Anderson County’s Clay Fletcher threw a complete game against Gibbs on Thursday night, May 1. Fletcher faced 26 batters over seven innings and only allowed six hits during the Mavericks’ 1-0 shutout of the Eagles. - Tony Cox
Anderson County had a late night on the baseball diamond Monday, but the Mavericks left the park as District 4-AAA champions, thanks to seventh-inning heroics from Jeremiah Owens.
Owens, the Mavericks’ left fielder, delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel top-seeded Anderson County to a 3-2 victory over No. 2 seed Union County at ACHS.
The championship win was especially sweet for the Mavericks (25-10), and it was a long time in the making.
The title game was originally scheduled for Friday night, but torrential rains interrupted the losers’ bracket game between the Patriots and Gibbs, with the Eagles leading 1-0 when play was suspended.
The teams returned to the field Monday, and the completion of the losers’ bracket game lasted more than four hours, as Union County edged Gibbs 3-2 in 14 innings.
The championship game didn’t start until after 9:30 p.m., but Anderson County’s dramatic win made the wait worthwhile.
The Mavericks completed a 3-0 run through the district tournament.
Topanga Easterday had two hits, scored a run and stole a base in Clinton’s opening game of the District 4-AAA softball tournament. She is shown during a game earlier this season.
A pair of late-season District 4-AAA losses put the Clinton High School softball team in a precarious spot entering the league’s postseason tournament.
Complicating matters further, inclement weather washed out the tournament’s original opening day.
No problem.
When the Lady Dragons finally took the field Monday night, they made quick work of Scott High, cruising to a 10-0, five-inning victory.
With the win, Clinton (23-14) advanced and is set to host the remainder of the tournament.
However, tougher tests lie ahead.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Clinton Coach Leonard Sams said. “They came to the park today, they were pretty loose, and if they play loose, they should be able to go pretty deep in the tournament. But we’re going to have to make adjustments going forward.”
Luke Dark won the shot put with a throw of 62 feet, 11 inches, and took second in the discus with a mark of 146-4 during the final track and field meet of the season at Oak Ridge High School. - Tony Cox
In their final meets before the Class AA state sectional championships, the Anderson County High School track and field teams turned in strong performances.
The Mavericks and Lady Mavericks opened the final week of the regular season Tuesday, April 29, at Oak Ridge High School.
In the girls’ 1,600-meter run, Anderson County had three top-five finishers.
Morgan Haire won the event, clocking 6 minutes, 16.64 seconds. Marley Caldwell was second at 6:19.28, and Emma Owens placed fifth at 7:16.91. Cate Clotfelder finished sixth with a time of 7:40.38.
Mattie Lively took seventh in the discus with a throw of 65 feet, 11 inches, and placed third in the shot put with a mark of 21-11.
In the sprints, Carla Hanna finished seventh in both the 200-meter dash (31.26) and the 400 (1:12.31).
Bralee Hall took seventh in the 800 (2:41.48) and ninth in the 100 (14.01). Lily Trent placed eighth in the 800 (2:44.25), and Ella Clark came in ninth in the 200 (36.21).
Clinton’s Alli Hollifield placed second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:30.80 at the Dead End Meet on Thursday, May 1, at West High School.
The regular season has concluded for the Clinton High School track and field teams, and both the Dragons and Lady Dragons are coming off one of their best campaigns in recent memory.
But as they prepare for the Class AA state sectional championships on Saturday at the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track in Knoxville, Coach Tim Kumes knows the challenge only intensifies from here.
“I hope these kids realize the kind of work they’re going to have to put in this week,” Kumes said. “It’s one thing to get to sectionals, but the state is a whole different level.
“Not everybody can be an all-star,” he said. “The ones who are, are the ones who put the work in. Our kids are doing well. We have 12 athletes and both of our 4x100-meter relay teams qualified for sectionals.”
Clinton’s Jackson Barrett took control of the mound at the bottom of the third inning. Barrett faced 19 batters, hurled 49 strikes, and gave up one run in the Dragons’ 4-1 loss to Union County on Thursday, May 1. - Tony Cox
The 2025 season came to an end for the Clinton High School baseball team last week in the District 4-AAA tournament at Anderson County.
The fourth-seeded Dragons were eliminated Thursday by No. 2 seed Union County, falling to the Patriots 4-1.
Clinton, which finished the season with a 15-20 overall record, couldn’t get the bats going in its tournament finale. The Dragons managed just two hits.
Will Brooks went 1-for-3 and drove in the team’s lone run. Jake Rittenberry also had a hit.
Clinton advanced to face Union County by overpowering Scott 19-3 earlier in the tournament.
The Dragons jumped out quickly, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. They followed with eight runs in the second and capped the blowout with a seven-run fourth inning.
As Anderson County High School softball coach Lindsey Verner prepared her team for the District 4-AAA Tournament, she was optimistic.
“I feel excited. This is the best seed that we’ve had in a long time,” Verner said. “And now, we just have to take care of business and be prepared for what’s in front of us.”
The second-seeded Lady Mavericks were scheduled to open tournament play at Clinton High School on Monday, but heavy rain pushed the play-in games to that day instead.
The Lady Mavericks closed out the regular season Thursday with a 7-4 victory over Coalfield. The win was a meaningful one, as it avenged an early-season loss to the Lady Yellow Jackets and held personal significance for Verner, who played her high school softball at Coalfield.
“It’s always special when we beat them,” Verner said.
Senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Kaycee Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Miranda McCracken had two hits and drove in three runs. Ashton Thurman added two hits, including a double, and chipped in a run scored and an RBI. Bella Brummett singled, scored once and drove in a run.
Anderson County opened the final week of the regular season with a 10-0 loss to Cocke County on Tuesday, April 29. Brummett had the Lady Mavericks’ lone hit with a single.
Anderson County (22-11) began its postseason run Tuesday against the host Lady Dragons, though results were unavailable at press time.
Clinton FC soccer notched its second-consecutive win on Monday, April 21, rolling past Karns Gold 7-2.
The win was fueled by a dominant defensive effort and an aggressive high line that helped Clinton generate all seven of its goals.
Coach Jake McMurray credited the defensive unit for setting the tone.
Key contributors included Jake Hazuda, Todeo Hernandez, Taylen Cook, Julianna Metchikoff, Jocelyn Felix and Loreli Blair.
Juan Camilo Zorro Costanos provided the bulk of Clinton’s scoring, while Jaren Lu recorded an assist.
“Juan was our top scorer and Jaren had an assist, and I’m all about assists,” McMurray said. “But we wouldn’t have scored any of our goals without the way our defense played. We run a 4-3-3 that often becomes a 5-2-3 because of how high we push the line.”
After a rocky start to the season that included multiple injuries and tough breaks, Clinton FC appears to be finding its rhythm.
“We’ve been playing well, but we haven’t had much luck,” McMurray said. “Now, we’re starting to get a little luck.”
For the second-consecutive season, Oak Ridge High School has captured the District 3-4A baseball championship.
The Wildcats (30-7), the tournament’s top seed, secured the title with a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Powell Monday night at Bobby Hopkins Field.
With the win, Oak Ridge hosts the Region 2-4A tournament later this week and enters the next phase of the postseason riding a four-game winning streak.
Oak Ridge, which claimed its first district tournament title in more than two decades last season, swept through this year’s bracket with three straight wins. The run followed a victory in its regular-season finale against Coalfield.
The 2025 postseason began with a tough setback for the Oak Ridge High School softball team.
The fifth-seeded Lady Wildcats fell 11-1 to No. 4 seed Powell in the opening round of the District 3-4A tournament Monday night at Halls High School in Knoxville.
Oak Ridge (6-18) had played Powell close during the regular season, dropping a narrow 1-0 decision at home.
Early in the tournament matchup, the Lady Wildcats hung around, trailing just 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
But Powell broke the game open with five runs in the fourth, and added three more in the fifth to end the game via run rule.
“We were hanging in there and the girls were playing really well,” Oak Ridge Coach Jeremy Gill said. “Then they started hitting the ball — and hitting it hard. I think they hit three home runs, and they had some bloop hits that really hurt us. They had two bloop hits and followed with a three-run home run.”
Competing at the state trampoline and tumbling championships April 1-2 in Franklin, Clinton’s Quinn Peavley delivered a standout performance, earning multiple top finishes. She took first place in synchronized trampoline twice — each time with a different partner — and claimed first in individual trampoline and third in double mini.
At the elite level in trampoline and Level 10 in double mini, she qualified to represent Tennessee at the USA Gymnastics national championships, scheduled for June 16-21 in Rhode Island. She will also compete at the Elite Challenge in Jacksonville, Florida, May 8-11, and the regional championships in Mobile, Alabama, May 15-18. Peavley, who turns 13 in June, continues to climb the national ranks with each meet, building on a season already filled with podium finishes and championship appearances. Her success at the state meet not only highlights her skill and dedication, but also sets the stage for what could be a breakout summer on the national gymnastics circuit.
The Oak Ridge High School track and field teams closed out their home schedule in style last week, hosting a meet to celebrate Senior Night on Tuesday, April 29.
The Lady Wildcats dominated the girls’ 100-meter dash, claiming the top three spots.
Caroline Sharp won with a time of 13.18 seconds, followed by Madeline Sharp (13.20) and Vanelle Wandji (13.33).
Caroline Sharp also took first in the 200-meter dash (28.07), with Ella Sharp placing second (28.49). Ella Sharp later won the 400 (1:05.49), while Jenayah Pippins finished third (1:08.69) and Ellen Edemiller placed fourth (1:09.88).
Oak Ridge swept the top six spots in the 800-meter run. Lily Tice won with a time of 2:27.85. She was followed by Amaijah Bishop (2:28.97), Emily Edwards (2:29.92), Wandji (2:33.63), Natalie Adams (2:34.40), and Elly Hartman (2:38.67).
The 2025 season has featured its share of highs and lows for the young Oak Ridge High School boys soccer team.
But the Wildcats closed out the regular season on a high note, rallying from an early deficit to defeat Webb School of Knoxville 6-2 late Thursday afternoon.
Oak Ridge overcame a 2-0 hole by scoring six unanswered goals.
Juno Morrill led the comeback with a pair of goals, while Ayden Clements, Daniel Perez-Rodriguez, Carson Morgan and Adam Washington each added one.
The Wildcats will host a District 3-AAA Tournament semifinal today (May 7).
The opponent and kickoff time had not been determined at press time.
