ISports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…t’s tournament time in high school sports…and the first of the month will bring on the Sun Belt Tournament.  There are still several crucial conference games ahead of the Middle Tennessee men and women.  We will have “LIVE” coverage of those games here on WGNS.  Also, keep up with all of the tournament action from WGNS on our sports website… www.goinsidesports.com.  We post the brackets as we get the current information and we also post results and update the brackets after the games.  Again, that’s www.goinsidesports.com.  WGNS, for the 61^st year, is broadcasting high school basketball tournament action.  Keep it tuned here for the latest on times and schedules of our LIVE broadcasts with me, Bryan Barrett, Jeff Jordan and Jon Dinkins.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…Middle Tennessee head football coach Rick Stockstill signed 24 players to scholarship agreements on National Signing Day.

(((AUDIO))) Coach Rick Stockstill

The Blue Raiders inked 12 players from the state of Florida, five from Tennessee, four from Georgia, and one each from Arkansas, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Overall, 19 signees come from the high school ranks, four are transfers from junior college, and one is a transfer from a four-year institution.  The Blue Raiders will begin spring practice on March 17 with the Blue-White Spring Game set for April 12 at Floyd Stadium.

Prep basketball tournament time is right around the corner.  Again this year, the first round of the district tournament will be played at the higher seed.  Games begin on February 14th and once again, WGNS will broadcast the District 7-AAA Tournament games involving Blackman, Oakland, Riverdale and Siegel.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…The All-County Elementary and Middle School Basketball teams have been announced.  The team pictures can be seen and downloaded at the link below.  The teams are sponsored by WGNS Radio / Inside Sports...Winners' Trophies and Sporting Goods...and First Bank.
 

All-County Elementary / Middle School Team Pictures

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…After coming close once this season, MTSU senior women’s player Amber Holt finally got it.  The school record for most points in a game.  Holt did it in the road win over Louisiana-Monroe…a 64-61 victory.  She had 44 points in the victory.  Earlier in the season, she tied pervious leading scorer Kim Webb, who had 42 against Eastern Kentucky back in 1987.

The annual tradition is back, with a new twist.  The MTSU Baseball Groundhog Day Luncheon is Friday, February 1st.  But this year, it will move to the floor of the Murphy Center.  The event is a fundraiser for the baseball team, but also Coach Steve Peterson’s prognosticating groundhog always sheds some light on the upcoming season.  I’m sure Raider Two will also have a thing or two to say about the stadium construction.  Tickets are still available.

The county’s best elementary and middle school athletes will gather at Blackman Middle School later in the week.  They’ll take pictures and receive trophies for being voted by coaches the best of the best in the county.  This is sponsored by WGNS Inside Sports, First Bank and Winners’ Trophies and Sporting Goods.  I’ll let you know when we have the pictures posted and we’ll announce the team coming up soon.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…Middle Tennessee football players began preparing for the upcoming season by getting the off-season strength and conditioning program started. The team is going four days a week in the weight room in order to get acclimated to training again before conditioning workouts begin in February.

On another football note, Smyrna football coach Philip Shadowens says he’s staying.  He considered taking the head coaching position at Middle Tennessee Christian School, but says his purple blood runs to deeply.  Shadowens led the Bulldogs to back-to-back 5-A state championships the last two-years for the first time in county history.

The fight to keep up with facilities continues all across the county.  Siegel football, for instance, is putting some finishing touches on its new football field house.  Just after the football season was over, Oakland’s new indoor practice facility was ready.  It’s lined for football, but outdoor sports can utilize the facility when the weather is bad.

It’s the week many local basketball fans love…County Elementary Tournament Week.  It will once again be held at Eagleville and once again, WGNS will broadcast the girls and boys finals on Saturday, the 26^th.

Don’t forget, continue to listen to WGNS for a complete season of prep basketball and MTSU hoops.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…Blackman High School is honoring the memory of a former basketball player.  Nathan Stephens was a model student and athlete.  He played on the Sectional team at Blackman in 2002.  He went on to U-T, where he graduated and then enrolled in grad school.  A men’s basketball manager for the Volunteers, he often played in pick-up games.  On August 17^th of last year, he died while playing the game he loved.  The high school announced last week they’re doing something special to make sure his legacy survives.  Administrators at Blackman will set forth the criteria soon for the scholarship and you can contact the school to donate funds.  Keep listening to WGNS for complete MTSU and Prep basketball games.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…March Madness will soon be upon us and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to be team adopters for the upcoming T-Double-S-Double-A Girls and Boys State Tournament games. You can contact Wendy Bryant at 278-2328. 

Coach's Grill is the new home for the Kermit Davis Live and Rick Insell Live weekly radio shows.  The Kermit Davis Live call-in show will debut at Coach's Grill Monday from 7-to-8 p.m. on WGNS.  After this week all basketball call-in shows will take place on Monday evenings at Coach's Grill with the Rick Insell show running from 8-to-9 p.m. on WGNS after the Kermit Davis Show.  Coach’s Grill is on Broad, just down from the South Church intersection.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…The 35th Annual Groundhog Day Luncheon to benefit Blue Raider baseball has been set for Friday, February, 1 at 11:30 a.m., with a return of the original menu.  This year the event returns to its traditional menu of ham hocks, white beans, tomato salad, green onions, corn bread, chocolate cake and ice cream.  Due to over flowing crowds the event venue has moved once again. This year the event will take place in the Murphy Center on the Monte Hale Arena floor on the Middle Tennessee campus. The luncheon is hosted by the Blue Raider baseball team and the BRAA as an opening pitch to the 2008 season.  All tickets for this year's event are $20. Reservations may be made for the Groundhog Day Luncheon by calling the Middle Tennessee ticket office at (615) 898-2103 or 1-800-YES-MTSU or the BRAA office at (615) 898-2210. The last day to purchase tickets to the event is Friday, January 25.  

The Kermit Davis Live and Rick Insell Live weekly radio shows will originate from the Kennon Hall of Fame instead of Bluesboro in the near future.  The show's location is being moved due to Bluesboro's policy not to admit persons under the age of 21 into its facility due to the smoking ban that went into effect in October.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…MTSU men’s basketball coach Kermit Davis has had enough.  His team is struggling through an early season slow start.  So, after the Western Kentucky loss…he locked the doors on the player’s locker room.  Coach Davis said he wants passion and wants them to play with energy and appreciate what they have.  We’ll find out more from Coach Davis with the debut of the Kermit Davis Coaches Show this Monday night at 7, right after the IDEAS Inside Sports Scene.  It’s our trivia show from the Little Caesar’s on Rutherford Blvd.  The Rick Insell Show will follow Kermit’s show from 8-9pm, beginning this Monday.

Middle Tennessee Christian School continues its search for a football coach, to replace Eddie Bassham.  Principal Todd Miller says they’ve had some talks, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.  Miller will recommend someone to school president Lynn Watson.  This is the last football coaching vacancy to be filled.  Eagleville chose former Smyrna assistant Steve Carson to lead their team and Oakland hired Thomas McDaniel, a former Riverdale assistant.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory…Middle Tennessee junior guard Demetrius Green scored a career-high 24 points to lead a furious Blue Raider comeback in the second half, but his heroics were not enough as Austin Peay held on for a 78-75 win at Murphy Center Saturday night.  In addition to Green's game-high 24 points, Theryn Hudson finished with 11 points and Josh Sain finished with 10.  The Raiders travel to Western Kentucky Wednesday night.

Amber Holt scored a career-high 41 points, tying for the second most in school history, and added nine rebounds and Emily Queen grabbed 12 boards, as Middle Tennessee outlasted eighth-ranked LSU, 67-56, Friday night at Murphy Center in front o f over 78-hundred fans…the second largest crowd in school history.  The win for Middle Tennessee marks the second year in a row the Blue Raiders have knocked off a team ranked in the Top 10 after beating eighth-ranked Georgia last season in Athens.  A slow start Sunday in Louisville, however, cost them the game…a 76-64 loss.  Holt had 32.  Middle Tennessee travels to Western Kentucky for a Thursday night conference game.

 The high school sports season returns to WGNS with Siegel at Blackman Friday night.  Plus, the first 2008 edition of the Prentice Alsup Heating & Air Coaches Corner this Saturday morning at 9.  January features a lot of high school and MTSU basketball…just about every day of the month…plus specials like Monday night remotes and the County Elementary Tournament Finals.

Sports is brought to you by Clark’s Cheese Steak Factory… Steve Carson has been named the next football coach for Eagleville School.  The former Smyrna assistant football coach will begin his new position sometime after classes resume in January.  Carson most recently served as the offensive coordinator for Smyrna, a position he has held the past three years.  Carson previously served as the offensive coordinator for Franklin County for four years and was an assistant football coach at LaVergne High for eight years.

The fall Division One U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup standings have been released and Middle Tennessee is tied for 72^nd overall with Tennessee and South Florida. The Blue Raiders and Vols are the top ranked institutions from the state of Tennessee.  The Blue Raiders currently have 64 points based on the strength of an outstanding NCAA Tournament run by the volleyball team and have the most points of any Sun Belt Conference member. 

Lots of basketball to be played for local prep fans during the Christmas break.  Smyrna is hosting their own Bulldog Classic again this year and besides the Bulldogs, the Oakland Patriots are also participating.  Eagleville has their own Christmas Classic and the Riverdale boys are hosting what they call the Great 8…some of the best boys teams in the state.  The Blackman squads are traveling to the Dyer Christmas Classic.  The LaVergne boys are headed to the prestigious Huntsville Times Classic and the Riverdale girls are headed to Phoenix for the Cactus Jam.  Plus MTCS is at the Jackson Christmas Tournament.  And the All of these run from Thursday, the 27^th through Saturday, the 29^th.  The Siegel girls are in Orlando, Florida and the boys in Fort Walton too.  All teams will jump back into district play January 4^th.

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