DCHS Tigers Open Football Season Hosting Warren County Tonight. (Listen to WJLE’s Tiger Talk Program Here)

August 19, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Tigers plan to hit the ground running, throwing, or whatever it takes to get a victory as they launch the 2022 football campaign hosting the visiting Warren County Pioneers in the season opener tonight (Friday) in Smithville. Kick-off is at 7 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage.

 https://www.wjle.com/tiger-talk-august-19-2022/

With 12 seniors on the team, Tiger Coach Steve Trapp, who is starting his 18th year, isn’t necessarily concerned about experience but there are key positions that will have to be filled.

“We have a veteran club with a lot of juniors and seniors who have played a lot of football for us so we are anticipating some good football. Our philosophy has always been to do what is going to be successful. If we need to run the ball 30 times a game then that is what we will do. I think Running Back Colby Barnes is up to the task and he will definitely get the ball a lot more than he has in the past. He always split time with Nathaniel Crook the last couple of years but he (Colby) will not come off the field this year unless he needs a breather or whatever. He is a player that the ball is going to go to a lot. He just has to make sure he has that desire and wants to carry his football team while has the ball in his belly,” said Coach Trapp.

“We have three of our four receivers back from last year so there is a lot of experience there also including Josh May who has been a starter for four years and most of that was on defense the last couple of years but he is a guy that can do a lot of things for us. He can play tight end. He can be a standup receiver, come back in the backfield and he has great vision. When he has the ball in his hands he does a really good job. I really see an expanded role for him this year. It might not be on the stat sheet but what he does blocking and getting guys in the right position and the way he leads the defense as a linebacker is really huge for us. I also think John Ellis will have a big year for us. He has that big time playmaking ability. Nolan Gottlied and Holden Trapp played a lot for us last year and Malachi Trapp has moved in here. I think he is a special athlete and is still trying to learn everything so he is doing a good job for us. Briz Trapp, at quarterback is returning so throwing, running it or whatever we need to do offensively I think we can do it. We have three of our offensive linemen back. We have plugged in two guards including Chris Pulley. He is a sophomore and a big guy but he moves really well and keeps getting better each week. Landon Crips is at the other guard position and he is another guy who is improving each week but there is a lot of competition every day to make sure we can keep those spots there. Tyler Estes is our sixth man there if we need him so we have some quality depth. Offensively I really like our opportunities to be a very special offense,” Coach Trapo continued.

“The defense has really been solid going all the way back through spring. Coach Michael Shaw does a great job with those guys and getting them in the right position to make plays. We have some big guys up front. Colby Barnes is the reigning region defensive end of the year and he is a really good running back too. There is a lot of speed and strength on the edge and then we have Shadie Rankhorn in the middle at nose guard and then there’s Wil Ferris and Ean Jones who will play a lot of defense for us. Aaron Hatfield is smaller in stature but he moves really well and gets where he needs to be and it allows the linebackers to be free behind them so there is a lot of depth up front that we can rotate in and out. Linebacker wise, Ari White moves from the nose guard position back to middle linebacker. He and Estes have been playing linebacker together for years and you can tell. We have May on the outside and Johnny Skinner on the outside on the other side and he is doing a great job. Secondary wise is really where we have to replace almost everybody. John Ellis is back. He played corner last year but we moved him in that safety position where Isaac Knowles had been. Ty Webb became a starter there at the end of the year and he is back there again at the other safety position. Our two corners right now are Holden Trapp and Trace Hamilton. They have doing a good job for us so I am really excited about our defense,” said Coach Trapp.

As for tonight’s opponent in the Warren County Pioneers, ”They are going to be a hungry football team,” said Coach Trapp. “Coming off the year they had last year, they went through a lot with COVID and injuries and being a younger football team but a lot of those guys we played against last year are still there. They are a year older, a year stronger and a year wiser so they are a better football team. We don’t take any opponent lightly, but I feel good with how our team has prepared all week. Its going to be a battle out there,” said Coach Trapp.

WJLE’s Pre-Game shows begin with “Coach to Coach” at 5:00 p.m. featuring former UT assistant coach Doug Matthews with former coach Dave McGinnis and broadcaster Larry Stone talking Tennessee and SEC football.
“Coach to Coach” is followed by “Murphy’s Matchups at 6:00 p.m., a look at Tennessee High School Football from Murphy Fair with commentary on games and coaches interviews.

“Tiger Talk” airs at 6:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor interviewing Coach Steve Trapp and Tiger football players Colby Barnes, Ean Jones, Josh May, and Tyler Estes.

Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. with play-by-play coverage on WJLE from the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor and Luke Willoughby. Listen LIVE on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com

The DCHS 2022 Football Schedule is as follows:

REGION OPPONENTS (*)
August 19: Warren County- Smithville 7 p.m.
August 26: Smith County-Carthage 7 p.m.
September 1 (THURSDAY): Macon County*-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 9: Watertown-Smithville 7 p.m.
September 16: Cumberland County*- Crossville 7 p.m.
September 23: Cannon County-Woodbury 7 p.m.
September 30: Livingston Academy* (HOMECOMING)-Smithville 7 p.m.
October 14: Upperman*-Baxter 7 p.m.
October 21: Goodpasture-Goodpasture 7 p.m.
October 28: Stone Memorial* Smithville 7 p.m.

WJLE AM/FM will have LIVE coverage of each week’s games and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com.

August 18, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Members of the “Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour” will sponsor their annual “Art for Kids Day” Saturday, August 20 from 8 a.m. until 12 noon at the DeKalb Farmers Market in support of the School System’s Backpack Program to help feed hungry children.

All the artwork for this annual event is donated and all the money raised from sales goes to the Backpack Program. Instruction will be given to children from age 3 and older on artwork creations they can produce during the event for free to take home whether it be projects involving coloring, painting, paper mache, sculpting etc.

August 18, 2022
By:

Four Constitutional Amendments will appear on the November ballot, according to the DeKalb County Election Commission.

The amendments deal with issues ranging from employment rights to a process for the temporary exercise of power of the governor to forever prohibiting slavery to deleting a section which prohibits ministers from holding a seat in the legislature.

“There will be a summary of each amendment on the ballot for voters to read and review before casting their vote,” said Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. “A copy of the sample ballot will be released late next month and voters should review the language of the amendments in advance,” he said.
In general terms, Constitutional Amendment #1 would add a new section to article X1 to make it illegal for any person, corporation, association or the State of Tennessee or its political subdivisions to deny or attempt to deny employment to any person because of the person’s membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization.

Constitutional Amendment #2 would add to Article III, Section 12 of the current constitution a process for the temporary exercise of powers and duties of the governor by the Speaker of the Senate (or the Speaker of the House if there is no Speaker of the Senate in office) when the governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

Constitutional Amendment #3 would change the language in article I, section 33 of the current constitution with “slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”

Constitutional Amendment #4 simply deletes article IX, section I of the current constitution which prohibits ministers of the gospel and priests of any denomination from holding a seat in either House of the legislature.

“Once a sample ballot is released later, voters will see that the Amendments will be placed on the ballot directly after the Governor’s race,” Stanley said. “Amendments are presented as yes or no questions. A “yes” vote is a vote to amend the Constitution and adopt the proposed language in the amendment. A “no” vote is a vote to NOT amend the constitution and keep the current language in the Constitution unchanged,” he added.

For any amendment to pass, it must get more “yes” votes than “no” votes; and the number of “yes” votes must be a majority of the total votes in the gubernatorial election.

The November ballot will include three state offices and one local office only in District 4.

Candidates for Governor are incumbent Republican Bill Lee; Democratic Nominee Jason Brantley Martin and Independents Constance M. Every, John Gentry, Basil Marceaux, Charles Van Morgan, Alfred O’Neil, Deborah Rouse, Michael E. Scantland and Rick Tyler.

Candidates for U.S. Congress District 6 are incumbent Republican John Rose and Democratic Nominee Randal Cooper.

Candidates for State House 40th District are Republican Nominee Michael Hale and Democratic Nominee Tom Cook, both from DeKalb County.

In the 4th District of DeKalb County, Constable will be on the ballot again as the office is currently vacant and no candidate qualified for the May primaries or August General Elections.

Because of the law relating to vacancies, a party nominee must be chosen by the respective parties and the candidate’s name reported to the local election office no later than Noon September 14. Independent candidates for Constable can qualify by petition and the petition must be returned by the same deadline.