Good Thursday evening! This is The Weekender, a final look at this week’s news from the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) any of these newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so!
Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Buckeye Home Medical Equipment. Serving Scott County and several other communities in the Upper Cumberland region, Buckeye is a full-line DME providing home health equipment to its patients.
Scott, Oneida set to move down a class in some sports
Based on the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s initial classifications for the 2027-2029 cycle, it appears that Scott High will be moving from Class 3A to Class 2A in basketball, baseball and softball, and that Oneida will be moving from Class 2A to Class 1A in football.
Those are the major moves as they concern local schools in TSSAA’s initial classifications, which were released Tuesday and are based on enrollment numbers submitted by each school.
Scott High’s new enrollment number is 630, down approximately 10% from the current enrollment numbers that have been used by TSSAA for the past two years. Oneida’s new enrollment number is 322, down about 13% from the current number.
Based on the state body’s initial projections, Oneida will be solidly in Class 1A in football and will remain in Class 1A in basketball, baseball and softball, while Scott High will remain in Class 3A in football and will move down to Class 2A in basketball, baseball and softball — though just barely.
According to the state’s numbers, Scott High would be tied with Stratford High School in Nashville as the largest Class 2A basketball school in the state. Ridgeway High School, with just four more students, is the smallest Class 3A school.
The classifications are subject to change, as teams have until Oct. 2 to appeal TSSAA’s decision or request to play up a classification.
However, while TSSAA routinely allows schools to play up a class, they do not ordinarily allow a team to play down a class based on enrollment numbers. If a school smaller than Scott chooses to play up, it would enhance the Highlanders’ chances of remaining in Class 2A.
In football, Scott is certain to stay in Class 3A. There are 32 schools smaller than Scott in Class 3A, and 16 schools larger. Alcoa, with an enrollment of 685, is the smallest Class 4A school in the state.
As for Oneida, the Indians have solidified their Class 1A classification in basketball. Under the current classification, Oneida is one of the largest Class 1A basketball schools in the state. Now, however, there are 21 schools larger than Oneida in Class 1A. In football, Oneida is projected to go from being one of the smallest Class 2A schools in the state to one of the largest Class 1A schools. According to TSSAA’s numbers, Oneida would rank No. 44 out of 51 Class 1A football schools, in terms of enrollment. Eagleville, at 354, is the smallest Class 2A football school in the state.
TSSAA has four classes in basketball, baseball and softball, and six in football. Each class is evenly divided.
Next up for TSSAA schools will be to learn their district and region pairings, which could change, at least slightly, even in football for Scott High and in basketball, baseball and softball for Oneida.
The Highlanders will certainly have a new district in basketball, as current district foes Anderson County, Clinton, Gibbs, and Union County all remain in Class 3A.
That district has proven favorable for Scott High. The women’s basketball team won their first district championship since the 1990s during the 2024-2025 season, and the men’s basketball team played in the district championship game earlier this year for the first time since the 1990s.
However, Lady Highlander coach Rusty Yaden has expressed an interest in moving down to Class 2A, citing region pairings that are potentially more favorable.
Some of the teams that Scott could potentially be paired with in its new district for basketball, baseball and softball include Cumberland Gap, Eagleton Academy, Austin-East, and Kingston. Other teams relatively close by that will be in Class 2A include Gatlinburg-Pittman, Pigeon Forge, and Claiborne.
When Oneida was in Class 2A for basketball prior to the 2024-2025 season, the Indians shared a district with Eagleton Academy, Austin-East, Gatlinburg-Pittman and Pigeon Forge, along with Alcoa, which will be a Class 3A school.
In football, Scott’s region could potentially remain largely unchanged, as its current region opponents — Austin-East, Kingston, McMinn Central, and Sweetwater — all remain in Class 3A. The only exception is Meigs County, which is expected to move down to Class 2A.
For Oneida, the new football region could include teams like Coalfield, Sunbright, Oakdale, Greenback, Harriman, Oliver Springs, Midway, Rockwood, and Wartburg, though all of those teams will not be in the same region.
Oneida’s district for basketball, baseball and softball could remain unchanged. The Indians’ current district foes — Coalfield, Jellico, Wartburg, Oliver Springs, Sunbright and Wartburg — will all remain in Class 1A.
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A nice fall weekend is on tap, but the heat isn’t finished
A beautiful weekend will bring fall-like weather to East Tennessee, but the summer heat isn’t completely over.
We’re expecting dry conditions, with plenty of sunshine and high temperatures only about 73° to 74° today, tomorrow and Sunday, with nighttime lows dipping into the upper 40s. It’ll be the coolest weekend we’ve had since football season started, and our first break from the summer heat since May.
But the summer heat will make a return next week. We’ll be back into the low 80s by Tuesday, and we’re expecting the mid to upper 80s by the middle of the week, with the hot temperatures extending into next weekend before we have a shot at another cold front that could deliver another round of fall-like weather.
Forecasters say the strong El Niño pattern that has developed in the Pacific Ocean will keep warmer-than-average summer weather in our forecast through at least the middle of October. Long-range meteorologists are predicting above-average temperatures through the months of November and December, as well.
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Trump to visit Knoxville for Vols game
President Donald J. Trump will be in East Tennessee Saturday to attend the highly-anticipated football game at Neyland Stadium.
No. 14 Tennessee, which is off to a 3-0 start, is scheduled to face No. 1 Texas at 12 p.m. Saturday. The Longhorns, which vaulted to the top spot in the rankings after a comeback from a three-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter against previously top-ranked Ohio State, are quarterbacked by Arch Manning, the nephew of former Vol Peyton Manning.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Trump would be in attendance for Saturday’s game. In response, the University of Tennessee announced that gates to Neyland Stadium will open at 9 a.m. and that additional U.S. Secret Service checkpoints will be present at each entry.
Trump has made attendance at high-profile sporting events a hallmark of his administration. He attended the World Cup championship between Spain and Portugal last summer, and also attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
ICYMI
Threads of Life: This week’s Threads of Life newsletter is in remembrance of Ruth Wesley, Glenna Harness, and Ramona Crabtree. » Read It
Echoes in Time: This week’s Echoes in Time newsletter takes a look at days past in the Brimstone community near Robbins. » Read It
The Weekend
🌥️ Weather: Daytime highs in the low to mid 70s, nighttime lows in the mid to upper 40s, and dry weather as far as the high can see! Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page— published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot.
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⛪︎ Featured Church
Black Creek Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church
Denomination: Baptist (Missionary)
Pastor: Jerry Byrge
Address: Mountain View Road, Robbins
Services
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.
1st & 3rd Saturday: 6 p.m.
» See the complete Church Directory, and thank you to our sponsors of the Church Directory.
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📅 Community Calendar
• Saturday: The annual Scott County Heritage Festival will be held at the Museum of Scott County, on the campus of Scott High School, Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. There will be live music, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and authentic demonstrations.
• Saturday: Fourth Saturday night worship services will be held at Straight Fork Baptist Church (7 p.m.), and Antioch Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.). For more information, see our Church Directory at www.independentherald.net.
• Sunday: Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program designed to help with addiction, co-dependency and domestic abuse, will be hosted by Fire & Purpose Ministries from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 27192 Scott Highway in Winfield. There will be food, fellowship, praise and worship. Childcare is provided.
The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. You can help prevent pipeline damage and leaks by calling 811 before doing any excavating or demolition and submitting a utility locate request. Visit citizensgastn.com.
Scenic Sale!
This week’s sale items at Scenic Foods in Huntsville! The sale continues through Tuesday. Sponsored content.
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)