College players of the week honored - Nov. 12

November 14, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville junior quarterback Bryson Rollins helped lead the Scots to the USA South championship on Saturday as he earned this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

The Elizabethton, Tenn., native completed 15 of his 24 passes for 314 yards and three touchdown passes as he led the team to a 47-7 victory at Greensboro. He was effective in the third quarter as he went 7-of-10 for 220 yards and all three scores, going for 8, 82 and 40 yards all within a 9:28 span.

On the defensive side, Memphis redshirt junior linebacker Chandler Martin picked up his second Defensive Player of the Week of the season as he collected 11 total tackles – nine solo – in the 27-20 win over Rice. The Lithonia, Ga., native also had a pass breakup, a QB hurry and his fourth fumble recovery of the season in the contest.

VOLLEYBALL: In addition to being named the AVCA/GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week and Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Tennessee Tech senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen was named the TSWA’s Volleyball Player of the Week after averaging 6.71 kills per set on a .435 attack percentage with just seven errors on 92 attempts.

On Friday, the Edwardsville, Ill., native took on her hometown team – SIUE – and collected 19 kills and three blocks with a .432 percentage. On Saturday, Isringhausen, the daughter of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason Isringhausen, compiled a career-high 28 kills – tying for the second-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era in Tech history – while hitting .436 with two service aces and a season-high five blocks.

MEN’S SOCCER: Tusculum senior forward David Evans earned the final TSWA Men’s Soccer Player of the Week award of the academic year after posting his first career two-goal game on Senior Night as the Pioneers topped Carson-Newman 3-1.

The Johnson City, Tenn., product scored in the 62nd minute, then added his second in the 71st for insurance. He was also named Tusculum’s Homecoming King at halftime of the Pioneers’ football game against Carson-Newman.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Lipscomb junior forward Jacob Ognacevic earned the first Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor as he averaged 22.0 points and 7.3 rebounds as the Bisons went 2-1 on the week with wins over Duquesne and Wofford, as well as a strong showing at Arkansas.

At Duquesne, the Sheboygan, Wisc., product collected his first career double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while also leading the Bisons in scoring against both Wofford and Arkansas with 22 and 23 points respectively.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman junior guard Jennifer Sullivan won the first Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award as she averaged 21.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. The Knoxville native shot 50 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the line during a 90-64 win at Lander and a 103-68 win over USC Aiken.

2024-25 TSWA College Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
9/3 | Offensive: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
9/10 | Offensive: Sam Phillips (Chattanooga); Defensive: Elijah Herring (Memphis)
9/17 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
9/24 | Offensive: La’Vell Wright (Austin Peay); Defensive: Major Williams (Carson-Newman)
10/1 | Offensive: Chase Artopoeus (Chattanooga); Defensive: Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
10/8 | Offensive: Jayden Sullins (Carson-Newman); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
10/15 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
10/22 | Offensive: Mario Anderson Jr. (Memphis); Defensive: Will Brooks (Tennessee)
10/29 | Offensive: Dawson White (Sewanee); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)
11/5 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Cayman Spaulding (Tennessee Tech)
11/12 | Offensive: Bryson Rollins (Maryville); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)

TSWA recognizes college players of the week - Nov. 5

November 6, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee junior running back Dylan Sampson continued his strong season this past Saturday with the 28-18 win over Kentucky and claiming his third Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor on Tuesday.

The Baton Rouge, La., native shattered a 95-year-old single-season rushing touchdown record for his 19th of the season as he collected a career-high 142 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns against the Wildcats. The 19 rushing scores placed Sampson in a six-way tie for tenth in the Southeastern Conference’s single-season leaderboard.

The game was his SEC-best seventh 100-yard game of the year and he became the first Volunteer to score a rushing touchdown in eight straight games in the same season. Sampson is now tied for second in Tennessee’s single-season 100-yard rushing games.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech sophomore linebacker Cayman Spaulding was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded six total tackles – four solo and two assisted – with 2.5 for-loss and a four-yard sack. The big blow came as he intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the Golden Eagles’ 52-10 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference win over Lindenwood.

Spaulding anchored a Tech defense that held the Lions to 68 rushing yards on 36 carries a week after they rushed for 389 against Western Illinois. It was Tech’s fourth game this season holding opponents under 100 rushing yards.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech junior setter Jordan Karlen was named the Volleyball Player of the Week as she delivered another spectacular weekend directing the Golden Eagle offense in a split at Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri, handing the Redhawks one of their two league losses.

In all, Karlen averaged 11.1 assists, 3.1 digs, 0.67 aces and 0.67 blocks per set as she recorded 100 assists, 28 digs, six aces and six blocks in all. On Friday, the Janesville, Wisc., native posted 50 assists with four kills, three aces, seven digs and three blocks. She followed it up with 50 assists on Saturday with three aces, three blocks and 21 digs.

MEN’S SOCCER: Trevecca freshman forward Chris Douglas recorded a four-point week as the St. Johns, Antigua native scored a goal and picked up two assists as the Trojans topped Union 4-2. The victory locked up Trevecca’s first appearance in the Gulf South Conference tournament and first postseason appearance for the program since 2017.

Douglas is Trevecca’s leading goal scorer and points leader as a freshman.

TSWA Prep Poll presented by CoachT.com - Nov. 4

November 4, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced football rankings after Week 11 on Monday, with the poll presented by CoachT.com. Top 10 teams in each of the six Division I classifications and Top 5 in three Division II classes were selected by TSWA members with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote.

Class A
1. McKenzie (10-0) – 100 (10)
2. Coalfield (9-1) – 89
3. Union City (8-2) – 72
4. South Pittsburg (8-2) – 62
5. Oliver Springs (8-2) – 60
6. MASE (8-1) – 52
7. Clay County (8-2) – 45
8. South Fulton (8-2) – 24
9. Cosby (8-2) – 17
10. Whitwell (7-3) – 13
Others receiving votes: Halls 8, Gordonsville 3, Chattanooga Prep 3, Middle College 2

Class 2A
t1. Fairley (9-0) – 100 (7)
t1. Milan (9-1) – 100 (3)
3. East Robertson (9-1) – 89 (1)
4. Bledsoe County (9-1) – 65
5. York Institute (8-2) – 53
6. Huntingdon (8-2) – 50
7. Westmoreland (8-2) – 43
8. Marion County (8-2) – 40
9. South Greene (8-1) – 20
10. East Hickman (8-2) – 15
Others receiving votes: Decatur County Riverside 9, Jackson Central-Merry 8, Happy Valley 5, Loretto 2, Summertown 2, Memphis Business 2, Forrest 1, Monterey 1

Class 3A
1. Alcoa (8-1) – 108 (10)
2. Westview (10-0) – 94 (1)
3. Covington (9-1) – 84
4. Sequatchie County (9-1) – 70
5. East Nashville (8-2) – 61
6. Unicoi County (9-1) – 59
7. Johnson County (8-2) – 35
8. Bolton (8-2) – 22
9. Meigs County (7-3) – 17
10. Gatlinburg-Pittman (7-3) – 14
Others receiving votes: White House Heritage 13, Sheffield 12, Dyersburg 10, Pigeon Forge 4, Tyner Academy 2

Class 4A
1. Upperman (10-0) – 109 (10)
2. Marshall County (10-0) – 89
3. Anderson County (8-1) – 78
4. Greeneville (7-2) – 65 (1)
5. Loudon (10-0) – 63
6. Dyer County (9-1) – 53
7. Pearl-Cohn (7-3) – 42
8. Soddy Daisy (9-1) – 28
9. Gibbs (9-1) – 25
10. White County (8-2) – 21
Others receiving votes: Haywood 15, Macon County 14, Signal Mountain 2, Cherokee 1

Class 5A
1. Page (10-0) – 109 (10)
2. Sevier County (10-0) – 95 (1)
3. Beech (9-1) – 77
4. Southwind (9-1) – 64
5. Munford (9-1) – 63
6. Powell (8-2) – 49
7. Shelbyville (9-1) – 48
8. Knox West (7-3) – 43
9. East Hamilton (7-3) – 14
10. Tennessee High (8-2) – 13
Others receiving votes: Walker Valley 12, Hendersonville 7, Henry County 6, Knox Halls 5

Class 6A
1. Ravenwood (10-0) – 107 (10)
2. Oakland (9-1) – 93 (1)
3. Maryville (9-1) – 80
4. Green Hill (10-0) – 66
5. Clarksville (10-0) – 42
t6. Collierville (9-1) – 38
t6. Mt. Juliet (9-1) – 38
8. Germantown Houston (8-2) – 34
9. Riverdale (8-2) – 33
10. Brentwood (8-2) – 29
Others receiving votes: Stewarts Creek 17, Bearden 8, Cleveland 5, Science Hill 5, Bartlett 3, Cookeville 3, Dobyns-Bennett 2, Rossview 2

Division II-A
1. Jackson Christian (9-1) – 50 (10)
2. Nashville Christian (9-1) – 40
t3. Donelson Christian (8-2) – 24
t3. Columbia Academy (7-3) – 24
5. Friendship Christian (7-3) – 11
Others receiving votes: Trinity Christian 1

Division II-AA
t1. Christ Presbyterian (10-0) – 45 (5)
t1. Boyd Buchanan (10-0) – 45 (5)
3. Franklin Road Academy (9-1) – 26
4. University School of Jackson (9-1) – 11
5. Battle Ground Academy (8-2) – 9
Others receiving votes: Grace Christian-Knoxville 6, Silverdale Academy 5, Lausanne 2, Northpoint Christian 1

Division II-AAA
1. Baylor (10-0) – 50 (10)
2. Ensworth (10-0) – 39
3. McCallie (8-2) – 31
4. Brentwood Academy (7-3) – 17
5. Father Ryan (7-3) – 9
Others receiving votes: Knox Catholic 2, Lipscomb Academy 1, Montgomery Bell Academy 1

College players of the week announced - Oct. 29

October 29, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sewanee running back Dawson White powered the Tigers to a 31-7 victory over Rhodes College on Saturday to reclaim the Orgill Cup for the first time since 2018. His effort led to a selection as the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Football Offensive Player of the Week.

In all, the Lynchburg, Tenn., native rushed for 138 yards and scored two touchdowns on 27 carries. He had a big second half, collecting 97 of those yards in the second half.

On the defensive side, Memphis redshirt junior linebacker Chandler Martin had a big game to lead the Tigers to a 33-28 victory over Charlotte. With just 19 seconds left to play, Martin combined with William Whitlow Jr. to force a safety and lock up the victory.

The Lithonia, Ga., product was named the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week, recording 11 tackles and two sacks in addition to the game-clinching safety.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech junior setter Jordan Karlen continued her strong pace this season, earning the Volleyball Player of the Week honor. In two matches this week, the Janesville, Wisc., native collected 104 assists – 13.0 per set – with 35 digs, seven kills and four blocks.

Karlen had two double-doubles in Tech’s two matches vs. Little Rock, posting 50 assists and a career-high 23 digs on Friday, before following up with 54 assists and 12 digs on Saturday.

MEN’S SOCCER: Carson-Newman junior forward Ben Dukes scored the Eagles’ first hat trick since 2021 as he was tabbed as this week’s Men’s Soccer Player of the Week. The hat trick came in an 8-0 victory over Newberry as he scored three goals in exactly 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

It was the third-fastest hat trick in the past 15 seasons for the Eagles and just the fourth time that a hat trick came in just one half in program history. Dukes also added a fourth goal for the week in a 2-1 victory over Wingate on Saturday.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Union sophomore midfielder Irene Arias was selected as the Women’s Soccer Player of the Week, scoring three goals on three shots as she played all 180 minutes. She picked up a pair of goals in Union’s 3-2 loss at Valdosta State, then scored the game-winner at Auburn-Montgomery on Sunday as the team clinched a berth in the Gulf South Conference Championships.

2024-25 TSWA College Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
9/3 | Offensive: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
9/10 | Offensive: Sam Phillips (Chattanooga); Defensive: Elijah Herring (Memphis)
9/17 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
9/24 | Offensive: La’Vell Wright (Austin Peay); Defensive: Major Williams (Carson-Newman)
10/1 | Offensive: Chase Artopoeus (Chattanooga); Defensive: Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
10/8 | Offensive: Jayden Sullins (Carson-Newman); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
10/15 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
10/22 | Offensive: Mario Anderson Jr. (Memphis); Defensive: Will Brooks (Tennessee)
10/29 | Offensive: Dawson White (Sewanee); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)

TSWA Prep Poll presented by CoachT.com - Oct. 28

October 28, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced football rankings after Week 10 on Monday, with the poll presented by CoachT.com. Top 10 teams in each of the six Division I classifications and Top 5 in three Division II classes were selected by TSWA members with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote.

Class A
1. McKenzie (9-0) – 140 (14)
2. Coalfield (8-1) – 125
3. Union City (7-2) – 97
4. Oliver Springs (7-2) – 87
5. South Pittsburg (7-2) – 80
6. Whitwell (7-2) – 70
7. MASE (7-1) – 63
8. Clay County (7-2) – 40
9. Middle College (8-1) – 19
10. South Fulton (7-2) – 16
Others receiving votes: Cosby 10, Halls 6, Gordonsville 5, Chattanooga Prep 5, Houston County 4, North Greene 3

Class 2A
1. Fairley (8-0) – 135 (12)
2. Milan (8-1) – 124 (2)
3. East Robertson (8-1) – 107
4. Bledsoe County (8-1) – 89
5. Huntingdon (7-2) – 70
6. York Institute (7-2) – 60
7. Westmoreland (7-2) – 53
8. East Hickman (8-1) – 45
9. Marion County (7-2) – 38
10. South Greene (7-1) – 25
Others receiving votes: Jackson Central-Merry 10, Happy Valley 6, Decatur County Riverside 3, Memphis Business 2, Monterey 1, Mitchell 1, Summertown 1

Class 3A
1. Alcoa (6-1) – 139 (13)
2. Covington (9-0) – 126 (1)
3. Westview (9-0) – 113
4. Sequatchie County (8-1) – 89
5. Johnson County (8-1) – 77
6. Unicoi County (7-1) – 69
7. East Nashville (7-2) – 61
8. Meigs County (7-2) – 43
9. Bolton (7-2) – 20
10. Memphis East (7-2) – 14
Others receiving votes: Dyersburg 7, White House Heritage 6, Gatlinburg-Pittman 5, Tyner Academy 1

Class 4A
1. Upperman (9-0) – 139 (13)
2. Marshall County (9-0) – 118
3. Anderson County (7-1) – 104
4. Greeneville (6-2) – 90 (1)
5. Loudon (9-0) – 78
6. Pearl-Cohn (7-2) – 75
7. Haywood (7-2) – 49
8. Dyer County (8-1) – 32
9. Gibbs (8-1) – 32
10. Soddy Daisy (8-1) – 24
Others receiving votes: White County 16, Macon County 6, Elizabethton 5, East Ridge 2

Class 5A
1. Page (9-0) – 139 (13)
2. Sevier County (9-0) – 122 (1)
3. Powell (8-1) – 107
4. Beech (8-1) – 99
5. Munford (8-1) – 77
6. Southwind (8-1) – 74
7. Shelbyville (8-1) – 60
8. Walker Valley (7-2) – 43
9. Knox West (6-3) – 25
10. Hendersonville (7-2) – 16
Others receiving votes: Knoxv Halls 3, Tennessee 3, Memphis Central 1, East Hamilton 1

Class 6A
1. Ravenwood (9-0) – 139 (13)
2. Oakland (8-1) – 116
3. Collierville (9-0) – 111 (1)
4. Maryville (8-1) – 93
5. Mt. Juliet (9-0) – 82
6. Brentwood (8-1) – 68
7. Riverdale (8-1) – 53
8. Science Hill (7-1) – 39
9. Green Hill (9-0) – 31
10. Clarksville (9-0) – 28
Others receiving votes: Germantown Houston 8, Stewarts Creek 1, Bearden 1

Division II-A
1. Jackson Christian (8-1) – 65 (13)
2. Nashville Christian (8-1) – 52
3. Donelson Christian (8-1) – 39
4. Columbia Academy (6-3) – 24
5. Trinity Christian (6-3) – 13
Others receiving votes: Friendship Christian 2

Division II-AA
1. Christ Presbyterian (9-0) – 62 (10)
2. Boyd Buchanan (9-0) – 55 (3)
3. Franklin Road Academy (8-1) – 34
4. Grace Christian-Knoxville (8-1) – 18
5. Lausanne (6-1) – 10
Others receiving votes: University School of Jackson 8, Silverdale Academy 5, Battle Ground Academy 3

Division II-AAA
1. Baylor (9-0) – 65 (13)
2. Ensworth (9-0) – 51
3. McCallie (7-2) – 40
4. Brentwood Academy (6-3) – 26
5. Father Ryan (6-3) – 11
Others receiving votes: Lipscomb Academy 2