Brentwood’s Somer Henry

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

SOMER HENRY

Brentwood, So.

Why chosen: Henry captured her second straight Class AAA state singles title, defeating Collierville’s Sneha Sinha in the championship match.

Quote: “I try not to think about it too much and just play it point by point, and I think that helped a lot.”

Family: Dad Tracy, mom Becky, brothers Brett (28), Peyton (26), Blake (21) and sister Caroline (13).

College plans: “I plan to go to a Division I college to play tennis. I love the South but am looking all over.”

Athletic background: I played pretty much every sport when I was little, but I broke my arm badly in soccer when I was 8 and my dad said no more contact sports for a while. As soon as my cast came off I started playing tennis again and focused on it from then on.

Favorite sport besides tennis: Basketball

Best high school sports moment: When I won state last year, my freshman year.

Favorite athlete: Roger Federer.

Favorite food: Cookies.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years: I would like to be living in Nashville and teaching tennis.

Summer plans: I am going to a Young Life Camp in Colorado for a week then playing multiple tournaments — Southern and National. My favorite one is in San Diego.

FIRST TEAM

SINGLES

SOFIA PHILLIPS, Clarksville, So.

Reached the Class AAA semifinals for the second straight season.

WINSLOW HUTH, Harpeth Hall, 8th

Reached the DII-AA state finals, falling to Baylor’s Drew Hawkins.

SKYLAR McDONALD, Fayetteville, Sr.

Reached the Class A-AA semifinals before falling to eventual champ Danielle Vines of Elizabethton.

KYLIE HUMPHREY, Oakland, So.

Reached the Class AAA state tournament before falling to Clarksville’s Sofia Phillips.

DOUBLES

KATIE DEWALD, GEORGIA FISCHER, Brentwood, Jr., Fr.

Lady Bruins duo won the AAA doubles title, not losing a point in two of the three wins.

ANNA MINCEY, AYA MELHEM, Blackman, Fr., Sr.

Reached the Class AAA state semifinals before a three-set loss to the runners-up.

SECOND TEAM

SINGLES

Emily Enoch, CPA, Jr.

Lauren Heinrich, Merrol Hyde, Sr.

Holly McClure, St. Cecilia, Jr.

Lou Phillips, Goodpasture, Sr.

Lauren Hadley Trammell, Brentwood Academy, So.

DOUBLES

Micayla May, Sarah Brackin, Page, Jr., Jr.

Thalia Stein, Mia Pretorius, USN, Jr., Fr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Bill Jayne

BILL JAYNE, BRENTWOOD

Why chosen: Jayne helped lead the Lady Bruins to three state championships this season. He led the girls squad to its first Class AAA team state title since 2003, coached Somer Henry to her second consecutive individual title and watched as Katie DeWald and Georgia Fischer claimed the Class AAA doubles title.

Quote: “The talent that I have at Brentwood High School is incredible. This was the first time the girls have made it to state, so other than knowing we would face some tough competition we didn’t know a lot about it. They put their minds to it and just steamrolled through.”

Al Smith

If Jerry Glanville bothers to show up for the Roast of Floyd Reese, and that’s not a done deal since Glanville is on the fence about whether the June 28 event at Omni Nashville Hotel is worthy of his time, the former Oilers and Titans general manager is in for it.

Former Titans general manger Floyd Reese will be honored with a roast on June 28 at the Omni Nashville Holel.

Without even bothering to prepare, Glanville is capable of hurling more barbs at Reese than quarterback Warren Moon threw touchdowns for Glanville during his time as the Oilers coach.

“Geez, Floyd Reese is so unimportant to me in my life I haven’t even really worked on anything yet,” Glanville said. “Last night I was talking to the Plumbers and Pipefitters of America and I thought about how much more important they are to me than Floyd. I’d much rather have a good plumber than Floyd any day. Floyd is so unimportant I may not even show up.”

Don’t believe it. Glanville will be there.

There’s no way he’s passing on the chance to give his former linebackers coach a good-natured ribbing.

“I’ve gotten Floyd every job he ever had except one,” Glanville said. “He came to Georgia Tech with Pepper Rodgers, and Pepper retained one coach off the previous staff and to my misfortune it was me that was retained and I met Floyd. I stayed with Pepper 19 days in spring practice and that was about 10 days too long. I went to the Detroit Lions, and like a fool I recommended Floyd. We brought him along, and that ruined our whole frickin’ season.”

Jerry Glanville

Glanville, who lives in Knoxville, still is scratching his head about why Reese, who went on to serve as the Oilers and Titans general manager from 1994-2006, is being roasted.

“Usually, if they have a roast, a guy’s had to accomplish something,” Glanville said. “Is anybody going to come to this? How are they going to sell tickets to pay my big fee? I told Floyd the other day his kids had two choices: go to welding school or count on Jerry to keep getting their old man jobs so they could go to college.”

Remember, this is Glanville without putting much thought into what he will say when he joins current Titans GM Jon Robinson, longtime Oilers/Titans strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson, former Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn and former Titans and Oilers players Derrick Mason, Erron Kinney, Scott Sanderson and Al Smith at the roast.

Former Oilers running back Spencer Tillman, now a Fox Sports college football analyst, will emcee the roast sponsored by 102.5-FM. It will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

“There’s probably been a lot of venom stored up for these guys that’s just waiting to come out,” Reese said. “The truth is we’re trying to make it really fun. Jerry could do a comedy show of his own. Steve Watterson is one of the more unique personalities in the NFL. Spencer Tillman has a tremendous sense of humor, and he can imitate and emulate anyone. And, of course, there’s Jon Robinson, who has a tremendous sense of humor.”

Robinson is sure to bring up some gems from his time with Reese in the front office at New England after Reese left the Titans.

“Jon will have some unique stories about things we wanted to do, couldn’t do, tried to do, whatever it was,” Reese said.

For tickets or more information, visit thegamenashville.com.

Coach Forum coming to Vanderbilt in July

David Williams

Vanderbilt and the new Nashville Coaching Coalition will partner to host an innovative seminar — The Coach Forum — for high school and college coaches who want to improve their ability to mentor in areas other than X’s and O’s.

Some of the issues that will be covered include mental health, eating disorders, ending power-based violence, work-life balance for coaches, team trust and character development.

An impressive lineup of presenters includes former NFL player and author Joe Ehrmann, three-time Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Josh Davis, former Vanderbilt basketball star Shan Foster, Christ Presbyterian Academy football coach Ingle Martin, former Titan David Ball, six-time national champion UCLA gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos, WSMV-4 anchor Rudy Kalis and Vanderbilt athletics director David Williams.

“The Nashville Coaching Coalition is a new organization with a noble and valuable mission to prepare athletic coaches to be better leaders in their programs and their communities,” Williams said. “Many of the topics are matters of great importance in today’s sports world that do not often get addressed.”

The seminar is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21 at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center. For more information or to register, visit thecoachforum.com.

UT, MTSU women’s hoops in top 20 in attendance

The Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball teams were in the top 20 in average home attendance this past season.

The Lady Vols were second with an average crowd of 10,412 for 17 homes games, while the Blue Raiders were 17th with an average of 5,046 for 14 home games.

South Carolina was first (14,364).

Vanderbilt was 37th with an average of 2,906 for 16 home games.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee State men’s team ranked 17th nationally for the largest increase in average attendance for home games.

The Tigers’ average went from 1,336 in 2014-15 to 2,500 for their 14 games at Gentry Center in 2015-16, an increase of 1,164.

Tullahoma native qualifies for top bodybuilding competition

Whitney Wiser

Former Tullahoma basketball, volleyball and track athlete Whitney Wiser is now a bodybuilder, and she recently qualified for the 2016 Olympia in the professional bikini division.

Wiser, a 2009 MTSU graduate, is now a personal trainer and Realtor in Nashville. She qualified for the Olympia, the Super Bowl of bodybuilding competitions, by winning the Muscle Mayhem contest June 4 in Overland Park, Kan.

The Olympia is Sept. 16-17 in Las Vegas.

Before that, Wiser will compete July 16 in the Flex Lewis Classic at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

Wiser started competing in 2009 and earned her pro status in 2014.

Former Oilers All-Pro to sign book Sunday

"Think Like a Pro, Act Like a Pro"

Former Houston Oilers All-Pro linebacker Al Smith, who worked in the Titans’ front office, will sign his book — “Think Like A Pro, Act Like A Pro” from 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Kings Bowl on Galleria Boulevard in Franklin.

Smith was hired as director of player development at Vanderbilt in 2015.

The book includes Smith’s eight principles for achieving results, discipline and success not only in athletics, but also in business and life.

The book is available through Amazon.

Local umpire headed to College World Series

SEC baseball umpire Scott Cline, a Nashville resident, has been selected to work the 2016 College World Series.

Of the 2,500 Division I umpires in the nation, 96 are chosen to work the regionals, 36 the super regionals and eight for the CWS.

Nashville ranked 19th for hockey fans

Nashville was ranked 19th in The Best Cities for Hockey Fans by WalletHub.

A total of 72 cities were ranked based on performance level of NHL team, minimum season-ticket price, arena capacity, game attendance, franchise value and fan engagement.

The top five: Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, New York and Chicago.

Woody writes another book 

Larry Woody

Larry Woody has written a Kindle book — “Life On Mirth” — which is a collection of the humorous columns he’s written since retiring as a sports columnist for The Tennessean.

It is the seventh book Woody has written, his most notable being “A Dixie Farewell — the Life and Death of Chucky Mullins” which was made into an ESPN documentary featuring former Vanderbilt football player Brad Gaines, as well as biographies on Sounds founder Larry Schmittou and two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin.

“Life On Mirth” is available on Amazon.

DuPont establishing sports hall of fame

An All Sports Hall of Fame for DuPont High, which closed in 1986, is being created.

The final details were worked out at the DuPont alumni meeting Monday.

The first induction of six former athletes is expected to be named at the school’s all-class reunion in August.

Florida swim team trains at Ensworth’s pool

The Florida Gators swim team trained this past week at Ensworth’s natatorium in preparation for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha (June 26-July 3).

Florida’s pool in Gainesville is under construction. Coach Gregg Troy wanted to find a facility with ample pool space and time and chose Ensworth. He and Ensworth coach Christian Bahr, who coached in Jacksonville, Fla., earlier in his career, are old friends.

If 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 May 30-June 5:

1. NBA finals: Cavaliers-Warriors (Game 1), 12.2 rating

2.  NBA finals:Cavaliers-Warriors (Game 2), 9.8 rating

3. NBA playoffs: Thunder-Warriors (Game 7), 8.2 rating

4. PGA: Memorial (round 3), 2.2 rating

5. Indy racing: Chevrolet Duel Race 1, 2.1 rating
Each rating point is equal to 9,902 Nashville homes.
Source: Mark Binda, WTVF-5 programming & research director

Maleik Gray dreamed as a kid of one day playing football for Florida State.

La Vergne junior Maleik Gray committed to play football at Tennessee on Sunday.

That dream, though, has changed.

The La Vergne High senior standout is now ready to be a Vol.

Gray, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound athlete and Tennessee Titans Class 5A Mr. Football semifinalist in 2015, announced his commitment to Tennessee over social media on Sunday, picking the Vols over Florida State and Alabama.

“I’m thrilled to death that he’s made a decision,” La Vergne coach Stanton Stevens said. “To me, it didn’t matter where he went. I just want him to be happy. I wanted him to explore all there was out there. This is a testament to what is going on in Knoxville. They are competing with the best teams in the country and they won out. It should speak to where the program is headed.”

Gray could not immediately be reached for comment.

I can officially say that I'm committed to The University of Tennessee!! 🍊 #VFL #GBO https://t.co/yFTaTVSx6j

—
Maleik Gray (@GrayMaleik) June 12, 2016

Gray grew up a Florida State fan and had the Seminoles as one of his favorites throughout the recruiting process.

“I’ll say this,” Stevens said. “I’ve been around a lot of coaches and coach (Butch) Jones has a different intensity,” Stevens said. “He has a different look about him. He has the look of a competitor and that inspires young men.”

Gray, a four-year starter at outside linebacker at La Vergne, will likely move to safety or be a nickel back next season at Tennessee. Gray had 57 tackles with 10 for loss this past season. He had two sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

He also caught 22 passes for 485 yards with 10 total touchdowns.

Commitments are nonbinding for the athlete and the school. Gray cannot sign until Feb. 1.

• RELATED: 
  2017 Middle Tennessee prep football commitments

Gray is the sixth rising high school senior in Middle Tennessee to commit to a Division I program, joining Lipscomb defensive lineman Rutger Reitmaier (Oregon), Ensworth safety Rodney Owens (Louisville), Independence cornerback Landry Guidry (Mississippi State), Page kicker Brent Cimaglia (Tennessee) and Wilson Central safety Ray Coggins (Eastern Kentucky).

Gray is listed in ESPN’s Top 300 college football prospects at No. 87. He’s a four-star prospect by 247Sports. Gray plans on playing in the Under Armour All-American Game and he is a U.S. Army All-American nominee.

He is also going to compete July 8-10 at The Opening, a summer showcase of some of the top college football prospects, at the Nike headquarters in Oregon.

Pope John Paul II High has a new boys basketball head coach after hiring former Knights’ assistant Charles Wade.

Cottrell replaces Kip Brown, who accepted the head-coaching position at his alma mater – Beech – in April.

Wade was an assistant coach for three years when Brown began coaching the Knights during the 2011-12 season, and he also assisted former PJP II girls coach Julie Rollins as well for a season.

It is the first prep head-coaching position for Wade, who was the head basketball and football coach at Bellevue Middle School the last two seasons.

“I’m nervous but excited as well,” Wade said. “I’m very humbled.”

Two weeks ago, the Knights were set to hire Chris Cottrell, who most recently was the head coach at Davis and Elkins (W.V.) College (an National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II program), but Cottrell resigned last fall prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.

However, prior to his arrival in Hendersonville to begin the job, Cottrell accepted a position elsewhere, leaving the school scrambling to fill the vacancy with summer camps beginning.

“It put us about a month-and-a-half behind, because we thought we had our guy,” PJP II athletic director John Dempsey said. “It was on a Friday (when Cottrell declined the job). He was supposed to show up for our freshman tryouts the following Monday.”

It was at their own youth camp where they found their answer.

“(Wade and Brown) had agreed to help us do our kids’ camp,” Dempsey said. “I was walking through the gym and going to thank him for helping cover for us, and Kip had pointed at him and said he might be interested for the job. So, I walked over and talked to (Wade), and he said he’d think about it and pray about it.”

Wade initially hadn’t inquired about the position when it first became available.

“My family and I had just moved back to Hendersonville last year,” Wade said. “My wife had just started on her doctorate (degree), so I was really unsure at the time about whether I should commit to something that was going to take a lot of my time away from my family. But the second time around, my wife really encouraged me to do so.”

PJP II went 21-9 this past season, suffering a 63-43 loss at Ensworth in a Division II-Class AA state quarterfinal contest. Brown’s record at PJP II was 90-57 over five seasons, including state quarterfinal appearances in each of the last two seasons.

The Knights lost three seniors to graduation – Ryan Hatten, Nick Nixon and Trent Griffin.

Wade has familiarity with the rising senior class, which includes Jalon Cambridge, C.J. Laws, Jamaal Thompson and Matthew Galvin.

“I’ve coached some of these kids – the senior class – when they were freshmen,” Wade said. “I knew some of the underclassmen from visiting Kip’s games and practices from time to time, so I think it’s going to make the transition really smooth.”

Wade said he doesn’t want to bring too many changes to the Knights’ style of play. He expects to run a high-tempo offense with full-court, man-to-man defense, as well as a few other wrinkles.

“I’ve learned a lot from Kip, so I’ll apply a lot of what he did,” Wade said. “They had a lot of success last year, so I’d be remiss to come in and change what was working.”

Charles Wade

What might be the biggest challenge is the region Wade will begin his high-school head coaching career in, Division II-Class AA.

“Right now, (Brentwood Academy) has it rolling,” Wade said. “But in this region, anybody can beat anybody on a given night. It’s a challenge each night.”

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

A former Trousdale County football star pleaded guilty Monday to one count of filing a false report for a fatal Wilson County car wreck in 2013 where he was first indicted as the driver.

Tacola Seay will receive three years probation, according to the district attorney’s office of the 15th Judicial District in the plea agreement. Two of the three counts of filing a false report were dismissed in the plea agreement, the district attorney’s office said.

Seay was initially charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication and vehicular homicide by recklessness for the 2013 crash on Interstate 40 that killed Megan C. Carter, 26. Seay actually went to trial as the driver in October 2014, but a mistrial was declared after the defense questioned photos submitted.

Prosecutors then alleged Seay lied about being the driver in the crash and Marco Wright, another former Trousdale County football player, was charged as the driver.

Wright later pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide by recklessness and was sentenced to six years probation with approximately seven months of previous jail time credited. Wright also lost his driver’s license for three years.

“My client was trying to set the record straight and accept the responsibility for making a false report that caused such pain and heartache for the family …” said Seay’s attorney Tillman Payne.

Seay was a running back and linebacker at Trousdale County and a Mr. Football finalist in 2009. He was also the offensive and defensive most valuable player in the Class 2A state championship game that year.

Reach Andy Humbles at 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @AndyHumbles.

Seay

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Joey McClung

Days after Joey McClung led Springfield’s baseball team to one of its most successful seasons in years, he resigned as coach.

“To be perfectly honest, I was pleased with the way we did this year, but not everybody shared that opinion,” McClung said. “There was a difference of opinion on the direction of the program and since I didn’t think my contract was going to be renewed, I decided to resign my position.”

School district officials have referred questions about the Springfield position to district spokesperson Jim Bellis, who said in an email Tuesday that the district does not comment on personnel issues.

After the Yellow Jackets finished their season with a 15-18 record, it didn’t take long for McClung to land a job at East Robertson Elementary and secure a position as an assistant for the high school football and baseball teams.

East Robertson football coach Chad Broadrick and head baseball coach Derek Wix said they were both glad McClung made that decision.

“We were excited to have him,” Broadrick said. “He came right in and fit in well with all the coaches and players alike.

“The first couple of days he worked hard to learn everyone’s name and build a relationship with them, and in my opinion, that’s the most important thing you can do as a new coach coming in.”

McClung has history with both coaches.

“For me, it was an easy fit because Coach Wix was my coach in both football and baseball for my final two years at Heritage, and I got to see Coach Broadrick play at White House when he was there,” McClung said.

Wix said he believes McClung will bring a lot to the table for his squad.

“Since I coached Joey for two years I’ve always followed his career in college and then was glad to see that he was able to land a job here in the county last year,” Wix said. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out over there, but we’re excited to have him here at East.

“Joey comes from a great family and will be a welcome addition on both baseball and the football staff’s. We think he’ll bring a fresher knowledge of the college game because he’s only been out of it for a couple of years, so he’ll definitely help us be more competitive and give us an edge. I also think that because he’s closer to the player’s age that he’ll bring something that we haven’t had for a while. Every team needs coaches to fill different roles and I think he’ll do well in his role, we’re really looking forward to it.”

Yellow Softball and Glove isolated on white.

Centennial High will look to Indiana native Nicole Fougerousse to revive its softball program after the squad went 4-25-1 this past season.

The school announced on Thursday that Fougerousse was hired to take over the position vacated by Cassie Bates.

Fougerrouse most recently was an assistant coach at Tennessee State University. Before that she was head coach Bloomfield (Ind.) High, where her 2015 squad was won a sectional title after a conference championship in 2014.

She was a standout player at Shakamak (Ind.) High and Indiana State University.

“Coach Fougerousse brings the knowledge, passion, and love of the game that we know will take CHS softball to the next level,” said Centennial athletic director Tony Hill. “She stood out immediately in our coaching search due to success she has experienced as a head softball coach and her passion for developing young players within our program. We are looking forward to seeing the new face of CHS softball hit the field this spring.”

Centennial was swept in two games in the District 11-AAA tourney in 2016, falling 15-0 to Brentwood and 11-1 to Independence.

The White House Heritage football team has hired five coaches, including a pair from larger Middle Tennessee schools, as part of an effort to retool under new head coach Hunter Hicks.

Hicks, who spent last season as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, was officially named head coach in February. Former head coach Pat Brown stepped down from the position after last season, but will continue to serve in an advisory role.

“This has really worked well because we’ve never had a staff this big since I’ve been here,” Hicks said. “Now our coach to player ratio is much better and we can give everyone the time and attention they need.”

Heritage Offensive Coordinator Matt Duncan

Matt Duncan will take over as the offensive coordinator after spending the last three years coaching quarterbacks, running backs and defensive backs at Station Camp High School.

“I was excited for the opportunity because not only is it an offensive coordinator position, but I’m also getting to work with someone that I’ve known for a long time,” Duncan said.

Duncan said he will have a free reign to craft the team’s offense.

“It looks a lot like what they’ve been running, but some of the verbiage is just a little different and more player-friendly,” he said.

The Patriots main offensive set will be out of the Wing T, but Duncan said the Patriots will lean more on aerial attacks than on sweeps and off-tackle runs.

“We’ll still line up in the Wing T, but this won’t be your dad’s Wing T. This offense will be quick hitting and we will be able to throw the ball out of anything we line up in,” Duncan said. “We’ll also use some shotgun formations and spread it out a little bit, but we want to be balanced so we’re still going to run the ball, we’re just not going to be afraid to throw it when we need to.”

Hicks also hired Deon Russell, who left Mt. Juliet after four years with the Bears.

Russell coached the offensive line and the freshmen squad his first two seasons and then went on to coach halfbacks and worked with the freshmen his final two years.

Russell will be partnering with Defensive Coordinator Scott Ballard to work with the offensive and defensive lines as well as coaching junior players.

“When Coach Hicks offered me the position I jumped at the chance to work with him again,” Russell said. “I worked with him for almost two years when he was at Mt. Juliet, so when the opportunity presented itself for me to come here (to Heritage) it was a perfect fit for me.”

Jay Ross, who worked in Metro Nashville at the Middle School level for the past few years, will be working with the running backs on offense and will work with the linebackers on the defensive side of the ball.

Isaac Eubanks will handle the tight ends and split ends on offense and will work with the outside linebackers on defense.

Chason Rippy has been brought on as a non-faculty assistant and will work with the wide outs on offense and the defensive backfield on defense.

Heritage assistant coach Deon Russell

Huntland High School D.J. Taylor recently committed to play football at Wake Forrest.

Huntland linebacker D.J. Taylor

Taylor announced his decision via Twitter on Wednesday, posting from his account, “I like to announce that I am committed to Wake Forrest University !! #ACC #DeamonDeacs #NPA”

I like to announce that I am committed to Wake Forest University !! #ACC #DeamonDeacs #NPA 🎩🙌🏾 https://t.co/MaStMU4soe

—
DJ Taylor (@dacorian19) June 15, 2016

Taylor, three-star outside linebacker and the state’s 24th-rated prospect according to 247Sports, made his presence felt on both sides of the ball last season for the Hornets.

In addition to tallying 50 tackles and an interception last season, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder also rushed for 1,682 yards and 22 touchdowns offensively, helping lead Huntland to a 6-4 record.

2017 Middle Tennessee prep football commitments

Taylor is the eighth rising high school senior in Middle Tennessee to commit to a Division I program this summer, joining Ensworth’s Rodney Owens (Louisville), Wilson Central’s Ray Coggins (Eastern Kentucky), Page’s Brent Cimaglia (Tennessee), Landon Guidry (Mississippi State), Lipscomb’s Rutger Reitmaier (Oregon), La Vergne’s Maleik Gray (Tennessee) and Smyrna’s John Turner (MTSU).

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Sanchez Holder

Sanchez Holder never played college football, but Monday begins the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

That’s when the 2009 Gallatin High grad boards a plane bound for Brazil as one of the newest members of the Recife Pirates.

As a member of the Green Wave, Holder played running back and kick returner. During his senior season in 2008, he picked up more than 1,000 yards rushing and was named All-Region. The team ended the season at 8-3, with a 20-8, first-round playoff loss to Centennial.

After high school graduation, Holder enrolled at a technical school briefly, but realized it wasn’t a good fit for him. Instead, he shifted gears and became a licensed truck driver.

More recently, he’s spent time playing with the Middle Tennessee Football League’s Lebanon Hitmen.

“I’ve been at a few CFL tryouts, Arena League tryouts and I’ve used those to network,” Holder said. “Since I didn’t play college ball, it’s been kind of hard.

“Finally, I met someone that knew someone that knew someone and I got hooked up with the Brazilian league,” he added, noting that he made contact with the team in November and signed a contract to play two weeks later.

The Brazilian football league only allows two Americans per roster, Holder said, adding that the other Recife player is from California. League play begins July 9 and the season consists of seven games plus playoffs, culminating in the Copa de Brazil, similar to the National Football League’s Super Bowl.

Located on Brazil’s eastern coast, Recife is fourth largest city. It is also home to other sports teams and serves as a host site for the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Holder is admittedly a bit nervous about his upcoming departure.

“Well, it’ll be my first time flying, so I’m a little nervous about that. The cool thing is I’ll get to spend some time in Rio which is where the Olympics are this year,” he said. “But I’m more excited than nervous. I can’t wait to see what happens after this.”

Reach Mealand Ragland-Hudgins at 615-575-7161 or mragland@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @mrhudgins4.

CLARKSVILLE — Fort Campbell High School head baseball coach Lance Martin Loeffler is facing multiple charges after drugs and guns were found in his truck during a traffic stop and he admitted to police “he had been selling crystal methamphetamine to make some extra cash,” according to an arrest warrant.

Lance Loeffler

Loeffler, 41, who is also a substitute teacher at a Fort Campbell Middle School, was arrested June 9 and charged with possession of methamphetamine for resale, unlawful drug paraphernalia and possession of firearms during the commission of a dangerous felony. He also had heroin in his truck, according to the warrant.

A Clarksville Police officer stopped Loeffler in his F-150 on Greenwood Avenue because he was not wearing a seat belt. A passenger, Samantha Clark, had just been seen going into a home on Central Avenue “known for drug trafficking” and then returning to the truck, Loeffler’s arrest warrant states.

During the traffic stop, Clark told an officer there was drug paraphernalia in the vehicle and during a search, police found a black case that contained apple bags, a pipe, a baggie of brown powder, two baggies containing a crystal substance, straw and spoon in the center console, according to the warrant.

Behind Loeffler’s seat, police found a black bag containing a digital scale and six pistols, the warrant state.

A rifle in a case was found in the back seat and another digital scale was located in the front seat area.

A portion of the crystal substance field tested positive for methamphetamine and a brown substance tested positive for heroin, the warrant states.

Loeffler told police in an interview that someone gave him the heroin and that he had been selling crystal meth to make money.

Loeffler, who gave a Clearwood Lane address, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on $61,000 bond.

Loeffler was the most recent baseball coach and he was the most recent head coach. The season ended in May and each year coaches have to reapply, school officials said.

A parent of a former player, Jennifer Lay, said she pulled her son from the team for other problems, not related to the arrest.

She said she was the one who notified the school of Loeffler’s arrest after seeing his mugshot.

“All the military kids have are sports,” she said. “It’s sad, is what it is.”

She said Loeffler was a former Army pilot who was medically retired after being shot down in Iraq.

“We’re all lucky nothing serious happened,” she said.

Attempts to reach Loeffler were unsuccessful.

Clark was not listed in the jail log for the same date. Clarksville Police Spokeswoman Natalie Hall said the case is part of an active information and additional information was not available.

Reach Breaking News Reporter Stephanie Ingersoll at 245-0267 or on Twitter @StephLeaf.

Davidson Academy’s Obinna Eze

Franklin’s Max Wray

Oakland’s Elijah Dobbins (right)

Centennial’s Eli Katina

Ravenwood’s Conner Patrick Leitten (60) helped lead the Raptors to a Class 6A state title in 2016.

With the start of high school football just over two months away, here’s a look at some of the top returning Midstate offensive lineman for the upcoming 2016 season, as ranked by The Tennessean’s Michael Murphy.

Football

Classes listed are for the 2016 season:

10. Spencer Norrod

Junior year

Monterey, senior
Hgt.: 6-3 Wgt.: 295
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Norrod, a 2015 All-State selection, made his impact felt on both sides of the ball last fall, garnering 5-1A Offensive Lineman of the Year for the region runner-up Wildcats.

9. Rooke Young

vs. Giles County

CPA, senior
Hgt.: 6-2 Wgt.: 255
Position: Center

Why chosen: Young started all 15 games at center a season ago, posting 32 pancake blocks with a 96 percent grade while helping lead the Class 3A runner-up Lions to a 13-2 record and a third consecutive BlueCross Bowl appearance.

8. Daly Cull

Junior year O-line highlights

Hendersonville, senior
Hgt.: 6-1 Wgt.: 275

Why chosen: Cull, a 2015 All-Region 6-5A selection, helped pave the way up front for the Commandos’ wing-T rushing attack, which averaged 245.3 yards per contest with 43 touchdowns.

7. D.J. Delfendahl

Junior year

Mt. Juliet, senior
Hgt.: 6-5 Wgt.: 270
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Delfendahl, a 2015 All-Region 6-3A selection for the Golden Bears, has received scholarship offers from seven Division I programs, including MTSU, Austin Peay, Ball State, Brown, Columbia, Eastern Kentucky and Georgia State.

6. Eli Katina

Junior Year

Centennial, senior
Hgt.: 6-2 Wgt.: 275
Position: Guard

Why chosen: Katina, a 2015 All-Midstate selection who has been offered by Tennessee Tech, anchored a Cougars offensive front that helped produce 3,793 yards and 36 touchdowns en route to the school’s first-ever state semifinal appearance.

5. Elijah Dobbins

Junior year

Oakland, senior
Hgt.: 6-4 Wgt.: 270

Why chosen: Dobbins, a 2015 All-Region 2-6A selection with offers from a handful of FCS schools, helped lead a powerful Patriots offense that produced 4,704 yards and 55 touchdowns en route to a Class 6A semifinal appearance.

4. Caden Williams

Junior Season

Franklin, senior
Hgt.: 6-5 Wgt.: 270
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Williams, a two-star prospect and 2015 All-Midstate selection, helped lead the way up front for a potent Franklin running game that racked up 2,429 yards (221.7 per game) and 22 touchdowns last season.

3. Patrick Leitten

Junior Season Highlights

Ravenwood, senior
Hgt.: 6-8 Wgt.: 247
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Leitten, a three-star prospect with scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, MTSU, Memphis and Wake Forest among others, will be one of the few returning starters for the reigning Class 6A champion Raptors.

2. Obinna Eze

OBINNA EZE 270lbs LEFT TACKLE

Davidson Academy, senior
Hgt.: 6-6 Wgt.: 277
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Despite never playing a single down at the varsity level, Eze, a four-star prospect and native of Nigeria,  has received scholarship offers from more than 15 Division I schools, including the entire Southeastern Conference.

1. Max Wray

Sophomore Year

Franklin, junior
Hgt.: 6-6 Wgt.: 265
Position: Tackle

Why chosen: Wray, a four-star Georgia commitment, helped lead the way up front for a powerful Franklin running game that racked up 2,429 yards (221.7 per game) and 22 touchdowns last season.

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

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

KNOXVILLE — Zaevion Dobson’s story will reach a national audience when the slain Fulton High School football player receives the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at next month’s ESPY Awards, which annually honors individual and team athletic achievements at various levels of competition.

Zaevion, a 15-year-old sophomore, was shot to death Dec. 17 while shielding two girls from random bullets fired in an apparent gang-related shooting. Authorities say Zaevion and his friends had no connection to the gunmen and probably were targeted in a retaliatory attack meant for someone else.

He will be the youngest person to win the award, first presented in 1993. The honor recognizes those who embody the spirit of Ashe, a human-rights advocate.

Zaevion’s mother, Zenobia Dobson, and his brothers, Zack Dobson and Markastin Taylor, are expected to accept the award on his behalf in Los Angeles on July 13. The event will be broadcast by ABC Past winners of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award include Muhammad Ali, Pat Summitt and Dean Smith. Caitlyn Jenner was the 2015 recipient.

Continue reading.

Hendersonville Christian Academy’s prep football team will have a new head coach this fall.

The school has hired Daniel Meek to be the Crusaders’ new head coach, replacing Tyler Alexander, who served as head coach last season.

Meek coached last season in Alabama at Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, where he led the Eagles to a 12-2 record and a berth in the Class 1A state semifinals.

“This opportunity to continue developing the Crusader football program is a challenge I look forward to facing head on,” Meek said in a statement. “My wife, Taylor, and I are excited to start this chapter in our lives together.”

The Crusaders compete in the Middle Tennessee Athletic Conference in eight-man football. HCA went 3-7 under Alexander last year in his only season as the Crusaders’ head coach. The Crusaders suffered a 33-30 loss to The Webb School in the MTAC Bowl Bracket semifinals last season.

“Coach Meek brings a good deal of football knowledge and experience to the Crusader program,” HCA athletic director John Taylor said. “Along with his championship level experience, I am confident Daniel will bring toughness, organization, and a competitive spirit to Crusader football.

“I am looking forward to working with Coach Meek and helping him challenge our student-athletes. He is going to play a key role in the development of our speed and strength training program as well.”

The Crusaders open the 2016 season by hosting St. Andrews-Sewanee on Aug. 12.

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

Daniel Meek

Fomer CPA basketball standout Braxton Bonds committed to Houston Baptist University Wednesday, making it his fourth college stop in two years.

It’s been a long journey full of twists and turns for Braxton Bonds, but the former Christ Presbyterian Academy basketball standout believes he has found his new home.

Bonds, the nephew of seven-time National League MVP Barry Bonds, committed to Houston Baptist Wednesday, making it his fourth university in two years.

“I’m excited for a new atmosphere,” Bonds, a two-time state champion at CPA said. “I’ve been in Tennessee for a long time, so a new city will be fun.”

He originally signed at Liberty University out of high school then transferred to Tennessee to be closer to home and walk-on for then-coach Donnie Tyndall. He never played for either school.

After Tyndall‘s recruiting violations brought a premature end to his tenure with the program, Bonds left for Columbia State, where he played last year.

Wednesday, he chose Houston Baptist as his next home, picking the Texas-based school over the University of South Alabama

“I just really felt that Houston Baptist was the place for me,” Bonds said. “I know that I can come in and hopefully make a major impact. It’s where I felt like God was leading me to go.”

As far how long he will stay with Huskies in Houston, Bonds said he hopes his fourth collegiate move is his last.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” he said. “I’ve had a pretty crazy two years with four schools in the two years and I’m pretty sure that this will hopefully be my final place to stay.”

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

After playing Muscle Shoals (Ala.) last season and being unable to schedule the matchup for this season, Pearl-Cohn had a vacancy in its 2016 football schedule.

Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti and his Firebirds will play Liberty Tech Magnet on Sept. 23.

With Jackson Central-Merry closing as a school, Liberty Tech Magnet also had a gap to fill.

That not only made a perfect match schedule-wise, but will also create one of the state’s most intriguing matchups of the upcoming football season.

Liberty will travel to Pearl-Cohn on Sept. 23 during a week 6 contest, pitting a Firebirds squad that reached the 4A title game a season ago and finished 10-5 (falling to Knox Catholic in the BlueCross Bowl) vs. one of West Tennessee’s top squads. The Crusaders were undefeated going into the 3A semifinals in 2015 before falling to eventual runner-up CPA.

“It’s a win-win for both teams,” said Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti. “It gives us a chance to grow a little bit (before the matchup).”

Schools are on the second year of two-year scheduling cycles, which typically makes filling dates difficult. Muscle Shoals was in its second year of a two-year run last season when Pearl-Cohn was able to fill a schedule vacancy. The deal was just for the one season.

Pearl-Cohn had one of the state’s toughest non-region schedules a year ago, and replacing Muscle Shoals with Liberty won’t make the 2016 schedule much easier.

Also on Pearl-Cohn’s slate this year will be non-region battles against 5A power Hillsboro, DII-AA power MBA and 3A runner-up (and 2014 state champion) CPA.

“Good competition makes us better,” Brunetti said. “(Liberty game) should help us, as long as we grow from it and stay healthy. We’re very young right now.”

Clarksville-Northwest’s Jaylen Jackson

Blackman’s Anthony Ochoa (22)

Smyrna’s Deylon Williams

Oakland’s Jackson Cauthen (28)

Football

Hillsboro’s Javonta Wiggins (2).

With the start of high school football less than two months away, here’s a look at some of the top returning Midstate linebackers for the 2016 season, as ranked by The Tennessean’s Michael Murphy.

Independence’s Hunter Dupree (right)

10. Jaylen Jackson

Northwest, Sr.
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185

Why chosen: Jackson, a 2015 All-Region 6-5A selection, had 141 tackles and a pair of sacks as a junior, helping lead the Vikings to a 5-5 record — their most successful season since 2009.

Junior year!!

9. Mitch Rossi

Franklin, Sr.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 215

Why chosen: Rossi, a two-way starter and 2015 All-Region 3-6A selection, recorded a team-leading 77 tackles, including 10 behind the line of scrimmage, with two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries for the Rebels last season.

Junior Year

8. Brett Starr

MBA, Sr.
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 225

Why chosen: Starr had 40 tackles, a sack, two interceptions and a pair of pass deflections in 2015, helping lead the Division II-AA runner-up Big Red to a second consecutive BlueCross Bowl appearance.

Junior Season

7. JaVonta Wiggins

Hillsboro, Jr.
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 225

Why chosen: Wiggins, who started 10 games as a sophomore, had 54 tackles and three sacks a season ago, helping lead the Burros to a 9-4 record and a second consecutive Class 5A quarterfinal appearance.

2015 Spring Highlights

6. Jackson Cauthen

Oakland, Sr.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 210

Why chosen: Cauthen, a 2015 All-Midstate and All-Region 2-6A selection, registered a team-leading 150 tackles with four interceptions and three pass breakups a season ago, helping lead the region champion Patriots to a 12-2 record and a Class 6A semifinal appearance.

2015 Junior Year Highlights

5. Deylon Williams

Smyrna, Sr.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 220

Why chosen: After recording 67 tackles as a sophomore in 2014, Williams, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, did not play a single down last season after suffering a shoulder injury in spring practice.

Sophmore Year 6’2″ 235

4. Hunter Dupree

Independence, Sr.
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 215

Why chosen: In addition to being the team’s leading tackler (118), Dupree, a 2015 All-Midstate selection, was a takeaway machine last season, hauling in five interceptions while causing four fumbles for the unbeaten Class 5A champion Eagles.

3. Anthony Ochoa

Blackman, Sr.
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 220

Why chosen: Ochoa, a 2015 All-Region 2-6A selection, posted 77 tackles, including 12 behind the line of scrimmage, three sacks and a forced fumble last season, helping lead the region runner-up Blaze to 10-3 record and a Class 6A quarterfinal appearance.

Junior Highlights

2. Cain McWilliams

Marshall County, Sr.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 225

Why chosen: McWilliams, a three-star transfer from Fayetteville High School who recently picked up an offer from South Carolina, recorded 67 tackles, including 18 behind the line of scrimmage, with four sacks and two interceptions a season ago.

JR Season Highlights

1. Jacob Phillips

East Nashville, Sr.
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 228

Why chosen: Phillips, the state’s top-ranked linebacker according to 247Sports, had 122 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception a season ago, and the 2015 All-Midstate selection has offers from more than 20 Division I schools.

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

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Oakland’s Kaleb Oliver, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound safety, committed to Mississippi State on Wednesday.

MURFREESBORO — Kaleb Oliver recently visited Mississippi State for a football camp.

He plans on returning to Starkville next year.

Oliver, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound safety, committed to the school on Wednesday.

“I went down (last) Friday to Mississippi State and went to camp,” Oliver said. “I worked with their (defensive backs) coach (Maurice Linguist). I liked how he coached.

“He just worked with me. After talking to my parents and telling them how much I like it there, they got on the phone and talked to (defensive coordinator Peter) Sirmon. We just made it happen.”

Commitments are nonbinding for the athlete and the school. Oliver cannot sign until Feb. 1.

Oliver is ranked as the 19th-best football prospect in the state for the Class of 2017 by 247Sports. He had 99 tackles with five interceptions and three sacks in 2015.

“It’s huge for somebody from this area to sign with an SEC school, particularly one that has been to bowl games and had winning records and coached by one of the top-notch coaches around,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. “And their (defensive) coordinator (Sirmon) played with the Titans.

“He’s going to a school with good coaches and able to compete at the highest level. I think that tells what kind of player that everybody has projected Kaleb to be in college.”

Oliver is the younger brother of former Tennessee signee Kyle Oliver, who played last year at Jones Community College in Mississippi.

Oliver had seven offers, including South Carolina, Vanderbilt and MTSU.

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

Oakland’s Kaleb Oliver (6) celebrates making an interception during the game against Blackman. Oliver committed to Mississippi State on Wednesday.

MURFREESBORO — Kaleb Oliver became the latest football player Wednesday from Rutherford County to commit to an SEC program.

Kaleb Oliver

Oliver, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound Oakland High safety, committed to Mississippi State.

“It’s huge for somebody from this area to sign with an SEC school, particularly one that has been to bowl games and had winning records and coached by one of the top-notch coaches around,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. “And their (defensive) coordinator (Peter Sirmon) played with the Titans.

“He’s going to a school with good coaches and able to compete at the highest level. I think that tells what kind of player that everybody has projected Kaleb to be in college.”

Oliver had 99 tackles with five interceptions and three sacks in 2015.

Oliver is the third Rutherford County football player to commit for the Class of 2016. La Vergne’s Maleik Gray and Princeton Fant have both committed to Tennessee.

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

Softball

Wilson Central High rising sophomore Kaylee Richetto has verbally committed to the Middle Tennessee State University softball program.

Richetto is the fifth Lady Wildcat to sign a letter-of-intent or verbally commit to a college program from the 2016 squad.

The pitcher/shortstop helped Wilson Central to a 27-13 record and its fourth consecutive regional appearance, compiling a .439 batting average with 16 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 34 runs, 40 RBIs and a .504 on-base percentage.

In the pitcher’s circle, she was 17-9 with a 3.21 ERA.

Senior infielder Katie Eakes (.423, 16 extra-base hits, 47 RBI) is a University of North Alabama signee, and classmate Lily Bombard (.337, 27 runs scored) – an outfielder – will continue her playing career at Freed-Hardeman University.

Junior infielder Claire Smith (.519, 19 extra-base hits, 51 runs scored) and junior shortstop Brooke Pfefferle have committed to MTSU and Austin Peay, respectively. Pfefferle did not play this spring due to a knee injury, after batting .469 during Wilson Central’s 2015 state-championship season.