Mark North, Sports Fan & President of The Fans, Inc.

It’s the Time of the Season for…Playoffs and Championships

Pressure packed games with the end of the season hanging in the balance… in a flash your season and high school career could be …done. All the years of hard work and sacrifice culminate in this moment when student-athletes compete with it all on the line. It’s playoff time.



Championship Game: Freshman Football – the Pearl-Cohn Firebirds visit the Antioch Bears with the Ninth Grade City Championship on the line today at 4:00pm.



Championship Game: Girls Soccer – Hume-Fogg Lady Blue Knights play CPA for the District 9AA Championship tonight at 6:00pm.



Championship Game: Girls Soccer – Antioch Lady Bears and the McGavock Lady Raiders play tonight for the District 12AAA Championship.



Sectionals: Volleyball – Hume-Fogg Lady Blue Knights have reached the Sweet Sixteen in the state and visit Page tonight at 7:00pm with the chance to qualify for the State Championship tournament.

Shout Out on National TV from an NFL Star

Two weeks in a row, Glencliff graduate Tim Dobbins played on national television – Monday Night Football on ESPN one week and Sunday night on NBC the next week. On Sunday, each member of the starting defense introduced himself, and the starting linebacker for the Houston Texans said: “Tim Dobbins…Linebacker… Glencliff High School” Whoop Whoop for the Glencliff Colts!

TSSAA Reclassification

The TSSAA examines enrollment every four years and realigns its member schools into six classifications for football and three classifications for the other sports. The TSSAA announced this week the new classifications for every school in the state and will align the various districts next week. It is possible that MNPS schools will change districts, and that rivalries will be disturbed or created by the realignment. Frankly, the North Sports Report does not expect much change, but will examine the districts after the TSSAA makes the final decisions. Stay tuned…

Football Friday: October 19, 2012

This week’s North Sports Report Game of the Week pits two teams on a roll after notching impressive victories last week – the East Nashville Eagles travel to Nick Coutras Stadium to face the Overton Bobcats.



In other action:

• Both teams are playing for playoff position when the Hillwood Hilltoppers visit Cane Ridge Ravens;


• Hillsboro Burros travel east of the river to Buster Boguskie Field to play the red hot Stratford Spartans;


• Maplewood Panthers travel over Monteagle (a beautiful drive this time of year) to Chattanooga to play Boyd-Buchanan;


• Antioch Bears host Columbia; and


• McGavock Raiders host Goodpasture.

Glencliff Colts, Hunters Lane Warriors, Pearl-Cohn Firebirds, and Whites Creek Cobras will rest up during their bye week and prepare for next week’s regular season finale.



The MNPS home games are at Overton; at Cane Ridge; at Stratford; at Antioch; and at McGavock.



All games start at 7:00pm except Maplewood’s game which starts at 6:30pm central time (7:30pm local Chattanooga time).



Enjoy a game this week!





-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for Competing When It’s All on the Line

Mark North, Sports Fan & President of The Fans, Inc.

Well-Deserved Publicity on the Way to State Championships

Did you catch The Tennessean’s High School Sports primer this week? The North Sports Report noticed the daily’s shout out to defending Cross Country State Champion Sam Klockenkemper from MLK as a “Top Runner” who is looking to repeat. Also, Hume- Fogg’s Boys team is mentioned as a state contender, and MLK’s and Hume-Fogg’s Girls teams are state contenders. Put it on your calendar…November 3 at the Steeplechase course…MNPS bringing home the Cross Country championships!



Can you dig it? Hume-Fogg’s Volleyball team is also a state contender according to The Tennessean.



MNPS has several other teams in all fall sports that are flying under the radar toward state championships. Stay tuned as the season progresses.

North Sports Report Game of the Week August 24, 2012

The North Sports Report will head to Buster Boguskie Stadium, the home of the Stratford Spartans to witness the clash of the Spartans and the Whites Creek Cobras. This early season showdown of legendary programs will set the tone of the season for both teams. I will see you there.



Other games this week:

• Antioch Bears head north to face Station Camp;


• Cane Ridge Ravens look to keep the momentum as they travel to Father Ryan;


• East Nashville Eagles soar to JPII;


• Glencliff Colts hit the road to Westmoreland;


• Hillsboro Burros take their undefeated record to FRA;


• Hillwood Hilltoppers travel to Nashville Christian;


• Hunter Lane Warriors host Oakland;


• Maplewood Panthers travel to Brentwood Academy;


• McGavock Raiders head east to face Mt. Juliet;


• Overton Bobcats’ home opener includes a visit from Centennial; and


• Pearl-Cohn Firebirds go to Rutherford County to play Blackman.

The MNPS home games are at Stratford; at Hunters Lane; and at Overton. Go to a game this week. The incomparable excitement of Friday Night Football is ageless and timeless. Enjoy a family night out at your local school.







-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for the Incomparable Excitement of High School Sports

Board Member & Sports Fan Mark North

Middle School Sports

Middle School athletics provide after-school opportunities to exercise; hone skills; and build characteristics of teamwork, sacrifice, dedication and perseverance – not to mention a sense of pride, appreciation, and enthusiasm for your school and your classmates.

Fall Sports: Middle school soccer coaching legend David Allen led Meigs to its seventh straight Girls Soccer City Championship. Coach Allen also coaches Hume-Fogg’s Boys Soccer team and was named high school Coach of the Year by The Tennessean a couple of years ago. Congratulations to Coach Allen and the Meigs girls soccer team.

In the other fall sports, Smithson-Craighead enjoyed an undefeated season on its way to the City Championship in Football. Meigs spiked its way to reign as Volleyball City Champions – Can you dig it?

Congratulations to all students, parents and coaches for another successful fall sports season.

Basketball and Wrestling: Winter Sports start next week. You can find a middle school basketball game almost every Tuesday and Thursday until February. I will gather some Wrestling schedules and provide an update next week.

Cheerleading: The next time you attend a middle school sporting event, make sure you notice the athleticism, coordination, and teamwork of some of the hardest working teams in sports – the cheerleaders.

High School Basketball

Last Thursday’s Metro Basketball Jamboree at Hunters Lane reminded me that nothing compares to the sound of a high school gymnasium during basketball season – the buzz of the crowd, the cheerleaders, the ball bouncing on the hardwood …. Walking into a gym on game night just makes me smile. I can’t help it.

Brush with Fame: I recognized one of the basketball referees as former professional wrestler George Gulas, son of famed promoter Nick Gulas and longtime tag team partner of legendary wrestler Tojo Yamamoto. That took me back to my childhood.

Football Playoffs

Pearl-Cohn Firebirds scored on a kickoff return and defeated Harpeth to advance to the state quarterfinals this Friday. The Firebirds travel to CPA for a rematch of a late season barnburner. Go Firebirds!!!

Maplewood Panthers sealed a victory over Liberty Tech with a late-game interception return for a touchdown. The Panthers host White House Friday night in quarterfinal action “amongst the maple trees.”


Pick a team and follow it.



-- Mark North

MNPS: The First Choice for Teamwork