far more important: a district tournament championship.
The Lady Senators overcame a late deficit to edge Robertsville 30-29 on Thursday night and claim the District 6 Tournament title.
“We weren’t able to practice because of the weather, and I knew we were going to be a little rusty,” Norris coach Derek Wallace said. “I didn’t think it was going to be this bad. It was just sloppy, and we were down 27-22 with three minutes to go. But the girls really stepped up. Esa Minor really stepped up. They all did.”
The Lady Senators, who also captured the regular-season district title, struggled from the field. They shot just 14-of-50 overall, went 2-of-18 from the free-throw line, and missed all 12 attempts from 3-point range.
Despite the offensive woes, center Addie Blevins recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Minor added eight points, while Addison Willoughby scored six. Sadie Housley chipped in five.
Minor was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Blevins, Housley and Willoughby.
Norris reached the championship game with a 37-24 win over Jefferson in the semifinals on Wednesday, Jan. 28. In that contest, Housley led all scorers with 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Kaylee Matchette added eight points, and Minor scored six.
“This is the first time that we’ve won the district in a long time,” Wallace said. “I don’t even know how long it’s been.”
Kashton Seaman scored eight points for the Robertsville Rams in the District 6 championship game against Jacksboro. Seaman, along with teammates Malik Teasley and C.J. Stewart, was named to the all-tournament team. - Dwane Wilder
The Robertsville Middle School boys basketball team captured the district tournament championship with a pair of hard-fought wins late last week.
The Rams claimed the title with a 41-32 victory over Jacksboro on Thursday night, Jan. 29, after defeating crosstown rival Jefferson in the semifinals the previous evening.
Once the winter weather clears, Robertsville will advance to the sectional tournament, which will be held at two sites in Anderson County — Norris Middle School and Anderson County High School.
Longtime Rams head coach John Spratling praised his team’s recent performance.
“We’re playing pretty well,” Spratling said. “We played our rival Jefferson for the third time and beat them in the semifinals, then we faced Jacksboro for the third time and beat them to win the district championship.”
In the title game, Tavin Seaman led Robertsville with 15 points. Kashton Seaman added eight points, and Malik Teasley chipped in four.
Kashton Seaman, Teasley and C.J. Stewart were named to the all-tournament team, along with Norris Middle’s Cooper Downs.
Anderson County High School athletes with disabilities and their peer buddies competed at the Special Olympics TSSAA sectionals bowling competition held at Fountain Lanes in Knoxville on Jan. 13. The unified team placed third, one of the unified pairs placed fourth, and another unified pair placed second. - Submitted
Multiple groups in the Anderson County High School Special Olympics bowling team placed at an event last month.
The athletes and peer buddies participated in the Special Olympics TSSAA Sectionals Bowling competition held at Fountain Lanes in Knoxville on Jan. 13.
As Hannah Pack, special education teacher for ACHS, explained, these events have two types of competitions: traditional and unified.
Traditional teams consist only of student athletes with disabilities. A unified team partners those athletes with what Pack called their “typically developing peers” – which she referred to as peer buddies or unified partners. These partners are fellow students.
The unified team placed third, one of the unified pairs placed fourth, and another unified pair placed second in the competition.
“Our students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and determination throughout the event,” Pack said.
“We are very proud of their effort and representation.”
