Leavell sparks Anderson County past Carter in 58-28 region win
by Ken Lay
Anderson County’s Zach Happney (11) hauls in a touchdown pass during Friday night’s game at Carter. Happney had two first-half scoring receptions as the Mavericks rolled to a 58-28 victory. - Tony Cox
Another Region 2-4A matchup brought another league victory for Anderson County High School.
The Mavericks, playing without freshman starting quarterback JD Gillam, rolled to a 58-28 win over Carter on Friday night in Strawberry Plains.
Deameion Leavell stepped in at quarterback again and posted a stellar performance for the Mavericks (3-1 overall, 3-0 in the region).
Leavell, who previously played at Bearden and Clinton after relocating from Kentucky, emerged as a double threat for Anderson County as he completed 13-of-15 passing attempts and racked up 236 yards and threw five touchdown passes. On the ground, he rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Anderson County’s Ava Moody surges to the front of the pack at the start of the Norris Dam Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20. Moody pulled away over the 5,000-meter course and broke the tape in 18 minutes, 3.58 seconds for the individual title. Her first-place finish helped pace the Lady Mavericks to fourth overall with a team score of 143 and an average time of 21:12. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School made the most of its home course Saturday at the Norris Dam Invitational, with both the Lady Mavericks and Mavericks turning in strong showings.
Senior Ava Moody claimed the girls’ overall title, winning in 18 minutes, 3.58 seconds.
“Ava ran well. We were hoping to get her under 18, but she was just a hair above that,” ACHS coach Mollie Fox said. “We had some success, especially with the girls.”
Sophomore Jordan Walker finished 16th (20:11.95), while classmate Rebekah Berg placed 21st (20:39.41). Sydney Day was 45th (22:19.17) and Emma Owens came in 83rd (24:45.68).
For the Maverick boys, JJ Cutler continued to lead the way with a 16th-place effort (16:40.85). Cameron Hardy took 36th (17:31.89), Avian Laster finished 57th (18:15.98), Franklin Downs was 88th (19:06.74) and Toby Day crossed in 102nd (18:42.43).
Clinton’s Ryker Armes (20) looks for running room against Central’s Nick Chittum (32) during Friday night’s weather-delayed matchup in Knoxville. - Dwane Wilder
The Central Bobcats hurt Clinton both on the ground and through the air Friday in a 51-21 victory over the visiting Dragons in a Region 2-5A game at Dan Y. Boring Stadium.
Multiple lightning delays pushed the kickoff back 69 minutes, then the contest itself lasted more than 3 hours and finished around 11:15 p.m.
Clinton quarterback Jaylon Benjamin went 34-for-48 passing for 374 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice. Receiver Bryson Maddox, who was down with an injury for several minutes in the first half, returned to the game and finished with nine catches for 151 yards and a TD and recorded a sack on defense.
Will Young reeled in seven catches for 146 yards and a score for the Dragons (0-4, 0-3). Austyn Phillips caught nine passes for 78 yards, and Cameron Anderson added six receptions plus a rushing TD.
Central (4-1, 3-0) maintained its tie for the region lead with Powell as Bobcat quarterback Kaden Long went 9-for-16 passing for 244 yards and four TDs and rushed 10 times for 132 yards and three scores. Receiver Javaston Badgett caught four passes for 184 yards and three TDs.
Clinton’s Hannah Harvey locks in on a dig attempt during the Lady Dragons’ matchup against Anderson County. - Ellie Hatmaker
As the 2025 high school volleyball regular season winds down, Clinton High School is sharpening its edge for what it hopes will be another deep postseason run.
The two-time defending District 3-AAA champion Lady Dragons opened this week with a hard-fought nonleague victory, outlasting the Knoxville Trailblazers in five sets Monday night in Knoxville.
Clinton (18-10, 6-3) prevailed 18-25, 25-14, 17-25, 25-13, 15-10 against the Trailblazers, a strong home-school program gearing up for its national tournament.
“The Trailblazers are a home-school team and they’re really good,” Clinton coach Lorri Johnson said. “They’re preparing for their national tournament. There are several home-school teams in Knoxville, but the Trailblazers are probably the best.”
Oak Ridge defenders Zayden Williams (16) and Blake Woody (40) bring down Cleveland quarterback Kason McGowan during the Wildcats’ 35-7 region victory Friday night. - Brennan Gleason | ORHS Sports Media
In its first-ever Region 2-6A game, the Oak Ridge High School football team made a statement.
The Wildcats stayed perfect on the year and gave their alumni a homecoming win by dismantling Cleveland, 35-7, Friday night at Blankenship Field.
Oak Ridge (5-0, 1-0) overcame a sluggish start before quarterback Blaine Stansberry found wideout Will Pressley for a 43-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. Eli Pearson’s extra point made it 7-0 with 3 minutes, 6 seconds left in the frame.
The Wildcats blew the game open in the second quarter with three more scores through the air. Stansberry connected with Malik Howard from 24 yards on the first play of the period, then hit Damillyan Porter for a 23-yard strike midway through the quarter. Before halftime, Stansberry went back to Pressley on a 20-yard toss to give Oak Ridge a 28-0 advantage at the break.
Ali Rickard, Shelby Yassu, and Carla Zamora get emotional as they celebrate Senior Night. - Kirah Colston | ORHS Sports Media
It was another week of mixed results for the Oak Ridge High School volleyball team.
The Lady Wildcats closed the week Thursday night with a District 3-AAA sweep of Knoxville Halls, defeating the Lady Devils 25-10, 28-26, 25-5.
Oak Ridge also picked up a non-district win Wednesday, Sept. 17, topping Knoxville West in four sets after opening the week with a straight-sets loss at Powell (25-12, 25-22, 25-18).
First-year head coach Meghan Ellis said she hopes her squad can find consistency as the 2025 regular season winds down.
“We need to be more consistent,” Ellis said. “We’ve had problems with our consistency, but I think our girls are starting to get it together. I think we’ll be where we want to be at the right time when the district tournament starts.
“The game against Powell wasn’t a good game for us. We lost in three over there and it was a quick match. All three of our matches last week were quick, even the game against West that we won in four sets.”
Hayven Laurendine takes her shot into the goal in the game Monday night against Campbell County. - Kyla Carter | ORHS Sports Media
After seeing her squad notch two victories and battle Hardin Valley Academy to a scoreless draw last week, Oak Ridge High School girls soccer coach Trenna Underwood was pleased.
And with good reason: the Lady Wildcats recorded three consecutive clean sheets and outscored their opponents 12-0 in that span.
Oak Ridge closed out the week with a 0-0 draw against the Lady Hawks.
“Hardin Valley is a good team, and it was a back-and-forth battle,” Underwood said. “It was a dogfight. I was really happy with the week, and I’ll take that tie. Anytime you get a shutout, that’s good.”
The Lady Wildcats opened District 3-AAA play Monday, Sept. 15, with a 9-0 victory over Campbell County.
Jefferson Middle School’s football team is playoff-bound as the calendar turns to October.
The Eagles (5-2 overall, 4-2 in the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference) all but locked up the No. 3 seed with a 28-6 victory over Clinton on Thursday night. That likely sets up a first-round trip to face Norris.
But Jefferson still has one more order of business before the postseason. The Eagles will close the regular season against crosstown rival Robertsville on Thursday at Blankenship Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Coach Sean Jesse said his team can’t afford to look past the Rams, who have yet to win this year but are the defending conference champions.
Anderson County Lady Mavericks soccer celebrated senior night on Monday night. This year’s seniors are (from left): Jocelyn Amos, Olivia Madron, Millie Swisher, Megan Shock, Emily Mosier and Bralee Hall. - Tony Cox
Anderson County High School’s girls soccer team split a pair of matches last week but secured the right to host in the upcoming District 4-AA tournament.
The Lady Mavericks clinched a home match with a 1-0 victory over Gibbs on Thursday night. Roxana Aguilar scored the lone goal.
“We won the game 1-0, but I thought it should’ve been 3-0,” Anderson County coach Chris Curtin said. “We controlled the game but just couldn’t score. We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
Earlier in the week, Anderson County dropped a 3-0 decision to Oak Ridge at home.
The struggles continued for Robertsville Middle School last week as the Rams remain winless in 2025.
But there’s still one more chance to turn things around, and a victory Thursday night would erase much of the frustration from a difficult season.
Robertsville (0-6 overall, 0-6 in the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference) will face crosstown rival Jefferson (5-2, 4-2) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Blankenship Field.
The Rams are coming off a 30-6 loss to Lenoir City, but head coach Tyler Carr said he’s eager for the rivalry showdown against the Eagles.
“Our kids are still fighting right now,” Carr said. “We’re going to go out there on Blankenship Field at 6:30 and we’re going to play hard.
“I’ve told the kids that if they play hard, I can’t guarantee them a win. But if they play hard, I can guarantee them an opportunity. And they have an opportunity.”
Against Lenoir City, Robertsville’s lone touchdown came on a scoring pass from quarterback Caleb Monroe to receiver Amari Porter.
A scheduling quirk in the high school golf postseason has both Anderson County and Clinton enjoying a short break before their next big test.
After competing in their district championships Sept. 15 at Centennial Golf Club — the home course for both programs — the teams are idle this week before returning to action Monday at the Region 2-A Championships at Springbrook Golf and Country Club in Athens.
Anderson County’s boys captured the district team title with a score of 346, while Clinton was runner-up at 355. Both squads advanced to region play.
Clinton junior Grant Hannah earned low medalist honors with a 75.
“I’m really proud of all my guys,” Dragons coach Matt Cain said. “Grant’s our leader, and he works hard. Our No. 3, 4 and 5 guys all played really well.”
The Mavericks were paced by Luke Baldwin, who finished second overall with an 80. Maddox Tackett followed with an 83. Hoyt Chadwell carded a 91, Max Stansfill shot 92 and Peyton Warwick closed with a 97.
“I’m really proud of my teams,” said first-year Anderson County coach Dallas Cole, who once starred for Cain at Clinton. “Our boys won and our girls finished second. That shows all the hard work they’ve been putting in is paying off.”
Clinton’s Isaiah Williams posted an 87, while J.P. Robbins had an 86. Finn Pridemore finished with a 95, and Aden Golden carded 105.
In the girls’ tournament, Anderson County placed second with a team total of 173. Sydney May shot 80, and Molly Jackson added a 93.
Clinton advanced two individual qualifiers. Sahara Lowe finished with 106 and Kinley Crowley shot 116.
“I was glad to see Sahara and Kinley make it to regionals,” Cain said.
Anderson County’s Lady Mavericks volleyball team finished in second place at the Thoroughbred Smash Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. Pictured are (from left): Elle Long, Julia Owens, Lillian McCormick, Kloe Wilkerson, Dakota Berlin, Emerson Blackburn, Bethany Lowe, Emerie Bollock, MakenzieWilkerson and Delaney Long.
