Clinton girls basketball Coach Alicia Dougherty raises a piece of the championship net high above her head after the Lady Dragons captured the District 4-AAA tournament title Monday night. The net-cutting ceremony capped a hard-fought title game. - Ellie Hatmaker
Addi Gamble, the District 4-AAA Player of the Year, was limited to six points Monday night in the district tournament championship game.
But the senior point guard delivered the biggest basket of the night. Her go-ahead shot with 1 minute, 4 seconds remaining in regulation put Clinton ahead for good in a 49-46 victory over crosstown rival Anderson County before a raucous crowd at ACHS.
Josie Moody added a late free throw to seal the win for the Lady Dragons, who rallied to claim the program’s first district tournament title since 1979 and secured their 29th victory of the 2025-26 season.
Clinton (29-2) will chase its 30th win — and continue the most-successful season in program history — when it hosts Austin-East in a Region 2-AAA elimination quarterfinal Friday night at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Clinton’s Eli Slaven (14) drives to the basket against Gibbs during Friday night’s District 4-AAA tournament opener. Slaven poured in 20 points as the top-seeded Dragons began postseason play. - Ellie Hatmaker
For the eighth-consecutive season, the Clinton High School boys basketball team was set to play in a district tournament championship game.
The Dragons, the top seed in the District 4-AAA tournament, faced No. 3 seed Scott Tuesday night at Anderson County High School. Results were not available at press time.
Clinton (26-7) earned its spot in the 2026 title game with a 62-40 victory over Gibbs in Friday night’s semifinals at ACHS.
“This is the eighth straight year that we’ve been in the district championship game,” longtime Dragons Coach Chris Lockard said. “Maybe now, we can win one.”
Clinton has dropped the past three district title games to crosstown rival Anderson County, but the Mavericks fell 66-65 to Scott in Friday’s other semifinal.
Anderson County’s Deameion Leavell secured the 175-pound state championship with a victory over Fairview’s Cole Neal in the finals at the TSSAA State Wrestling Championships in Franklin. It marked Leavell’s second state title; he previously won the 165-pound crown in 2024. - Tony Cox
The Anderson County High School wrestling program had a historic stay at the 2025-26 TSSAA Class A State Wrestling Championships over the weekend at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.
The Mavericks finished fourth overall in the team standings of the event won by Soddy-Daisy. Signal Mountain finished second, followed by Station Camp, which edged out Anderson County for third place.
The Mavs had a pair of state champions, the most in a single state tournament in school history. They also had four medalists on the Volunteer State’s biggest wrestling stage.
Zed Hulet, who competes in the 138-pound weight class, and senior Deameion Leavell (175) both left the Midstate with state tournament championships.
Reese Russell rises for a short jumper during the Mavericks’ opening-round game of the District 4-AAA tournament against Scott. - Ellie Hatmaker
Anderson County High School’s boys basketball team saw its bid for a fourth consecutive District 4-AAA tournament championship end by the slimmest of margins Friday night.
The Mavericks (13-14), the tournament’s No. 2 seed, dropped a 66-65 decision to Scott in the semifinals on their home floor.
Anderson County trailed by as many as 11 points midway through the third quarter. The Mavericks clawed back, trimming the Highlanders’ lead to 50-46 by the end of the period and setting up a dramatic finish.
The Mavs grabbed a 65-64 advantage when Justin Bunch scored with 1 minute remaining. Scott answered on its next possession as Wyatt Lloyd knocked down what proved to be the game-winner for Scott with 45 seconds left.
The 2025-26 season has been a roller-coaster ride for the Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats, but they closed the District 4-4A tournament with a fourth-place finish and a berth in the Region 2-4A tournament.
Oak Ridge, the No. 4 seed, opened postseason play with a 64-55 victory over Rhea County on Monday, Feb. 16, at McMinn County High School.
Evaiya Mitchell poured in 31 points, while Jenayah Pippins added 15 as the Lady Wildcats knocked off the Lady Eagles to advance.
Later in the week, Oak Ridge faced top-seeded Bearden and fell 76-47. Mitchell scored 16 points and Paige Lawing added 13 as the Lady Wildcats dropped their third meeting of the season to the Lady Bulldogs.
“They’re a great team,” Oak Ridge Coach Kevin Tubbs said of Bearden.
In the district’s third-place game, Oak Ridge squared off with Lenoir City in a rubber match. The Lady Wildcats battled throughout but came up short, 60-53, despite a game-high 32 points from Mitchell.
The teams were tied 28-28 at halftime, and Oak Ridge continued to fight down the stretch.
“We’ve definitely gotten better as a team,” Tubbs said.
As Carl Nielsen reflects on his first season as Clinton High School’s wrestling coach, he already sees plenty of positives — and even more potential.
The Dragons sent two wrestlers to the TSSAA Class A State Wrestling Championships at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin, as Jordan Smith and Hayden Durliat closed their seasons on Tennessee’s biggest stage.
Smith, a junior in the 175-pound weight class, went 0-2 at state but battled in both matches.
“Jordan went two-and-out, but he had a tough draw and wrestled extremely well,” Nielsen said.
Durliat, a freshman 113-pounder, dropped his opening-round match before rebounding with a victory in the consolation bracket.
“In his first-round match, he wrestled a two-time state champion and he competed well,” Nielsen said. “Going to state was a good experience for these guys, and they’ll both be back with us next season.”
For Nielsen, the year provided valuable lessons beyond the mat.
“We had a good season and, in my first year as a coach, I learned a lot,” he said. “We only lose one senior, and we’ll have four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, so we’ll have a 12-man roster. Hopefully, we’ll have some wrestlers coming up from the middle school.”
The Dragons will take a brief break this spring before returning to work this summer with renewed focus.
“We’re going to come back this summer and we’re going to train,” Nielsen said. “We’re going to be on the mats, and we’re going to spend a lot of time in the weight room.”
Deameion Leavell is joined by his parents, Sasha and Damien Leavell, to celebrate signing to continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. - Dwane Wilder
Anderson County High School football standout and state champion wrestler Deameion Leavell will continue his academic and athletic career at the next level.
Leavell made it official recently, signing his National Letter of Intent during a ceremony at ACHS to play football at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He plans to major in sports medicine and said he expects to begin work in the school’s pre-med program.
The Mocs extended an offer to Leavell over the summer. He recently capped his high school wrestling career by winning the TSSAA Class A state wrestling championship in the 175-pound weight class at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.
“I really liked the coaching staff there for the way that they stuck with me throughout and in the beginning of the season,” Leavell said.
Charles Humphrey is joined by family to celebrate the signing of his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. - Dwane Wilder
As he was growing up, Anderson County High School football standout Charles Humphrey dreamed of playing in Louisiana.
That dream is about to become reality for the Mavericks’ offensive lineman. Humphrey recently signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his career at Southern University in Baton Rouge.
“Since I was really young, I always dreamed of playing football in Louisiana,” Humphrey said. “My dream school was LSU.”
While Southern may not be LSU, the Jaguars boast a new coaching staff led by head coach Marshall Faulk, an NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion.
“The biggest thing that appealed to me about Southern was the coaching staff,” Humphrey said. “I play on the offensive line and the offensive line coach, Donald Penn, has 14 years in the league, and I feel like he can teach me a lot of things.
Oak Ridge High School’s boys basketball team posted mixed results as it opened postseason play in the District 4-4A Tournament at McMinn County High School.
The third-seeded Wildcats tipped off the tournament with a 66-54 victory over sixth-seeded host McMinn County on Wednesday, Feb. 18, securing a berth in the Region 2-4A Tournament.
Oak Ridge showcased balance in the opening-round win, placing five players in double figures.
Charlie Taubenheim and Justice West shared team-high honors with 14 points each. Ethan James added 13, while Eli Peters scored 11 and Luis Soria chipped in 10 as the Wildcats controlled the tempo down the stretch.
The Wildcats’ run was halted in the semifinals Friday night as they dropped a 65-62 decision to Farragut in a tightly contested matchup.
Oak Ridge was scheduled to face Hardin Valley Academy on Tuesday in the district’s third-place game. Results were not available at press time.
The Wildcats will travel to either Knox Central or Knoxville West for a Region 2-4A quarterfinal elimination game. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Clinton High School’s girls flag football team is set to kick off its inaugural season this spring.
The Lady Dragons will open March 3 when they host Carter at Dragon Stadium. They’ll follow with another home game March 6 against Rhea County.
Before the regular season begins, Clinton will compete in a preseason tournament Saturday in Cleveland, giving the Lady Dragons an early tuneup before their historic opener.
Anderson County will begin its second season as girls flag football enters a new era under the TSSAA. The organization officially moved the sport to the spring for its inaugural sanctioned season. Full state championship status started with the 2025-26 school year after the Legislative Council approved the change in June 2025 following the sport’s emerging status.
The Lady Mavericks fielded their first team during the 2024 fall season in the Knox County Flag Football League and now compete in the spring format.
Anderson County opens its 2026 campaign at home March 2 against Farragut. The Lady Mavericks will remain at home to host South-Doyle on March 10, closing out a season-opening two-game homestand as they look to build on the foundation established during their debut season.
