The Courier News

Softball field named for Teresa Portwood

June 17, 2026 by Ben Pounds

Anderson County Board of Education members Jo Williams and Dail Cantrell give a resolution honoring the late Board of Education member Teresa Portwood to her daughter Magan Stout. Behind Stout is her husband, Maurice Crawford. - Ben Pounds

Clinton High School’s new girls softball field will bear the name of the late Board of Education member Teresa Portwood, who died in March.

“Ms. Portwood was a strong advocate for the completion of the Clinton High School girls’ softball field and recognized the importance of teamwork, discipline, and leadership opportunities that sports provide to young women,” the resolution to name the field stated.

It was passed unanimously at the June 11 Board of Education meeting.

Portwood’s daughter Magan Stout, in tears, accepted that resolution and another honoring her mother more generally from Board of Education members Dail Cantrell and Jo Williams.

Dawson likes progress Clinton coach encouraged by younger players’ growth

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Clinton quarterback Mason Eckerson scans the field for an open receiver during the Dragons’ 7-on-7 competition Friday at Dragon Stadium. Eckerson, a dual-threat quarterback, has emerged as a leader for Clinton’s offense while drawing attention for both his passing ability and playmaking skills during summer workouts. - Tony Cox

Clinton High School’s football team wrapped up its final 7-on-7 competition before the TSSAA-mandated dead period late last week.

The Dragons hosted a 7-on-7 tournament at Dragon Stadium.

In addition to the host team, the event featured Austin-East, Coalfield, Scott, Wartburg Central, Harriman and Tellico Plains.

Clinton Coach Jake Dawson said he was pleased with the Dragons’ effort.

“I thought it went really well,” Dawson said. “It’s 7-on-7, so it is what it is. But I was really happy.

“It was a chance to see some younger guys and get them some reps, and we got to see some different teams, teams from outside the area that we don’t normally get to see.

“We played a bunch of young guys.”

Orr named new coach for Lady Dragons soccer

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Anna Orr

Clinton High School will have a new girls soccer coach in 2026, and she’s already familiar with the Lady Dragons’ program.

Anna Orr was recently named to replace Sylvain David, who guided Clinton through a rebuilding season in 2025.

“I was at a lot of the games last year,” Orr said. “I do volunteer work for Young Life, and we go on to some of the high school campuses. I got a chance to know the girls through Young Life and through soccer.”

A South Carolina native, Orr played collegiate soccer at Erskine College, an NCAA Division II school. She and her husband, Zac, moved to Tennessee so she could attend graduate school at the University of Tennessee before relocating to Chicago for work.

Summer reps build Coal Creek’s future

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Coal Creek 18U’s summer season continued early last week with a doubleheader against Falcons NABF, a team from North Knoxville.

Coal Creek dropped both games at home. The team fell 6-2 in the opener before suffering a 6-0 loss in the nightcap. With the two defeats, Coal Creek slipped to 2-4 on the summer and entered this week riding a four-game losing streak.

Still, Coach Josh Boynton has found positives as the team, composed of Anderson County High School players, works to replace key contributors who graduated in 2025 and 2026.

“It’s been good, but our record hasn’t been good,” Boynton said. “But the positive thing I can say is that we’re getting some young kids some important reps.

“We lost 19 seniors over the last two years, and we have some young guys,” he said.

Mavericks basketball camp concludes

June 17, 2026

Anderson County High School boys basketball hosted its annual skills camp June 1-3. Approximately 80 campers in kindergarten through sixth grade participated in the weeklong camp, which emphasized competition through daily individual and team contests, including 1-on-1, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 tournaments. Jeffers called it the program’s best camp to date, citing the campers’ energy, talent and competitive spirit. Participants represented several area schools. - Submitted

Young Wildcats embrace summer challenge

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Oak Ridge’s Jamon Crowley stretches out to haul in a one-handed reception during the Wildcats’ 7-on-7 competition this summer. Oak Ridge wrapped up its preseason 7-on-7 schedule before the TSSAA dead period, which begins June 22. - ORHS Sports Media

During summer workouts and 7-on-7 competition, Oak Ridge High School football Coach Derek Rang is taking things back to basics.

The Wildcats graduated several key contributors following the 2025 season and must replace those players before the 2026 campaign begins.

“We have a lot of inexperienced players and we’re breaking in a new quarterback,” said Rang, who will soon begin his fourth season as Oak Ridge’s head coach. “We’ll have Brody Sparks, and he came from Carter. He played there, but it was a different system.

“We have experience at running back and at tight end, but we’re really, really young at linebacker.”

Oak Ridge recently competed in 7-on-7 action against Alcoa, and also faced one of South Carolina’s top programs during its college tour through East Tennessee.

Top Wildcats earn year-end honors

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Hayven Laurendine

Oak Ridge High School recently named its athletes and coach of the year for the 2025-26 school year.

Lady Wildcats soccer player Hayven Laurendine was named female athlete of the year.

Laurendine scored 27 goals and recorded seven assists in 2025. She also had five hat tricks for Oak Ridge last season. A Samford signee, Laurendine finished her career with 76 goals, a mark that ranks fourth all time among both boys and girls in school history.

Baseball player Mikee Teasley and track and field distance specialist Mason Greenhalgh shared male athlete of the year honors.

Longtime coach Ron Gray remembered for impact

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Ron Gray - ORHS Sports Media

Former Robertsville Middle School football coach Ron Gray passed away Monday, June 8.

A longtime high school and middle school coach, Gray led the Rams in 2024 before suffering a stroke following his first season as Robertsville’s head coach.

During his career, Gray coached at Oak Ridge High School, Bearden High School and Knoxville Halls High School.

During his time with the Wildcats, Gray coached Tyler Carr, a former Robertsville head coach and current assistant coach. Carr preceded Gray as the Rams’ head coach and returned as an assistant under his mentor in 2024 before serving as interim head coach last season.

“I’ve coached for 15 years now, and with Ron, his goal was to make sure that every kid he coached had a positive interaction with the game of football,” Carr said. “That didn’t mean they had to start or be an all-star.

Flag football season concludes

June 17, 2026

More than 160 young athletes participated in Clinton Athletic Club’s 2026 Clinton Youth Flag Football season, which concluded May 31. League organizers thanked the players, volunteer coaches, concession workers, gate attendants, cleanup crews, and volunteers from the Clinton High School football and cheer teams for helping make the season a success. Volunteer coaches included Steven Breeden, David Howard, Eric Powell, Jordan Webb, Ean McQuay, Matt Herrell, Eric Roop, Brad Hillard, Marcus Smith and David Smith. - Tony Cox

Gridiron camps set for summer

June 17, 2026 by Ken Lay

Three local high schools will host youth football camps this summer.

Anderson County High School will hold its camp July 6-7 and July 9 from 7 to 9 p.m.

For more information, call 865-208-5819 or email Gary Terry at gterry@acs.ac.

Clinton High School will hold its camp July 11 from 4 to 9 p.m. The camp will begin at Hollingsworth Sportsplex and conclude under the lights at Dragon Stadium.

Cost is $60 per player and includes a T-shirt and ice cream.

For more information, contact Coach Jake Dawson at jdawson@acs.ac.

Oak Ridge High School will hold its youth camp July 15-16 at the school. Cost is $10 and includes a T-shirt.

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