Undefeated Saints to Host Conference Playoff Game (View Video Here)

September 15, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The undefeated DeKalb Saints football team (8-0) will host a first-round play-off game Thursday night, September 19 against Fentress County in quest of a conference championship. The game will kick-off at 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS football field.

The Saints completed an undefeated regular season Thursday night at Sparta beating White County 26-0. The Saints’ unblemished record also includes wins over Fentress County 8-0, Cumberland County 46-8, Macon County 36-0, Smith County 34-6, Warren County 40-0, Prescott Middle 32-6, and Upperman 36-0.

(In the video posted here recorded Friday, September 13, Saints Coach Justin Poteete and three of his eighth grade players, Rocky Cantrell, Bryson Redmon, and Jordan Schipp are featured talking about the season. Cantrell plays slot receiver, safety, and cornerback. Redmon’s assignments are at defensive end and receiver and Schipp plays at left tackle and defensive tackle)

“Its been a good ride so far but there is definitely more work to do because its win or go home now. Its time to put our best foot forward and get after it,” said Saints Coach Justin Poteete.

The conference is made up of two divisions. The Saints won their division of the conference and Avery Trace won the other division.

“Thursday night was for first place and whoever won (Saints or Sparta) would be first going into the playoffs and the loser would be second,” explained Coach Poteete.

“It’s a four-team play-off,”  he said. “It’s one versus two. We (Saints) will play the number two team (Fentress County) from the other side of the conference. Avery Trace is the number one team on the other side and they will play our number two team (Sparta). The winners of those two games will meet up for the championship,” said Coach Poteete.

“By being first you get to host a game but still win or lose you have to show up and play because no bad teams are in the playoffs. We got the win Thursday night. We celebrated it. We enjoyed it but today our mindset is on York.” he continued.

Asked about how the team could improve after scoring so many points this season and giving up so few, Coach Poteete replied that there is always room for improvement.

“We have had some mess ups this year like on the D-line as far as jumping offside and things like that but the effort is there for the most part and that makes it easier to coach. There is always room for improvement but the good thing about this group is that it’s a tight group and a very competitive group. They like to come out and hit. That’s the key thing about football. They embrace that physicality, and I think that makes us what we are. We need to make sure we are disciplined but as long as we fly around and play football, I think we will be alright,” said Coach Poteete.

Credit for the Saints’ success is given by the coach to the entire team but three players in particular have played key roles.

“We have a three headed monster in the backfield with Collin Donnell at quarterback, Reed Midgett at halfback and running back and Gavin Frazier at running back or halfback but with this team they don’t really care who has the ball and how many touches they have because for them its how many points are we going to score and how many points are we going to give up as a team. Its a team game,” he said.

September 15, 2024
By:

The man charged last month with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the case of a Smithville woman found dead in a cornfield has now been indicted for those same offenses.

The Warren County Grand Jury recently returned three felony indictments against 43-year-old Joshua Wayne Goff stemming from the investigation into the death of 29-year-old Rebecca Maxfield whose body was found inside a vehicle at a cornfield near New Bildad Road in DeKalb County on August 9.

Goff is indicted on two counts of tampering with evidence and one count of abuse of a corpse.

His arrest came last month after a joint investigation between the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, the Smithville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney’s offices from both Warren and DeKalb counties.

Maxfield had been reported missing on August 4 and Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigators found her five days later. Maxfield’s body was sent to Nashville for positive identification which was confirmed four days before Goff’s arrest.

Counts one and two of the three-count indictment state between July 30 and Aug. 9 of this year, Goff “did alter, destroy or conceal any record, document or thing… with intent to impair its verity, legibility or availability as evidence in the investigation or criminal proceeding, constituting the offense of tampering with evidence.” The evidence in question, according to court documents, are a black LG cell phone, as well as Maxfield’s body.

The third indictment states during that same time span, Goff “did, without legal privilege, unlawfully and knowingly physically mistreat a corpse in a manner offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person, constituting the offense of abuse of a corpse.”

Goff is currently being held under a $1 million bond.

Tampering with evidence is a Class C felony and can carry a 10-year jail sentence along with a fine of up to $10,000. Abuse of a corpse, a Class E felony, can carry a sentence of between one and six years, as well as a maximum fine of $3,000.

September 15, 2024
By:

It was a packed house Friday night as it marked the opening of the Faces and Places art exhibit at the Arts Garage, featuring local artists from our community.

Sherry Elkins is a self-taught artist who loves to breathe new life into old items, such as vintage suitcases and retired cabinet doors, by transforming them into works of art. Her pieces are often inspired by her passions, including music and nature.

Sherry Mays has often been affectionately dubbed the “Spoon Queen.”

She discovered her grandmother’s shiny silver flatware and became obsessed, leading to the creation of flatware with character. Some pieces even have faces and personalities, adding a unique charm that has earned her the affectionate title of “Spoon Queen.”

Karyn Walker has showcased her work in numerous art exhibits across the East Coast and the United Kingdom. After studying art in college, she served on the board of local art leagues and has taught artists for over 25 years in schools, art institutes, and military installations. Karyn’s extensive experience includes a variety of DIY projects, from woodworking and gardening to paint making and wildcrafting on her small farm with her children and grandchildren.

Tony Luna is a self-taught photographer whose work has been featured in national magazines. After semi-retiring from photography to focus more on real estate, Tony decided to participate in the Faces and Places event at the Arts Garage and Tony’s photography features some of the people he interacts with daily in our community.

The art exhibit will be open for viewing until September 27th, coinciding with the Walnut Street Art Walk in downtown Smithville.

This is a free event for the community.

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