Sports - WJLE Radio

Lady Tigers Win at Warren County

The DCHS Tigers and Lady Tigers paid a call on their border rivals at Warren County Monday night.

The Lady Tigers won 52 to 47 while the Tigers lost to the Pioneers 60 to 27.

In the girl’s game, DC led 14 to 13 after the 1st period but trailed 28 to 27 at halftime. The Lady Tigers grabbed a 38 to 34 lead after the 3rd period and went on to win 52 to 47.

Ella VanVranken led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 23. Kadee Ferrell 15, Cadee Griffith 8, and Megan Cantrell and Madison Martin each with 3.

The Tigers trailed 15 to 10 after the 1st period, 25 to 15 at halftime, 40 to 22 after the 3rd period, and lost 60 to 27.

Brayden Antoniak scored 10, Elishah Ramos 6, Luke Jenkins 5, Evan Jones 4, and Jordan Young 2.

DeKalb County will host Red Boiling Springs tonight (Tuesday) starting with the girls game at 6 p.m. followed by the boy’s game. WJLE will broadcast LIVE.

Tigers and Lady Tigers off to great start

The DCHS basketball teams got the season off to a great start Tuesday night with wins over visiting Whitehouse in Smithville.

The Lady Tigers opened with a 74 to 48 win while the Tigers ended the night with a 51 to 48 victory.

In the girls game, DeKalb County led 22 to 11 after the 1st period, 37 to 21 at halftime, and 56 to 35 after the 3rd period before notching a 74 to 48 win.

Kadee Ferrell scored 22 for the Lady Tigers followed by Megan Cantrell with 15, Ella VanVranken 13, Grace Griffin 6, Summer Crook and Xharia Lyons each with 4, Natalie Snipes and Madison Martin each with 3 and Cadee Grffith and Tess Barton each with 2 points.

The Tigers led 14 to 12 after the 1st period of the boys game and 25 to 22 at halftime. The game was tied at 33 by the end of the 3rd period but the Tigers outscored Whitehouse in the 4th period and won 51 to 48.

Jordan Young scored 13, Brayden Antoniak 12, Luke Jenkins 11, Elishah Ramos 10, and Evan Jones with 5.

DeKalb County travels to Pickett County Saturday night, November 21 with the girls game starting at 5 p.m. followed by the boys contest. Because of the Tennessee-Auburn football game WJLE will be unable to broadcast the high school games Saturday night.

Coach Danny Fish Previews 2020-21 Lady Tiger Basketball Season (View video here)

The DeKalb County Tigers and Lady Tigers will tip off the 2020-21 basketball campaign with two nights of Hall of Fame games on Tuesday and Saturday, November 17 & 21.

Whitehouse comes to town Tuesday night, November 17 with girls action beginning at 6 p.m. followed by the boys showdown at DCHS. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will then travel to Pickett County on Saturday night, November 21 starting with girls play at 5 p.m. followed by the boys.

DCHS Lady Tiger Coach Danny Fish from dwayne page on Vimeo.

In a WJLE Tiger Talk video interview Friday , Lady Tiger Coach Danny Fish talked about the pre-season and how the team has had to contend with COVID-19. (WJLE will post a video interview with Tiger Coach John Sanders on Sunday)

“We have been following the guidelines that were set in June and started conditioning in September when we got back in school. We were lifting and working in groups of three and then we hit a snag in October when a couple of players tested positive for COVID-19. We (team) were at home for 18 school days in the month of October which made it hard for us to train and we missed the first four days of official practice in November but we have been having two-a-days since then. The girls have had good energy and a good work ethic in those practices and I feel pretty confident in where we are at today. We will have a learning curve at the beginning of the year but I think we will come out and play some exciting basketball,” said Coach Fish

Last year’s Lady Tiger team compiled an 18-15 record and a semi-finals finish in the Region Tournament led by seniors Mya Ruch, Emme Colwell, Kenzie France, and Megan Walker.

Coach Fish will be looking to the four seniors on this year’s team to follow in their footsteps.

“We have four seniors. Megan Cantrell was our best 6th man last year. I expect her to have a good year. She has really grown in her leadership and skill level which I hope will translate to the floor. Grace Griffin is coming back. She came off the bench last year. I am expecting good things from Grace. Hannah Willingham was our backup point guard last year and she will contribute and Ellie Cripps is back with us this year. She has been a good team member for us,” said Coach Fish.

As for the juniors, “Everybody is wanting to know what Kadee Ferrell is going to do this year. I think she is going to be healthy and will have a good year. That Junior Class also includes Natalie Snipes, Summer Crook, and Kennedy Agee but she (Agee) is down with an ACL again. The Sophomore Class includes Madison Martin. We are expecting some good play from her and Xharia Lyons has also come along. Our Freshman Class is large and looks good. I think we will have at least a couple of freshmen like Ella VanVranken and Cadee Griffith that will probably get a lot of playing time. The rest are doing developmental work to be ready when those seniors graduate. I like the energy of our team and their consistency and effort in practice. That makes me think we’re going to have a pretty good year,” Coach Fish continued.

With so many teams in the district returning experienced players from last year, Coach Fish knows the task for his team will be challenging.

“There are a lot of unknowns for us. Macon County is ranked pre-season as 4th in the state and they are returning most of their team. Upperman is a pre-season number 1 and they are returning everybody. Livingston Academy returns everybody and so does Smith County and York Institute. It seems everybody is returning everybody except for us and Cannon County,” he said.

“Our style of play will be a little bit different this year because we are more athletic than we were last year. The group last year was more of a physical, bruising team. This year we have a lot of kids who can run and get up and down the floor. It should be exciting. I will be interested to see how we come out. The question is are we going to be able to finish off games because in District 8AA that is what you have to do especially on the road. That experience is what we have been missing over the last couple of years with girls who played so many minutes and have graduated. That experience of being on the floor in crunch time is what we are missing. There will be some ups and downs but by the end of the year I believe we will be right where we need to be,” said Coach Fish

With Covid-19 still a threat, Coach Fish understands there is no guarantee the season will go according to schedule

“Hopefully we can stay healthy. I know the girls and their parents are doing everything they can to make sure our kids have a season this year. We can’t take things for granted. We may be here one day and then be off for two weeks if something happens. Its going to be a roller coaster,” he said.

Because of the pandemic, attendance will have to be limited.

“We’re looking at about 330 people in attendance. We sold season tickets to our parents and it will be opened up to the public per day according to however many tickets can be allotted. We will follow the rules and be at no more than 33% gym capacity. If we are in compliance that gives our kids the best chance to play,” added Coach Fish.

The 2020-21 DCHS Basketball Schedule is as follows:
(*) denotes District 8 AA games.
(^) denotes Region 4 AA games

Game times listed start with girls game followed by boys contest

Tuesday, November 17: White House (Hall of Fame)- Home- 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 21: Pickett County (Hall of Fame)-Away- 5 p.m.
Monday, November 23: Warren County-Away- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, November 24: Red Boiling Springs- Home- 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 28: ^Grundy County-Away- 6 p.m.
Monday, November 30: ^Sequatchie County-Home- 6 p.m.

Friday, December 4: *York Institute- Away- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, December 8: *Livingston Academy- Away- 6 p.m.
Friday, December 11: *Watertown- Home- 6 p.m.
Thursday, December 17-Saturday, December 19: Sonic Shootout (boys and girls)- Sparta- TBA

Tuesday, January 5: Warren County-Home- 6 p.m.
Friday, January 8: *Cannon County-Away- 6 p.m.
Saturday, January 9: ^Sequatchie County-Away- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, January 12: *Upperman-Home- 6 p.m.
Friday, January 15: *Macon County-Away- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, January 19: *Smith County-Home- 6 p.m.
Friday, January 22: *York Institute- Home- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, January 26: *Livingston Academy- Home-6 p.m.
Friday, January 29: *Watertown- Away- 6 p.m.
Saturday, January 30: ^Grundy County-Home- 6 p.m.

Tuesday, February 2: *Cannon County-Home- 6 p.m.
Friday, February 5: *Upperman- Away- 6 p.m.
Tuesday, February 9: *Macon County- Home- 6 p.m. (Senior Night)
Thursday, February 11: *Smith County- Away- 6 p.m.
Friday, February 12: Red Boiling Springs-Away-6 p.m.

Lady Tiger Roster:

Megan Cantrell- Guard- Senior

Ellie Cripps-Guard-Senior

Hannah Willingham-Guard-Senior

Grace Griffin-Forward-Senior

Kadee Ferrell-Forward-Junior

Kennedy Agee-Guard-Junior

Summer Crook-Forward-Junior

Natalie Snipes-Guard-Junior

Madison Martin-Forward-Sophomore

Xharia Lyons-Guard-Sophomore

Ella VanVranken-Guard-Freshman

Cadee Griffith-Guard-Freshman

Ella Hendrixson-Guard-Freshman

Tess Barton-Center-Freshman

Alyssa Crook-Center-Freshman

Camryn Branin-Forward-Freshman

Ally Fuller-Forward-Freshman

Makayla Scales-Forward-Freshman

Managers: Elisabeth Seber, Jenna Wright, Zoe Cripps, and Maleah Ruch. Assistant Coaches, Maddison Parsley and Hanah Panter. Head Coach Danny Fish.

Tiger Roster:

Luke Jenkins-Senior

Aidan Curtis-Senior

Evan Jones-Senior

Jordan Young-Junior

Nathaniel Crook-Junior

Brayden Antoniak-Junior

Robert Wheeler-Sophomore

Elishah Ramos-Sophomore

Isaac Brown-Sophomore

Zack Birmingham-Sophomore

Stetson Agee-Sophomore

Conner Vance-Sophomore

Connor Paladino-Sophomore

Andrew Tramel-Sophomore

Ian Colwell-Freshman

Conner Close-Freshman

Kaleb Spears-Freshman

Alex Antoniak-Freshman

Jacob Hendrix-Freshman

Marquez Chalfant-Freshman

Managers- Aiden Whitman, Brayden Summers, Courtney London, and Summer Pedigo. Head Coach John Sanders. Assistant Coaches Logan Vance and Seth Hackett.

DCHS Basketball Cheerleaders

Presley Agee-Senior Captain

Makayla Cook-Junior Co-Captain

Evie Day-Junior

Chloe Hale-Junior

Kyleigh Hill-Junior

McKenzie Pack-Junior Co-Captain

Hannah Lohorn-Sophomore

Katherine Gassaway-Sophomore

Katie Patterson-Sophomore

Kortnee Skeen-Sophomore

Kenlee Taylor-Sophomore

Morgan Walker-Sophomore

Carlee West-Sophomore

Amelia Atnip-Sophomore

Hope Bain-Freshman

Zoi Hale-Freshman

Elaina Turner-Freshman

Tiger Coach John Sanders Sizes up 2020-21 Basketball Season (View video here)

The DeKalb County High School Basketball Teams will be ready to hit the court running Tuesday and Friday night with Hall of Fame action.

Whitehouse comes to town Tuesday night, November 17 with the girls game at 6 p.m. followed by the boys showdown at DCHS. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will then travel to Pickett County on Saturday night, November 21 starting with girls play at 5 p.m. followed by the boys.

Attendance will be limited in the gym due to COVID-19.

In a WJLE Tiger Talk video interview Friday , Tiger Coach John Sanders talked about the upcoming season. (View video of Lady Tiger Coach Danny Fish in earlier post)

DCHS Tiger Basketball Coach John Sanders from dwayne page on Vimeo.

“The preparation has gone well. It was a little different for a while but the team has worked really hard in the off season and I have been proud of them. We have tried to follow all of the guidelines and do the best we can to make sure that we get to play as long as we can,” said Coach Sanders.

The Tigers are hoping to improve on last year’s 7-22 finish but will have to do it without the senior leadership of Dakota White, Dallas Cook, Michael Elswick, and Alan Munoz who have graduated.

Three seniors make up the Tiger roster this year in Luke Jenkins, Evan Jones, and Aidan Curtis.

“Luke and Evan are three year players who have played a lot the last couple of years so we are looking for them to be our anchors this year and give us a lot on both ends of the floor. Aidan is new but he brings athleticism and good size. He has a lot to learn but we are hoping he can come in and make a quick impact right away”.

“We have three juniors, Nathaniel Crook, Brayden Antoniak, and Jordan Young. Brayden and Jordan played a lot last year. We look for all three of them to play a lot this year. Jordan and Brayden will be starters and Nathaniel will come in off the bench. All three of them bring something different to the table and they will be big pieces to the puzzle,” Coach Sanders continued.

“Sophomores who we look to get playing time are Elishah Ramos who was Freshman of the Year in our district last year. He got to play a lot as a freshman so we will depend on him to get the ball up and down the floor for us as well as Jordan Young. We really look for him and Jordan to do some scoring for us and be playmakers. Robert Wheeler, another sophomore, didn’t get to play any last year due to a knee surgery he had in November so he hasn’t played since the summer of his freshman year but has made really good progress and is working hard. We are looking for big things out of him. Isaac Brown is another big sophomore. He got to play a lot of Junior Varsity last year. He is long and athletic. Both of those guys (Wheeler and Brown) have worked really hard all of the off season knowing they are going to get an opportunity to play this year so they are trying to be ready to make the most of it. Zack Birmingham is another sophomore and so is Stetson Agee. We expect them to come off the bench and get some playing time along with Conner Close, a freshman. He has had some really good practices early on and shown some signs of promise as well,” said Coach Sanders.

As for the district race, Coach Sanders said there are several contenders including Upperman.

“Upperman is projected to probably be number one again. They lost two seniors and they had one who left and went to Cookeville so they probably are not as deep as in the past but they will still be really good. They have four starters back and they will be tough. York Institute should be pretty good again. They lost three good players but they still have two good ones back from a team that won the region and went to state. Livingston Academy will be tough with Matthew Sells who is a really good scorer. Watertown lost quite a bit but they have some athletes coming back. Watertown has been near the top of the district the last three or four years since they have been in it so you can’t count them out. Cannon County lost a lot. They had a really good team last year but a lot of them graduated although Gus Davenport is coming back and he will be pretty tough. He is a long, athletic guard. Smith County, who finished 8th last year, should be better. They had a lot of young guys playing. I think they will contend in the middle as well as Macon County, who was also pretty young last year. They graduated one. It will be a tough district like it always is,” said Coach Sanders.

Although COVID-19 is still a concern, Coach Sanders said he is hopeful the season can be played out with few if any interruptions

“Our girls team has been quarantined twice. We have been fortunate not to have to quarantine our whole team yet. We have had a few players who have had to quarantine and we are missing a few right now but we are hoping we can make it through the whole season without having to miss any games. Hopefully if we do miss some we can reschedule them but its so uncertain”.

As for game night attendance, “Unfortunately attendance will have to be limited. Based on our gym size I think we are going to allow and TSSAA recommends one third capacity so we will allow about 325 to 350 people in at the max. Tickets will go on sale the day of the games but they will not be sold at the gate so get your tickets early and come support us,” Coach Sanders concluded.