Anderson County senior running back Jayzon Thompson moves past the scrimmage line and into open field during Friday night’s scrimmage at William Blount High School in Blount County. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School had its second football scrimmage of the preseason last week, and longtime Head Coach Davey Gillum was anything but pleased after the Mavericks’ matchup against William Blount in Maryville.
“It was frustrating overall,” Gillum said after Friday night’s scrimmage against the Governors. “It was sloppy.
“On defense, we had three or four busts in the back end,” he said. “We didn’t have our middle linebacker, Mason McMillan, and I don’t really know if that had anything to do with it. But he’s the quarterback of our defense. Coach will make a call and he gets people where they need to be and calls the strengths. That’s where I think we really missed him.”
Gillum had been upbeat after the Mavericks’ first scrimmage at home against Knoxville Halls on Aug. 1, but he said every outing is its own challenge.
Clinton’s Topanga Easterday (3) pushes the ball upfield as Aveah Templeton(19) moves in to support during recent match action. - Tony Cox
As the Clinton High School girls soccer team gears up for the 2025 season, the program will see plenty of fresh faces — starting at the top.
Sylvain David has taken the reins as head coach, replacing longtime leader Suzanne Stout, who guided the Lady Dragons to their most-successful season in recent memory.
Clinton finished second in the District 4-AA regular-season standings in 2024, trailing crosstown rival Anderson County, and was runner-up to the Lady Mavericks in the district tournament. The Lady Dragons also reached the region tournament for the first time in school history.
This season, however, Clinton faces a rebuilding year — a challenge David embraces.
“I enjoy coaching girls because they’re more receptive to criticism, and we’re going to have a rebuilding season,” said David, who previously served as an assistant with the CHS boys program under Coach Filip Leander.
Anderson County senior defensive specialist Emersyn Blackburn passes the ball during a preseason playdate match against Lakeway Christian School. - Tony Cox
Over the past three decades, volleyball at all levels has continued to evolve, with rules constantly changing to keep pace with the game.
As local high school teams prepare for the 2025 season, the rulebook has shifted again — double contact is no longer a violation when a player is passing to a teammate.
The adjustment, already in place at the college, club, and international levels, didn’t catch local coaches off guard.
“I think everybody knew it was coming,” said Oak Ridge first-year Head Coach Meghan Ellis. “It was already in club volleyball.”
The new rule has sparked differing opinions among Ellis, Clinton Coach Lorri Johnson, and Anderson County Coach Jayme Smith.
While their views on its impact vary, they share common ground in believing it will reduce referee involvement in close-call situations.
Experienced core, promising freshmen fuel Clinton ’25 cross country
by Ken Lay
Clinton’s Cooper Bostrom brings experience to the 2025 Clinton Dragsons cross-country team. Bostrom, a junior, qualified for the Class A/AA state championship in his sophomore campaign. - Tony Cox
As Clinton High School cross country Coach Tim Kumes enters his 12th season, he sees plenty of reasons for optimism.
“Our kids are working hard, but right now the challenge is just recruiting and getting kids to come out,” Kumes said. “We have good kids who are committed. They’re conditioning, they’re running, and I always tell them to invite a friend. If you can develop a love for running, it will last you a lifetime.”
The Dragons return an experienced core of runners, including junior Cooper Bostrom, who qualified for the Class A/AA state championship meet in 2024.
Kumes and Assistant Track Coach Tyler Byrd hope to guide Bostrom back to the state stage this fall.
“Cooper loves to run, but Coach Byrd and I have him on a weight- room program because he needs to develop his upper body if he’s going to return to state,” Kumes said. “Coach Byrd, who’s also an assistant football coach, helps all of our athletes across the board.”
Oak Ridge High School wrapped up its preseason football slate last week, and Head Coach Derek Rang liked most of what he saw.
Oak Ridge will host Knoxville Halls on Thursday, Aug. 21, in a regionally televised game at Blankenship Field.
“Offensively, we did some good things,” said Rang, who enters his third season.
“Malik Howard made some plays,” he said. “He caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Blaine Stansberry. But we have some things to clean up. We had a touchdown called back on a penalty, and a couple of turnovers. We just need to play a little cleaner, but it’s still early.”
The Wildcats, who finished 9-5 last year and advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals before falling to eventual champion Sevier County, will make the jump to Class 6A this season. Rang knows that mistakes can be costly at the next level.
The Sean Jesse era at Jefferson Middle School opened with a statement win.
The Eagles rolled past Lenoir City 43-14 Thursday night in the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference football opener for both teams in Loudon County.
“I’m really proud of these guys,” said Jesse, a former Jefferson assistant who took over after Rodney Ellison left to join the staff at West High School in Knoxville. “The biggest thing for us was that these kids were able to build some confidence.
“We scored in three plays, and then they got the ball and held it for the rest of the first quarter,” he said. “We started pretty well.”
The Eagles (1-0) and Panthers (0-1) traded early punches before Jefferson took control.
“Something happened in that game,” Jesse said. “I don’t know how, I don’t know what, and I don’t know when. But something happened. Our kids started playing with confidence. We just got better as the game went on. We blocked well and tackled well.”
When Robertsville Middle School opened its 2025 football season last week at home, interim Head Coach Tyler Carr knew the Rams would be the hunted.
Robertsville won the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference championship in 2024, finishing 9-1 overall with a perfect 7-0 league mark.
The Rams’ only loss came in a high-scoring nonconference battle against Knoxville Grace Christian Academy.
But the 2025 opener brought a stark contrast, as the defending champions fell 32-8 to Norris on Thursday night at Blankenship Field in a matchup of the past two TVAC title holders.
“This was what we needed,” said Carr, who is serving as interim coach while Head Coach Ron Gray is sidelined by illness. “We didn’t have a preseason scrimmage, so we needed to see how we would play against another team.
“We knew we’d have a target on our backs, and we still have seven more chances to go out there and win ballgames.”
The Rams, facing a bit of a rebuild this year, will look to regroup when they visit Fort Loudoun Middle School for their first road game of the season Thursday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
Against Norris, Caleb Malone provided all of Robertsville’s points, scoring on a three-yard touchdown run and adding the two-point conversion.
Oak Ridge High School is seeking tennis players for its offseason program.
Parents or students interested in learning more about the program should contact co-head coach David Bowman at dbowman@ortn.edu or at 865-389-5176 or co-head coach Joanne Bowman at jbowman@ortn.edu or at 865-389-2354 by Aug. 18.
Instruction and league play will begin Aug. 25 and will take place on 12 consecutive Mondays in Oak Ridge.
The league is open to new and returning middle school and high school players from Oak Ridge, Clinton, Kingston, Hardin Valley and Webb School of Knoxville.
It took a while, but the Clinton High School golf teams finally opened the 2025 season Monday after two straight matches were canceled due to extreme heat in late July.
Clinton Coach Matt Cain was optimistic heading into the home debut at Centennial Golf Course, but the results fell short of expectations.
The Dragons finished second in a six-team match on the back nine.
Gibbs won with a team score of 169, followed by Clinton at 171. Oneida posted a 179, Karns shot 180, and Knoxville’s Career Magnet Academy finished with 232.
Grant Hannah led Clinton with a 39. Finn Pridemore carded a 43, JP Robbins had a 44, Aden Golden shot 45, and freshman Zander Ford posted a 47 in his first high school match.
The Clinton High School cheerleading team attended the 2025 UCA summer camp and brought home multiple honors, including first place in camp routine, second in sideline, the Spirit Stick, three Pin It Forward awards, and the Leadership Award. Six cheerleaders earned All-American honors, six seniors received special recognition, and four team members received invitations to join the UCA staff.
Clinton Middle School opened its 2025 football season in winning fashion, knocking off Christian Academy of Knoxville 27-18 last week at Dragon Stadium.
The Hawks (1-0) set the tone in the trenches from the opening snap.
“Going into the season, I thought our biggest strength would be up front on the offensive and defensive lines, and they didn’t make me a liar,” Clinton Coach Eric Woodard said. “We were dominant on both sides all night.”
Quarterback Weston Glandon connected with Uriah Pickett for a 93-yard touchdown pass.
Pickett also recovered a CAK fumble, helping the Hawks capitalize on turnovers.
Clinton’s defense found the end zone when Levi Braden returned an interception 40 yards for a score.
Jude Kuhens also had two interceptions, while Uriah Mounce recorded five tackles for loss.
On offense, Brandon Bunch powered the ground game with touchdown runs of 13 and 32 yards. He was equally disruptive on defense, finishing with three tackles for loss.
Kicker Caleb Egeland converted three of four extra points to round out the scoring.
The Hawks will hit the road Thursday to face Spring City. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
