News
Saints to Play Avery Trace for Conference Championship
September 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
The DeKalb Saints have punched their ticket to the conference title game with a 20-14 victory over the visiting Fentress County Crush Thursday night in Smithville. The Saints will face Avery Trace Thursday night, September 26 at 6:30 p.m. in Cookeville.
The Saints scored first on a 1-yard Collin Donnell quarterback keeper with 51.3 seconds left in the 1st period. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good. The 12 play 52-yard drive was set up after Reed Midgett for the Saints covered a Fentress County fumble at the Saints 48-yard line.
The Crush tied the game with 4:28 left in the 2nd period on a 30-yard touchdown run by Grayson Stephens completing a 7 play 54-yard drive. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good.
With only 12.8 seconds left until halftime on a 4th down play, the Saints scored on a flea flicker from Rocky Cantrell to Collin Donnell who launched a pass to Bryson Redmon for 42 yards and a touchdown. The 2-point conversion try failed but the Saints held a 12-6 lead at halftime.
The Saints added another score with 4:46 left in the 3rd period on a 15-yard Collin Donnell quarterback keeper for a touchdown. Donnell then found Gavin Frazier for the 2-point conversion and DeKalb Middle led 20-6.
Fentress County scored its last touchdown of the game on a 44-yard pass play from quarterback Gage Deaton to Sam Segatto with 2:38 left in the 4th period. Grayson Stephens scored on the 2-point conversion play and the Saints went onto claim a 20 to 14 victory.
Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival Receives $16,000 Grant from Tennessee Arts Commission
September 20, 2024
By:
The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $16,000 grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. This generous grant will support the festival’s ongoing efforts to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of bluegrass music and traditional crafts in Tennessee.
The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival, a beloved annual event, has been a cornerstone of the community for over 50 years. Each year, the festival attracts thousands of visitors from across the country, showcasing the talents of musicians, artisans, and performers. The grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission will enable the festival to enhance its programming, provide more opportunities for local artists, and ensure the continuation of this cherished tradition.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Tennessee Arts Commission for their support,” said Kim Luton, President of the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival. “This grant will allow us to expand our offerings and continue to provide a platform for artists and musicians to share their talents with the community. We look forward to another successful year and to making the festival even more memorable for our attendees.”
The Tennessee Arts Commission is dedicated to supporting the arts and cultural activities throughout the state. Their mission is to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and to ensure that the arts are accessible to everyone. The grant awarded to the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to promote and support the arts in local communities. The Tennessee Arts Commission’s Specialty License Plate Program is a fantastic initiative that supports the arts across the state. A portion of the funds from the purchase of certain specialty license plates goes directly to the Tennessee Arts Commission. On average, 80% of Tennessee Arts Grants are funded by these specialty plates. These plates are available to all Tennessee residents. The funds raised support arts organizations, schools, and community projects through Tennessee’s 95 counties. Visit tn4arts.org for more details.
The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival will be held July 4th – 5th, 2025. For more information visit smithvillejamboree.com.
A Clash of Two Unbeatens
September 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A clash of two unbeatens!
The DeKalb County High School Tigers will travel to Gordonsville tonight (Friday) for a meeting between two 4-0 teams.
Kick-off is at 7 p.m. and WJLE will have LIVE coverage.
“They (Gordonsville) are going to be a physical bunch, “said DCHS Coach Steve Trapp. “We can’t get caught up in the 1A and 4A matchup and all of that. They are 4-0 for a reason and we are 4-0 for a reason. It will be the best team we have faced and for them as well. Each and every week that’s my mindset especially as a head coach and that’s what we try to push out through the team and that’s to take advantage of every opportunity you have to get better. We are going to play a different team each week but the way we work and get prepared to go to work on Friday needs to be the same. They definitely have our full attention, and we think we have theirs and its going to be a clash of two unbeaten teams,” said Coach Trapp.
The Tigers are coming off an impressive 45-27 victory over Watertown last week.
“I am proud of our guys ultimately coming away victorious. I think offensively we were really explosive with a lot of big plays and a lot of yards. Jordan Parker had over 100 yards again with some timely passing in there. A few moments on defense left us scratching our heads a little bit. We won 45 to 27 but it was a stressful game to win by that much. Its always about our next opportunity and about striving to be better than you were in the previous one and that’s what we will continue preaching to our guys. We are really happy with how we started but what we have accomplished will not get us anything moving forward except an opportunity to get everybody’s best shot so we have to be at our best,” said Coach Trapp.
The Gordonsville Tigers have wins over Smith County 20-6, Watertown 26-19, Trousdale County 41-0, and Jo Byrns 48-14.
DeKalb County has victories over Warren County 28-14, Smith County 35-6, Livingston Academy 42-8, and Watertown 45-27.
WJLE’s Pre-Game shows begin with “Coach to Coach” at 5:00 p.m. to repeat Saturday morning at 9 a.m. featuring former UT assistant coach Doug Matthews with Tennessee Titans Radio Broadcaster Dave McGinnis and broadcaster Larry Stone talking Tennessee and SEC football.
Coach to Coach is followed by Murphy’s Matchups at 6:00 p.m., a look at Tennessee High School Football from Murphy Fair with commentary on games and coaches’ interviews.
“Tiger Talk” airs at 6:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor interviewing Coach Steve Trapp and Tiger football players Jordan Parker, Adrian Prater, and Hunter Buchanan.
Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. with play-by-play coverage on WJLE from the Voice of the Tigers John Pryor and Luke Willoughby. Listen LIVE on WJLE AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.
