Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Manchester Enterprise - 10.23.26

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Manchester Enterprise - 10.23.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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  Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Manchester Enterprise to read news
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  Speaker 1: from and around Manchester. Your reader today is Brian Rich.
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  Speaker 1: We will begin with the edition dated October 21st, 2026, Wednesday.
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  Speaker 1: As a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading service intended
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  Speaker 1: for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
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  Speaker 1: make it difficult to read printed material. Next, God has
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  Speaker 1: blessed our school district. District once ranked among Kentucky's lowest-performing
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  Speaker 1: school systems now leads state in elementary performance, staff report
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  Speaker 1: by the Enterprise News. Manchester. Nearly 14 years ago, Clay
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  Speaker 1: County Public Schools made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
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  Speaker 1: A report published in the Lexington Herald-Leader, November 2, 2012,
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  Speaker 1: showed Clay County ranked as the 5th worst school district
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  Speaker 1: in Kentucky, with an overall score of 42.8. Only four
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  Speaker 1: districts in the state ranked lower. For a community that
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  Speaker 1: has long battled economic hardships and the challenges of rural education,
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  Speaker 1: the ranking was difficult to accept. Today, Clay County is
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  Speaker 1: making headlines for an entirely different reason. Clay County Public
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  Speaker 1: Schools has been ranked number one in Kentucky for elementary
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  Speaker 1: school performance following the release of the 2025 2026 Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Summative Assessment Results The accomplishment represents a remarkable academic turnaround
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  Speaker 1: for a district once ranked near the bottom of Kentucky's
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  Speaker 1: educational system. Of Kentucky's 172 school districts, only 12 earned
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  Speaker 1: an overall blue rating at the elementary level, the highest
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  Speaker 1: designation in the state's accountability system. Clay County ranked first
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  Speaker 1: the month among them. Even more impressive, Clay County's elementary
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  Speaker 1: schools have earned an overall blue rating for four consecutive years.
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  Speaker 1: Superintendent William Sexton credits the district's success to God's blessings
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  Speaker 1: in the dedication of employees, students, families, and community members
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  Speaker 1: who refused to accept that Clay County children couldn't compete
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  Speaker 1: academically with anyone in Kentucky. First and foremost, I give
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  Speaker 1: all the glory and credit to God, Sexton said. He
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  Speaker 1: has blessed our school district with some incredible people who
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  Speaker 1: genuinely love our children and want to see them succeed.
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  Speaker 1: When you look back approximately 15 years and see that
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  Speaker 1: Clay County was ranked fifth from the bottom in Kentucky,
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  Speaker 1: and today we're the number one elementary school district in
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  Speaker 1: the entire state, it's almost unbelievable. But it didn't happen
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  Speaker 1: by accident. It happened because people believed we could do better,
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  Speaker 1: worked hard, and refused to accept that our children couldn't
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  Speaker 1: compete with anyone in Kentucky. Sexton emphasized that the accomplishment
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  Speaker 1: belongs to the entire school district, not any single individual.
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  Speaker 1: I want to personally thank every student, teacher, instructional assistant, principal, administrator,
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  Speaker 1: bus driver, cafeteria worker, custodian, and staff member who has
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  Speaker 1: contributed to this success, Sexton said. I also want to
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  Speaker 1: thank our parents, families, community, and Board of Education for
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  Speaker 1: believing in what we're trying to accomplish. This is not
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  Speaker 1: my accomplishment. This belongs to every person who has played
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  Speaker 1: a role in making Clay County schools better. Elementary schools
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  Speaker 1: lead the way. The latest assessment results revealed significant academic
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  Speaker 1: improvement throughout the district. Clay County's overall elementary performance index
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  Speaker 1: increased 14.8 points from the previous school year while every
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  Speaker 1: elementary school in the district ranked within the top third
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  Speaker 1: of elementary schools statewide. Five elementary schools earned blue ratings,
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  Speaker 1: while the remaining two received green ratings, the second highest designation.
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  Speaker 1: Paces Creek Elementary led the district with an outstanding performance
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  Speaker 1: index of 122.6, followed by Burning Springs Elementary at 108.7.
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  Speaker 1: Manchester Elementary earned a 101.0, Big Creek Elementary recorded a 98.4,
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  Speaker 1: and Goose Rock Elementary finished with a 91.6. All five
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  Speaker 1: schools received blue ratings. Hacker Elementary earned a green rating
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  Speaker 1: with a performance index of 78.1, while Oneida Elementary also
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  Speaker 1: received green with a score of 72.9. Paces Creek Elementary
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  Speaker 1: principal Aaron Asher said the school's success reflects the dedication
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  Speaker 1: of students educators, and families working toward a common goal.
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  Speaker 1: I couldn't be prouder of our students and staff at
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  Speaker 1: Paces Creek Elementary, Asher said. Earning a blue rating with
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  Speaker 1: a performance index of 122.6 is a tremendous accomplishment. But
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  Speaker 1: what makes me most proud is knowing how much work
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  Speaker 1: goes into achieving those results. Our teachers and staff come
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  Speaker 1: to school every day determined to make a difference in
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  Speaker 1: the lives of our children. Asher emphasized the importance of
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  Speaker 1: high expectations and strong family support. We have high expectations
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  Speaker 1: for our students because we know what they're capable of accomplishing,
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  Speaker 1: Asher said. This achievement belongs to our entire school family,
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  Speaker 1: including the parents and families who support us. Being part
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  Speaker 1: of a district that is ranked number one in Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: is an incredible honor, and we're excited to continue building
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  Speaker 1: on that success. Burning Springs Elementary Principal Kendra Hooker also
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  Speaker 1: praised the efforts of students and staff. This is such
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  Speaker 1: an exciting time to be part of Clay County Public Schools,
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  Speaker 1: Hooker said. At Burning Springs Elementary, our students and staff
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  Speaker 1: have worked extremely hard, and earning a blue rating with
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  Speaker 1: a performance index of 108.7 is a reflection of that dedication.
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  Speaker 1: Hooker emphasized that students in rural communities are capable of
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  Speaker 1: achieving academic success at the highest levels. I have always
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  Speaker 1: believed that children in our small rural communities are just
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  Speaker 1: as capable of achieving great things as children anywhere else
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  Speaker 1: in Kentucky, Hooker said. These results prove that when you
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  Speaker 1: have dedicated teachers, supportive families, and students who are willing
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  Speaker 1: to work hard, wonderful things can happen. To see Clay
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  Speaker 1: County go from near the bottom of the state to
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  Speaker 1: number one is something that our entire community should celebrate. Next,
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  Speaker 1: middle and high schools show progress. Academic improvements were not
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  Speaker 1: limited to the elementary level. Clay County Middle School recorded
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  Speaker 1: an overall performance index of 56.2, while Clay County High
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  Speaker 1: School earned a 64.4. The high school also demonstrated significant
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  Speaker 1: gains in post-secondary readiness and graduation rates compared to the
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  Speaker 1: previous school year. District leaders have emphasized that academic improvement
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  Speaker 1: must continue at every grade level, from kindergarten through graduation. Next,
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  Speaker 1: from the bottom to the top. Although the historical and
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  Speaker 1: current rankings use different accountability measures, they illustrate how dramatically
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  Speaker 1: the district's educational standing has changed. Four consecutive years of
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  Speaker 1: blue ratings also demonstrate that the district's success is not
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  Speaker 1: limited to a single school year. For Sexton and other
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  Speaker 1: district leaders, the accomplishment represents years of determination, investment, and
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  Speaker 1: a belief that Clay County students deserve the same opportunities
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  Speaker 1: as children anywhere in Kentucky. The superintendent said the district
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  Speaker 1: has no intention of becoming complacent. Four consecutive years of
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  Speaker 1: blue ratings is something special, but we're not finished, Sexton said.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to continue working to make our schools even better.
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  Speaker 1: This article is accompanied by a picture of Superintendent William Sexton,
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  Speaker 1: whose quote is saying, I give God the credit and glory.
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  Speaker 1: God has blessed our school district so much. There is
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  Speaker 1: also a table with a lot of data about different
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  Speaker 1: schools and communities. If you're interested in that information, give
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  Speaker 1: us a call. Next, amazing testimony. Fox keynote speaker for VOA,
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  Speaker 1: Murray to Manchester. Louisville. More than 1,200 community business and
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  Speaker 1: government leaders gathered at the Kentucky International Convention Center in
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  Speaker 1: Louisville on October 13th. for the 18th Annual Power of
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  Speaker 1: One Breakfast Benefiting Volunteers of America Mid-States. This year's theme,
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  Speaker 1: From Murray to Manchester, celebrated the reach of VOA's mission
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  Speaker 1: and the powerful connections being built between rural and urban
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  Speaker 1: communities across Kentucky. The event is VOA Mid-States' largest annual
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  Speaker 1: fundraising event in Kentucky. Clay County was represented in a
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  Speaker 1: remarkable way, with more than 45 local supporters traveling to
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  Speaker 1: Louisville to stand behind VOA's work and celebrate the strength, resilience,
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  Speaker 1: and promise of the Manchester community. The strong turnout reflected
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  Speaker 1: the depth of support that exists across Clay County for recovery,
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  Speaker 1: stronger families, and community transformation. VOA extends its gratitude to
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  Speaker 1: every local leader, partner, friend, and supporter who attended, as
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  Speaker 1: well as Clay County sponsors AdventHealth Manchester, Gravity Diagnostics, and
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  Speaker 1: First National Bank of Manchester. These companies were recognized among
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  Speaker 1: the generous sponsors supporting this year's event. The morning's keynote
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  Speaker 1: speaker was Manchester's own Sue Fox, VOA's Community Outreach Supervisor
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  Speaker 1: and a mother and peer support professional who achieved a
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  Speaker 1: decade of sobriety this year. Sue shared her extraordinary journey
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  Speaker 1: for more than 30 years of active addiction, repeated incarceration,
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  Speaker 1: and a seven-and-a-half-year federal sentence to recovery, service, and leadership.
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  Speaker 1: After returning home, she found support and belonging at VOA's
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  Speaker 1: Recovery Community Center in Manchester, a place she has described
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  Speaker 1: as a safe haven and a lifeline. VOA helped Sue
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  Speaker 1: earn her peer support certification, and she began working with
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  Speaker 1: women rebuilding their lives through Freedom House before continuing her
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  Speaker 1: outreach and recovery support work in the community. She also
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  Speaker 1: returned to college at EKU as an Allen Family Scholar,
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  Speaker 1: reinforcing the message she now shares with others. It is
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  Speaker 1: never too late to begin again. Her testimony moved the
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  Speaker 1: audience and demonstrated what becomes possible when a person has
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  Speaker 1: access to treatment, peer support, opportunity, and a community that
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  Speaker 1: believes in second chances. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman was
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  Speaker 1: so moved by Sue's story that, following the event, he
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  Speaker 1: presented her with one of his challenge coins in recognition
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  Speaker 1: of her courage, perseverance, and service to others. Sue was
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  Speaker 1: joined on the program by VOA board member Terry Gray,
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  Speaker 1: Executive Director of Regional Programming and Stewardship for Eastern Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: University in Manchester. and Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of
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  Speaker 1: Volunteers of America Mid-States. The presence of more than 45
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  Speaker 1: Clay County supporters sent the powerful message that Manchester is
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  Speaker 1: not simply part of this story. Manchester is helping lead it,
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  Speaker 1: Hancock said. Sue's life reminds us that recovery does not
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  Speaker 1: stop with one individual. When one person finds hope and
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity to rebuild, families heal, communities become stronger, and
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  Speaker 1: the impact travels outward. That is the power of one.
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  Speaker 1: Hancock also emphasized that the connections between Kentucky's communities are
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  Speaker 1: essential to creating lasting change. Rural and urban Kentucky may
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  Speaker 1: look different on the surface, but our communities share many
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  Speaker 1: of the same hopes and challenges, she said. Our responsibility
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  Speaker 1: is to build bridges between people, organizations, and systems so
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  Speaker 1: that opportunity is not determined by a zip code. When
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  Speaker 1: we invest in communities from Murray to Manchester, the impact multiplies.
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  Speaker 1: The Power of One Breakfast raises support for VOA programs
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  Speaker 1: serving individuals and families facing substance use disorder, homelessness, and
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  Speaker 1: other significant barriers. The event celebrates the idea that one person,
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  Speaker 1: one community, one partnership, and one act of generosity can
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  Speaker 1: become the starting point for lasting change. For the Clay
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  Speaker 1: County delegation, the morning was also a moment of pride
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  Speaker 1: Sue's journey began in Manchester, but her message reached more
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  Speaker 1: than 1,200 people from across Kentucky. Her story showed that
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  Speaker 1: the work taking place in Clay County is not only
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  Speaker 1: changing local lives, it is offering hope, leadership, and a
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  Speaker 1: model of transformation for communities across the Commonwealth. It made
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  Speaker 1: me proud to see Sue share her story and to
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  Speaker 1: have nearly 50 people from Clay County there to support
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  Speaker 1: her and VOA, Grace said. Sue has turned years of
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  Speaker 1: struggle into hope for others, and I'm proud to stand
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  Speaker 1: behind an organization that shows up for our community again
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  Speaker 1: and again. From Murray to Manchester, VOA is helping people
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  Speaker 1: rebuild their lives and showing what is possible when we
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  Speaker 1: invest in their future. It is not too late to
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  Speaker 1: be part of this growing wave of change by investing
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  Speaker 1: in the mission of Volunteers of America. Make a contribution
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  Speaker 1: in honor of Sue and the life-changing work she continues
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  Speaker 1: to lead today by visiting www.voamid.org. Again, that's www.voamid.org. Together,
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  Speaker 1: we can ensure that more people across Clay County and
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  Speaker 1: throughout our region have the support, opportunity, and hope they
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  Speaker 1: need to build a new future. This article is accompanied
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  Speaker 1: by a picture titled Amazing Testimony with a caption that reads,
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  Speaker 1: Danielle Fox left with her mother Sue as she was
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  Speaker 1: being introduced as the keynote speaker for BOA and the
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  Speaker 1: 18th annual Power One Breakfast. The picture shows Danielle and
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  Speaker 1: her mother Sue Standing in front of a curtain. Next.
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  Speaker 1: Louisiana solicitation case. Jail's clay man. Messer charged over sexual
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  Speaker 1: contact with minors. A staff report by the Enterprise News. Napoleonville, Louisiana.
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  Speaker 1: A clay county man has been arrested on felony charges
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  Speaker 1: in Louisiana following a multi-agency investigation targeting individuals suspected of
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  Speaker 1: using the Internet. to solicit minors for sexual purposes. Delmar
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  Speaker 1: Wesley Messer, 25, of Manchester, was arrested in Kentucky and
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  Speaker 1: transported to Louisiana following an investigation conducted by the Assumption
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  Speaker 1: Parish Sheriff's Office and the Louisiana Attorney General's Internet Crimes
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  Speaker 1: Against Children Task Force. According to Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon,
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  Speaker 1: Messer was charged with computer-aided solicitation of a minor and
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  Speaker 1: indecent behavior with a juvenile. The charges stem from an
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  Speaker 1: investigation known as Operation Bottom Dweller, conducted August 26-29, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: with assistance from numerous law enforcement agencies across southern Louisiana.
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  Speaker 1: Authorities said the operation focused on identifying, investigating, and apprehending
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  Speaker 1: individuals accused of using electronic communications and Internet-based platforms to
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  Speaker 1: solicit or attempt to exploit people they believed were juveniles
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  Speaker 1: for sexual purposes. During the investigation, law enforcement officers developed
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  Speaker 1: probable cause to obtain arrest warrants for Messer, according to
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  Speaker 1: the sheriff's office. Messer was subsequently taken into custody in
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky before being transported to Assumption Parish, where he was
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  Speaker 1: booked into Assumption Parish Detention Center on Friday. The sheriff's
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  Speaker 1: office did not release additional details concerning the allegations against Messer,
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  Speaker 1: including the circumstances surrounding his alleged online communication or where
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  Speaker 1: he was arrested in Kentucky. Hawkinson Messer remained incarcerated pending
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  Speaker 1: a bond hearing. The investigation was part of a coordinated
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  Speaker 1: effort between the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office, the Louisiana Attorney
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  Speaker 1: General's Office, and other participating law enforcement agencies. The charges
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  Speaker 1: against Messer are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until
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  Speaker 1: proven guilty in court. Next, Explosion 4x4 Coming Saturday, Manchester
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  Speaker 1: Four-wheel drive enthusiasts from across the region will have an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to show off their vehicles, enjoy off-road activities, and
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  Speaker 1: come together for a day of fellowship. During the Clay
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  Speaker 1: County Explosion 4x4 event on Saturday, October 24th, the event
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  Speaker 1: will be held at 760 Miracle Mountain Road in Manchester,
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  Speaker 1: with activities scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., an
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  Speaker 1: evening of live music featuring My Finest Hour, will follow
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  Speaker 1: from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers are promoting the event
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  Speaker 1: as an opportunity to bring the 4x4 community together for
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  Speaker 1: a day of vehicles, outdoor adventure, entertainment, and fellowship. The
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  Speaker 1: event will feature a 4x4 show and shine competition with
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  Speaker 1: six vehicle classes, including Stock 4x4, Modified 4x4, Built 4x4,
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  Speaker 1: Extreme 4x4, Jeep and Truck, The stock division will feature
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  Speaker 1: mostly factory vehicles with minimal modifications, while the modified class
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  Speaker 1: will include vehicles equipped with lift kits, larger tires, lockers, bumpers,
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  Speaker 1: and winches. The built-in extreme divisions will showcase heavily modified
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  Speaker 1: off-road vehicles designed for more challenging terrain. Separate classes will
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  Speaker 1: also be available for jeeps and full-size or mid-size four-wheel
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  Speaker 1: drive trucks. In addition to the vehicle show, participants will
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  Speaker 1: have an opportunity to test their vehicles on a torsion
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  Speaker 1: ramp and participate in a Ridge Rid scheduled to depart
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  Speaker 1: at 3 p.m. The event also includes an opportunity to
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  Speaker 1: ride through the Daniel Boone National Forest. Door prizes will
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  Speaker 1: be awarded throughout the event, including Yeti coolers, traction boards,
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  Speaker 1: LED light kits, and other off-road equipment and accessories. Following
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  Speaker 1: the daytime activities, participants and visitors are invited to remain
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  Speaker 1: for an evening bonfire and live entertainment. The band My
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  Speaker 1: Finest Hour will perform from 6 to 9 at the
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  Speaker 1: same location. Organizers say everyone is welcome to attend the
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  Speaker 1: evening festivities. The Clay County Explosion 4x4 event is scheduled
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  Speaker 1: for Saturday, October 24th at 760 Miracle Mountain Road in
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  Speaker 1: Manchester beginning at 11 a.m. with live music including the
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  Speaker 1: event at 9 p.m. Next, sports. Record Breaker. Lily Davidson
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  Speaker 1: sets new school record in girls' cross-country by Tanner Hoskins,
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  Speaker 1: Enterprise Sports, Manchester. Clay County's Lily Davidson etched her name
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  Speaker 1: into the school record books on Saturday, October 17, turning
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  Speaker 1: in an outstanding performance in the girls' 5K cross-country event.
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  Speaker 1: Davidson finished the 3.1-mile course with a time of 21
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  Speaker 1: minutes 37 seconds. and 41 hundredths, setting a new school
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  Speaker 1: record for the Lady Tigers. The record-breaking run is a
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  Speaker 1: big accomplishment for Davidson and another bright spot for the
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  Speaker 1: Clay County cross-country program this season. Her performance puts her
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  Speaker 1: name in the school record books and gives the Lady
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  Speaker 1: Tigers another reason to be proud as the 2026 season continues.
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  Speaker 1: This article is accompanied by a picture of Lily Davison
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  Speaker 1: in a forest, holding up her Clay County shirt. Next,
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  Speaker 1: reverse course. 49th District Boys Basketball Tournament will be seeded.
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  Speaker 1: Move from blind draw format by Tanner Hoskins, Enterprise Sports, Manchester.
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  Speaker 1: A change is coming to the 49th District Boys Basketball
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  Speaker 1: Tournament this season. That district official voted Monday morning to
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  Speaker 1: move away from the traditional blind draw and begin seeding
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  Speaker 1: teams for postseason play. The decision passed by a narrow
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  Speaker 1: 3-2 vote and will remain in effect for the next
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  Speaker 1: two seasons. The girls had already voted to seed in
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  Speaker 1: the district tournament in February. The move comes as the
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  Speaker 1: 13th region prepares to introduce this new super-region tournament format
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  Speaker 1: for both boys and girls basketball, bringing changes to the
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  Speaker 1: postseason across the region. with a new agreement in place,
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  Speaker 1: each team in the 49th district will play its district
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  Speaker 1: opponents once during the regular season. Those head-to-head results will
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  Speaker 1: determine where each team is seated when district tournament time arrives. Previously,
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  Speaker 1: district tournament matchups were determined by a blind draw, regardless
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  Speaker 1: of how teams performed against one another during the regular season.
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  Speaker 1: The change gives teams more control over their postseason positioning,
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  Speaker 1: adding importance to each district matchup throughout the basketball season.
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  Speaker 1: District officials will operate under the new format for two
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  Speaker 1: years before the agreement comes up for renewal. Next, Lady
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  Speaker 1: Tigers advance to District Championship. Clay sweeps OBI and opener,
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  Speaker 1: meets North Laurel for title by Tanner Hoskins again. Manchester,
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  Speaker 1: the Clay County Lady Tigers are headed to the 49th
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  Speaker 1: District Volleyball Championships. After sweeping Oneida Baptist Institute 3-0 on
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  Speaker 1: Monday night at Bobby Keith Gymnasium, under head coach Kendall Colfer,
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  Speaker 1: the Lady Tigers continued to find success and punched their
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  Speaker 1: ticket to Tuesday night's championship game against North Laurel, scheduled
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  Speaker 1: for 6 o'clock on Tuesday night. Due to Manchester Enterprise's
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  Speaker 1: Tuesday print deadline, results from the championship matchup against North
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  Speaker 1: Laurel will not be available in this week's printed edition.
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  Speaker 1: Full results will be available online in the next week's
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  Speaker 1: issue of the Manchester Enterprise. As for the matchup, the
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  Speaker 1: Lady Tigers defeated North Laurel in a thrilling five-set match
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  Speaker 1: earlier this season, marking their first victory over the Lady
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  Speaker 1: Jaguars in 12 years, setting the stage for what will
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  Speaker 1: no doubt be one of the most exciting matchups in
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  Speaker 1: program history. Next, Championship Saturday. Spider-Thurman Bowl set for Saturday
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  Speaker 1: by Tanner Hoskins. The Clay County Elementary football season will
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  Speaker 1: come to a close this Saturday, October 24, as four
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  Speaker 1: games are scheduled for the annual Spider-Thurman Bowl at Tiger Stadium.
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  Speaker 1: Saturday will feature both junior varsity and varsity consolation and
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  Speaker 1: championship games, with our elementary teams looking to finish their
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  Speaker 1: seasons with hardware in the trophy case. Action will get
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: underway at 9 a.m. as Hacker takes on Goose Rock
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: in the Junior Varsity Constellation game. The JV Championship will
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: follow at 10 a.m. with the Paces Creek Bears facing
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: the Burning Springs Bobcats. Varsity action begins at 11 a.m.
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: as Hacker squares off against Paces Creek in the Constellation matchup.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: The day will conclude at noon with the Varsity Championship
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: game where the defending champion Manchester Tigers will take on
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: Burning Springs for the Spider Thurman Bowl Championship. Next. Tigers
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: look to bounce back against Bell County. Traditional powerhouse Bobcats
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: having down season by Tanner Hoskins. Manchester. The Tigers will
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: look to get back on track Friday night as they
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: travel to Log Mountain in Bell County for another tough
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: district matchup. Coming off a 44-6 loss to Knox Central,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: Clay County will face another challenging opponent in the Bobcats,
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: who have traditionally been one of the tougher teams in
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: the state each year. Clay County head coach Mike Sizemore
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: said limiting mistakes and taking care of the football will
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: be important after turnovers proved costly in last week's loss.
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: We have to come out this week, protect the football,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: be efficient on the offensive and defensive side of the ball,
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: and play one of our best games on the season,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: Sizemore said. Despite last week's setback, Sizemore believes his young
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: team has continued to improve throughout the season, particularly when
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: it comes to the fundamentals. Tigers will have their hands
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: full against the usual-styled Bell County squad that features a
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: strong rushing attack, an explosive passing game, and an aggressive defense.
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: We know Bell will have a tough running game, an
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: explosive passing game, and get after the ball on defense,
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: so our kids will have to be ready to match
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: that intensity in all phases of the game for four
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: quarters on the road, Sizemore said. Coach Sizemore and the
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: boys will look to put together a complete four-quarter performance
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: Friday night as they aim to bounce back and pick
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: up another district victory. Kickoff is scheduled for 7.30 p.m.
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: at Bell County High School. Next, Knox Downs Tigers. Panthers
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: win big 44-6 at home by Tanner Hoskins. Barbara Bell.
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: The Clay County Tigers suffered a tough road loss Friday night,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: falling 44-6 to Knox Central in district play. Panthers improved
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: to 6-2 on the season with a victory, while Clay
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: County dropped to 3-5. Clay County head coach Mike Sizemore
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: said his team came out ready to compete against the
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: talented Knox Central squad, but early turnovers proved costly. Our
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: guys went on the road and played tough opponent. Our
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: guys fought hard and kept us in the game early,
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: but a couple of turnovers allowed them to get up
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: a score or two early, Sizemore said. Despite falling behind,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: Sizemore was pleased with the efforts his team showed throughout
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: the contest. The Tigers continued battling on both sides of
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: the football, even as the Panthers extended their lead. I
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: thought our kids done an excellent job of staying in
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: the game and playing to the best of their ability
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: until the final whistle, Sizemore said. With a young roster,
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: Sizemore believes the experience gained against quality opponents will benefit
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: his players as they continue developing. The Tigers have faced
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: their share of challenges this season, but Sizemore City has
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: been encouraged by the team's growth, particularly among younger players
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: who continue to improve each week. As the regular season
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: winds down, the Tigers will look to maintain that same
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: effort and try to bring home a big win on
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: Log Mountain as they take on the Bell County Bobcats
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: in District play. Finally, the bragging corner. Send us your
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: photos on Facebook. We have two pictures, one of Jay
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Nicholson with a deer with antlers and Tyler Preston with
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: an impressive deer with antlers. Well, we're running out of time.
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: This concludes the reading of the Manchester Enterprise. Your reader
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: has been Brian Ridge. Now, please stay tuned for continued programming.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: And on behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye, thank
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: you for listening, and we hope you have a good day.