Sports

For the third time in as many weeks, the Trojans were tested as their opponent – this week North Side – was able to cut Dyersburg’s multiple-touchdown lead to in half during the first two quarters. But, also for the third straight week, the Trojans responded, scoring twice in the latter moments of the second quarter on the way to a 42-20 win over the Indians as the black and Vegas gold celebrated homecoming by moving to 6-0 on the season.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com For the second time in three weeks, rainy weather coincided with Dyer County struggles as the visiting Wildcats jumped out to a big lead early before the rain let up and the Choctaws rallied to outscore Clarksville 33-14 from the second quarter through much of the fourth before a pair of late touchdowns gave the visitors a 56-33 Region 7-5A win in Newbern on Friday night...

In sports, one thing coaches will say they are hesitant to do is to look ahead past the current game sitting in front of themselves. But, we’re not coaches (well, most of us aren’t anyway - though I used to play one in Pro Wrestling Elite), so it really doesn’t apply to us, does it?...

Dyer County High School celebrated Homecoming 2018 on Friday night as the homecoming queen and court were announced prior to kickoff of the Choctaws’ game with Clarksville. Members of the court were (front, from left) crown bearer Zoe Blair Dubruiel (daughter of Justin and Jenna Dubruiel), escort Caden Phillips (son of Carter and Amanda Phillips), crown bearer Larsen Parker (daughter of Chris and Lindsey Parker); (back, from left) Eliza Heinrich, Kaytlan Mascroft, Lynsey Akins, Madelyn Taylor, Gabby Mendez, Queen Sydney Lee, Madison Hollingsworth, Maggie Bartlett, Jodi Cranford, Breanna Lay and Sydney Taylor.

Dyersburg High School celebrated Homecoming 2018 on Friday night as the homecoming queen and court were announced at prior to kickoff of the Trojans’ game with Jackson North side. Members of the court were (from left) first maid Mariah Webb, third maid Rachel Finley, second maid Gracie Ayers, Breanna Rood, Homecoming Queen Shelby Hopper, Asia Brooks, Heaven Curry and Kayelyn McCaslin.

As the second half of the season gets underway tonight in Newbern for the Choctaws, their journey through the Region 7-5A schedule gets easier – but only a little as Dyer County welcomes Class 5A’s ninth-ranked Clarksville Wildcats to Choctaw Stadium as the orange and white celebrate homecoming.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com Off to their best start in over a decade, the Trojans will look to continue their successful opening to the season as Dyersburg hosts North Side tonight with the black and Vegas gold celebrating homecoming as they head into their bye next week...

Bragging rights are always on the line any time Northview and Three Oaks meet in any sport but the West Tennessee Athletic Conference Championship and a home playoff game were also up for grabs on Thursday night at Dyer County High School as Three Oaks ground out a 24-16 win over Northview.

Coming off a two-point loss on Monday down in Jackson at Trinity Christian Academy, the Lady Trojans bounced back on Tuesday night at Dyersburg Middle School, getting five goals from senior Meridith Kerber en route to a 5-2 win over visiting Crockett County.

For the third time in her high school career, Lady Trojan junior golfer Erin Welch will be heading to the state tournament in Manchester – which begins next Tuesday – but this time it will be as a region champion as Welch claimed her first Region 7 Large championship on Monday afternoon at Pickwick Landing State Park Golf Course.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com Despite handing the then ninth-ranked Haywood Tomcats (2-3, 0-1) a 48-14 loss at home on Friday night, the Trojans did not move up or down when the latest Associated Press Tennessee Prep Football polls were released on Monday as Dyersburg held onto the No. 5 spot in Class 4A for a second straight week...

In a matchup of top ten teams in Class 4A at J.C. Sawyers Stadium on Friday night in Dyersburg, the hometown Trojans showed they were worthy of their ranking of No. 5 in the state in Class 4A as the black and Vegas gold jumped out to a four-touchdown lead en route to a 48-14 win over visiting No. 9 Haywood.

There were a lot of things that happened on Friday night up at J.C. Sawyers Stadium and when two teams that are ranked in the top ten square off, that is usually the case. But, there is a nice little list of those things involving just the black and Vegas gold we can look toward...

The Choctaws made the first of three trips to Clarksville in the final six games of 2018 and through one half, Dyer County’s defense had held No. 5 Northeast to just seven points as the two teams nearly went into halftime tied on Friday night. But, a third-quarter touchdown and a trio of scores in the final 12 minutes doomed the Dyer County (2-3, 0-2) effort as the Eagles (5-0, 2-0) took the 35-0 Region 7-5A win...

One of the biggest games between state-ranked teams will be in Dyersburg tonight as there will be a lot more than pride on the line when the No. 5 Dyersburg Trojans (4-0, 1-0) host ninth-ranked Haywood (2-2) in Region 7-4A action at J.C. Sawyers Stadium.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com Coming off last week’s win on the road at Ripley where the Choctaws controlled things in the second half on the way to the victory, the road gets longer and arguably much tougher this week as Dyer County will make its first of three trips to Clarksville in the final six games of the regular season...

The Lady Choctaws bounced back from a tough performance on the road at Brighton on Tuesday, cruising to a three-set sweep over volleyball newcomer Westview on Thursday afternoon in Newbern.

The eyes of West Tennessee football fans as well as those who watch the polls - specifically in Class 4A - will be trained on J.C. Sawyers Stadium on Friday night as two of the classes’ top nine teams will meet in Region 7-4A action. The fifth-ranked Dyersburg Trojans, coming off four straight blowout wins are undefeated and will welcome Class 4A’s No. ...

The Lady Trojan volleyball team picked up its second district win in as many nights on Tuesday night, holding off a scrappy Obion County Central team in straight sets in the Terry Glover Gymnasium.

Monday was a good day for local golfers as both Dyer County and Dyersburg boys teams advanced to next week’s Region 7 Large Tournament with the Choctaws claiming the District 14 Large title by a outshooting second-place Covington by six strokes at The Farms in Dyersburg.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com Coming off a fourth straight game which saw the mercy rule brought into effect, the Dyersburg Trojans (4-0) moved up two places in the Tennessee High School Football Polls when the rankings were released on Monday afternoon...

Watching Dyersburg’s game down in Millington on Friday night, things might not have started out as this writer would have predicted. The Trojan defensive starters gave up their first touchdown of the season on the fourth play of the game and, by virtue of that, brought the streak of a dozen straight quarters in which Dyersburg had yet to trail to an end as well...

Facing Ripley on Friday night, Dyer County sputtered through a messy first quarter before a weather delay halted the gridiron action for nearly an hour in the middle of the second period.

Millington was able to do something Dyersburg’s previous three opponents had been unable to on Friday night – score on the Trojans’ starting defense.

Coming off a two-game homestand which saw the Tribe go 1-1 which included last week’s 49-16 loss in the Region 7-5A opener, Dyer County will look to get back on the winning track this week as they head south to Lauderdale County to take on Ripley in non-region action tonight at 7 p.m.

Through three games in the 2018 season for Dyersburg, the Trojans have, to say the least, been rolling as the black and Vegas gold have outscored opponents 153-19 and Dyersburg (3-0, 1-0) will look to continue its impressive start when the Trojans travel to Millington (1-2) tonight for non-region action...

After a tightly-contested first set on Thursday evening at Dyer County High School, the Lady Choctaw volleyball team dominated the next two frames over the Lady Trojans of Millington to complete a three-set sweep in non-district action.

The Lady Trojans ended their week on a positive note, taking a three-set sweep at Milan in District 14AA play on Thursday. Dyersburg edged out the opening frame 26-24 then took the second set by a score of 25-20. The Lady Trojans then closed out Milan in the third set 25-23 to complete the sweep and take the district win...

Three weeks after finishing atop the standings in a five-way match at The Farms, the Dyersburg and Dyer County boys golf teams swapped places as the Trojans avenged their four-stroke loss to the Choctaws with, fittingly, a four-stroke win on Monday at Oakview in a three-way match.

The Dyer County volleyball team got its week off to a strong start on Monday afternoon in Troy as the Lady Choctaws swept the Obion County Central Lady Rebels in three sets in non-district action. Dyer County opened the match with a 25-10 win in the opening set then took the second frame 25-12. The Lady Choctaws ended the match in dominant fashion, taking a 25-7 win in the third set to complete the sweeps...

Coming off a 48-6 win over the Obion County Central Rebels in their opening game of Region 7-4A play, the Dyersburg Trojans saw their standing in the Tennessee Prep Football Poll increase by two spots as the black and Vegas gold came in seventh when the newest rankings were released on Monday.

Through two games to start the season, ninth-ranked Dyersburg outscored the opposition 105-13, with the mercy rule applied in both contests. Facing Obion County Central on Friday night at historic J.C Sawyers Stadium to open Region 7 play, the Trojans were looking to avenge a 35-26 loss to the Rebels last season, and improve to 3-0 on the season.

JASON PEEVYHOUSE jpeevyhouse@stategazette.com The Choctaws had a couple shots early but couldn’t make the connections as it was all No. 6 Henry County for much of the rest of the time on Friday night in Newbern as the Patriots handed Dyer County a 49-16 loss at home to start Region 7-5A play...

Many were expecting it to be a long night for the Choctaws this past Friday night when Henry County came to town and there was more than enough evidence to expect these feelings. After all, the Patriots entered Choctaw Stadium as the No. 6 ranked team in Class 5A and were fresh off wins over last season’s 5A runner-up Beech and 2017 4A semifinalist Haywood in back-to-back weeks and were 2-0 after wins over the Tomcats and the Buccaneers as both were ranked in the Top 10 in their respective classes at the time the Pats defeated them. ...

Coming off a pair of wins which have seen the Trojans win by a combined score of 105-13, Dyersburg looks to continue their dominant start to 2018 when the black and Vegas gold welcome Obion County Central to J.C. Sawyers Stadium tonight.

The third week of the regular season for high school teams in Tennessee typically means one thing – the beginning of regional action. And, that’s no different for Dyer County (1-1) though the Choctaws find themselves getting ready for what could be the toughest test they will face during the 2018 season as the orange and white welcome defending 7-5A champion Henry County (2-0) to Newbern tonight to open region play...

After fighting through back-and-forth battles through the opening two sets on Thursday evening at Dyer County High School, the Lady Choctaws made all doubt disappear in the third set, jumping out to a commanding lead on the way to winning the clinching set by 19 points on the way to earning a sweep over visiting Chester County.

Dozens of young athletes were pounding the hills of the Dyersburg Intermediate School campus recently as the Northwest Tennessee Elementary Cross Country League rolls into its seventh season. Dyersburg hosted runners from Dresden Elementary, Central Christian Academy of Martin, Lake Road School, Hillcrest Elementary, Christ Classical, St. Mary’s School, and Augustine School, as well as a handful of competitors from the West Tennessee Home School Association...

A two-goal lead by the Lady Hornets swelled in the second half as South Gibson tacked on five more goals during the final 40 minutes as the Lady Trojans fell at home on Tuesday night 7-0 to the visiting team from Medina.

After making the trip down to Savannah on Monday, the Choctaw golf team stayed closer to home on Tuesday, hosting Covington where the Dyer County boys fell to the Chargers by 11 strokes in a one-on-one match at Oakview in Newbern. Dyer County’s top four golfers combined to shoot a 167 on the day on their home course while Covington stayed just ahead of them with a 156...

Both Dyersburg and Dyer County golf teams made the long trip to Savannah on Monday morning to take part in the Hardin County Invitational Golf Tournament and both schools had golfers give standout performances on the course. Dyersburg Lady Trojan golfer Erin Welch led the way for the girls individual field, earning first-place medalist honors during the 18-hole tournament by shooting an 85 to take the top spot...

Despite dropping the opening set on Monday night at home against Milan, the Lady Choctaws battled back from the slow start to dominate the set frame then take the final two sets on the way to a four-set win over the Lady Bulldogs at Dyer County High School.

With a pair of district matches on the docket for the next few days, the Lady Trojans got their week off to a successful start with a three-set sweep over visiting Liberty on Monday evening in the Terry Glover Gymnasium in Dyersburg. “We have a very tough match tomorrow night so tonight was good to work on some of our offensive plays that we need to get down,” Dyersburg head coach Marilyn Liljenquist said. “Hopefully, they’ll get rest tonight and be ready to play well tomorrow.”...

Coming off a 42-7 win on the road Friday night at Class 5A Brighton, the Dyersburg Trojans jumped into the Class 4A top ten in this week's Associated Press Tennessee Prep Football Poll as the black and Vegas gold came in at No. 9 when the rankings were released on Monday afternoon.

After beginning the season with a loss on the road, Dyer County hosted Obion County Central on Friday night at Choctaw Stadium looking to even its record at 1-1.

Coming out of an opener which saw very little challenge for the Trojans, Dyersburg showed it could pass a tougher test on Friday night in Brighton as the defense led the way with a quartet of turnovers including a trio of interceptions on the way to a 42-7 win over the Cardinals.

Earlier this week while spending time in thought, the realization set in of how I was given the opportunity to cover the local sports scene 14 years ago. The time spent in thought ended by realizing Friday night was the anniversary of covering my first game for the paper...