Cookeville will continue through 2020 as the site of Tennessee's BlueCross Bowl high school state football championship games, the TSSAA's Board of Control decided Thursday after bid presentations by Cookeville and Clarksville. Cookeville, Putnam County and Tennessee Tech University have hosted the football state finals the past eight years. TTU athletic director Mark Wilson, who headed the bid-winning delegation, said in a release that his group is "humbled and thrilled" to get another four years as host. "We feel we've created a standard of excellence by providing a Division I bowl-like experience for Tennessee's student-athletes, their fans and families and look foward to the ongoing partnership with the TSSAA board and its staff to take the experience to an even higher level," Wilson said. The bid package included the same $253,000 guarantee as in past years and promises of enhancements to Tucker Stadium, including a videoboard to be installed this year.
Basketball
- The Lee University basketball teams divided a Gulf South Conference doubleheader Thursday in Memphis, losing 60-55 to Christian Brothers in the women's game but winning 69-57 in the men's. Erin Walsh scored 17 points with five 3-point baskets and Abby Bertram and Lindsey Roddy added 12 and 11 points for Lee's Lady Flames (10-4, 5-3), who led by 21 at halftime but were outscored 20-10 in the third quarter and 20-4 in the fourth. Anna Woodford and Roddy had eight and seven rebounds in defeat. Samantha Reeves had 31 points and eight rebounds for CBU (8-5, 5-4). In the men's game, Levi Woods and Keevin Tyus scored 21 and 20 points for the Flames (8-6, 4-4), and Cody Jones had 14 points with four 3s while Cody Farley had eight rebounds and four assists and Ryan Montgomery grabbed seven rebounds. Woods was 8-of-8 from the field, including 5-of-5 on 3s.
- Carnilious Simmons had 22 points and nine rebounds as Dalton State improved to 13-1 overall and 5-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference with an 82-65 win Thursday at Middle Georgia State. Reed Dungan and Sayvon Wilson added 16 and 15 points and J'Quayveon Williams had eight rebounds with nine points for the Roadrunners, who are ranked ninth in NAIA Division I. The Knights dropped to 6-6, 1-5.
- Despite 17 points, 19 rebounds and four steals from Rebecca Cheeks from Sonoraville High School, the reigning NAIA Division II national player of the week, the Reinhardt women's basketball team lost for the first time in 11 games Wednesday, 63-53 at home to Milligan. The Lady Eagles are 17-2 overall and 9-2 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Milligan is 8-3 in the AAC.