Three more MNPS football teams adding turf fields in 2024

Three more Metro Public School football teams will have artificial surface fields this season with McGavock, Maplewood and Stratford in the process of getting turf. Those three will join East Nashville, Pearl-Cohn and Whites Creek − which had their fields transformed in 2023.

Installation of the fields at McGavock, Maplewood and Stratford is ongoing.

With six fields having artificial surfaces this season it means every public school team in Metro will play at least one game on the new turf.

McGavock is scheduled to be the first to play on its new surface in 2024 when the Raiders serve as host to Hillsboro in the season opener on Aug. 23.

Stratford's first game on its new playing surface will be its home opener Sept. 5 against Lawson.

Maplewood's first game on its new field will be Sept. 20 when Glencliff visits.

"I personally go out to check on the progress at least once a week," Metro Nashville Public Schools athletics director Mark North said. "That's to keep people up to date at the (MNPS) office. The contractor has said they are still on time to get all three field finished on time. Sometimes it seems that it is going slow, but I saw last year once they start putting green on it (the artificial surface), it goes fast."

A dry spell earlier this summer allowed workers to make significant progress, North said.

The project to upgrade facilities at all 15 Metro Nashville public school was announced in November 2022. Each school received $1 million as part of the project with 13 schools using those funds to install artificial turf fields on the football stadium field, which is also used for other sports. M.L. King and Hume-Fogg, which do not have football teams, will get turf for soccer fields.

Cost for the $15 million project was split equally into thirds between Metro Nashville through its capital spending plan, the Tennessee Titans and funds being raised by The Fans Inc.

The next four schools set to get artificial surface fields starting in 2025 are Antioch, Cane Ridge, Hunters Lane and Glencliff. A new track was installed at Hunters Lane this past offseason.

"Kids like to play on that turf," said Whites Creek coach William Darnell , whose team played its last two home games on the new surface in 2023. "They're definitely excited because this will be our first full season on the turf. It was kind of like we got teased with it last year playing those last two games on it. It gave us something to look forward to this season."

Bob Lannom writes book on his unique Tennessee Vols baseball career

Bob Lannom , a Wilson County native, has written an autobiography – The Loser’s Ball and Other Winning Strategies – detailing how he earned a spot on the Tennessee Vols baseball team even though he didn’t play in high school.

He grew up on a small dairy farm in Gladeville dreaming of playing for the Vols. The problem was that there was no Little League in the area, nor did Mt. Juliet High have a baseball team at the time. He developed his skills pitching rocks in the air and hitting them with old axe handles.

Lannon was an outstanding player on Mt. Juliet’s football team (1960-62) and received scholarship offers to play collegiately but chose instead to walk on with the Vols baseball team.

As a senior in 1966, Lannon was a co-captain who helped lead the Vols to a school-record for single-season wins (22) and their first SEC East championship.

Lannom’s daughter Amy was a starter on the Gallatin basketball team which won the 1987 state championship. She went on to play at Alabama.

The book will be available in local bookstores and on Amazon later this month.

Dawson Sutton leads pro late models points standings at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

With only three races left on the 2024 schedule Lebanon driver Dawson Sutton lead the Pro Late Models series points standing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Sutton, the 2023 rookie of the year, has 290 points and leads second-place Corey Deuser from Germantown, Indiana by 26 points.

Sutton has one win and three second-place finishes.

Chase Johnson from Mt. Juliet is in third place (238), Bennie Hamlett from Mt. Juliet is in fourth (234) and Trey Craig from Louisville and Hunter Wright from Lebanon are tied for fifth (212).

The next race is the Bass Tire Family Night on Aug. 10.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Three more MNPS football teams adding turf fields in 2024