www.dailypostathenian.com B6 | DAILY POST-ATHENIAN SPORTS | FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 HOOPS: Tucker unsure what teaching position he’ll have FROM B1 basketball coach. That was as district runners-up with High School. They’ve been three years that Tucker had a 14-7 overall record this coached well, they know there, and McPhail’s wife, a fairly lengthy drive every past season and reached the how to act, and I’ve just got Amy, is a former Lady Cher- evening between Tellico Region 2-A semifinals in to keep leading them the okees basketball player for and his home in Calhoun. 2019 and 2021. same way they have been Tucker. “I just felt like Tellico, Tucker is proud of what he led, and just keep building “Tim has always been there were a few chang- accomplished with the Bears and go from there.” good to me, very support- es that they had to make,” recently, but at the same time Tucker is unsure of what ive and all that stuff, so I’m Tucker said. “And I had to could not pass on the oppor- teaching position he will very supportive of him, his drive home down through tunity to help the McMinn have at McMinn, as of wife, his family and, here Etowah and Bowater Road girls’ hoops program with Wednesday. we go,” Tucker said. “We’re every night because they whom he got started. “Whatever (principal) going to do the best we can had to change practice. “We had people that didn’t Coach (Joe) Young wants for the Lady Cherokees and And my wife (Jenny) final- want to come up there and me to do, whatever (ath- McMinn County.” ly stepped in on that, and play us, and that doesn’t letic director) Bo (Cagle) In taking the interim posi- that’s a little much.” happen much at Tellico,” wants me to do, I’m all in,” tion with the Lady Tribe, Over Tucker’s tenure, the Tucker said. “But I’m still Tucker said. Tucker left his high school Tellico boys went 40-35, excited to death. We’ve alma mater, Tellico Plains, won the District 4-A cham- got some very good play- EMAIL: gabriel.garcia@ after three years as its boys’ pionship in 2019, finished ers at McMinn County dailypostathenian.com His best putt forward

GABRIEL GARCIA | THE DAILY POST-ATHENIAN McMinn Central’s Lucas Eller (30) stretches for a touchdown catch against Silverdale Baptist Academy during the 7-on-7 event Thursday at Polk County High School. CHARGERS: Workouts to resume before dead period FROM B1 “We did have guys that looked really good in some the COVID-19 pandemic, spots. And we’re just try- Cox was thrilled to experi- ing to find our best 11 in ence a sense of normalcy the best spot right now. But Thursday. definitely pleased with a “It feels good to be out on lot of the guys; we’ve just the field and just working got to figure out where to on some kinks and getting put them.” used to our new offense,” Carden finished with a Cox said. “I feel like we’re total of four touchdown coming along. We’ve still catches, getting one each GREGORY BULL | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS got some work to do, but I against Murray and Sil- Russell Henley watches his shot on the first green roll wide of the cup during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday at Tor- think we’ll get there.” verdale. Elrod added his rey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. Cox’s sharpest perfor- second touchdown catch mance came against Polk, of the day against Murray, shaking off an early inter- and Lucas Eller caught one Henley has happy return to Torrey and takes early Open lead ception to finish 12-16 for a score against Silver- passing with three touch- dale. BY DOUG FERGUSON in golf? Henley couldn’t say. He has There were a few cheers for “Bryson” downs. Darius Carden Isaiah Edmonds and AP Golf Writer only played the Farmers Insurance directed at Koepka as fans tried to keep caught two touchdowns Trent Lee intercepted a Open one time, in 2014, and it was their feud going, though Koepka didn’t against Polk, and Blake pass each against Silver- SAN DIEGO — Russell Henley’s memorable for the wrong reasons. appear to be the least bit distracted. Elrod another. Carden dale. visit to the rough-and-tumble South He holed a 40-foot shot on the 18th This is a major, and he showed why and McCain Baker also The Chargers resume course at Torrey Pines went a lot better hole for birdie to break 80. he’s called “Big Game Brooks” when caught a two-point con- summer workouts next Thursday than the last time he played, That’s about all he remembers except the biggest tournaments roll around. version each against the week before the TSSAA especially under the circumstances. for “leaving the course feeling like I For so much of the day, Koepka made Wildcats. summer dead period Anything around par never hurts in a just got beat up.” it look easy by keeping it in the short Donovan Beck, taking the begins June 28 and lasts U.S. Open. He opened with a 4-under There was plenty of bruising going grass, off the tee and on the green. He second-string quarterback through July 11. 67, finishing just as the wind off the on Thursday in the U.S. Open. was bogey-free and 4 under through snaps, found Hunter Cook Central plays three more Pacific was kicking into gear. Former U.S. Open champion Webb 11 holes when he missed the green on for Central’s fourth touch- 7-on-7 events before the “If it’s blowing like this the whole Simpson had to birdie the last hole to the par-3 third and made bogey, and down against Polk. start of full pads practice week, it’s just going to be a hard week. break 80. Max Homa four-putted from he dropped another shot from on the “Winning is contagious, on July 26: 6 p.m. July 15 at That’s kind of what you want in a U.S. 20 feet for triple bogey on No. 12 and sixth, which has been converted to a and we try to compete Red Bank, 5 p.m. July 21 at Open, though, right?” Henley said. three-putted for double bogey on No. par 4 for the U.S. Open. every day in what we do Lenoir City and 6 p.m. July Henley got up-and-down by holing 14. That led to a 76. Even so, it was a solid start for Koep- and get these guys used 22 at Soddy-Daisy. a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th PGA champion Phil Mickelson, who ka, a four-time major champion com- to winning,” Moody said. “It’s learning for every- hole for a one-shot lead over Fran- turned 51 on Wednesday, shot a 75 on ing off a runner-up finish to Mickelson “I’m happy to come out body, and what we’re try- cesco Molinari and Rafa Cabrera Bello Thursday. That’s not the start he hoped at the PGA Championship. It wasn’t with a win at the begin- ing to do offensively this among early starters. for in his bid to finally get a U.S. Open easy. He made it sound that way. ning.” year is totally different Two-time U.S. Open champion title for the career Grand Slam. What “It’s pretty simple. It’s a lot simpler The Chargers also picked from what they’re used to Brooks Koepka, looking tough as ever bothered him were two soft bogeys than what guys make it,” Koepka said. off five Polk passes, with in the past,” Moody said. in the strongest events, and San Diego toward the end of his round. “I think a lot of guys make it more dif- Carden snagging two “But I think for the first native Xander Schauffele were at 69. “Look, it’s part of this tournament, ficult than it needs to be. Just got to interceptions and Harley time getting out here and A 90-minute fog delay before the and I was able to go without any dou- understand where the flag is, what McCormick, Bay Harbi- competing against some- opening tee shot meant the first round bles. I just didn’t make enough birdies you’re doing and where to miss it.” son and Jyrel Arnwine one body else other than our- had no chance of being completed to offset it,” Mickelson said. Henley was among three players each. selves, I think we’re in a until this morning. Defending champion Bryson from the early draw who reached 4 “We played a lot of peo- good spot.” The difference between Torrey DeChambeau, world No. 1 Dustin John- under at some point, and the only ple today, and we played Pines for a PGA Tour stop in Janu- son and Jon Rahm were among those player who stayed there thanks to his them at a lot of different EMAIL: gabriel.garcia@ ary and Torrey for the toughest test playing in the afternoon. birdie at the end. positions,” Moody said. dailypostathenian.com Morton takes no-hitter into 7th, Braves beat Cardinals BY GEORGE HENRY NATIONAL LEAGUE his availability tonight. It AP Sports Writer was scary.” BRAVES 4, Cardinals 0 Braves — RHP Mike Soro- ATLANTA — Charlie ka is still in a walking boot Morton didn’t allow a hit by . following exploratory sur- until the seventh inning Almonte followed with his gery last month and has no and took a shutout into the RBI double. immediate timetable for eighth, lifting the Atlanta Gant (4-5) allowed four when he can resume base- Braves over the St. Louis hits, three runs and two ball activities. Soroka said Cardinals 4-0 on Thursday walks with four the internal sutures didn’t night. in 5 1/3 innings. dissolve as they were sup- Morton gave up his first The three-time defending posed to from the original hit when NL East champion Braves, Achilles tendon surgery lined a single to left-cen- who began the night 7 1/2 last August. The tendon is ter with one out, but the games back in the division, fully repaired. “They were right-hander followed by had dropped six of seven basically floating around getting to and were five games under in there creating a bunch pop up and struck out Tyler .500 for the first time since of inflammatory tissue O’Neill. He allowed sin- the end of the 2017 season. response, and that’s what gles to Matt Carpenter and The Cardinals entered I was feeling,” Soroka said. pinch-hitter José Rondón in three games back in the “(The surgeon) got in there the eighth and was pulled NL Central but had won and took them out. They with two outs. three straight after losing were sitting right on top.” Atlanta led 1-0 in the nine of 10. LOOKING BACK: The Cardi- fifth on Guillermo Here- JOHN BAZEMORE | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TRAINER’S ROOM: Cardi- nals played their first game dia’s third homer. Ozzie starting Charlie Morton delivers in the first inning against the St. Louis Car- nals — Edman was back at Truist Park since winning Albies had an RBI triple dinals on Thursday in Atlanta. in the lineup and went 13-1 in Game 5 the 2019 NLDS. in the sixth, and Abraham 0 for 4 after missing the HE’S HOT: Acuña went 1 for 2 Almonte followed with an allow a hit early on, but lined out to faced 27 batters. last two games with torso with one walk to reach safe- RBI double to make it 3-0. they weren’t perfect. Gant third. Morton benefited from a tightness. ... 2B Edmun- ly in his 25th consecutive Ronald Acuña Jr.’s sac- gave up a walk to Almonte Morton, who entered strong play when Freeman do Sosa was not avail- game, the longest active on- rifice fly in the seventh to begin the second. Morton 2-12 with a 5.68 ERA in 18 jumped at first base to stab able after getting hit by base streak in the majors. pushed it to 4-0. allowed two baserunners career starts against St. Edman’s liner to end the a pitch in the right hand His began May 18 and he struck out when he hit Matt Carpen- Louis, avoided his tenden- sixth. in Wednesday’s win over began the night with a .411 to strand ter with a pitch in the third cy this season to allow a Acuña walked to begin Miami. “He’s got range of on-base percentage during the runners after replacing and did the same to Dylan big inning. With his fast- the sixth, stole second, motion to some degree,” that span. Morton (6-3), who allowed Carlson in the fourth. ball topping out at 96 mph, advanced on Freeman’s manager said. UP NEXT: St. Louis RHP Car- three hits and no walks with Acuña singled to open the the right-hander mixed in groundout and scored on “He hasn’t been able to get los Martinez (3-7, 5.54) faces seven strikeouts. fourth, and Freddie Free- his curveball and cutter to Albies’ triple to left-center out and test it from a base- LHP Max Fried (3-4, 4.62) in Morton and Cardinals man followed with a single, strong effect. He threw 75 to make it 2-0. That chased ball activities standpoint the second game of a four- starter John Gant didn’t but the inning ended when of 112 pitches for strikes and Gant, who was replaced and so we’re not sure about game series.