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The annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour begins Monday in the Charlotte area. What stories do you want to read about?

Do readers want more news on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the progress of the Toyota teams, the open-wheel invasion, or something else?
The tour begins with a visit to the NASCAR Research and Development Center for the state-of-the-sport speech.
Stay tuned all week, and feel free to offer suggestions.
It’s racing time. Has anyone in the Mountain Empire caught NASCAR fever yet?

Posted by Allen Gregory

Indians use team effort to remain undefeated in Big Nine

BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Blountville, Tenn. – Jamel Williams leapt, spun, twisted and defied gravity.
Dustin McConnell knocked down mid-range jumpers like it was kid’s play.
And Jordan Edwards and Marshall Hardy cleared out enough space in the paint to rent a room.
It was just another typical Friday night for Dobyns-Bennett.
“We’re just having fun out there,” said Williams, whose 15 points included a number of highlight reel-worthy moments. “We move the ball around and try and get everybody involved.”
In doing so, the Indians continued to roll through the Big Nine Conference, defeating Sullivan Central 73-56 at the Dickie Warren Dome before an estimated crowd of 1,500.
McConnell scored a game-high 19 points for D-B (18-2, 11-0), while Edwards and Hardy combined for 11.
Josh Kaiko led the Cougars (9-11, 5-5) with 15 points, and Jason Rock contributed 11, including three made 3-pointers.
Hot shooting got the Indians started, but it was a fierce, persistent defense that kept D-B undefeated in the Big Nine.
“We weren’t perfect. But I thought we made some good stops in the second half and that was the difference,” said Indians coach Charlie Morgan. “Our offense fed off our defense, which is exactly what we try to do.”
Dobyns-Bennett jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead, exploiting Central’s man-to-man defense with speed and precision passing.
As Williams burned an open lane to the basket, Edwards and Hardy pounded the Cougars inside.
Williams soon made his name known on defense as well. He sprinted from midcourt and leaped five feet away from the basket to swat down what appeared to be an automatic layup for Central.
Yet the Cougars held strong.
Central tied the game at 15 all when Rock knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 46 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
And Central took a 19-17 lead when senior center Neil Johnson hit a soft 8-foot fade-away jumper early in the second quarter.
But the Cougars’ rally was also a wake-up call to Dobyns-Bennett. The Indians’ defense came alive, McConnell warmed up to score 13 points in the second period, and D-B used a 22-17 second quarter to take a 39-32 lead into halftime.
“They beat us on the boards and with free throws and that was basically the difference,” said Sullivan Central coach Tony Vaughn. “I thought our kids played hard, though. We just didn’t execute in some critical moments.”

Dobyns-Bennett (73)
Halvorsen 4, Sylvester 7, King 5, Dustin McConnell 19, Jamel Williams 15, Edwards 5, Hardy 6, Flack 4, Riggs 8.Totals 27 16-21 73.
Sullivan Central (56)
Roberts 2, Jason Rock 11, Devault 5, Josh Kaiko 15, Crowder 5, Brown 4, Albright 4, Johnson 6, Winchell 4.Totals 20 12-16 56.
Dobyns-Bennett 17 22 17 17—73
Sullivan Central 15 17 13 11—56
3-point-goals—D-B 3 (Williams 2, McConnell 1), SC 4 (Rock 3, Kaiko).

SULLIVAN CENTRAL 56, DOBYNS-BENNETT 53
Cougars freshman forward Jacqueline Kestner walked to the free throw line, set her feet and looked up at the basket.
Sullivan Central was down 53-52, and Kestner knew what she had to do.
“I was nervous, it felt so crazy,” Kestner said. “But I just tried to stay calm and stay focused.”
When Kestner hit both of her free throw attempts – the second a game-winner – the craziness suddenly made sense.
“I’ve never had something like that happen to me in high school,” said a smiling Kestner, who scored 13 points. “It was just awesome.”
Kestner’s big shots helped Sullivan Central (5-10, 4-6) withstand a late Dobyns-Bennett (13-6, 8-3) rally.
The Cougars held a 42-35 advantage going into the fourth quarter. But the Indians pulled within 48-47 when sophomore forward Blaine Frohlich (22 points) rebounded her own miss and converted on a putback. And when Frohlich followed with another strong basket inside, it was 51-50 Indians with 1:18 remaining.
Whitney Moody scored 22 points to lead Sullivan Central. The Cougars hit seven 3-pointers, including four from junior guard Brittany Fields.
“Whitney put us on her back and carried us,” said Sullivan Central coach Gary Surcey. “And we’ve been waiting for a big game like that from Jacqueline. She was just great.”
Dobyns-Bennett (53)
Juli Osborne 10, Head 8, Clark 3, Devine 9, Blaine Frohlich 22.Totals 18 13-17 53.
Sullivan Central (56)
Jacqueline Kestner 13, Brittany Fields 12, Kaylor 1, Queen 2, Whitney Moody 22, Blizard 4, Sabo 2. Totals 19 11-13 56.
Dobyns-Bennett 16 16 13 18—53
Sullivan Central 10 13 19 14—56
3-point-goals—D-B 3 (Head 2, Clark), SC 7 (Fields 4, Kestner 1, Moody 2).

| (276) 645-2569

Posted by Brian T. Smith

KNOXVILLE—Thirty minutes before tipoff Thursday night in Thompson-Boling Arena, the place was completely packed. And we’re just talking about the press room.

My, how times continue to change in Tennessee. Two and a half years into his Volunteer tenure, coach Bruce Pearl has turned the renovated arena on the Tennessee River’s banks into a ticket as cherished as a football Saturday.

ESPN cameras were in the house for the No. 6 Vols’ 80-60 win over No. 16 Vanderbilt. And it’s entirely possible the state’s best team is six hours or so to the west, since Memphis is ranked No. 2.

It’s a story we ran in last Thursday’s Herald Courier, but it bears repeating: the state of Tennessee’s emergence on the college basketball scene is arguably the sport’s top story at midseason.

Forget Bob Knight’s 900th win, forget that the Pacific 10 Conference might actually be the nation’s best at the midseason point, forget there are still three unbeaten teams.

Just know that there are three Tennessee schools in the top 16 teams in the nation. And the state could easily have as many as six teams in the NCAA Tournament field in March if Austin Peay, Chattanooga and one of the A-Sun teams (ETSU, Belmont, Lipscomb) win their conference tournaments.

The buzz down here before tipoff is such that you’d almost swear Phillip Fulmer and Smokey are about to run through the T. But it’s a different era in Tennessee, one where men’s basketball is no longer a diversion to fill time until spring practice.

Sure, there have been other good teams here at UT. The Jerry Green teams I covered in the late 90s and early part of this decade oozed talent, if not always results. And no one can forget the Ernie & Bernie Show orchestrated by coach Ray Mears in the mid-70s.

But Pearl has changed a culture in a remarkably short time span. And the fact that ESPN has made this its lead game tonight—complete with its magazine’s top college hoops writer, Andy Katz, on the scene—is yet another example of why Tennessee college hoops is a big deal across the continental 48. 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
College Sports

East’s 16-6 second quarter keys victory over Tennessee High

BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Bristol, Tenn. – Sullivan East walked into Viking Hall and made a statement.
The Patriots have been characterized as scrappy, hard-nosed and resilient this season.
East decided to throw all those terms away on Tuesday evening and say something else. Something stronger. Something that stuck.
The Patriots simply said “We’re good.”
East downed Tennessee High 51-34 in a Big Nine Conference matchup before a charged-up crowd estimated at 1,000. The victory gave the Patriots a sweep of the Vikings in the regular season. And as East’s student section chanted “This is our house,” any questions as to whether the Patriots have what it takes were immediately erased.
“This is the big rivalry and this is what we wanted. We couldn’t be prouder,” said East forward Dillon Faver. “We’re a complete team with no individuals, and everybody did what it took for us to get this win.”
Faver scored 12 rebounds and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Patriots (16-6, 8-2), while Koree Deeb added 10 points, including three 3-pointers.
Thomas Turnbull scored a game-high 13 points for the Vikings (10-9, 5-5), and Tre’ Webb contribruted seven points and inspired play.
“The guys that needed to make the shots didn’t make the shots. There’s nobody to blame. I just thought we didn’t get it down tonight, offensively,” said Tennessee High coach Roby Witcher. “We did a good job with our defensive game plan, but maybe we were too focused on the defensive end of it.”
Both teams traded blows early.
Turnbull scored six quick points on short-range baskets, but the Patriots took an 11-10 lead when Zane Campbell converted a three-point play with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The action picked up in a charged second quarter. As Tennessee High mixed mid-range jumpers with offensive sets based around Turnbull’s early success, the Patriots attempted to push the tempo as much as possible.
East then pulled ahead 16-12 when Faver completed a three-point play. But a 3-pointer from the right baseline by Tennessee High guard Taylor Harmon made it 17-15 Patriots with 5:30 left in the second period.
Sullivan East made a strong charge just before halftime.
The Patriots consistently split the Vikings’ defensive middle, and strong inside play from Faver and Kyle Barnes spurred East’s rally.
The Patriots then took a 27-18 lead into the break when Snapp nailed a long 3-pointer from the right wing as the game clock expired.
Snapp caught the ball three feet away from the key, spun right, jumped, and heaved a strong and true shot with an opponent’s hand shielding his face.
And while East ran into the locker room screaming, the Vikings were in trouble – Tennessee High had already picked up 10 team fouls and had suddenly lost momentum.
The Patriots outscored the Vikings 16-6 in the second period. And East took 26 total free throw attempts compared to the Vikings’ seven.
“We all played together. Everybody did what they had to and shared the ball,” said Patriots coach John Dyer. “I’m really proud of these kids and they all know it.”
Sullivan East (51)
Dillon Faver 12, Snapp 7, Mullins 0, Johnson 0, Barnes 5, Eads 2, Koree Deeb 10, Cross 8, Nave 0, Gilreath 0, Campbell 7.Totals 19 18-26 51.
Tennessee High (34)
Young 2, Morenings 0, Place 0, Walton 0, Gilmore 2, Webb 7, Harmon 10, Baker 0, Canty 0, McClintic 0, Thomas Turnbull 13, Cook 0. Totals 18 4-7 34.
Sullivan East 11 16 14 10—51
Tennessee High 12 6 10 6—34
3-point goals—SE 5 (Snapp 1, Deeb 3, Cross 1), TH 4 (Turnbull, Webb, Harmon 2).
TENNESSEE HIGH 71, SULLIVAN EAST 35
Defense is a simple seven-letter word. Yet to the Vikings, defense is everything.
And after a slow start against the Patriots, it was once again Tennessee High’s defense that clamped down and shut off any hope Sullivan East had of stealing a victory.
A career-night from Vikings junior guard Sara Wysor also helped.
Wysor scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and tied a school record with five made 3-pointers.
“My teammates just did a good job of making sure I got the ball when I was open,” Wysor said.
Callie McGrew scored a game-high 16 points for the Patriots (2-14, 1-9).
Tennessee High (15-6, 9-1) utilized a full-court press to disrupt Sullivan East’s offense, and the Vikings traded multiple Patriots turnovers for a 10-3 run early in the second quarter.
Tennessee High finished the game on a 33-7 run and the Vikings hit 20 of their 21 free throw attempts.
Sullivan East (35)
Evans 2, Callie McGrew 16, King 3, Loudermilk 3, Hamilton 3, Trivett 4, Barham 7.Totals 11 3-5 35.
Tennessee High (71)
Kendra Snapp 10, Vance 8, Jones 8, Montgomery 6, Sara Wysor 19, Thornsberry 3, Baker 5, Brittney Salyer 12. Totals 26 20-21 71.
Sullivan East 12 10 10 3—35
Tennessee High 18 14 19 20—71
3-point goals—SE 4 (McGrew 2, Loudermilk 1, Hamilton 1), TH 5 (Wysor 5).
| (276) 645-2569

Posted by Brian T. Smith

With an experienced management group now in place at Coeburn’s Lonesome Pine Raceway, race fans in the Mountain Empire have another chance to show their true colors.

Grassroots Racing: The Mountain Empire is regarded as a hotbed for motorsports.
In addition to passionate fans, the region has been home to many successful mechanics, crew chiefs, drivers and even car owners.
Yet, local short tracks have struggled in recent years. The book appears closed on history-rich Kingsport Speedway, while Coeburn’s Lonesome Pine Raceway has been shuffled between various management groups since its glory days.
Perhaps blinded by the glitz and glamour in the NASCAR reality show, area fans have failed to support Kingsport, LPR or Late Model racing in general.
Harold Crook and Jeff Roark hope to lead a revival of weekly racing. The two Southwest Virginia residents were recently tabbed to lead the new group which has leased Lonesome Pine.
Both men are true racers with an extensive backgrounds at the grassroots level of motorsports.
In fact, Crook has already began fanning interest for the LPR rebirth by speaking to area civic leaders, racers and media types.
After a promising start, the 2007 season at LPR ended in hard feeling among racers and spotty attendance.
The personable Crook, who also serves as marketing director for the UARA-Stars series, is eager to make a fresh start by reaching out to the folks who made the scenic track a success.
Open practices have been set for April 5 and April 12 with opening night planned for April 19.
With a large number of fans turned off by the high costs and worn-out storylines in NASCAR, regional fans now have another chance to prove that they are actually fans of racing and not simply fame-chasers.
Like it or not, the NASCAR train shed it southeastern roots long ago.
Racers from around the Southeast have heaped praise on Lonesome Pine Raceway. It’s time for folks in the Mountain Empire to unite and support their own friends and neighbors.
There might not be another chance.

Posted by Allen Gregory