Sports

TSWA All-State locals announced in girls soccer, cross country, golf

Local high school honorees from Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s All-State teams have been named in girls soccer, cross country and golf.

Class AAA girls soccer features four Bearden Lady SoccerDawgs, whose team finished as Class AAA state runner-up: senior goalkeeper Drew Tolley, senior midfielders Maci Ritzman and Halle Bibee and junior forward Jayla Blue.

Division II-AA girls soccer featured four honorees from state runner-up Webb School of Knoxville: senior forward Pearce Groer, freshman goalkeeper Lauren Newell, sophomore defender Mary Mac Emery and junior midfielder McKalie Ball.

Knoxville Catholic was represented at the Division II-AA level by senior midfielder Jenna Clements.

In girls cross country, the top three state finishers for team state champion Webb were honored: junior Calysta Garmer, twin sister Jazzlyn Garmer and junior Carolina Areheart.

Leading the way locally for boys cross country, individual Division II-AA state champ Keegan Smith was honored after leading his Knoxville Catholic Irish to the team state crown.

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Wasting no time, Ads crush William Blount

In its District 4-4A opener Thursday night, Jan. 9, against William Blount High School in Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium on Donald Dodge Court, it was one scoring run after another for the Farragut boys basketball team.

In the first quarter alone, FHS had runs of 8-0 and 11-0, interrupted only by a goal-tending call. The 19-2 stretch gave the Admirals a 20-point lead after one, 28-8. Only in the fourth quarter did the onslaught let up. The result was a dominating 81-27 win.

“We played well defensively and shared the ball,” FHS head coach J.P. Burris said. “We did a good job of getting out and running in transition.”

The Admirals did a good job in every aspect of the game. Almost every basket was either a lay-up or a trey, in which FHS drained nine. Their defense was tenacious and opportunistic.

“Farragut‘s a good team, well-coached … they do a really good job,” Governors head coach Kevin Windle said. “They’ve got a nice team; I think coach Burris is one of the best around.”

The third scoring run of the first half, 8-0, started late in the first period and ended with 7:12 left in the second. The score at that point was 32-8. 

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Cranking up pressure, FHS girls rip Lady Govs

It was the opening of District 4-4A play Thursday night, Jan. 9, for Farragut High School’s girls’ basketball team in Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium.

The Lady Admirals could only hope every other district game plays out like the opener versus William Blount.

FHS was dominant in every phase of the game and won going away, 70-33. The 1-0 District record is accompanied by an overall record of 13-6 entering this week.

“Overall just a good effort defensively,” Farragut head coach Jason Mayfield said. “When (junior guard) KJ (McNealy) and (senior guard) Jaci (Neubert) were able to get their normal points and everybody else was able to step up … it was a really good effort.”

“Credit to them,” Lady Governors head coach Lindsey Roddy said. “He’s (Mayfield) been here a long time, getting his team to do what he wants them to do. I thought we played a lot harder in the second half so I’m proud of us for that one.”

A trifecta of three-point shots to open the game — one by senior guard Annie Priest, and two by sophomore wing Gabby Vanacker — gave the Lady Admirals a 9-0 lead barely three minutes into the game. They never looked back.

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