Mike Blackerby

Jan 21, 2025 | 5starpreps.com | Mike Blackerby

MORRISTOWN – The Morristown East girls basketball team doesn’t have just one go-to player, it has a bunch of them. The Lady Hurricanes got it done in typical win-by-committee fashion Tuesday night with a hard-fought 35-31 win over Hamblen County rival Morristown West.

Jan 16, 2025 | 5starpreps.com | Mike Blackerby

BY MIKE BLACKERBYCalysta Garmer had her best race of the cross-country season just when it counted the most for the powerhouse Webb School Lady Spartans. Garmer’s first individual win of the season – and first of her high school career – came on the sport’s biggest stage and earned her 5Star Preps Girls Runner of the Year honors for 2024. The junior standout was the initial runner to cross the finish line at the Division II-AA state championships Nov. 7 at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville.

Jan 16, 2025 | 5starpreps.com | Mike Blackerby

BY MIKE BLACKERBYCatholic’s Keegan Smith put a punctuation mark on a remarkable high school cross-country career in 2024. So much so that Catholic coach Sean O’Neil makes a strong case that Smith perhaps cobbled together the greatest single season in history for a Tennessee prep runner. In the pantheon of great runners from the state, Smith might just sit at the top of the list in history. “It’s the best (season),” I’ve ever seen,” said O’Neil, in his 18th year as Catholic’s coach.

Jan 16, 2025 | 5starpreps.com | Mike Blackerby

2024 ALL-5STAR PREPSCROSS COUNTRY TEAMBOYS FIRST TEAMKeegan Smith, sr., CatholicRunner of the Year storyThe Colorado signee was the only male high school runner in the country to earn All-American honors at both the Footlocker and NIKE Nationals, where he placed fifth and six in the nation, respectively. Smith also picked up multiple impressive individual wins during the course of the season, including victories at the DII-AA state meet (14:59.16) and the KIL Championships (14:52.11).

Dec 4, 2024 | 5starpreps.com | Mike Blackerby

BY MIKE BLACKERBYThe very nature of the marquee state championship football matchup lends itself to even more intrigue than usual. In fact Friday’s 7 p.m. TSSAA BlueCross Bowl Class 5A game between Sevier County and Page at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga may be the best pairing of the nine-game state championship weekend. It’s the only state championship game featuring two undefeated (14-0) teams. And then there’s the stark contrast in styles.