DCHS Tigers Preparing for Upcoming Football Season Amid COVID-19 Uncertainties

June 22, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Tiger Football Team has been on the practice field this month making preparations for the start of the season in August barring any delays due to COVID-19

The TSSAA has not, to this point, had any official discussion about altering the start date for the season — which is slated for Aug. 21.

Tiger Coach Steve Trapp said June practices have gone well although some adjustments had to be made which included mostly having to work in smaller groups.

Under TSSAA dead period requirements, the team is taking a couple of weeks off but will return in July with a full schedule of pre-season activity leading up to the scheduled season opener at home on August 21 at home against their border rival Warren County.

Coach Trapp has high hopes for this team and believes it can contend for the region championship if the season is allowed to play out as scheduled.

“We were allowed June 1 to get back to work in our summer program and that’s really four days after we would have normally started. We typically start in June, the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and we would have 19 days before the dead period. This year as far as scheduling goes the only thing that has been different is we had 15 days instead of 19. This summer we have had to group our guys and do things a lot differently as far as the way we got our work done but the one thing I have told all the parents I have talked to and the players is we will get the same work done that we usually do in June. We just have to go through a different process,” said Coach Trapp.

“This summer we have had to break down our workouts into smaller groups with multiple practice sessions a day but by having them in small groups we were able to have 2 or 3 coaches working with them (10-12 guys) at a time on more of an individual basis. They might not have been able to do it that way if everybody was together. It probably made it a little easier on the guys because they got in and out sooner than what they would have and it was only 30 minutes longer for the coaches. There were a lot of positives on the structure we had to get in our practices but the biggest negative was that our whole team wasn’t together with that team bond and camaraderie that you have with your brothers. That is the one thing you start building in January and you continue to build all the way through the summer. The biggest positive is that we were able to get back with these guys and get to work a little bit and start preparing for hopefully a successful season,” he said.

“The dead period is the last week of June and the first week of July and that is always the case. We get away from each other for two weeks. We will come back July 6 and at this point as far as our July calendar all the events we would normally have are still scheduled but it’s a week by week thing as far as changes and what we are allowed to do. Over the dead period I will get more information from our local school system on if we will be allowed to get into more football-like scenarios with our team together. We need to get to that point because our season is just around the corner,” Coach Trapp continued.

“I think everybody in the community is hopeful and wanting us to play football. I know I am and these kids are ready. We have a lot of experience coming back off a team that really made some noise last year at the end of the year. We have high expectations. We have a quality football team with a lot of quality guys and quality support. Everything is there for us but ultimately we have to make sure we do our part. As long as we stay healthy, hungry, and humble I think we will be okay,” said Coach Trapp.

The season kicks off on Friday, August 21 in Smithville against Warren County followed by another home game against Upperman on August 28. The first road game will be September 4 at Stone Memorial in Crossville.

All games start at 7:00 p.m. All opponents are the same as last year but the home and away games are reversed this year.

WJLE will have LIVE coverage each week.

The DCHS 2020 Football Schedule is as follows:
REGION OPPONENTS (*)
August 21: Warren County- Smithville 7 p.m.
August 28: Upperman-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 4: Stone Memorial*-Crossville 7 p.m.
September 11: Watertown-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 18: Grundy County- Away 7 p.m.
September 25: Cannon County-Woodbury 7 p.m.
October 2: Livingston Academy*-Smithville 7 p.m.
October 9: Smith County-Carthage 7 p.m.
October 16: Macon County*-Lafayette 7 p.m.
October 23: BYE WEEK
October 30: Cumberland County* Smithville 7 p.m.

June 22, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Three “Blood Assurance” drives are coming up in July.

The first one will be Friday, July 3 from 8 a.m. until 12 noon outside in the parking lot of Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital in the bloodmobile. The second blood drive will be Wednesday, July 8 at the Family Medical Center from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. located outside in the parking lot in the bloodmobile. The third drive will be Monday July 20 from 12 noon until 5 p.m. at the county complex senior citizen center inside the bloodmobile.

For the July 3 blood drive, you may schedule an appointment at www.bloodassurance.org/saintthomasdekalb. You may also contact Trudy Cody concerning the blood drive at 931-239-9411 or trudycody@bloodassurance.org.

To schedule your visit on July 8, go to www.bloodassurance.org/familymedctr or contact Michiko Martin at 615-597-4395 or mmartin@dtccom.net.

For the July 20 drive schedule an appointment at wwwbloodassurance.org/dekalb or contact Jimmy Poss at 615-464-7426 or jimposs72@yahoo.com

Remember to eat a good meal, drink additional water, and avoid energy drinks and bring a photo ID.
Save time on your donation by answering your health history questions the day of the blood donation before you arrive. Just download “bloodassurancequickscreen” on your phone.

All donors will be given a special beach towel or cooler tote bag and donors age 18 and older who donate two times this summer will be automatically entered to win a medium Big Green Egg and Eggcessories Grill.

Blood Assurance is the sole blood provider for the local hospitals and your donation is needed for an adequate supply.

June 21, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Voters will again find it convenient to vote early for the upcoming August 6 election.

The DeKalb County Election Commission voted recently to set the early voting hours the same as in previous elections.

The early voting hours for the August election will be as follows:

Mondays from 1 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.; Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; Thursdays from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.; and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until NOON.

“Usually, the afternoon numbers are among the largest of the early voting period,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “And based on that history, the commission wants to provide two afternoon voting periods to make it easier for those who like voting early or cannot make it to the polls on election day.”

Early voting for the August 6 election begins July 17 and will run through August 1.

(Click link below to view ballot)

Ballot

Local voters will make their choice in one contested county-wide election, one contested school board race, a contested Smithville Municipal Election and in the state Republican or Democratic primaries. (a copy of the ballot can be found here) There are uncontested races for Constable, another school board seat, the mayor and two aldermen in Dowelltown and for aldermen seats in Alexandria. In addition, there is an uncontested race for Criminal Court Judge Part II District 13 and a state judicial retention question.

The county general ballot is headlined by the race for Assessor of Property with incumbent Republican Shannon A. Cantrell facing Democratic challenger Tom R. Duggin.

All seven constable candidates will be unopposed in their respective districts including Waylon Kyle in the 1st District, Darrell Johnson 2nd District, Travis Bryant 3rd District, Paul Cantrell 4th District, Mark Milam 5th District, Jason Brown 6th District, and Johnny King in the 7th District.

Two candidates, Jason Lee Miller and Shawn Washer, are seeking the 6th District School Board seat. Jamie Cripps is unopposed for the School Board in the 5th district.

Meanwhile, Republican Criminal Court Judge Wesley Bray will be unopposed in the 13th Judicial District special election on August 6th to serve out the last two years of former Judge David Patterson’s unexpired term. Patterson stepped down from the bench last year and Bray was appointed by the Governor to succeed him until the August 6th, 2020 election.

In Smithville, five candidates are vying for three seats on the city board. The aldermen candidates are: H. Don Crook (Incumbent), Jessica L. Higgins, Shawn Jacobs (Incumbent), Tim Perricone, and Danny Washer (incumbent).

Meanwhile a mayor and two aldermen will be elected in the Dowelltown City Election on August 6th
Incumbent Dowelltown Mayor Pam Redmon will be unopposed for re-election while Phillip Byford and Chris Walker will be running for Dowelltown Alderman.

Although five aldermen seats were to have been filled on August 6th in the Alexandria City Election only one person qualified to get her name on the ballot. Lynne Dickerson is seeking a four year term as Alderman.

There are 15 candidates for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary and five candidates in the Democratic Primary.

Sixth District Congressman John Rose is unopposed in the Republican Primary and on the Democratic side, Christopher Martin Finley is unopposed. Those two will square off in November.

Incumbent state representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Clark Boyd are unopposed in August. Weaver will face opposition from Independent candidate Paddy Sizemore of Smith County in the November Tennessee General Election. Boyd will be unopposed.

Suanne Bone of Lebanon qualified for the Tennessee Democratic Primary on August 6th to fill a vacancy as State Executive Committeewoman in District 17.

A copy of the August 6 ballot can also be found at www.dekalbelections.com.