2014 was a big year for local sports. Local championships were won, milestones were achieved, and old sports were made new again in DeKalb County. Here’s a look back at the year in DeKalb County sports.

The Pine Creek Saddle Club is on its way to reopening, giving those in DeKalb County who love horses and equestrian sports a local arena once again. The saddle club had been shut down for several years, but will reopen all because of the wish of one disabled girl, and the help of a local non-profit.

Jonathon Willoughby, the new president of Pine Creek Saddle Club, told the Review that the reformation of the saddle club came about because of Karley Knowles at B&B Saddle Up Farms. "Karley asked Debbie Ball [of B&B Saddle Up] to see about getting it started back up. Debbie asked me, and I told her I would be happy to help. I stepped up and said that I would be the president of the saddle club."

In an apparent first for DCHS football, a father and son have won the Most Valuable Player award. Senior defensive lineman Eli Gill took the honor at the Tigers’ football banquet Saturday night, and his father, Darrell Gill was awarded the big trophy for his play in the 1987 season.

Lady Saints fall in state tourney

The DeKalb Middle School Lady Saints extended their season by winning the first round of the James C. Haile State Basketball Tournament in Murfreesboro, only to fall later in the second game.

The DeKalb County High School Lady Tigers basketball team has done something the girls’ team hasn’t done in 23 years, they’ve won 19 games with several games still scheduled.

Despite a recent slump, the Lady Tigers have actually done very well, winning games, including some district matches.

With freezing temps and the constant threat of winter weather, it’s hard to think about the boys of summer. But the DeKalb County High School baseball season is right around the corner, and the DeKalb Tigers have a new head man in the dugout.

With the departure of long-time head coach Scott Odom, Tigers’ fans will see a new face in the head coaching position, Tracy Slone. Slone was the head baseball coach at Lincoln County High School for 11 years, the head coach at Lebanon High School for seven years, and for the past two years he was an assistant coach at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, where his son is a senior.

DeKalb Lady Tigers’ Loren Cripps got her 1,000th point during a game with Livingston Academy. Quite a feat considering Cripps was still a junior in school.

The DeKalb County High School Tigers basketball team traveled to White County High School in Sparta to participate in the District 8AA Tournament. There, the sixth seeded Tigers fell to the third seeded Lions of Cannon County.

The Lady Tigers took on the third seeded team of Central Magnet in a game where sixth seeded DeKalb fell behind early. CM took the 58-54 victory.

The DeKalb County High School Tigers Soccer Team was readying for its season, getting four wins at its preseason playday.

The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes Softball Team opened their season, playing two double headers and getting some big wins against Jackson and White Counties.

The DeKalb County Tigers Baseball Team opened the season at home last week, claiming a 4-2 win over the tough Grundy County Yellow Jackets. The win was the first for the program’s new head coach, Tracy Slone.

The top honorees of the DCHS basketball and cheerleading teams were Tigers MVP Ethan Roller, Lady Tigers Co-MVPs Paige Winningham and Loren Cripps, and basketball cheer MVC Ashley Medlin.

The Tigerettes Softball team participated in the Macon County Tournament at Cane Creek Park in Cookeville. There, the team would get their first loss of the season, but would bounce back to take the tourney championship.

The Tigerettes continued to show why they are a dominate force in girls’ softball by adding four more wins. One win in particular, a win over York Institute, was a milestone for the team’s head coach, Danny Bond, giving him his 600th win with the program.

The Tigers baseball team played five games, coming away with four victories, including one against the fourth ranked AAA team in the state, Siegel.

The Tigerettes finished out their regular season, then moved on to the district tournament in Baxter. The team ended the season with their first district loss, but managed to squeak by Upperman as regular season champs.

The TSSAA 8-AA District Softball Championship came down to two teams, two teams that had each beat the other in the regular season, and ended up sharing the regular season championship.

The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball team had earned the top seed in the district tournament by points, but the championship would come down to a win over their regular season nemesis, Upperman.

The Tigers baseball team advanced through the district tournament, going on to play for the district title in Murfreesboro. The team got a win over Upperman, but the championship game against Central Magnet would not have the same outcome. The game would end with a 3-1 loss for DeKalb.

Later, the team had their season come to an end after fighting through the TSSAA Regional Tournament. The team started their part of the tournament with a big win against Signal Mountain, then had to face an old foe. Their season would end with another loss to Central Magnet.

It was a feat in itself just to get to the state tournament. It was a testament to the team’s skill and dedication to become one of the eight best AA teams in the State of Tennessee. But, the DeKalb County Tigerettes wanted more. They wanted not only to participate, but to win. It was not to be. The team would fall to Dyersburg and Greenbrier.

Tigerettes softball’s Danielle Tyson received the honor of "Miss Softball Middle Tennessee" by the Tennessee Softball Coaches Association.

The second annual Brandon Elder Scholarship Bass Tournament was a big success at Pates Ford Marina, with 26 boats participating and 15 boats weighing in.

The Shelby Showplace Arena in Germantown, was the site of the Tennessee High School Rodeo Finals June 12-14. DeKalb County was well represented by Brandon Barnes, Cody Hattaway, La-Kota Luna, Victor Roller, and Shara Adcock.

Runners and walkers couldn’t have asked for better weather for the 16th Annual Fiddler 5K and One-Mile Fun Run. The temperature was in the low 60’s at race time, making for an enjoyable race for both participants and spectators. This year’s race involved 356 participants, up from last year when heavy rain accompanied the event.

A few people in DeKalb County were acting on the new-found popularity of archery by opening a club that has been absent from the local scene for several years. The group is forming the Blue Springs Archery Club.

The DeKalb County Fair 5K Run and One-mile Fun Run opted for an evening race this year, trying to avoid the high temperatures usually associated with late July.

The DeKalb Junior Pro football teams were on the field, getting in final games before the start of the 2014 regular season. DeKalb hosted the Middle Tennessee Football Conference’s Jamboree and official weigh-in day, and showed that they are a force to be reckoned with this season.

The DeKalb Middle School Saints football team took to the field to open their season with something that haven’t accomplished in a long while, they came away with a shutout to start the season off right. The Saints beat Prescott 28-0.

The football Tigers dropped the season opener to Warren County in a 34-30 heartbreaker.

Fans could not ask for a better start to the DeKalb Saints football season. In three games the offense has put up 92 points, while the defense has held their opponents to a big goose egg, an impressive start for a team who had not captured a shutout in at least two seasons. The Saints shut out Southside and Cannon County.

Local fans were out in force as the DeKalb County Tigers traveled to Woodbury to take on the Cannon County Lions. While it was an away game for the Tigers, it almost felt like a home game, with the number of supporters filling the stands to see DeKalb continue their winning ways. The Tigers won, 47-0.

The Lady Saints entered the last week of the regular season with two big conference games left, Smith County at home, then on the road to Cumberland County. The team got a win over Smith, moving them to the conference tourney, then fell to Cumberland.

The DeKalb County High School Tigers football team finally got on the win column during an away game against White County.

The DeKalb County Junior Tigers won the Jr. Pro championship, shutting Smith County out in a 14-0 contest.

The DeKalb County High School Football Tigers were back on their home field night, celebrating homecoming with a win over the Macon County Tigers. The win ended a two game losing streak, and kept the team alive for the postseason.

Everything was on the line for DeKalb. With district losses to Livingston and York, the Tigers needed to win their last three games to advance on to the postseason playoffs. DeKalb beat Macon, then took a big win against Upperman. All that was left was the final match against the Smith County Owls. DeKalb got the 13-0 shutout.

Everyone knew the first round of the 4A State Playoffs would be a battle for DeKalb … traveling to Signal Mountain to take on a tough unknown opponent. The Tigers had been systematically decimated by injuries all through the year, including one of its key receivers, Aaron Patterson, in the final game of the regular season. The Tigers fell 49-10.

The DeKalb County High School Tigers basketball team began their season, hosting a tournament at DCHS. There, the team came away with four wins. The Lady Tigers also dominated the court with opening season wins.

The DeKalb West School Bulldogs were back in action with two games, one on the road and another at home. Both games, one against Woodbury and another against Auburntown, would see the Bulldogs coming away with wins.

The DeKalb Middle School Lady Saints traveled to Smith County to take on the Gordonsville Tigerettes. The game would turn out as a big with for the team.

The DeKalb County Lady Tigers swept the Tiger Christmas Classic, going undefeated and beating Monterey for the tournament championship.