MORRISTOWN-After a year’s hiatus, Morristown West High School baseball is returning to the airwaves.

MORRISTOWN-After a year’s hiatus, Morristown West High School baseball is returning to the airwaves. Following their recent acquisition by WCRK Radio, it’s been confirmed that WMTN Radio will again serve as a carrier of West High baseball broadcasts. The station, located at 1300 on the AM dial, will carry approximately 15 Trojans’ games live during the 2007 regular season, followed by post-season action. WMTN plans to carry nine Inter Mountain Athletic Conference contests (five at home, four on the road), three West games in the school’s annual Hardball Classic event, as well as home match-ups against Science Hill and Rutledge. WMTN will also stream the games live on the Internet at wmtnradio.com. Game recaps will be available on the WMTN Web site, as well. Steve Wilhoit will provide the play-by-play call on West High broadcasts. His previous credits include: two years in professional baseball with the Appalachian League’s Elizabethton Twins for WBEJ Radio, Tusculum College playoff coverage for WSMG Radio, and two seasons of Cocke County High games on WLIK Radio. As a print journalist, he was a beat-writer covering the Southern League’s Tennessee Smokies, for the Morristown Citizen Tribune. During his playing career, he was a three-year starter at Chuckey-Doak High School (1972-’74). WMTN, along with its previous sister-station, WMXK (since sold separately) was the long-time combo carrier of West High baseball before previous ownership elected to discontinue broadcasts last season. Current sister-station WCRK (AM-1150 and wcrk.com) will again offer an extensive, 20-game package of Morristown East games, plus post-season broadcasts. Mike Rypel will return for another season of East High play-by-play coverage. The East broadcast schedule is set to include non-conference games with Daniel Boone, Knox Central, and William Blount, in addition to each of the school’s contests against IMAC competition. Other area stations confirmed as broadcasters of IMAC baseball in 2007 include: Cherokee High School on AM-1370/WRGS (wrgsradio.com) and Cocke County High on AM-1270/WLIK (wlik.net). Veteran Jay Phillips will again serve as the lead broadcaster for Chiefs’ coverage. Another returnee, Brian Evans, will call Fighting Cocks’ games. Another Lakeway station, AM-1480/WJFC covered selected Jefferson County games in 2006. Their broadcast plans for 2007 have not been confirmed. There has been no baseball radio outlet in the past for the league’s other member, Greeneville High School.

Rough but Exciting Start to 2007 Football Season for Trojans

It was a dream matchup between two storied East Tennessee high schools as Morristown West traveled to Knoxville Catholic Friday night to open the season. The Trojans were coming off their second straight 13-1 season under 11-year head coach Don Woods, but found themselves without the experience and power they had seen with J.J. Sims, Quentin Greenlee and Darius Ewing. The Catholic Fighting Irish were also 13-1 last season, losing to Fulton in the final minutes of their semifinal matchup after being up 17-0. 29 hungry seniors returned from that squad for one last shot at that elusive state championship. You could not have asked for a better game to begin another season of Morristown West football on WMTN. Unfortunately, the beginning of the game was a nightmare for the Trojans as they quickly fell behind 14-0 to the Fighting Irish, thanks in large part to the play of senior Zach Vann. Vann returned the opening kick 92-yards for a score, and then added to the lead when he took the ball on a misdirection play to the right 67-yards to the end zone after a Trojan punt. The Catholic defense stymied the Trojan offense all night long, and kept senior quarterback Logan Wild in check. In the second quarter, the Trojans turned the tide and recovered a muffed punt at the Catholic six. From their the Trojans would score their first points of the 2007 season on a beautiful fade pattern to the right corner of the end zone. The pass from Wild to senior Patrick Hodge pulled the Trojans to within eight at 14-6. From that point, the defenses took over. Catholic managed to add one more touchdown to the lead before halftime, and went to the locker room up 21-6. In the second half, it was more the same as the Trojan defense and the Fighting Irish defense continued to win the line of scrimmage. The only second half score came when Catholic managed to block a punt and return it 19 yards for a touchdown, and made the final margin: Catholic 28, Morristown West 6. The good news now for the Trojan Nation is they will not face anyone of the caliber or size of Catholic the rest of the regular season. As Coach Woods said, "The first game cannot get you where you want to go, and it certainly can't keep you from getting there." The Trojans will host the Jefferson County Patriots this Friday, August 31. The Patriots were one of Morristown West's many victims last season, falling 36-7. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 at Burke-Toney Stadium, and the game can be heard live on your home for Morristown West athletics, WMTN AM 1300. The Morristown West Pregame Show will air beginning at 7:00 p.m. and will feature a full matchup preview by myself and the Citizen Tribune's Brian Trent, as well as an interview with Trojan head coach Don Woods and a full summary of the action around the Five Rivers Conference.

Darren Headrick

Mistakes Costly for Trojans

Morristown West faced a hungry opponent in Jefferson County Friday night. The Patriots under first-time head coach Justin Anderson were looking for their first victory of the 2007 campaign. Morristown West was coming off a loss to Catholic and needed a "W" as well. The Trojans took control early and broke through for the game's first score with a field goal by Kevin Frank. However, special teams once again bit the Trojans as all-region 5A tailback Christian McFall took the ensuing kickoff 93 yards down the right sideline for a score. After the first quarter ended, the Patriots were on top 7-3. The defenses held strong for much of the second until Morristown West broke through on a wild play on 3rd and goal. Logan Wild rolled to his left and spiraled a pass to Patrick Hodge, who then fumbled the ball while trying for extra yardage at the 5-yard line. Terrell McKinney was in a great spot and recovered the ball in the endzone to make the halftime score 10-7 in favor of the Trojans. With the momentum, Morristown West took control and quickly built a 20-7 lead with nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The someone reached out and flipped the proverbial switch. Jefferson County senior quarterback Zach Long connected with a wide open McFall who proceeded down the field 75 yards before a shoe-string tackle by Cedric White. The Patriots would punch it in and made the score 20-14. After that, the bottom fell out as the Patriots capitalized on three consecutive Trojan turnovers to score the ballgame's final 21 points. The final margin: 35-20 in favor of the Patriots. Morristown West has fallen to 0-2 in the early going of the 2007 campaign. The Trojans must now quickly put this one behind them as they travel to Rogersville for their region-opener against the Cherokee Chiefs. The Chiefs fell to 1-1 on the season after dropping one to CAK 42-21. Kickoff for the game at Death Valley Stadium is set for 7:30. You can hear the Morristown West Trojan Pregame show with the Citizen Tribune's Brian Trent and myself beginning at 7:00 p.m. We will have a full run down of the previous week's matchup, a preview of area and region games, an interview with the Trojans' head coach, Don Woods and a full-game breakdown...all on the Morristown West Trojan Pregame show right here on WMTN!

Darren Headrick