News
DCHS Tigerettes to Begin Their State Tournament Run Tuesday, May 20 (View Video Here of Coach Ethan Duke)
May 19, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Eight teams in Class 3A will be competing starting Tuesday, May 20 for a TSSAA Championship in girls fast pitch softball and the DeKalb County High School Tigerettes is among them.
(Click link below to view state tournament bracket)
The Tigerettes (23-5-1) will face McNairy Central (24-8) in game one of this double elimination state tournament to be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at McKnight Field #1 in Murfreesboro. WJLE will have LIVE coverage with the Voice of the Tigerettes John Pryor on AM 1480/FM 101.7 and on the LIVE audio stream at www.wjle.com. The winner will advance to the next round against either Dyer County (31-9) or Unicoi County (23-8) Wednesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. at Starplex #1 . The loser will play Wednesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. at Starplex #3.
DeKalb County, champions of the district regular season, district tournament, region tournament, and sectionals, are looking to end the year with the program’s first ever state title.
Tigerette Coach Ethan Duke told WJLE Monday in a video interview shown here that he knew from the start of the season that this team was special.
“The girls were excited the moment February got here and we started practice, and we said we would not stop until we got to Murfreesboro. Words are only words but from the first day we stepped out on the field, I knew this team was going to be different. Now we are here (state tournament) and we won’t stop until the very last day,” said Coach Duke.
Seniors Kora Kilgore and Bryna Pelham have anchored the team, but Coach Duke said the supporting cast has more than stepped up to the plate.
“Along with our two senior leaders, Kora and Bryna, our other upperclassmen, sophomores and freshmen have done exactly what they said they were going to do,” Coach Duke continued. “ Its great to have senior leadership and I applaud those two (Kilgore and Pelham) for all their accomplishments but our juniors like Zayleigh Bain have been a primary player this year, Tatum Young has come along after not playing softball for her entire life except for the last two years and the transition she has made from soccer to softball has been really something. Our sophomores, Hannah Brown, Brooke Fuson, and Riley Wilbur are doing big things and then our freshmen have come in and contributed. There was a lot of expectations on their shoulders when they got here but they have done exactly what we wanted them to do. Its a team effort. That’s how you win. I’m super proud to say I’m part of this program,” he said.
In the pitching circle, Coach Duke said Kora Kilgore has been nothing short of spectacular. “Kora has been special probably since she first stepped foot on the dirt back in tee ball. She knew for herself that she would not stop until she became a very storied player in DeKalb County softball history. As of today, Kora has over 300 strikeouts but if you ask her, she will say she still has work to do,” said Coach Duke.
Asked if Kora’s pitching prowess is more effective because she is a lefty, Coach Duke said “I think it is and because of her stature she comes from a different vantage point. A lot of her pitches have so much movement on them that a lot of these hitters have not seen and that’s what I think may give us a little bit of an edge going into this tournament. I don’t think a lot of teams have seen somebody like Kora. If that does give us an advantage all we have to do is back her up offensively,” said Coach Duke.
As for Tuesday’s game, Coach Duke said McNairy Central looks to be very similar to the Tigerettes. “We have done a little research on McNairy Central. They seem to be very similar to us. They have a UT Knoxville commit on their team. She is a go getter. She pitches but she is going to UTK as a utility player. We don’t take anybody for granted but if we go and play DeKalb County Tigerette softball I don’t think there are a lot of teams that can handle it,” he said.
Coach Duke added that the Tigerettes are hoping for a huge turnout from DeKalb County at the game Tuesday.
“We appreciate the community support. If you can come and watch us I know the girls would love to see you there,” Coach Duke concluded.
The Tradition Continues (View Video Here)
May 19, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
The tradition continues!
As the 2025 DCHS Tigerette Softball Team prepares to make a run in the TSSAA Class 3A tournament Tuesday in Murfreesboro, the entire DeKalb County community will be rooting for its success. Aside from those closest to the team, perhaps none will be cheering any louder than legendary coach Danny Bond, who guided the program for the first 31 years of its existence before his retirement in 2016.
(View video here as former DCHS Softball Coach Danny Bond talks with WJLE about this year’s state tournament bound Tigerette team and the eight teams he coached in the state’s spring fling)
“This is an exciting team to watch play. I am really proud of this group,” said former Coach Bond, who often attends the Tigerettes games. “My hat’s off to Senior Tigerette pitcher Kora Kilgore who got her 300th strike out this year. I’m impressed with Kora’s dedication as an athlete and as a student with her being the Class of 2025 Valedictorian,” he said.
The Tigerettes will face McNairy Central at the Murfreesboro Sports Com McKnight Field #1 Tuesday, May 20. Game time is 1 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage with the Voice of the Tigerettes John Pryor. Listen LIVE on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 and on the LIVE audio stream at www.wjle.com.
This will be the 9th state tournament appearance for the DCHS softball program and the first for Tigerette Coach Ethan Duke and Assistant Danielle Horton.
Under Coach Bond, the Tigerettes made their spring fling debut in 1992 with return trips to the state tournament in 1994, 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Over the years, Coach Bond was assisted by Danny Fish, who later followed Bond as a successful Tigerette head softball coach in his own right, along with other assistants and those who helped including Lynus Martin, Kim McCoy, Amy Tobitt and Melissa Ruch. In the early years before the high school softball field was developed, the Tigerettes played at the Bill Page Ballpark and Coach Bond gave special recognition to both Bill and Joann Page (now deceased) for their help during that time.
Coach Bond said he can relate to how Coach Duke and Assistant Coach Horton must feel as they prepare the Tigerettes to play on high school softball’s biggest stage in Tennessee.
“In 1992 we had eight seniors on the team. We played at Warner Field in Chattanooga. For us, we were like deer in headlights. It was our first trip to the state tournament, and we saw some very good teams down there. It was double elimination like it is today and we went 0-2. We were eliminated in the loser’s bracket by Knoxville Gibbs on a questionable call. That was the only time I ever got thrown out of a game by an umpire or referee,” said Coach Bond.
“After 1992, we went back to the state tournament a total of seven times and all through those years we had some great athletes, which you must have to get to that point. But especially 2016 I thought we had a good chance of winning it. We had a good makeup of players, went 2-2 in the tournament, and finished around 4th place. If I had to pick the best team during my time the 2016 team was probably the most successful at that level,” said Coach Bond.
In his 31 winning seasons as softball coach, Bond compiled an overall win-loss record of 680-258-1 (.725). His District win-loss record was 293-56 (.840). For his accomplishments, the DCHS high school softball field was named the “Danny Bond Field” in 2014 by the Board of Education in tribute to the legendary coach.
Other Achievements over those 31 years:
*17 Regular Season District Titles
*15 District Tournament Titles
*24 Region Tournament Appearances
*6 Region Tournament Titles
*12 Sub-State Appearances
*8 Sub-State Titles
*8 State Tournament Appearances
*1 State Final Four Appearance
Bell Gets Six Year Prison Sentence for Reckless Homicide
May 19, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
A woman indicted by the DeKalb County Grand Jury for 2nd degree murder in the 2021 death of a man believed to have overdosed on Fentanyl was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Monday, May 19.
64-year-old Tommye Lou Bell entered a plea to reckless homicide and received a TDOC sentence of six years to serve at 30% before her release eligibility date. Bell has been given jail credit of 104 days. She and two co-defendants, 51-year-old Sharon Joyce Malone and 48-year-old Vanessa Louise Lance, were indicted for 2nd degree murder and possession of schedule II drugs (Fentanyl & Cocaine) with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver (2 counts)
The indictment against the three alleged that between the dates of December 13-16, 2021, Bell, Lance, and Malone did unlawfully and recklessly kill 64-year-old Stephen Wayne Mullican of Old Snows Hill Road, Dowelltown by the unlawful distribution, delivery, or dispensation of Fentanyl, Acetyl Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Ethanol and that these drugs were the proximate cause of Mullican’s death. Mullican was reportedly Lance’s father.
Bell was also indicted for unlawfully selling the schedule II drugs Fentanyl and Cocaine between the dates of December 13-16, 2021.
Malone and Lance were co-indicted for unlawfully delivering the schedule II drugs Fentanyl and Cocaine between December 13-16, 2021.
The cases were investigated by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Detectives and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
