Advertisement

Spring Fling: What to watch

Dozens of Midstate high school teams, as well as hundreds of individual athletes, will converge in Rutherford County (and Wilson Central) this week for the 23rd annual Spring Fling Championships.

Spring Fling

Spring Fling

Here’s a look at just a few things to watch this week at Spring Fling:

After struggling to an 8-8 start to the season, FRA has clawed its way back to state for the second straight year.

After struggling to an 8-8 start to the season, FRA has clawed its way back to state for the second straight year.

Back again: Between breaking in a new coach and virtually an entirely new starting lineup, it’s understandable that the Franklin Road Academy baseball team didn’t get off to the smoothest start to the year.

Those early season struggles are a thing of the past, though.

In addition to winning 15 of their last 17, first-year coach Jon Wilson and the reigning Division II-A runner-up Panthers, led by senior Lee University signee Dalton Ney and freshman standout Walker Palmerton, captured a region title en route to securing their straight second state tournament appearance.

FRA (22-11), which swept Tipton-Rosemark in last week’s sub-state series, will begin state tournament play with Tuesday’s 4 p.m. matchup against Evangelical Christian School.

Independence senior Nate Johnson will compete in four events at this week's TSSAA Track State Championships

Independence senior Nate Johnson will compete in four events at this week’s TSSAA Track State Championships

Unfinished business: If the past two seasons are any indication, Independence’s Nate Johnson has a bright future ahead of him on the football field.

However, the 2015 All-Midstate first-teamer and Class 5A Mr. Football finalist, still has some work to do before embarking on his next chapter as the University of Michigan signee will compete in four events at this week’s TSSAA State Track Championships at MTSU’s Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium.

Johnson, who finished fourth in the long jump a season ago, registered the state’s top-qualifying distances in both the long jump (21-11) and triple jump (45-5.50), and the 5-foot-11, 175-pound wide receiver is also in the Class AAA decathlon field and is a member of the Eagles’ state-bound 800-meter relay team.

Brentwood Academy's George Patrick will look to defend his DII decathlon title this week in Murfreesboro.

Brentwood Academy’s George Patrick will look to defend his DII decathlon title this week in Murfreesboro.

On the track to repeat: Four Midstate athletes are favorites to repeat as decathlon and pentathlon champions.

Brentwood Academy’s George Patrick (DII decathlon), Ensworth’s Tyra Gittens (DII pentathlon), CPA’s William Stout (A-AA decathlon) and East Nashville’s Grenetria Shell (A-AA pentathlon) all won their respective divisions a year ago and all four had the most points scored statewide in their divisions during this year’s qualifying for state.

The state pentathlon will be held Monday while the decathlon will be held Monday and Tuesday. All events will be held at Dean Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of MTSU.

Senior Harrison Myers (left) and the CPA soccer team will be gunning for its third straight state title this week in Murfreesboro.

Senior Harrison Myers (left) and the CPA soccer team will be gunning for its third straight state title this week in Murfreesboro.

Three-peat?: The Christ Presbyterian Academy soccer team will be looking to make it three in a row this week in Murfreesboro, and if the 2016 regular season was any indication, the unbeaten Lions have to be considered one of the favorites.

The two-time defending state champion Lions (21-0-3), who haven’t lost since April 30, 2015, have steamrolled their way to a perfect 15-0 record against Class A-AA competition this season, outscoring their similar-sized foes by a combined 66-6 margin.

CPA, which has defeated Christian Academy of Knoxville in each of the previous two Class A-AA state title matches, will begin its second straight title defense with Tuesday’s 7 p.m. quarterfinal against Lexington at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro.

Brentwood's Somer Henry is one of two Midstate tennis players looking to defend a title this week.

Brentwood’s Somer Henry is one of two Midstate tennis players looking to defend a title this week.

New blood: The Midstate doesn’t have quite the same star power it did a season ago with former Ravenwood ace Steven Karl out of the mix, but there will still be plenty of local athletes vying for hardware at this week’s state tournament.

In addition to a pair of returning champions — Brentwood’s Somer Henry and MBA’s George Harwell — 21 other Midstate participants will be among the tournament fields, nine of whom will be making their first state tournament appearance.

Henry, who is back to defend her title after running the table in girls Class AAA last season as a freshman, will begin her chase for a repeat with Thursday morning’s 9 a.m. quarterfinal match against Soddy-Daisy junior Olivia Crawley, while Harwell, the defending boys singles state champion will face McCallie’s Matt Barnett in Thursday’s 11 a.m. semifinals.


THE BASICS


  • When: Monday through Friday

  • Where: All events in Rutherford County and Wilson Central High School (DII-AA baseball)

  • Admission: $10 per day

  • Parking: $5 per day


MIDSTATE QUALIFIERS

Baseball: Brentwood Academy (DII-AA); Central Magnet (AA); CPA (AA); Davidson Academy (DII-A); Forrest (A); FRA (DII-A); Goodpasture (A) Gordonsville (A); Loretto (A); Pope John Paul II (DII-AA); Ravenwood (AAA); Siegel (AAA); Spring Hill (AA); Stewarts Creek (AAA); Summit (AAA).

Soccer: Central Magnet (A-AA); Cookeville (AAA); CPA (A-AA); Father Ryan (DII-AA); Franklin Road Academy (DII-A); MBA (DII-AA) Oakland (AAA); Ravenwood (AAA); Station Camp (AAA); White House (A-AA).

Softball: Clarksville (AAA); Davidson Academy (DII-A); DeKalb County (AA); Dickson County (AAA); Forrest (A); Friendship Christian (DII-A); Livingston Academy (AA); Pope John Paul II (DII-AA); Siegel (AAA); Summertown (A); Stewarts Creek (AAA); Summertown (A); Waverly (AA); White House Heritage (AA).

Boys tennis (teams): Lipscomb (A-AA); Brentwood (AAA); Cookeville (AAA); Friendship (DII-A); MBA (DII-AA).

Boys tennis (singles):  A-AA, AAA, DII-A, DII-AA 

Boys tennis (doubles): A-AA, AAA, DII-A, DII-AA 

Girls tennis (teams): MTCS (A-AA); Brentwood (AAA); Harpeth Hall (DII-AA). 

Girls tennis (singles: A-AA, AAA, DII-A, DII-AA

Girls tennis (doubles):  A-AA, AAA, DII-A, DII-AA 

Boys track: A-AA, AAA, Division II

Girls track: A-AA, AAA, Division II

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports

Spring Fling schedule

MOST POPULAR STORIES


Tennessee pastors arrested on human trafficking charges

Brentwood hiker wrote final goodbyes weeks after search ended

Whistling Vanderbilt fan, ESPN differ over incident

Third group pulls out of Nashville due to counseling law

15 things to do Memorial Day weekend in Nashville

More Gallery