Clinton High School senior Donovan “Donnie” Humphrey recently won the 2025 National Junior and Youth Novice Championship (ages 17-18, Novice) at the Golden Gloves tournament in East Ridge.
For the past three seasons, Donnie Humphrey played football for Clinton High School.
But football wasn’t his true athletic passion.
“I played football during my freshman, sophomore and junior years at Clinton,” said Humphrey, who is set to graduate in December. “When I was younger, my dad was always teaching me things, and I always wanted to box. But I could never get to the gym — and when I finally had the chance, we moved.”
Now, Humphrey commutes 35 minutes to Knoxville to train at the Ace Miller Golden Gloves Arena.
His instructor is Judge Hill, a legendary trainer who once served as a corner man for former heavyweight champion Big John Tate, a Knoxville native.
“Clinton isn’t exactly known for boxing,” Humphrey said. “Usually, if somebody makes it, it’s in football, basketball or wrestling.”
It was during his junior year that Humphrey decided to give boxing a real shot.
Returning senior Josie Moody currently has offers to continue her student-athlete career at Carson Newman University and Tusculum College. Moody has been a playmaker for the Lady Dragons since her freshman year.
As Lorri Johnson prepares for her fifth season as Clinton High School’s head volleyball coach, she makes no secret of her lofty expectations.
And why not?
The Lady Dragons return a wealth of talent from a 2024 team that went 34-11 and claimed a second- consecutive District 3-AAA title by going undefeated in regular-season play and sweeping the district tournament.
Clinton enters the new season as the two-time defending district champion, having also swept through its league schedule in 2023. But the Lady Dragons have yet to advance past the Region 2-AAA tournament semifinals.
Johnson and her squad are ready to take that next step.
“My expectations are always high,” Johnson said. “We’re the two-time defending district champs, and we want to get through the region tournament. I always have expectations to make a deep postseason run, and this year, it’s our district’s turn to host the region. I’ve scheduled some of our region opponents, and I like playing in the highest classification.”
Challenging schedules are nothing new for Clinton. Since Johnson arrived, the Lady Dragons have routinely played some of the top teams in the Southeast.
CHS is one of Class AAA’s smallest schools, but Johnson embraces the challenge of playing against much larger opponents.
As the Anderson County High School golf teams prepare for the 2025 season, they’ll do so under the direction of a new coach.
But Dallas Cole, the Mavericks’ new leader, is no stranger to the county’s scholastic golf scene. He spent the last three years as head coach at Norris Middle School.
“I’ve been blessed to be here,” Cole said. “And I’ve loved every minute of it.”
While the coach may be new to the high school ranks, both the boys and girls teams feature experienced and battle-tested players.
The Mavericks will open their 2025 campaign at the 5 Star Preps Masters on July 30-31 at Three Ridges Golf Club in Knoxville. The prestigious two-day event features top programs and golfers from across East Tennessee.
Senior middle blocker Christian McGinnis is a top returner for the Lady Wildcats. - ORHS Sports Media
When Oak Ridge High School opens the 2025 volleyball season, a new face will lead the Lady Wildcats from the sideline — and the program will face a tougher district slate.
Oak Ridge alum and Anderson County High School graduate Meghan Ellis has been named head coach.
Ellis, who played volleyball for Marcia Wade and current Lady Mavericks Coach Jayme Smith, also served as an assistant volleyball and basketball coach at Clinton High School under Lorri Johnson and Alicia Daugherty.
She takes over a program rich in tradition but still searching for a breakthrough postseason run.
“Oak Ridge has never made it past the region tournament,” Ellis said.
The Lady Wildcats will now compete in a revamped District 3-AAA, which welcomes Anderson County and Gibbs — two teams that reached the Class AA state tournament in Murfreesboro in 2024.
