KCHS sports staying in Division I; NDHS opts for Division II

By Dan McWilliams The diocese’s two high schools reached an athletics crossroads this fall when they had to decide whether to remain in Division I, the non-financial-aid division, or move to Division II. Each high school made a different choice. Knoxville Catholic High School opted to stay in Division I, …

St. Mary-Oak Ridge hosts NFL Punt, Pass & Kick sectional

St. Mary School in Oak Ridge hosted the East Tennessee Sectional Championship for the NFL’s Punt, Pass & Kick (PPK) competition Oct. 16. Boys and girls ages 6-15 from East Tennessee competed in the free contest sponsored by the NFL and USA Football. PPK began in 1961, and continues today …

St. Mary-Oak Ridge repeats as volleyball champs

The girls varsity volleyball team at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge recently competed in the Knoxville Independent School League small-school tournament and beat Apostolic Christian Academy to win the championship at the Knoxville Christian School gym in a winner-take-all match. This year’s Lady Crusader squad won the KISL regular-season …

Runner Keegan Smith wins elementary state, national crowns

By Dan McWilliams Fourth-grade cross country runner Keegan Smith of Sacred Heart Cathedral School repeated as state champion Oct. 22 and captured his second national championship Nov. 19. Keegan, who also won this year’s AAU indoor track-and-field national title in March, placed first in the nation among 10-year-olds with a …

KCHS boys cross country team captures state championship

The Knoxville Catholic High School boys cross country team won the Class A-AA state championship for the second year in a row Nov. 5 at the Percy Warner Park Steeplechase Course in Nashville. Georde Goodwyn and Jake Renfree finished 1-2 in the state for the Irish against a field of …

KCHS wins state titles in boys track, girls doubles

Knoxville Catholic High School continued its strong spring-sports effort with two more state championships as the Irish won in girls doubles tennis and boys track and field. The Allen sisters, Sara and Erin, swept their way to the Class A-AA doubles championship. In track, the KCHS boys team won the …

Catholic Middle track filled with champions

Students from Diocese of Knoxville schools joined together this spring to form a Catholic Middle School track team that competed in the Knoxville Independent School League (KISL) Championships on April 28 as well as the Knox County Middle Schools Championships on May 3. Kathy Wolski, who coaches the middle school …

Sacred Heart eighth-grader moving up the diving ranks

Nicholas Cassell, in less than two years, has advanced to the national level of competition in his sport By Dan McWilliams Sacred Heart Cathedral School eighth-grader Nicholas Cassell has moved up the diving ranks quickly despite having taken up the sport less than two years ago. Nicholas, 14, practices five …

St. Joseph girls basketball team has perfect season, 26-0

By Dan McWilliams The St. Joseph School varsity girls basketball team recently completed a perfect season, going 26-0 and winning the Knoxville Independent School League regular-season and tournament championships, each for the second straight year. The Lady Bulldogs defeated The King’s Academy Lady Lions 23-17 in the tourney championship game. …

Chattanooga Catholic football team has undefeated season

2015 marks squad’s first no-loss season in 50 years and fifth overall dating back to 1949 By Anthony Jackson The Chattanooga Catholic football team recently completed a perfect season, going 11-0 in 2015. The Catholic Rams are a middle school football program composed of students from two Chattanooga schools: Our …

Knoxville Catholic wins state high school football title

By Dan McWilliams Knoxville Catholic scored 48 unanswered points to capture its second state high school football championship with a 48-8 win over Pearl-Cohn on Dec. 5 in the BlueCross Bowl Class 4A finals at Tucker Stadium on the campus of Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. The Fighting Irish, also champions …

Sacred Heart runners have standout cross-country season

The school wins a pair of state titles in the elementary-level varsity meets and has high finishers in other divisions as well By Dan McWilliams The Sacred Heart Cathedral School teams’ imprint was all over the middle and elementary school cross country state championships held recently at Victor Ashe Park …