The Smith County Lady Owls traveled to Jackson County for the last regular season game on Tuesday, October 1st.  Smith County would take this District match 6-0 and follow it up with a JV win of 1-0. Smith County finishes the regular season 11-2-1 with a district record of 6-0.

The first half the Lady Owls would find the net four times.  Senior Kiley Jenkins started it off with an assist from Chloe Gill.  Senior Briley Grisham would add the next goal with an assist from Jenkins. The third scoring was made by Senior Aubrey Felice assisted by Lexie White.  Kacie Chiapperini would win a battle in front of the Jackson County net to earn the fourth goal.  The second half Aubrey Felice scored early bringing the score to 5-0 and earning her 124th career goal.  The game was put to bed when Smith County was awarded a penalty kick, taken by Freshman Matty Walker which she sent to the back of the net with ease.  The Varsity win was followed by a JV game that only resulted in one goal scored by Kylee Brooks and assisted by Kacie Chiapperini.  

October 8th the District Semi finals will be hosted in Jamestown by York Institute.  Smith County will play York at 5 PM, followed by a game between Cannon County and Jackson County.  The winners of these two games will play for the District Championship on Thursday October 10th.

Thursday September 26th the Lady Owls hosted York Institute for a District Match.  It was also Smith County’s Senior Night, honoring six players and one manager at the halftime break.  The Seniors were Katie Flynn, Aubrey Felice, Briley Grisham, Kiley Jenkins, Madelyn Hula, Averi Hopkins and Mike Martin.  

The game started with a light on and off rain but picked up as the game went on.  It did not seem to bother the Lady Owls who won 8-0.  The first half saw goals from Briley Grisham and Aubrey Felice, while the Lady Dragons were more focused on a complete defense rather than offense.  York continued the second half the same way, making no shots on goal and failing to stop Smith County reaching the net.  Smith County scored an additional six goals in the second half. Aubree Felice assisted by Aubree Spain, Kiley Jenkins assisted by Aubrey Felice, Jenkins would score the next goal followed two minutes later by Felice, giving Felice a hat trick. Aubree Spain assisted by Kacie Chiapperini, and the final goal scored by Kylee Brooks assisted by Bella Breece.  

The Lady Owls have one more regular season game which will be Tuesday October 1st at Jackson County.  The District Tournament will begin the next week in Jamestown, hosted by York.  Currently Smith County leads the District Standings 5-0, followed by Cannon 3-2, Jackson 1-2-1 and York in last place with 0-5-1.  

This has been a great season so far for the Lady Owls and they look forward to the post season journey.  We hope everyone will come out and support them and give them the fire to keep bringing home the wins.

photos and article submitted by Vivian Schaffers

On September 17th, Smith County hosted 2A White County for a non-district match, showcasing a dominant performance from the Lady Owls. The defense played exceptionally well, with goalkeeper Catie Belle McCarter earning a clean sheet, while the White County goalkeeper faced a challenging night. The Lady Owls overwhelmed the Lady Warriors, finishing with an impressive 9-0 victory.

Senior Aubrey Felice was a standout, netting three goals. Two of her goals were assisted by Addie Cripps, while Lexie White provided the assist for her third. Chloe Gill also contributed to the scoreline, finding the back of the net with help from Kiley Jenkins. Aubree Spain added two goals to the tally, with one assist from Chloe Gill and another from Kiley Jenkins. Kiley herself scored on a well-placed free kick and later added another goal, assisted by Kylee Brooks. The match even included an own goal from White County, further solidifying the Lady Owls’ commanding victory.

Two days later, on September 19th, Smith County faced off against Cannon County for the second time this district season. The Lady Owls had previously triumphed in their first meeting, winning 4-0, and Cannon County came into this match looking to avenge their only loss. It turned out to be a heated and chippy affair, with both teams displaying their competitive spirit. However, the Lady Owls remained resilient, securing a 2-0 win. Kiley Jenkins opened the scoring with a stunning free kick, and Addie Cripps sealed the victory with a goal assisted by Chloe Gill.

Looking ahead, the Smith County Lady Owls will travel to Dekalb County on September 24th before returning home to host York Institute for Senior Night. Their final regular-season game is scheduled for October 1st at Jackson County.

The SCHS Cheer squad showed great support during the match against Cannon County, highlighting the camaraderie among student-athletes. It’s heartening to see such school spirit, and the stands have been packed this season. If you haven’t yet attended a game, you’re truly missing out on an exciting experience!

photo and article submitted by Vivian Schaffers

The Smith County High School Lady Owls soccer team made their annual trip to the Smoky Mountain Cup Tournament in Gatlinburg from September 6-8, and this year’s visit ended in spectacular fashion. Known for providing a rigorous test of skill and a chance for players to bond, the tournament proved to be a major success for the Lady Owls, who claimed the Championship trophy—marking their first back-to-back titles at this event.

The Lady Owls faced two matches on Saturday. Their first game was against Pigeon Forge High School, where they secured a decisive 5-1 victory. Aubrey Felice led the charge with a hat-trick, while Aubree Spain and Kiley Jenkins each added a goal. Assists came from Chloe Gill, goalkeeper Catie Belle McCarter, and both Felice and Jenkins, who contributed two assists each.

Later on Saturday night Smith County went up against 3A Ooltewah.  It was a battle to the end and the Lady Owls defense stood tall. The game ended in a draw of 0-0. Despite the result not being ideal, the Lady Owls’ defense put in a commendable performance.

On Sunday, the team faced Franklin County, KY. At the same time, Ooltewah played DeKalb County, and the standings indicated that a win by a margin greater than Ooltewah’s could secure the top spot for Smith County. The game against Franklin County was intense and physical, but the Lady Owls emerged victorious with a 6-4 win. The goals were scored by Aubrey Felice (four), Lexie White (one), and Kiley Jenkins (one on a penalty kick). Assists were provided by Briley Grisham (two), Chloe Gill (two), and Addie Cripps (one). The victory ensured that the Lady Owls would take home the Championship trophy, a reward for their hard-fought effort.

Smith County had a few days to recover before hosting Jackson County on Wednesday September 11th.  Despite lingering fatigue from the weekend, the Lady Owls, driven by the importance of the District match, gave a strong performance. They managed to keep a clean sheet while scoring three goals. Aubrey Felice netted two goals, and Addie Cripps added one. Assists came from Aubree Spain, Lexie White, and Chloe Gill.

Looking ahead, the Lady Owls will host White County on September 17 and Cannon County on the 19th.

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Aubrey Felice, a Senior at Gordonsville High School, is a Co-Captain of the Smith County High School Lady Owls Soccer Team. When she first joined the high school team, she set a personal goal to score 100 goals before she graduated. She started with 2 goals in her 8th-grade year while playing up with the high school team, followed by 21 goals as a Freshman, 26 as a Sophomore, and 43 as a Junior. Now, in her Senior year, she has already scored 11 goals and continues to add to her tally.

In a recent game against Greenbrier, Aubrey achieved her goal by scoring her 100th career goal, with an assist from Addie Cripps. She currently has 103 goals and is still going strong. Aubrey credits her coaches and teammates for their support and guidance, which have been crucial to her success. As a team captain, she understands that reaching personal milestones is a team effort, and she appreciates the ongoing support from fans. Aubrey plans to pursue her athletic career in college while majoring in criminal justice. (photos and article submitted by Vivian Schaffers)

Smith County Lady Owls Soccer is back in motion.  The Lady Owls hosted 2A Stone Memorial in their home opener on August 13th.  Stone brought an aggressive game but Smith County never gave in. Senior Kiley Jenkins netted her first goal of the season and her first goal since sitting out a year with injury, she was assisted by Aubree Spain.  Freshman Matty Walker also scored for the Lady Owls. This was Walker’s first high school goal and she received the assist from Senior Aubrey Felice.  However, these goals were not enough as the Lady Owls fell to Stone Memorial 2-4 in front of a packed park.

Thursday August 15 Smith County hosted 2A Upperman Lady Bees. The Lady Owls would shut this one down with a score of 7-0, giving Keeper Catie Belle McCarter her first clean sheet of the season.  There were three goals in the first half.  The first goal was from Senior Aubrey Felice.  The second goal was from Aubree Spain with an assist going to Addie Cripps. The third came from a free kick taken by Senior Kiley Jenkins.

After the break, the second half would provide four more Smith County goals. Senior Aubrey Felice had a second half hat trick. Felice scored with an assist to Chloe Gill, then she scored the next goal, and her next one was her fourth of the night and it was assisted by Senior Kiley Jenkins. The Seventh and final goal of the night came from Grace Smith with an assist from Kasie Thomas.  

The Lady Owls will have another home game on August 22nd at 6pm vs Goodpasture.  Come out and watch some exciting soccer and help us support these Lady Owls. (article and photos submitted by Vivian Schaffers)

The 2024 High School Lady Owls Soccer season is ready to kick off.  The Home Opener is Tuesday August 13th versus Stone Memorial. 

The Lady Owls have been working very hard to be ready for a great run.  They are led by a great coaching staff: Head Coach Nicholus Bussell, Assistant Coaches Lisa Reece, Mallory Hunt and Shyenne Kemp. 

There are seven Senior Lady Owls: Emma Butler, Katie Flynn, Aubrey Felice, Briley Grisham, Averi Hopkins, Kiley Jenkins, and Madelyn Hula.  Your Lady Owl Captains for the season are Aubrey Felice and Kiley Jenkins.  You are not going to want to miss coming out to watch these ladies play.  Bring all the SCP to the Soccer Complex and support these hard working student athletes as they make a run to meet some big goals for the season.  (photos and article submitted by Vivian Schaffers)

Smith County High School Owls Soccer finished the regular season with a record of 9-2-2, which included winning the Smoky Mountain Cup at Gatlinburg.  This is one of the most resilient groups we have seen, every obstacle was a training ground and they learned each lesson and became stronger.  It was not a bad season for a first year coach and Coach Wes Kemp didn’t stop there. 

The Owls finished first in the District which led to them playing Cannon County in the District Semi-final on May 7th.  The other side of the district semi-final was Jackson County vs York Institute.  Jackson County won 1-0 which advanced them to the Championship game.  Then Smith County won 7-0 against Cannon County, sending them forward.  Jarrain Smith scored the first two goals with assists from Abi Martinez on both.  The third goal came from Blake Baird assisted by Aldrin Jimenez and they would finish the half with Jimenez scoring the 4th goal with an assist from Baird.  The second half started with Blake Baird scoring with an assist from Aldrin Jimenez.  Jimenez scored with an assist from Jarrain Smith.  The punctuation mark came from Santos Damian, his first goal as an Owl, assisted by Gavin Kemp.  The Goalkeeping duo of James Bunn and Jacob Vandebiezen kept a clean sheet in the win.

The Championship game was to be played at Jackson County but the storms caused problems with the Cannon County venue and the game was set forFriday May 10th.  However, extenuating circumstances caused the game to be canceled with no time to make it up.  Going off of the stats from the tournament it was Smith County who would be crowned Champions.  

Region play starts on Tuesday May 14th.  Smith County will play at home vs the loser of Liberty Creek and Whitehouse Heritage.  Jackson County will travel to the winner of that game.

Congratulations to the Owls, Coach Kemp and Coach Bussell for all of the accomplishments this far.  Keep up the great teamwork!

Article and photo submitted by Vivian Schaffers

On April 16th Smith County hosted Macon County in a packed park.  The first half started with a quick goal by Senior Blake Baird with an assist from Jarrain Smith. It wasn’t until the 11 minute mark that Macon County came back with the only goal they would score and it was a penalty kick. 

In the second half the frustrations came out and it got a bit chippy.  Less than 15 minutes left on the clock Aldrin Jimenez sent a shot to Blake Baird who was in front of the net. As he got the shot off the Macon County Goalie took him down.  The shot was on goal and headed in when a Macon County player grabbed the ball.  The goal was given to Smith County and a red card to Macon County.  In the minutes after the ref gave another Macon player a double yellow, which is red.  The next goal also came from Blake Baird off of a pass from Jarrain Smith.  This gave Baird his third hat trick of the season.

It was a wild game full of excitement but no one saw the next goal coming.  The defense left their mark when Senior Diego Vanegas sent a ball to Captain Adyn Elliott who scored the final goal of the game.  Smith County wins 4-1 and lifts their stats to 6-1-1. 

Photos and articles submitted by Vivian Schaffers