Greeneville and Sevier County have met on the lanes for 19 straight regular seasons and have even clashed in the postseason for a shot at the state tournament. This year, with TSSAA’s conference realignment, the two programs met in a league matchup that came down to the final frame. The Devils emerged with a hard-fought 14–13 victory—their first win over the Smoky Bears since 2019.
The match was a back and forth affair that started off with Nicholas Pendland firing a 211 and Leland Metcalf adding a 203 to lift Sevier County to an early 5–3 advantage after the first game. Greeneville stayed within reach behind Caleb Payne’s 186 and Jon Gilbert’s 173.
Trailing by 33 pins (990-957), the Devils bounced back in game two to tie the match at 8–8 with a 1023 pinfall, thanks to a 211 from Aadin Sandidge and a 204 from Gilbert. Pendland stayed hot with a 201 for the Smoky Bears.
Both teams then shifted their focus to the Baker games in hopes of gaining separation. Sevier County took the first Baker game 200–151, stretching their lead to three pins. Greeneville, however, answered with a 178–163 win in the final Baker game, keeping the match level at 11–11.
The Smoky Bears earned two bonus points for the Baker total (363–329), but Greeneville claimed three crucial points for the overall pinfall (2309–2297). The 12-pin margin sealed the Devils’ victory and moved them to 3–5 in conference play.
Greeneville will close out the regular season on Monday when they host Science Hill at The Alley at 4:15 p.m.
