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By Ron Barry

His volleyballers won their season opener Monday night at Halls, but Crockett County coach Andrew Laman knows it’s going to take a much more consistent effort Tuesday in Medina against South Gibson if his team hopes to be 2-0 at the conclusion of the match. 

That duel between the local athletic rivals is just one of several matchups set to take place Tuesday on a day in which the Lady Cavaliers soccer squad has its home opener and the golf teams journey to powerhouse Dyer County with a tough assignment in front of them.

Laman’s volleyball club – as expected – posted a 3-0 sweep on the road against the Lady Tigers, but a look at the individual game scores shows that his Crockett troops were fortunate to get the win. The Lady Cavs – getting off to an extremely slow start – finally picked up the pace in Set 1 and managed a relatively sizeable 25-14 victory when Jentry Elmore ended the proceedings with a service ace.

After that, it took a final-point kill from junior Wesley Thornton to cement a 25-20 triumph in a Set 2 filled with numerous Crockett errors. Then, struggling to just survive a rough Set 3 tussle, Laman’s crew barely escaped by a 25-23 count to complete the deceptive sweep.

But it will take better play Tuesday to knock off South Gibson, which would like nothing better than to topple the visiting Lady Cavs in front of a home crowd. The match is set to begin with the JV contest at 5:00.

Ninety minutes prior to that, Coach Pate Randall’s golfers will face arguably their toughest task of the season when they travel to Dyer County for a 3:30 match. The Choctaw program is generally considered to be the Regional favorite for post-season success, but Crockett has won its first two boys matches before having its latest two canceled by heat index concerns.

At 5:30 Tuesday at Cavalier Stadium, Alex Taylor begins his first season as head coach of the Lady Cavalier soccer team, which hosts Madison Academic to kick off the 2026 campaign. Rebecca Waddey returns for her senior season as the main spark of the Crockett offense, while sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Wede  and veteran defenders Chloe Campbell and Claire Nichols are among those who will be trying to keep the visiting Lady Mustangs from impacting the scoreboard.

In middle school sports Tuesday, the football team travels to Paris to face Inman at 6:30 and the softball squad goes on the road to Dyer to battle Gibson County at 5:30.

CCMS Softball: Coach Duke Kail’s lady Cavs improved their record to 3-1 Monday, getting three runs batted in from winning pitcher Piper Ledford in defeating visiting Milan 6-4.

Ledford also struck out eight in yielding just two earned runs from the chalked circle as Crockett used two-run rallies in the first, fourth, and fifth innings to post the victory. Catcher Hadleigh Uselton initiated the first-frame uprising with a single, followed by a pair of walks to load the bases. Evie Davidson then singled a run home, with the second coming around on an outfield error.

In the fourth – with Crockett now trailing 3-2 – the bases were loaded again on singles by Davidson and Sami Dew, prior to a dropped third strike that filled the bags. Ledford lined a run-scoring single to left field and Dew came around on the outfield throw back in to push the hosts in front again.

The Lady Cavs loaded the bases again in the fifth on a leadoff double by Lucy Tillman and successive walks to Davidson and Mahaley Hicks. Milan then issued two more bases on balls to Bree Lewis and Ledford, forcing in the final two runs.

Kail’s Lady Cavs had previously won two of three games in a season-opening one-day tournament in Milan that was plagued by rain when bracket play was scheduled to begin. Further play was canceled for the day.

CCMS Soccer: Crockett ran into a Dyersburg buzzsaw to open its season Monday evening, falling to the host Lady Trojans 7-1. Dyersburg notched three goals in the game’s first eight minutes before the Lady Cav defense stiffened for the next 21 minutes before the winners made it 4-0 just before the end of the first half.

The second half went much the same way, with Dyersburg scoring twice rather quickly and then going 20 minutes before striking again. Crockett’s girls never quit, however, and Kalynn Lewis avoided the shutout when she took a pass from Paris Robinson and netted a goal with 1:17 to play.

Crockett goalkeeper Kaylee Servin collected five saves during the contest, and defender Soleil Markgraf helped to slow the potent Dyersburg attack during the scoring lulls.

CCMS Cross-Country: Eighth-graders Harrison Duvall (running a 5:47 mile) and Reed Eison (5:48) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at Monday’s Milan Middle School Bulldog Run, earning medals for their performances. Other times for Crockett’s boys: Holden Eison 6:20, Andy Aguirre 7:03, and Easton McKinney (7:49). Race organizers did not have official results posted for all the boys’ finishers as of Tuesday afternoon.

On the girls side of the event, seventh-grader Anistin Sills placed nineteenth out of 73 runners with a time of 6:48 to pace the Lady Cavs. Next in line for CCMS were eighth-graders Colbie Clement (7:48, 42^nd) and Maria Stewart (7:56, 45th).

Jentry Elmore served an ace to close out the first set and initiate Crockett's 3-0 volleyball sweep at Halls Monday. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Set 2 ended on a Wesley Thornton slam similar to this one from last week's Crockett PlayDay match against TCA. (Photo by Ron Barry)

CCMS catcher Hadleigh Uselton snares this pitch as Crockett played its home opener Monday, defeating Milan 6-4. (Photo by Beth Williams) 

Piper Ledford was the winning pitcher and also drove in three runs for the victorious CCMS softballers. (Photo by Beth Williams) 

 

[Photo caption texts by Ron Barry]

The final scoreboard from Crockett's 28-0 Jamboree win over host Camden. (Photo by Kim Smallwood)

Crockett's defensive front of Nolan Turner (54), Grant Smallwood (77), and Carson Bridger (79) helped set the tone early for the Cavaliers. (Photo by Beth Williams)

DK Woods (32) and Brody Jones (11) make the tackle on a Lion runner as the Cav defense shows how a shutout is in order. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Defensive back Brody Parlow readies for a play in the secondary. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Quarterback Ben Burgess (10) prepares to take a snap behind Crockett's offensive line of (left to right) Sebastian Garduno (63), Ittai Fry (57), center Carson Bridger (79), Jayden Young (60), Nolen Turner (54), and tight end Brody Jones (11) in early Camden Jamboree action Friday night. (Photo by Beth Williams)

It helps to have a track sprinter's speed, and Crockett's Titus Luten (4) delivers it on this race to the goal line. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Titus Luten (4) celebrates in the end zone with Nolen Turner (54) after posting a Cavalier touchdown. (Photo by Beth Williams) 

Reliable senior Noah Mayfield (25) is back as Crockett's kicker and here delivers an extra point boot out of the hold of Kris Phillips. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Coach Kevin Ward -- back on the Camden field where he began his coaching career -- did not make it a comfortable evening for the Lion fans. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Cav quarterback Ben Burgess (10) accepts congratulations on the sidelines after directing scoring drives for the winners. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Crockett's Kris Phillips (6) is driven out of bounds after picking up a short gain on a quick pass reception. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Senior Brody Parlow (5) congratulates freshman Messiah McCurry (0) after the latter tallied the final Cavalier score. (Photo by Beth Williams)

Senior lineman Nolen Turner and his teammates now will prepare for the official football season opener, hosting Nashville Collegiate Prep this coming Friday night at 7:00 at Cavalier Stadium. (Photo by Beth Williams) 

Mason Dennis (7) will be among the seniors entering their final campaign as Cavalier gridders in the always tough TSSAA Region 7-4A. (Photo by Beth Williams) 

 

In upcoming posts in August:

Callie Freeman -- Equestrian Excellence

Caleb Ferguson -- Making a National Splash on the Soccer Pitch

 

[Text and Photos by Ron Barry]

Crockett County’s volleyball team – hoping to secure a return trip to the TSSAA State Tournament by returning a solid cast of athletic talent – hosted a PlayDay Tuesday to help it prepare for the season opener on August 17 (next Monday) at Halls. 

Coach Andrew Laman returns several experienced players from the squad which reached the State’s Final Four a year ago, including frontline stalwarts Madi Collins and Wesley Thornton and one of West Tennessee’s most reliable setters in Lakyn Forsythe.

[Note: The golf match scheduled for Tuesday with Madison was canceled due to the high heat index for outdoor activities.]

Senior Madi Collins smashes a winner in Tuesday's first match with TCA. (photo by Ron Barry) 

Following are the players currently comprising the varsity roster for the 2026 season, photographed during Tuesday’s action…

Madi Collins, #6. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Lakyn Forsythe, #11. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Wesley Thornton, #20. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Addie Davidson, #7. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Carmen Claybrooks, #13. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Nataly Amador, #14. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Ellie Henderson, #30. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Emilee Chandler, #4. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Kira Bray, #18. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Jentry Elmore, #3. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Addie Whitby, #2. (Photo by Ron Barry)

Lola Bailey, #1. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Ella Cate Hayes, #22. (Photo by Ron Barry) 

Wesley Thornton hammers a kill against TCA Tuesday night. (Photo by Ron Barry)