Brentwood Academy senior Ryan Johnson signs a letter of intent to play football at Tennessee.

Brentwood Academy senior Ryan Johnson, No. 4 on The Tennessean’s 2015 Dandy Dozen, signed a letter of intent to play football at Tennessee on Wednesday.

Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 288-pound four-star offensive tackle, helped lead the way up front for an offense that average a Division II-AA-leading 437.1 yards and 44.3 points per game en route to the school’s first state title since 2006.

Johnson, a Tennessean All-Midstate first-team selection, verbally committed to Tennessee in July 2014, choosing the Volunteers over scholarship offers from several Division I programs, including Alabama, Clemson, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

RYAN JOHNSON
High school: Brentwood Academy
Position: Offensive tackle
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 285
247Sports Composite: 4 stars
Signed with: Tennessee

Brentwood Academy offensive lineman Ryan Johnson (70) signed to play for the University of Tennessee Wednesday.

DeVarius Cortner

East Nashville coach Brian Waite (right) congratulates senior DeVarius Cortner prior to him signing to play football at Western Carolina.

East Nashville Magnet School’s DeVarius Cortner signed a letter of intent to play college football at Western Carolina University Wednesday.

Cortner, who was recruited as a defensive back, recorded 40 tackles, four interceptions and five pass break-ups during his senior season at East Nashville. He was also the team’s starting quarterback.

“I’m very excited and relieved, and now I finally just get to enjoy it and get ready for college,” Cortner said.

“It felt very welcoming at (Western Carolina) and I love the people there.”

RELATED: Family bonds help Cortner in life, football

Spring Hill senior Tylin Oden, No. 8 on The Tennessean’s 2015 Dandy Dozen, signed a letter of intent to play football at Rutgers on Wednesday.

Oden, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound three-star quarterback, concluded his high school career with more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 43 total touchdowns. He amassed 2,339 yards and 25 total touchdowns a season ago.

Oden, who held more than 10 Division I scholarship offers, originally committed to Louisville last spring before withdrawing his pledge with the Cardinals earlier this month. He verbally committed to Rutgers on Jan. 27.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

TYLIN ODEN
High school: Spring Hill
Position: Quarterback
Ht: 6-15 Wt: 180
247Sports Composite: 3 stars
Signed with: Rutgers

Tylin Oden

Ravenwood senior Crews Holt signed a letter of intent to play football at MTSU on Wednesday.

Holt, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound kicker, connected on 17-of-22 field goal attempts a season ago, including a school-record 55-yarder in the Raptors’ semifinal win over Whitehaven, while also hitting 65 of 66 extra-point attempts.

Holt, the 2016 Mr. Football Kicker of the Year, chose MTSU over scholarship offers from Murray State, Army, Fairmount State and Wayne State.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

CREWS HOLT
High school: Ravenwood
Ht: 5-9 Wt: 150
247Sports Composite: NR
Signed with: MTSU
2015 statistics: 17-of-22 FGs (Long 55), 65-of-66 XPs

Ravenwood’s Grayson Linde (43) holds the ball for Crews Holt (97) while he kicked a 3 point in the first quarter of the Class 6A Championship Game on Saturday, Dec 5, in Cookeville, Tenn.

Oakland senior Ty Nix signed a letter of intent to play football at Middle Tennessee State University on Wednesday.

Nix, a 6-foot, 270-pound two-star defensive tackle, registered 70 tackles (21.5 for negative yardage), five sacks and an interception a season ago, helping lead the Patriots to a 12-2 record and a second straight Class 6A semifinal appearance.

Nix, a Tennessean All-Midstate first-teamer and the Region 2-6A defensive MVP, committed to MTSU on Dec. 16, choosing the Blue Raiders over scholarship offers Appalachian State, Furman, Southern Illinois and UT Martin.

Teammate Hudson Smith, an offensive lineman, signed to play at Tennessee Tech while a pair of teammates – Benji Arnette and Mark Pruitt – will be going to Lindsey Wilson College.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

TY NIX
High school: Oakland
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 270
247Sports Composite: 2 stars
Signed with: MTSU
2015 statistics: 70 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and 1 interception.

Oakland’s JaCoby Stevens (7), runs the ball in for a touchdown as teammate Hudson Smith (77) runs beside him to clear his way while Blackman’s Blake Taylor (10) tries to catch up, during the game against Blackman at Oakland, on Friday.

Independence senior Kylan Stribling signed a letter of intent to play football at Middle Tennessee State on Wednesday.

Stribling, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound three-star defensive back, posted 67 tackles, 10 pass breakups and an interception a season ago, helping lead the Eagles to a perfect 15-0 record and their first state title in program history.

Stribling, a Tennessean All-Midstate second-teamer, committed to MTSU on last July, choosing the Blue Raiders over scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I programs, including Austin Peay, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Furman and UT Martin.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

KYLAN STRIBLING
High school: Independence
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 180
247Sports Composite: 3 stars
Signed with: MTSU
2015 statistics: 67 tackles, 10 pass breakups, 1 interception

Kylan Stribling

Overton senior Mareio McGraw, who played for Nashville Christian during the fall, signed a letter of intent to play football at Murray State on Wednesday.

McGraw, a 6-foot, 175-pound three-star athlete, racked up 1,028 yards rushing, 334 yards receiving, 344 punt return yards and 23 total touchdowns to help lead the Eagles to a 14-1 record and their first state champion in program history. He also tallied 17 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception defensively.

McGraw held scholarship offers from a handful of Division I programs, according to 247Sports, including Tennessee, Arkansas State, Mercer and Louisville.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

MAREIO MCGRAW
High school: Overton/Nashville Christian
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 175
247Sports Composite: 3 stars
Signed with: Murray State
2015 statistics: 1,706 all-purpose yards, 23 total TDs

Overton’s Mareio McGraw, who played for Nashville Christian School in the fall, signed with Murray State.

ASHLAND CITY The White House High School girls basketball team fell behind 14-0 and never recovered in a 70-38 loss to Cheatham County at Ralph Spangler Gymnasium.

White House High sophomore guard McKenzie Vaughn elevates for a second-quarter shot as Cheatham County’s Emmy Nelson challenges.

The Lady Devils committed nine turnovers over the first four minutes, with four of those directly leading to transition baskets.

White House (3-15 overall, 0-9 in District 9-AA) committed 12 turnovers in the first quarter and 17 in the first half.

The Lady Cubs (13-7, 6-2) led 27-6 by the end of the first quarter and extended it to 35-6 on Abbi Douglas’ transition layin with 4:26 remaining in the first half.

Lady Devil junior forward Bailey Hutchison converted a layin in the final seconds of the half, creating a 49-18 score.

White House High junior forward Hailee Ellis releases a second-quarter shot over Cheatham County center Tiffany Smith. Ellis scored a team-high nine points in the Lady Devils’ 70-38 loss on Wednesday evening.

White House didn’t get any closer than 29 points in the second half.

The 35-point, mercy rule – resulting in a continuously-running clock – went into effect when Cheatham County center Tiffany Smith converted a layin midway through the third quarter.

Lady Devil junior forward Hailee Ellis scored seven of her nine points in the second half, and senior teammate Lauren Felts produced seven points.

White House High senior guard Lauren Felts dribbles to the basket as Cheatham County’s Emmy Nelson defends. Felts scored seven points.

Douglas led four Lady Cubs who scored in double figures with a game-high 15 points, and teammate Rachel Allen made all four of the team’s 3-pointers, leading to her 14 points.

The Lady Cubs won their fourth consecutive game and swept the season series, having claimed a 62-32 win at White House on Dec. 18.

The Lady Devils lost their sixth consecutive game.

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

WHITE HOUSE (38) – Hailee Ellis 9, Lauren Felts 7, Stephanie Palmer 6, Bailey Hutchison 5, Alyssa Armstrong 4, Bryanna Allen 3, Courtney Meadows 2, Cassidy Underwood 2.

CHEATHAM COUNTY (70) – Abbi Douglas 15, Rachel Allen 14, Josie Bumpus 10, Emmy Nelson 10, Eryn Nelson 9, Tiffany Smith 8, Macy Douglas 2, Rylee Whittaker 2.

Half: 49-18, Cheatham County. Three-point goals: White House 2 (Allen 1, Felts 1), Cheatham County 4 (Allen 4). Records: White House 3-15 overall, 0-9 in District 9-AA; Cheatham County 13-7, 6-2.

ASHLAND CITY The White House High boys basketball team had an opportunity to pull into a tie for first place in District 9-AA on Wednesday evening.

However, the Blue Devils couldn’t overcome a slow start, resulting in an 82-76 loss to Cheatham County at Ralph Spangler Gymnasium.

White House High junior center Zach Baldwin elevates to shoot a second-quarter shot over Cheatham County senior Gage Lipscomb. Baldwin scored two points.

“We weren’t scoring (early on),” White House head coach Gary Smith said. “We played catch up the first half. We caught them. Then, we played catch up in the second half, and we didn’t quite catch them. They ran out on us in both halves.

“That game was decided in the first three or four minutes of the first quarter and first two or three minutes of the third quarter … but our guys fought.”

The Blue Devils suffered a 68-50 loss to the visiting Cubs on Dec. 18. Cheatham County senior forward Austin Douglas scored 40 points in the earlier contest, prompting White House to play a triangle-and-two defense at times in an attempt to limit Douglas’ production.

White House High senior point guard Luke Hopkins extends for a reverse layin in front of Cheatham County senior Gage Lipscomb. Hopkins scored eight points.

Douglas sat out the majority of the second quarter on Wednesday after picking up his second foul, but he scored 13 of his team-high 26 points over the final 10 minutes.

“Douglas can do some stuff other players in the league can’t do,” Smith said. “I didn’t think we did a terrible job on him. He made some unbelievable plays and shots. He has a knack for scoring.”

The Cubs scored the game’s first six points on layins and then reeled off the final seven points of the opening period, with senior forward Gage Lipscomb converting a layin at the first-quarter buzzer for a 24-11 lead.

The margin was still at 12 points until Malik Morgan’s three-point play, Logan Trimmer’s 3-pointer and Luke Hopkins’ free throws pulled the Blue Devils to within four points (32-28) at halftime.

However, Cheatham County junior Nate Saunders, junior Matthew Mayberry and senior Nate Goode made three consecutive 3-pointers over the first minute of the second half, quickly extending the lead to 13 points.

“They hit three threes, and we had a turnover,” Smith said. “All of a sudden, we go from four to 13 (points behind). All that ground we gained, we threw it away.

“Two of those players (who made 3-pointers during that stretch) were players we weren’t keying on.”

Saunders sank another 3-pointer at the 5:13 mark of the third period, giving the Cubs their biggest lead (50-34).

White House freshman guard Cole Pond made back-to-back 3-pointers later in the period to pull his squad to within eight points, and classmate Jared Ward sank another 3-pointer with 6:48 remaining to create a three-point margin.

White House High freshman guard Cole Pond elevates for a second-quarter shot over the outstretched arm of Cheatham County junior Matthew Mayberry. Pond scored all eight of his points in the second half.

The Blue Devils actually misfired on a 3-pointer that would have tied the contest, but Cheatham County (16-4 overall, 7-1 in District 9-AA) responded by scoring nine of the next 11 points, with Douglas producing six of those.

White House (11-10, 6-3) didn’t get any closer than eight points until junior guard Bradley Cole dunked in the final seconds.

Cole poured in 27 of his career-high 31 points in the second half, and Morgan scored 18 points.

White House High junior guard Bradley Cole elevates for a second-quarter layin over the outstretched arm of Cheatham County junior Matthew Mayberry. Cole scored 27 of his career-high 31 points in the second half of the Blue Devils’ 82-76 loss on Wednesday evening.

Goode, Mayberry and Saunders all scored 13 points for the Cubs.

Cheatham County won its sixth consecutive game and is attempting to win its fourth consecutive district title.

“They have the swagger,” Smith said. “This is my fourth year at White House, and they’ve won it the first three years. They’ve earned the right to be like that. It’s a credit to Coach (Josh) Stuart and their players. They believe every night they’re going to win. Some of us are still trying to instill that. It’s a hard job. Success breeds success.”

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

WHITE HOUSE (76) – Bradley Cole 31, Malik Morgan 18, Luke Hopkins 8, Cole Pond 8, Logan Trimmer 6, Jared Ward 3, Zach Baldwin 2.

CHEATHAM COUNTY (82) – Austin Douglas 26, Nate Goode 13, Matthew Mayberry 13, Nate Saunders 13, Gage Lipscomb 8, Lucas Harlan 7, Sterlin Jenkins 2.

Half: 32-28, Cheatham County. Three-point goals: White House 7 (Pond 2, Trimmer 2, Cole 1, Morgan 1, Ward 1), Cheatham County 7 (Saunders 3, Goode 2, Harlan 1, Mayberry 1). Records: White House 11-10 overall, 6-3 in District 9-AA; Cheatham County 16-4, 7-1.

Ben Stacey (top) and his Father Ryan teammates will be vying for a Division II state title at the TSSAA State Duals Friday and Saturday.

Wilson Central will be looking to take its season one step further this year as the TSSAA state dual wrestling championships kick off Friday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.

The Wildcats have finished Class AAA runner-up each of the past three years, coming up just short against state-power Cleveland all three times.

Joining Wilson Central in its pursuit of a team state title are 10 other Midstate teams, six of which will be wrestling alongside the Wildcats in Class AAA.

Beech —  last year’s fourth-place finisher — and Siegel are also returning teams from last year in AAA, while Independence, Blackman, Stone Memorial and Centennial hope to leave their mark in duals competition after failing to reach the tournament a year ago.

Father Ryan will also be looking for redemption after a second-place finish in Division II last year, falling 32-30 to Baylor in the finals.

The Irish will open up against Franklin Road Academy, which made the tournament after missing last year, and Montgomery Bell Academy will also be looking to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish in DII action.

Page and Greenbrier will carry the weight of the Midstate in the Class A/AA bracket. The two wrestle each other in the opening round Friday at 5 p.m.

Gates open at 12:30 p.m. on Friday with weigh-ins for all divisions starting at 1:30 p.m.

Class AAA will kick off the competition with the round of 16 starting at 3 p.m. and Division II and  Class A/AA divisions will get under way starting at 5 p.m.

At 7 p.m. Class AAA will have championship quarterfinals while Class A/AA and Division II will have championship semifinals.

Class AAA semifinals are at 1 p.m. Saturday. Championships for all three divisions will begin Saturday at 7 p.m.

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.

Longtime Trousdale County football coach Clint Satterfield will be inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame in April.

Clint Satterfield enjoyed immense success as football coach at Trousdale County in the 1990s-2000s, winning five state championships before his retirement from coaching in 2007.

The successful 24-year coaching tenure, all with the Yellow Jackets, has earned Satterfield (who owns a 238-61 record) a spot with his late father, Jim, in the TSSAA Hall of Fame.

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Thursday announced the 2016 class, which will be inducted at a ceremony on April 9 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro.

Midstaters Allen Richardson (contributor, Murfreesboro), Lee Clayborne (administrator, Columbia) and Henry Phillips (official, Lawrenceburg) will also be among the nine new inductees.

When asked about the secret to his success, Clint Satterfield pointed to ideals he learned from his father, but also helped her garnered from others.

“It’s like the story about the turtle on the fence,” said Satterfield, who won state titles at Trousdale County in 1990, 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2005. “He didn’t get up there on his own. Someone put him there.

“It was all about our players and their parents. They made unbelievable commitment, sacrifice and hard work. That made all the difference in the world. It was nothing special, just a good blue-collar work ethic.”

For Satterfield, joining his father, a legendary coach in Trousdale County for which the middle school is named, was a huge honor.

“Most players will tell you that he taught us that football is a lot like life,” said Satterfield, who is currently Director of Schools in Trousdale County. “You learn how to work through difficult times and adversity and to work together. He said he would teach you things about life you couldn’t learn in the algebra classroom. But, he was an excellent teacher as well.”

Richardson has spent the past 29 years assisting the TSSAA with its golf tournament series as a rules official.

“It’s a big surprise,” Richardson said. “It’s humbling as well. There is probably so many other people out there more deserving than me.”

Phillips has been a registered official with TSSAA since 1967 in volleyball, basketball, softball and baseball. He has been an assigning officer in volleyball since 1994 and an assigning officer in baseball and softball since 2008.

Clayborne spent his entire career at Columbia Central, coaching every sport there but baseball, softball and golf. He took over as athletic director in 1982, a position he held for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2010.

Other TSSAA Hall of Fame inductees:

B. O. (Bo) Booth: Educator and administrator for 39 years in West Tennessee and served 28 of those years as principal and athletic director at Gibson County High School after being at Dyer High School for a short time. The Gibson County High School gymnasium is named in his honor. He retired in 2007.

Ed Foster: Administrator and coach from East Tennessee who served as a principal for nearly 25 years at East Ridge High School and Ooltewah High School. He served on the TSSAA Legislative Council from 1995-2009, and was president for five years and vice president for six. He has served as the executive director of the Tennessee Association of Secondary School Principals since 2009.

Ken Netherland: Netherland coached football in West Tennessee for nearly 40 years with stints at Hillcrest, Germantown, St. George’s and Lausanne high schools. He won two TSSAA state championships, one with Germantown in 1983 and one with St. George’s in 2007. He is the second-winningest coach in TSSAA history with 368 wins and ranks 31st nationally for all-time coaching victories.

Jill Prudden: Prudden coached girls basketball coach at Oak Ridge High School for 31 seasons. Her 908 wins rank her third in the state all time. Her teams won three TSSAA state championships (1988, 1994, 1997). Oak Ridge made 21 state tournament appearances under Prudden. She retired from coaching in 2010 and is teaching at Robertsville Middle School.

Joel Pierce: Pierce has been a registered TSSAA official for 48 years in baseball, football, basketball and softball. He has served as an assigning officer in Northeast Tennessee in those same sports since 1967 and is in that role currently. He worked the TSSAA state baseball tournament in 1991 and the TSSAA state football championships in 1992.

Gannett Tennessee’s Tom Kreager contributed to this report.

Wilson Central’s Alex Pergande gets ahold of Tennessee High School’s Trent Nelson during the 113-pound match of their Class AAA duals quarterfinals.

FRANKLIN — Two teams that have consistently finished runner-up recently at the TSSAA State Wrestling Duals are still alive with hopes of bettering their results.

Father Ryan and Wilson Central are the only two Midstate teams still in the championship portion of the duals, held at the Williamson County Agriculture Center.

Father Ryan will face Baylor in the Division II finals at 7 p.m. Saturday, while Wilson Central will take on Soddy-Daisy in the Class AAA semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday. Bradley County and Science Hill will face off in the other AAA semifinal.

The finals are familiar territory for both teams. Father Ryan, which has won seven state duals titles, has lost in the championship match four years in a row, while Wilson Central has fallen to Cleveland in the last three AAA finals.

“We haven’t won this tournament in six years, and we’ve been in the finals about every year,” said Father Ryan coach Pat Simpson. “We’re trying to reverse that. It’s going to take our best effort. It’ll be a great match like it always is” when Father Ryan and Baylor face off, he added.

FRA’s Alex Linthicum (top) battles Father’s Ryan’s Daniel Wesley in the 145-pound match of their DII duals quarterfinal.

Wilson Central coach John Kramer’s team is facing a similar obstacle in the path to the finals.

“We’re going to have to wrestle with a lot of heart,” he said.

Beech just missed punching its ticket to the AAA semis when the Buccaneers fell to Science Hill on a tiebreaker. A decision by heavyweight David Dowell and a pin by 106-pounder Brayden Palmer pulled Beech into a 33-33 tie, but the victory went to Science Hill because they had four pins to Beech’s three.

“You’ve just got to forget it,” said Beech coach Jeff Roberts.

The other five Midstate teams in the AAA tournament — Blackman, Centennial, Independence, Siegel and Stone Memorial — all lost in the first round.

Science Hill beat Blackman 39-33, Centennial fell to Gibbs 44-15, Independence fell to Soddy Daisy 41-34, Seigel lost to Arlington 42-30 and Stone Memorial fell to Tennessee High 43-34.

Wilson Central opened the tournament with a 48-25 victory over Knoxville Halls. The Wildcats scored pins by Cullen Belcher (126), Nicholas King (132), Niko Noga (145), Zach Linton (170) and Isaac Hodge (220).

In the quarterfinals, Wilson Central raced to a 12-0 lead after three matches against Tennessee High. The Vikings rallied to take a 15-12 lead, but Wilson Central won the next four matches, beginning with a pin by Noga at 160 pounds, to take a 34-15 lead.

“Our lightweights stepped up and did a good job for us,” said Kramer. “Zach Linton bumped up to 182 and won a major decision. He did a good job.”

“We were worried for a minute because we had everybody bumped up,” added King. “But about 160 I knew we were OK. We want to get back to the finals.”

To do that, the Wildcats will have to beat Soddy-Daisy in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

“Everybody has to wrestle well,” King said.

In the Division II tournament, Father Ryan opened with a 60-21 victory over Franklin Road Academy. The Irish won first eight matches with seven pins and a forfeit to take 48-0 lead and punch their ticket to a semifinal matchup with McCallie.

Again Ryan took a commanding lead early to secure the 38-33 win. “It’s always advance, that’s the bottom line,” Simpson said.

“We’ve lost in the finals every year I’ve been here,” said Trey Chalifoux, Father Ryan’s senior 120-pounder and a defending state champion. “We have to stay focused. We just need to get it done this year.”

Christian Brothers toppled Montgomery Bell Academy 32-21 in the first round.

Defending A-AA state champ Pigeon Forge sent Page to the consolation bracket with a 58-12 victory in the quarterfinals.

In the first round, Page topped Greenbrier 45-30 in the matchup of the only Midstate teams in the A-AA bracket.

Beech’s Heath Uhles (right) battles Cooper Williams of Science Hill in the 120-pound match of their Class AAA duals quarterfinal.

MBA’s Michael Elkin (left) competes against Josh Adams of Christian Brothers in the 126-pound match of their Division II quarterfinal.

HENDERSONVILLE Portland High senior Alyssa Chatmon had a thousand reasons to be happy on Friday evening.

Portland High sophomore point guard Rachel Jennings drives to the basket as Beech senior Deja Smith defends during first-quarter action. Jennings scored seven points.

The Portland High senior surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her career, scoring 11 points in the Lady Panthers’ 39-37 victory at Beech.

Chatmon reached the milestone with a 10-foot jump shot with 1:49 remaining in the first quarter. She learned of her accomplishment from Portland head coach Miranda Cravens in the locker room after the game.

“I had no idea,” Chatmon said. “I literally dropped my water bottle and stared into the distance. I was completely caught off guard.”

Portland High senior Alyssa Chatmon elevates for a first-quarter layin. Chatmon scored her 1,000th career point during Friday evening’s win over Beech.

The Lady Panthers (13-11 overall, 6-6 in District 9-AAA) had to fight off a fourth-quarter rally from Beech as the Lady Bucs (8-17, 5-7) scored the game’s final six points to give themselves an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds. However, senior Deja Smith’s layin wouldn’t fall with two seconds left.

“I’ve been very happy with our last two second-half performances,” Beech interim head coach Troy Carnes said. “We really have done some great things against some quality teams and had chances to win.”

Smith scored a game-high 24 points, making 8 of 11 from the free-throw line.

“I knew that this would end up being a close game,” Portland head coach Miranda Cravens said. “Beech has always been very competitive. I think they played us, defensively, better than I think anyone we’ve played all year.”

Beech High sophomore Savannah Jarratt elevates for a layin during second-quarter action. Jarratt scored five points.

Both Smith and sophomore Reese Taylor made two free throws over the final 90 seconds of the contest, and then, Smith converted a layin with 32.1 seconds remaining to pull the Lady Bucs within a point.

Portland senior guard Erica Keen missed the front end of bonus situation from the foul line, giving the Lady Bucs their final opportunity to complete the comeback.

“I did feel like they played tougher (defense),” Carnes said. “(Portland) hit three (3-pointers), and we could have just folded. We could have been discouraged by that, but we weren’t. I was especially proud of how they fought back tonight.”

Portland suffered losses to Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville by a combined four points in its last two games.

Beech High freshman forward Kendra Mueller dribbles against Portland junior forward Mackenzie Trouten during second-quarter action.

Portland is in a position to finish in fourth place in District 9-AAA. The Lady Panthers host Wilson Central on Tuesday and Lebanon on Friday to close the district portion of their schedule.

“It brings up the morale of the girls to get a win,” Cravens – whose squad also claimed a 60-37 win over the visiting Lady Bucs on Jan. 12 – said. “It’s very beneficial going into tournament time.”

Beech hosts Lebanon on Tuesday and plays at Hendersonville on Friday to close the regular season.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

PORTLAND (39) – Alyssa Chatmon 11, Rachel Jennings 7, Mackenzie Trouten 7, Taylor Cole 5, Cristina Herrera 5, Erica Keen 4.

BEECH (37) – Deja Smith 24, Savannah Jarratt 5, Reese Taylor 5, McCall Decker 3.

Half: 20-10, Portland. Three-point goals: Portland 4 (Chatmon 1, Cole 1, Herrera 1, Jennings 1), Beech 4 (Smith 2, Decker 1, Taylor 1). Records: Portland 13-11 overall, 6-6 in District 9-AAA; Beech 8-17, 5-7.

Portland High freshman guard Austin Hicks prepares to pass during second-quarter action. Hicks scored three points.

HENDERSONVILLE The Beech High boys basketball team saw a different look from visiting Portland during the first half on Friday evening.

Beech High sophomore Nelson Smith drives into the lane as Portland sophomore Bryce Keith defends during third-quarter action. Smith scored seven points.

However, the Buccaneers did enough to combat it, pulling away in the second quarter and cruising to a 48-36 victory.

The Panthers (5-20 overall, 0-12 in District 9-AAA) used senior post player Caelum Utley on the outside against Beech’s 1-3-1 defensive scheme in the first half in order to try and jump-start the Portland offense. Utley scored six points in the first half before returning to his usual position inside in the third quarter.

“With the system of defense that we run, we definitely wanted to keep (Utley) from getting the ball in the middle, because that’s where he liked to operate,” Beech senior Caleb Walton said. “We just really tried to key in on that.”

Walton and classmate Noah Chatman were tasked with defending Utley once he returned to the interior.

“I thought he played well throughout,” Portland head coach Chris Carney said of Utley. “In the first half, we put him in a different position than we usually work him at in a 1-3-1 (defense), and that was up top, trying to make plays for other people. I think he did a good job, but it took away from his scoring. We moved him back inside in the second half.”

Utley scored 13 points in the second half to finish with a game-high total of 19.

Portland High senior forward Caelum Utley drives into the lane during second-quarter action. Utley finished with 19 points.

“I’ll be honest, I like that look on the perimeter based on what I saw in the fourth quarter,” Beech head coach Darrin Joines said. “(Utley’s) a good player. Give him credit, and give that team credit. I think they’re a team that – if you walk in the gym and look at effort – you don’t know who’s record is what. That’s a testament to Coach Carney and those kids.”

Walton led the Buccaneers (15-10, 7-5) with 13 points, while Chatman provided 10. Sophomore guard A.J. Robertson hit two of Beech’s four 3-pointers, scoring six points.

Dawson Simmons had five points for the Panthers, who trailed 25-13 at halftime. Beech led 9-7 after the opening quarter.

The teams played evenly in the second half, with each scoring 25 points over the final two quarters.

“We didn’t get the win that we wanted, obviously, but it was a completely different game than the first time we played them (a 57-29 loss to visiting Beech on Jan. 12),” Carney said. “It was a much more competitive game, and you can tell that we’re improving and getting better. We’re just taking small steps, but we’re moving in the right direction.”

Portland hosts Wilson Central on Tuesday and Lebanon on Friday, while Beech hosts Lebanon on Tuesday and travels to Hendersonville on Friday to close the regular season.

Beech High sophomore guard A.J. Robertson drives into the lane against Portland sophomore Dawson Simmons (left) and senior Eric Kirk during second-quarter action. Robertson scored six points.

“I think it’s all about mental focus,” Walton said. “The team that we have is a strong, aggressive team, and I think if we can stay intact mentally, then we can be prepared for a long run.”

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

PORTLAND (36) – Caelum Utley 19, Dawson Simmons 5, Grant Cook 4, Jay Crutchfield 3, Austin Hicks 3, Eric Kirk 2.

BEECH (48) – Caleb Walton 13, Noah Chatman 10, Ben Buhrow 7, Nelson Smith 7, A.J. Robertson 6, Ty Dean 3, Heath Pentecost 2.

Half: 25-13, Beech. Three-point goals: Portland 2 (Crutchfield 1, Hicks 1), Beech 4 (Robertson 2, Buhrow 1, Dean 1). Records: Portland 5-20 overall, 0-12 in District 9-AAA; Beech 15-10, 7-5.

Hendersonville Christian Academy senior Marian Silva shields the ball away from (L to R) Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore Lauren Buchanen, senior Katie Frisbee and junior Alex Lloyd during fourth-quarter action. Silva scored two points.

HENDERSONVILLE The Hendersonville Christian Academy girls basketball team is finding wins more often … and having more fun doing it too.

The visiting Lady Crusaders collected their 10th victory of the season on Thursday evening, traveling across New Shackle Island Rd. for a 44-19 victory at Merrol Hyde Magnet in the teams’ second meeting of the season.

HCA (10-16) controlled the contest from the opening tip, scoring the game’s first 17 points and taking a 23-2 lead at halftime.

“We try to equate things like a boxing match,” HCA head coach Jack Keller said. “Somebody’s got to come out and throw the first punch. We try and emphasize that. It’s about the way you get off to a good start, and I think the kids did a good job of that.”

Sophomore point guard Lauren Batey led all scorers with 10 points and made two of Hendersonville Christian’s three 3-pointers.

“We’ve grown a lot,” Batey said. “We’ve worked on a lot of fundamentals in practice, and we work together.”

Six different Lady Crusaders scored in the first half.

Merrol Hyde Magnet freshman Grace Riley dribbles toward the basket during third-quarter action. Riley scored three points.

The Lady Hawks did not score a field goal in the first half, settling for two free throws from senior Katie Frisbee.

“We played so well the last two weeks,” Lady Hawk head coach Kelley Graham said. “The first half was probably our worst half that we’ve played in that last two weeks.”

Freshman Grace Riley connected on a 3-pointer to open the second half for the Lady Hawks, but HCA – which claimed a 56-23 victory when the two teams met on Jan. 7 – ran off 12 unanswered points to build a 35-8 lead with 2:02 left in the third quarter.

The Lady Hawks opened the final period with an 11-2 run, with freshman Caroline Riley – who led the Lady Hawks offensively with eight points – connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers during the spurt.

“I feel like in the second half, they came out more aggressive,” Graham said. “They came out more under control.”

Merrol Hyde Magnet outscored HCA by an 11-8 margin in the fourth quarter.

Hendersonville Christian Academy sophomore Desi Munson dribbles past Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore Kendall Frisbee during second-quarter action. Munson scored eight points.

However, by that time, the Lady Crusaders were well in control, and focusing on having fun while doing it.

“It’s a blast,” Batey said. “It’s like a family, inside and out. We always hang out. It’s a small school, so it’s tightly-packed.”

Keller believes that his players have bought into the culture he is trying to create.

“They really love the family atmosphere that we have,” Keller said. “It’s just a natural outpouring of the love that they have for each other. It’s not something I have to ignite. They ignite it themselves.”

Meanwhile, the Lady Hawks are hoping to build for next year as well.

“I feel like from where we were in November, we’ve improved,” Graham said.

>> The Merrol Hyde Magnet girls ended the regular season by suffering a 56-16 loss at Goodpasture on Friday evening.

The Lady Hawks dropped a 48-20 contest to the visiting Lady Cougars on Jan. 15.

On Friday, Merrol Hyde Magnet (0-17 overall, 0-10 in District 8-A) trailed 23-0 after one period of play before outscoring Goodpasture by a 10-8 margin in the second stanza.

Frisbee led the Lady Hawks with 11 points, and Alex Lloyd and Caroline Riley provided three and two points, respectively.

Sophomores Lauren King and Paige Randolph led the Lady Cougars offensively with 19 and 17 points, respectively.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

HENDERSONVILLE CHRISTIAN (44) – Lauren Batey 10, Lindsie Mierop 9, Desi Munson 8, Ali Turc 7, April Wooley 6, Marian Silva 2, Cookie Smith 2.

MERROL HYDE MAGNET (19) – Caroline Riley 8, Katie Frisbee 6, Grace Riley 3, Alex Lloyd 2.

Half: 23-2, HCA. Three-point goals: HCA 3 (Batey 2, Turc 1), Merrol Hyde Magnet 3 (C. Riley 2, G. Riley 1). Records: HCA 10-16, Merrol Hyde Magnet 0-16. 

Merrol Hyde Magnet senior forward Zach Shonting eyes the basket as Hendersonville Christian Academy sophomore Jalen Cole (13) and senior Blake Smith defend during second-quarter action. Shonting scored 10 points.

HENDERSONVILLE Senior night wasn’t just a celebration.

For the Merrol Hyde Magnet boys prep basketball team, it was a challenge … one that the Hawk seniors answered.

Jenord Taylor’s layin with 3.8 seconds left in overtime gave the Hawks the lead as they defeated visiting Hendersonville Christian Academy, 53-49, on Thursday evening.

Taylor drove to the basket from the right side as a lane opened up for the senior point guard.

“It felt great that my coach and our team trusted me to take the shot, even though I made a few mistakes throughout the game,” Taylor said. “It felt good.”

The ensuing possession saw HCA sophomore Joseph Mussnug advance to mid-court before the Hawks fouled him with 1.8 seconds remaining. Crusader head coach John Taylor called timeout, but he did not have one available, costing the Crusaders a technical foul.

Jenord Taylor made both free throws to put the game away.

John Taylor said it wasn’t the first time a technical had been assessed to him for calling too many timeouts, but Thursday’s instance was the first time it happened accidentally.

“It happened once, but it was on purpose,” John Taylor said. “Tonight, I didn’t realize that I didn’t have one more (timeout) left in overtime. I thought I had an extra timeout, and I didn’t.”

Jenord Taylor had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his half-court try narrowly missed at the buzzer. On the previous possession, HCA senior guard Emilio Quemada had a go-ahead basket wiped out due to a charging foul with four seconds left in regulation.

Hendersonville Christian Academy senior Emilio Quemada penetrates along the baseline as Merrol Hyde Magnet senior Zach Shonting defends during first-quarter action. Quemada scored 15 points.

“It’s very unfortunate,” John Taylor said. “I’m very proud of my guys. It was a hard-fought game. They played their hearts out.”

Quemada fouled out with 1:13 left in overtime, after junior Andre Hambrick had already been disqualified after picking up his fifth foul with 1:13 left in regulation.

“Having Emilio and Andre both out really limited us offensively with ball-handling and scoring threats,” John Taylor said. “Not having those guys in to bring stability and experience in those situations really made a big difference.”

Quemada and Mussnug scored 15 points each to lead the Crusaders offensively. Mussnug connected on five of HCA’s eight 3-pointers.

“Mussnug was so clutch tonight,” John Taylor said. “I’ve been challenging other guys to step up and score than just Emilio.”

Jenord Taylor led the Hawks – who had four players score in double figures – with 17 points.

Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore guard Connor McCutcheon dribbles around Hendersonville Christian Academy sophomore Jalen Cole during second-quarter action. McCutcheon scored 12 points.

“(HCA) played a great game,” Jenord Taylor said. “I was coming off of a groin injury, and I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to play. Our fans came out and they were cheering the entire game. There were some times that I couldn’t hear. That’s a great feeling.”

Both junior forward Connor Dunn and sophomore guard Connor McCutcheon had 12 points for the Hawks, while senior forward Zach Shonting scored 10. Senior Kyle Richardson had two points, coming on two free throws with 1:13 left in overtime.

“It’s very satisfying,” Merrol Hyde Magnet head coach Kory Craighead – whose squad claimed a 57-41 victory when the two teams played on Jan. 7 – said. “It’s one of those games where it’s senior night, and your seniors come out with a lot of emotion. As a coach, you can expect the first quarter to be one of those where you kind of don’t know what you’re going to get.”

HCA jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the Hawks put together a 10-0 run over the first and second quarters, taking a 26-23 lead before halftime.

>> The Crusaders faded late in Friday evening’s 55-42 loss to visiting Friendship Christian.

HCA suffered a 58-18 loss at FCS on Dec. 11.

On Friday, the Crusaders (2-24 overall, 0-9 in Division II-Class A East/Middle Region District 1) faced a 30-21 deficit at halftime but rallied in the third quarter to pull to within two points (40-38) entering the final period.

However, the Commanders pulled away from there.

Senior guard Joey Fragnoli led HCA offensively with 12 points, followed by Hambrick (9), Blake Smith (6), Mussnug (5), Devin Carlisle (3), Jalen Cole (3), Jack Antemann (2) and Quemada (2).

Junior guard Zach Blair led FCS with a game-high 16 points.

>> Merrol Hyde Magnet was outscored by a 37-9 margin over the second and third quarters of Friday evening’s 66-32 loss at Goodpasture.

The Hawks (5-13 overall, 2-8 in District 8-A) dropped a 56-33 decision to visiting Goodpasture on Jan. 15.

McCutcheon scored a team-high 17 points on Friday, followed by Ollie Talmadge (7 points), Dunn (5), Shonting (2) and Taylor (1).

Junior guard Spencer Smith led the Cougars with a game-high 18 points.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

HENDERSONVILLE CHRISTIAN (49) – Joseph Mussnug 15, Emilio Quemada 15, Devin Carlisle 8, Andre Hambrick 5, Blake Smith 4, Joey Fragnoli 2.

MERROL HYDE MAGNET (53) – Jenord Taylor 17, Connor Dunn 12, Connor McCutcheon 12, Zach Shonting 10, Kyle Richardson 2.

Half: 26-23, Merrol Hyde Magnet. End of regulation: 44-44. Three-point goals: HCA 8 (Mussnug 5, Quemada 2, Hambrick 1), Merrol Hyde Magnet 3 (Dunn 1, McCutcheon 1, Taylor 1). Records: HCA 2-24, Merrol Hyde Magnet 5-12. 

Zaevion Dobson, a 15-year-old Fulton High School football player, was killed in a drive-by shooting in December.

Heroes will be a hot topic Sunday during the hours of television broadcasting leading up to Super Bowl 50.

Analysts will talk seemingly nonstop about who will likely emerge as the heroes in the game between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.

Before that, however, a story will be told about another kind of hero, one who played high school football in Tennessee.

Zaevion Dobson, a sophomore at Fulton High in Knoxville, was killed while shielding three girls in a drive-by shooting in his neighborhood Dec. 17.

Not long after the incident, President Barack Obama, in an emotional and tearful speech, called Dobson a hero.

New York Jets wide receiver and CBS/Showtime contributor Brandon Marshall will tell Dobson’s gut-wrenching story in a segment produced by sports Emmy Award-winner Pete Radovich as part of the CBS pregame programming on WTVF-5.

Marshall, a six-time Pro Bowl player, was moved by the story and came up with the idea to do the mini-documentary.

In January, Marshall spent time in Knoxville visiting Dobson’s older brother and Fulton High teammate Zack, who had a scholarship offer to play football at Austin Peay.

“I’m honored to know that the world cares about what happened on 12/17/15,” Zack told ESPN. “It shocked me Obama talked about Zae like that. I would love to meet him and thank him one day.”

The tragic story is close to Marshall’s heart since he grew up in neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and Florida he has described as “volatile.”

Former Titan George will be guest on ‘Late Show’

Titans running back great Eddie George will be Stephen Colbert’s guest Monday on “The Late Show” (10:35 p.m.) on WTVF-5.

George will give his take on the Super Bowl and also talk about his acting career, including his Broadway debut in the musical “Chicago,” which runs through Feb. 28.

Commodores to talk about post-sports success

Five former Vanderbilt athletes will tell how they were able to transition their success in sports into the professional areas of their lives Monday at Memorial Gym.

Alphonso Harvey, Jovan Haye and Chris Marve, who played football, will join basketball greats Shan Foster and Perry Wallace at The Other Big League, which begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

Harvey was a defensive tackle (1995-98), who is now CEO of MusicCityMed, Health and Wellness company.

Haye was a defensive tackle (2002-04) who went on the play in the NFL, including two seasons with the Titans, and is currently an author and entrepreneur.

Marve was an All-SEC linebacker (2008-11) who recently was promoted to linebackers coach for the Commodores.

Foster became the basketball team’s all-time leading scorer (2005-08) and is now director of a domestic violence prevention program with the YWCA.

And Perry was the first African-American to play basketball in the SEC and is now a professor of law at American University’s Washington College of Law.

ESPN’s Buster Olney

Top national reporters coming to town

ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney will be in town Friday and Saturday along with several other national and local media personalities for the third annual Sports Reporting Training Camp at Nissan Stadium.

About 200 students/advisers from more than 60 colleges and universities are expected to attend the workshop sponsored by College Media Institute at Vanderbilt.

Joining Olney, a Vanderbilt graduate who got his start as a sports writer for the Nashville Banner, will be fellow ESPN baseball analyst Karl Ravech, Sports Illustrated senior writer and Vanderbilt graduate Lee Jenkins, the Washington Post’s Dave Sheinin, WKRN-2’s Dawn Davenport, who also serves as an ESPN football sidelines reporter, and voice of the Titans Mike Keith.

For more information, call 615-343-3064.

Athletic directors conference coming in April to Murfreesboro  

Foster will serve as a workshop speaker along with former Titan Dave Ball and former Tennessee State men’s basketball coach Travis Williams at the 26th annual Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association/Tennessee Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Conference on April 10-12 at Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro.

The keynote speaker will be Duke University sports psychologist Dr. Greg Dale.

TSU honored for number of Super Bowl players

TSU received an award Thursday for the number of former Tigers who have played in the Super Bowl over the years.

Another player will be added to that list Sunday when offensive guard Robert “Snacks” Myers from La Vergne suits up for the Broncos.

Myers will become the 21st Tiger to play in a Super Bowl.

Some of the others include Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Dent, MVP of Super Bowl XX with the Chicago Bears; Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who appeared in three Super Bowls as a member of the Dallas Cowboys; Willie Mitchell and Fletcher Smith, who were Kansas City Chiefs teammates in the first Super Bowl; and Claude Humphrey, a 2014 Hall of Fame inductee who played in Super Bowl XV with the Eagles.

The most recent players are Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with Denver (Super Bowl XLVIII), Anthony Levine with Green Bay (XLV) and Baltimore (XLVII), and Lamar Divens with San Francisco (XLVII).

TSU president Glenda Glover accepted the honor at the seventh annual John Wooten Leadership Awards in San Francisco.

Bargatze to be inducted into Trevecca Hall of Fame

Former Trevecca basketball coach Ron Bargatze was surprised before halftime of the Trojans’ game Saturday against Cedarville by being told he had been elected into the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Bargatze, who played at Belmont, was an assistant at Vanderbilt (1969-78) before taking over at Trevecca.

He later coached at Austin Peay and then returned to Vanderbilt as the color analyst in 1985.

Bargatze will be inducted in April along with Jeff Forehand (baseball), Mariska Reed Harris (basketball), Brittiany Johnson (softball) and Katie Carter Douglas (volleyball).

Ex-Brentwood standout sets Louisville shot put record 

Brentwood High graduate Steve Wade, now a senior at Louisville, set the school shot put record recently in the Notre Dame Invitational.

Wade’s winning throw of 60-5 broke the record of 59-9 set in 2009.

Wade’s father, Steve, was an outstanding offensive lineman on the Vanderbilt football team.

Reception planned for Goodpasture’s early coaches

Goodpasture will recognize its first girls basketball coach, Peggy Roberts, along with Ronnie Sarver, who was an assistant on the first boys team before becoming the head coach, during a reception Thursday night between the girls and boys home games against Lipscomb.

Roberts and Sarver both started coaching at Goodpasture in 1971.

All former team members, cheerleaders, students and fans from 1971-88 are invited to the reception.

Clark staying with the Storm

Former Belmont and MTSU star Alysha Clark re-signed with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA this past week.

Former Mt. Juliet star Alysha Clark, who played at Belmont and Middle Tennessee State, was re-signed this past week by the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.

Clark led the league in 2-point field-goal percentage (68.9) last season while averaging 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

“Alysha has become one of the most efficient and versatile players in the league, mastering the things that do not show up in stat sheets but lead to team success,” said Storm coach Jenny Boucek, a graduate of University School of Nashville. “Her work ethic, toughness, team-first mentality and basketball IQ make her a strong leader and role model for our franchise.”

Former TSU linebacker signs with indoor team

Former TSU middle linebacker Nick Thrasher, who became the Tigers’ second-all-time leading tackler, signed a contract this week to play for the Columbus (Ga.) Lions of the Professional Indoor Football League.

Training camp begins March 1, and the season kicks off March 20.

Bradford appointed to communications post

Justin Bradford, lead writer for PenaltyBoxRadio.com and author of “Nashville Predators: The Making of Smashville,” was appointed director of communications for the Southern Collegiate Hockey Conference this week.

The SCHC is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association and features 10 club teams that are from SEC schools including Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Bradford, a graduate of Franklin High and Cumberland, has been named “Best Sports Reporter” the past two years by The Tennessean’s Toast of Music City Reader’s Choice Awards and is the public address announcer for Vanderbilt hockey games and Cumberland football games.

Former TSU coach steps down at N.C. A&T

Former TSU men’s basketball coach Cy Alexander resigned last week as the coach at North Carolina A&T.

Alexander was the coach at TSU from 2003-09.

His record was 43-80 in four seasons at N.C. A&T and 386-386 in his 26-year career.

Alexander said he decided to step down after his wife and then his mother died over the last three years.

He plans to pursue a career in broadcasting.

It you have an item for Midstate Chatter, contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

SPORTS ON NASHVILLE TV

The top five local ratings for sporting events on television for Jan. 25-31.

1. NFL: Pro Bowl, 6.5 rating
2. College basketball: Kentucky-Kansas, 4.9 rating
3. College basketball: Tennessee-TCU, 2.8 rating
4. PGA: Farmers Open (final round), 2.6 rating
5. College basketball: Virginia-Louisville, 2.5 rating
SEC Network ratings not available. Each rating point is equal to 9,902 Nashville homes.
Source: Mark Binda, WTVF-5 programming & research director

MTSA logo

tennessean

Tickets for The Tennessean’s upcoming Middle Tennessee Sports Awards, presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, will go on sale on Monday.

MTSA

The event, which will feature guest speaker Peyton Manning and will honor more than 200 high school athletes from across Middle Tennessee, can be purchased at mtsa.tennessean.com on Monday morning.

The dinner will be held on May 26 at Music City Center.

The event is also sponsored by Sleep Outfitters, Xfinity, Kroger, YMCA of Middle Tennessee and Bridgestone Americas.

There are several tiers of ticket availability:

• Reserved seating: $60, which includes dinner seating at a table of 10. 
• Premium reserved seating: $85, which includes dinner, a commemorative T-shirt and a table closer to the dais. 
• Table sponsorships for companies interested in attending the banquet and having inclusion in the The Tennessean’s June 5 special print section honoring the Middle Tennessee Sports Awards and Spring All-Midstate all-stars. For details, contact Carla Antonelli at cantonelli@tnmedia.com

There will be a limited number of tickets for public purchase. The Tennessean will award complimentary tickets to its sport-by-sport athletes of the year and also to the top student-athlete at every Middle Tennessee high school. Those award winners will be announced in the coming months.

Denver Broncos offensive guard Robert Myers, foreground center, is blocked by Max Garcia (73) as they run a drill during an NFL football practice in Stanford, Calif., Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

LA VERGNE — Maurice Grooms remembers when he first saw Robert Myers.

He knew then that Myers had an NFL body.

Grooms, a La Vergne assistant football coach at the time, just had to convince Myers.

“I was helping coach girls basketball at the time and had his sister on the team,” Grooms said. “I saw him in the yard one day when I had to take her home after practice.

“I asked him why he wasn’t playing football. I told him, ‘You’ve got what you can’t coach — the size.’ He said he was wrestling and in the ROTC.”

His junior year, Myers finally came out for football.

Fast forward seven years later to present day.

Myers, a 6-foot-5, 326-pound offensive guard, is an NFL rookie for the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, he will be on the sidelines for Super Bowl 50 when the Broncos play the Carolina Panthers.

“I’m really excited for him,” said Millicent Myers, Robert’s mother. “I never saw this level. But it’s here.

“We Facetime every day. He’s excited. We’re both nervous.”

Myers spent five days on the Indianapolis Colts’ 53-man roster in September after they claimed him off waivers from the Ravens after the cut to 53 players. The Colts later waived him, and he rejoined the Ravens on their practice squad.

The Broncos picked Myers up off the practice squad on Dec. 30 to fill out their 53-man roster.

Grooms said Myers played little his junior year in high school.

He was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team after his senior season at TSU in 2014.

“He probably had the most potential of any player I’ve ever coached,” said Nolensville coach Will Hester, who was the La Vergne head coach during Myers’ high school years. “He had unbelievable God-given size and ability.

“Obviously, you don’t expect him at that time to get drafted. But he had the potential to do some amazing things. He was very new to football when we coached him.”

His skills were fine-tuned at TSU. And that’s also where he picked up the nickname “Snacks” from coach Rod Reed, who noticed Myers always seemed to be in the cafeteria eating between meals.

Grooms said TSU was one of the first colleges to realize Myers’ ability. They saw him in ladder drills during spring practice after his junior season.

“They showed him some love,” Grooms said of TSU. “They knew from looking at his body type that all he had to do was be introduced to the game.

Grooms insists he knew when he first saw Myers in his yard that he had the ability to be special at football.

“It’s amazing where he is at, but I knew it in my mind when I first saw him,” Grooms said. “God blesses you with that body and athletic ability. He did what he needed to do to get to the next level.”

Mike Organ contributed. Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

FRANKLIN The Beech High wrestling team suffered a 35-33 loss to Gibbs in the quarterfinal round of the consolation bracket at the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association (TSSAA) State Dual Wrestling Championships on Saturday afternoon at the Williamson County Agricultural Expo Center.

Beech High junior Kyle Smith won his match in the 170-pound weight class in the Buccaneers’ 35-33 victory over Independence on Saturday.

Buccaneer senior Peyton Reinert suffered a 3-2 loss in the next-to-last match in the 220-pound weight class, giving Gibbs a 35-27 lead with one match remaining (which Beech senior David Dowell won by forfeit).

Freshman Brayden Palmer (106), freshman Jeremiah Herron (126), sophomore Trevor Rippy (145) and senior Kaleb Rippy (195) were all victorious by pinfall for Beech.

Junior Jherian Maddox scored Beech’s other victory by a decision.

Kaleb Rippy

Beech captured a 38-30 win over Independence in the second round of the consolation bracket.

Reinert claimed a 3-1 victory in the final bout at 220 pounds to clinch the match for Beech.

Palmer (106), senior Wyatt Sipe (113), Trevor Rippy (145) and Kaleb Rippy (182) all won their respective matches by pinfall. Dowell (285) and junior Kyle Smith (170) won by major decision (consisting of a margin of victory of eight points or more), while junior Joseph Garrett (152) won by a 7-4 margin, earning three points for his victory.

The Buccaneers are slated to compete in the Region 7-AAA Individual Tournament on Thursday at Clarksville Northeast.

Trevor Rippy

Beech 38, Independence 30

285: David Dowell (B) d. Chris Keller by major decision (12-1); 106: Brayden Palmer (B) d. Gavin Schoeberl by pinfall (4:24); 113: Wyatt Sipe (B) d. Ezkiel Demello by pinfall (1:55); 120: Daniel Fowler (I) d. Heath Uhles by pinfall (5:05); 126: Owen Schnedler (I) d. Jeremiah Herron by technical fall (21-5); 132: Brady Ingram (I) d. William Downing by pinfall (1:07); 138: Steele Schoeberl (I) d. Dustin Drury by major decision (22-9); 145: Trevor Rippy (B) d. Collin Lynn by pinfall (1:51); 152: Joseph Garrett (B) d. Charles Savage by decision (7-4); 160: Austin Ryan (I) d. Jherian Maddox in sudden victory (6-4); 170: Kyle Smith (B) d. Brandon Sligh by major decision (14-6); 182: Kaleb Rippy (B) d. Andrew Cannon by pinfall (0:57); 195: Ian Grau (I) d. Cade Coley by pinfall (1:13); 220: Peyton Reinert (B) d. Isaiah Demello by decision (3-1).

Gibbs 35, Beech 33

106: Brayden Palmer (B) d. Cory Fouts by pinfall (1:21); 113: Phillip Maxwell (G) d. Wyatt Sipe by major decision (10-2); 120: Landon Adzima (G) d. Heath Uhles by major decision (8-0); 126: Jeremiah Herron (B) d. Tyler Ficken (G) by pinfall (2:46); 132: Matthew Maxwell (G) d. William Downing by pinfall (1:16); 138: Noel Leyva (G) d. Dustin Drury by pinfall (0:44); 145: Trevor Rippy (B) d. Christian Cook by pinfall (0:41); 152: Angel Leyva (G) d. Joseph Garrett by decision (9-6); 160: Jherian Maddox (B) d. Elijah Lawson (G) by decision (9-4); 170: Isaiah Brooks (G) d. Jacob Kinman by pinfall (5:47); 182: Hunter Fortner (G) d. Kyle Smith by decision (8-5); 195: Kaleb Rippy (B) d. Joel Griffin by pinfall (0:19); 220: John Lawson III (G) d. Peyton Reinert by decision (3-2); 285: David Dowell (B) won by forfeit.