Bryson poured in 29 points against Carter on Saturday night in the Dragons’ 63-56 overtime win at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. Camden Nelson (right) drives into the lane during the home matchup against Carter. - Ellie Hatmaker
Longtime Clinton High School boys basketball Coach Chris Lockard will be the first to admit his team didn’t deliver its sharpest performance Saturday night.
But the Dragons did enough to survive and advance.
Clinton outlasted Carter 63-56 in overtime in a Region 2-AAA tournament elimination quarterfinal at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium.
“We weren’t at the top of our game,” he said. “We didn’t shoot well and we didn’t really rebound well. But we played really good defense.
“We did enough late to win, and that was good, but you don’t want to get in the habit of having to do that in the tournament against high-caliber competition.”
The Dragons, the District 4-AAA regular-season and tournament champions, trailed the Hornets 13-11 at the end of the first quarter. Clinton ratcheted up its defensive pressure in the second stanza, outscoring Carter 13-2 to take a 24-15 halftime lead.
Anderson County’s Emerie Bullock drives into the lane past Seymour’s Natalee Adkins during Friday night’s region quarterfinal matchup. - Tony Cox
The 2025-26 Region 2-AAA tournament delivered a milestone for the Anderson County High School girls basketball team as the Lady Mavericks advanced to the region semifinals for the first time since 2022.
But Monday night’s matchup with Cocke County proved to be the defining chapter of the season, as Anderson County couldn’t overcome a sluggish start in a 52-26 loss to the Lady Red at Clinton High School’s Don W. Lockard Gymnasium.
Anderson County (14-15) managed just three points in the first quarter and added only two more in the second against Cocke County (31-4), which entered the contest riding a seven-game winning streak and victories in 18 of its previous 19 games.
The Lady Mavericks’ defense kept them within striking distance early, limiting the Lady Red to 19 first-half points. But the offense never found a rhythm. Julia Owens scored three points in the opening half, while Macy Basford added two.
Anderson County’s Cam Lawson pushes the pace in transition Saturday night against Austin-East in East Knoxville. The Mavericks dropped a 69-61 decision to the Roadrunners on the road. - Tony Cox
The 2025-26 season came to a close Saturday night for Anderson County High School’s boys basketball team in East Knoxville.
The Mavericks, who finished third in District 4-AAA, saw their campaign end with a 69-61 loss to Austin-East on newly christened Elston Turner Court.
Despite the setback, which left Anderson County at 14-14, Mavs Coach Jordan Jeffers said his team followed its game plan against the Roadrunners.
“We wanted to make them shoot a lot of threes and hope that we could rebound with them,” Jeffers said. “But they were locked in and ready to play. They took those threes and they made them. They made some big shots.
In just its second year, the White Buffalo Wrestling Club made a thunderous statement.
The Anderson County-based program produced 20 qualifiers for the AAU state championships and saw 12 wrestlers earn medals at the tournament, held Feb. 27-March 1 at the Williamson County Ag and Expo Center in Franklin.
White Buffalo, which features athletes from across East Tennessee and Kentucky, had 24 wrestlers advance to the regional championships at Daniel Boone High School.
“We had those 24 wrestlers qualify for the region championships two weeks ago and we’re in our second year,” White Buffalo Coach Clint Wolfley said. “We had 19 compete in the state tournament. We had one who was sick and couldn’t make it.
“We couldn’t be happier percentage-wise,” Wolfley said. “We had 24 make the regionals at Daniel Boone High School and then we had 20 state qualifiers. Of the 19 that competed, we had 12 medalists, six wrestlers make the finals, two state championships and one grand champion, who won the regional, the state and the Top-100 Meet.”
The club’s grand champion was Charlee Wolfley in the girls middle school 100-pound division.
A roller-coaster 2025-26 season has come to an end for Oak Ridge High School’s young girls basketball team.
The Lady Wildcats dropped another close contest in a campaign filled with narrow wins and hard-fought losses, falling to Farragut, 54-47, in a Region 2-4A Tournament semifinal Monday night at Bearden High School in West Knoxville. The game served as a fitting snapshot of a season defined by tight margins.
Oak Ridge (11-17) carried a 22-20 halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 27-22 early in the third quarter before the Lady Admirals surged back.
Evaiya Mitchell delivered another dazzling performance, pouring in a game-high 35 points against Farragut (21-10). However, no other Lady Wildcat scored more than five points.
The Lady Admirals placed two players in double figures, as K.J. McNealy scored 20 points and Trinity Curry added 10.
Oak Ridge reached the semifinals after an impressive 57-38 victory over Knox Central on Friday night in Fountain City. The Lady Wildcats, the No. 4 seed from District 4-4A and a league newcomer, knocked off the top-seeded Lady Bobcats, longtime former district rivals.
Knox Central, the District 3-4A champion, had upset Campbell County and Powell to claim its district title. But Oak Ridge turned the tables after a sluggish start.
Mitchell scored 27 points in that contest, and first-year Coach Kevin Tubbs credited a halftime message for the turnaround.
“They came out against us and they were patient and they had a good game plan,” Tubbs said. “We were taking too many one-pass shots and we weren’t moving the ball.
“They came in on an emotional roll, and I told our girls to pass the ball to get better shots and take care of the ball. We did that better in the second half.”
For the third consecutive year, Oak Ridge High School’s boys basketball team eliminated Knoxville West in the opening round of the Region 2-4A tournament.
And for the third straight time, the Wildcats ended the Rebels’ season.
This meeting, however, came with a twist. West, the District 3-4A runner-up, and Oak Ridge, the No. 3 seed from District 4-4A, have flipped districts since last season, and Tuesday’s contest marked the first of the three postseason matchups played in Knoxville.
When the final horn sounded at West High School, the outcome felt familiar. Oak Ridge erased a second-half deficit and surged to a 62-53 victory.
The Wildcats trailed 36-28 at halftime and faced a 42-36 deficit with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter. Oak Ridge responded with an 8-0 run to close the period and seize a 44-42 lead heading into the fourth.
The momentum carried over. The Wildcats outscored the Rebels 18-11 over the final eight minutes, finishing the game on a 34-17 run after the break.
“I was frustrated at halftime and I just challenged them and I told them that this wasn’t up to our standard,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.
“We looked tired and we were dead in the water at halftime.”
The message resonated.
Charlie Taubenheim and Ethan James each scored 17 points to lead the Wildcats.
Ja’Rell Jemerson added 12.
West finished its season at 12-21.
Oak Ridge (18-12) was scheduled to face Bearden (33-1) in the region semifinals Tuesday in West Knoxville.
Anderson County High School’s flag football team opened its second season in commanding fashion Monday night.
The Lady Mavericks rolled past Farragut, 25-0, to begin the 2026 campaign.
“It’s always good to start the season with a win right out of the gate, and it’s always good to shut somebody out,” Anderson County Coach Jonathan Cotton said. “We had people making plays all over the place.
“We’re happy with the result, but we’re going to get to that postseason tournament — that’s the goal for us,” he said. “For our girls, it’s Murfreesboro or bust. That’s what a lot of them are saying.”
Quarterback Keiona Gillum led the charge, throwing three touchdown passes against the Lady Admirals.
She connected twice with Jocelyn Adams for scores and added a touchdown toss to Anaya Witkoski. Gillum also found the end zone on a touchdown run to cap a productive night.
The Lady Mavs converted one of four extra-point attempts as Eden Stout hauled in a pass from Gillum for the conversion.
Anderson County (1-0) returns to action Friday night when it hosts South-Doyle at 6:30 p.m.
Clinton High School’s flag football team made its unofficial debut over the weekend at a play day in Cleveland.
The Lady Dragons officially opened the regular season against Carter on Tuesday night. Results were not available at press time.
Clinton went 0-4 in Saturday’s preseason scrimmage event, but Coach Brittany Siler said the day provided valuable experience as the final tuneup before games began to count.
“We went 0-for-4 down there Saturday but we played well,” Siler said. “I think the kids were a little down after that first game, but hey, it was the first time they played a game.
“But it went well and we grew and did better in each game and overall, it was a really positive experience for a play day. We played three games back-to-back and then we had a break before our fourth game, so it was a long day.”
While the scoreboard didn’t tilt in Clinton’s favor, the Lady Dragons flashed potential throughout the event.
Natalie White delivered one of the day’s biggest moments in the finale, returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown.
“We had some good receptions and we had some interceptions,” Siler said. “Our punter, Emersyn Williams, had some good punts that went 45 or 50 yards.
“Natalie White had a Pick Six that went for about 65 yards.”
Despite the early growing pains, Siler said the experience should pay dividends as the Lady Dragons continue their inaugural campaign.
