Sullivan County | featured news

When Week 1 comes, pads pop and talk fades.
And high school football teams lose much of their mystery.
Here are a few quick looks at Friday night’s opening statements by area teams — including Dobyns-Bennett, Daniel Boone and Sullivan North — along with the Eyeball Test for Elizabethton and Science Hill, a game the Cyclones won 28-20.
THE EYEBALL TEST
• Elizabethton got an above-average grade in every phase of the game.
1. The Cyclones’ offense proved it can threaten through the air and on the ground. Yes, the bulk of success was land-based.

KINGSPORT — Daniel Boone started off the new football season on the right foot on Friday night at Carl Matherly Stadium by taking care of nonconference rival Sullivan South 30-6.
The Rebels committed four turnovers, including a bad snap that Boone recovered in the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Boone running back Charlie Cole piled up a game-high 131 yards on 21 attempts with two touchdowns. He also made an interception and did the punting duties.
South senior running back Julian Reed rushed 13 times for 86 yards and his team’s lone touchdown.

BLOUNTVILLE — Austin Hartsock engineered a jaw-dropping comeback Friday night, carrying Sullivan North’s football team from a 20-point halftime deficit to a 36-28 nonconference win over host Sullivan Central in the season opener for both teams.
Down 28-8 at intermission, North scored the game’s last four touchdowns.
Hartsock, a senior quarterback, had his fingerprints all over the stunning win, scoring four touchdowns to bring the Golden Raiders all the way back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit.

KINGSPORT — Can science and religion coexist?
That question will be the subject of “Religion, Science, & Beer” to be held at The Social next month.
Organized by First Broad Street United Methodist Church, the event will be led by Michael Peterson, an author and professor of philosophy at Asbury Theological Seminary.
“He believes that the best of religion and the best of science are compatible,” said Nathan Flora, executive director at First Broad Street.

KINGSPORT — First Presbyterian Church’s first ever performing arts series is winding down with a live show and acting workshop.
Friends of the Groom Theater Company will lead both events on Sept. 6 and 7, and tickets are still available. Mark Davis, director of music ministries at the church, said the group will engage an audience of all ages with unique stories and powerful messages.
“This drama troupe of three professional actors and playwrights is nationally known, and they are brilliant at writing scripts that hit us in our everyday life.

KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Mets and Goodwill Industries of Tenneva are encouraging the community to come out for the final Family Night at Hunter Wright Stadium this season to take advantage of a special ticket offer and help others in the area at the same time.
On Monday, anyone who makes a donation to either Second Harvest Food Bank or Goodwill will be able to buy one general admission ticket and get one free.

KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Mets kept up their Appalachian League playoff push with a 9-2 rout of the Bluefield Blue Jays on Saturday at Hunter Wright Stadium.
The K-Mets hit five home runs: a solo shot by Scott Ota, a pair of solo homers by Francisco Alvarez, a two-run blast by Tanner Murphy and a grand slam by Cristopher Pujols.
The final three homers all came in the bottom of the sixth.
With Kingsport nursing a 2-1 lead, Alvarez smashed his second solo shot of the game. Jaylen Palmer and Andres Regnault followed with singles and Ota drew a four-pitch walk.

MOUNT CARMEL — Following a lengthy debate Thursday and two votes, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed to accept $771 less in insurance money to keep the wrecked fire truck that rolled down an embankment in June.
The Mount Carmel Fire Department’s 2009 KME Spartan fire truck was deemed a total loss following an accident that occurred June 11 on Big Elm Road.
While responding to a vehicular accident, the driver pulled over to let an oncoming vehicle pass.

BLOUNTVILLE — Twelve area teens recently experienced the thrill of aviation through orientation flights with the Civil Air Patrol.
The flights took place on Aug. 6 and 10 at Tri-Cities Airport with the cadets flying a combined 12 hours in Cessna 182s.
“It was awesome,” said Cadet Airman First Class Jacob Melvin. “I’ve always wanted to fly and today, for the first time, I got to handle the controls and see what flying is all about.”
The hourlong flights in a single-engine aircraft introduced the cadets to the science that makes flight possible.

JOHNSON CITY — Scouting Appalachian State is a little more difficult this year because of the uncertainties involved with facing a new coaching staff’s first game.
The Mountaineers have a new head coach in Eliah Drinkwitz and a new defensive coordinator in Ted Roof. Both came from North Carolina State after Scott Satterfield was lured away to Louisville after six seasons at Appalachian State in which he built a 51-24 record.
The Bucs have mostly been practicing against their own schemes while installing their offense and defense.