Things will look a lot different in Lower Afton this year for the girls’ basketball program at Chuckey-Doak. With new first-year Head Coach Tanner Earley captaining the ship and last year’s whole starting five gone, it will be a whole new team this year.
Previous coach Kyle Donahue stepped down from his coaching position on May 23rd and left behind a great program for new head coach Tanner Earley. Earley will become Chuckey-Doak’s ninth coach in program history. He coached at White Pine Elementary School for the previous three years and described his emotions going into this season.
“Definitely nervous for sure. The nerves are there. This is going to be my first high school job. I came from a middle school, so it’s going to be completely different for me. But I’m excited, nervous, anxious. And I know the girls will be too,” he said.
Chuckey-Doak finished last season with a 17-14 (7-3) record. The Lady Black Knights played for the District 1-2A Championship and reached the Region 1-2A semifinals, just one win away from a sectional game.
They lost most of that team from last season. The whole starting five is gone and their first player off the bench is also gone. A mix of newcomers and a small batch of returners will look to keep the winning standard going at Chuckey-Doak.
The Lady Knights will only feature two seniors this season, the twins Carlene and Cristen Bishop. Only one junior is listed, Chloe Kirkpatrick who returns as one of the Lady Knights most experienced players.
“My twins, Carlene and Cristen Bishop, I’m going to have to rely on them for a lot of leadership going forward this year. One junior, Chloe Kirkpatrick, she played a little bit last year and got some varsity experience and that’s going to help us a little bit,” Earley mentioned.
Chuckey-Doak will have a large sophomore class with six players consisting of Jayden Myers, Jessie Dayton, Sarah Yates, Kimberly Puente, Khloe Henderson, and Hayleigh Seidl. The only freshman listed on the varsity roster is Kori Hollifield.
The development of each player will be a main focus for Earley this year. With such a young a roster he detailed what it will take to get things moving in the right direction as the season moves along.
“We’ve got to take it day-by-day. Practice-by-practice. We’ve got to get better every day. That’s the goal and that’s the mindset. And I think the perfect practice is to play. The more reps you get, the more game time you get, that’s how you’re going to develop as a varsity player,” he stated.
The District 1-2A conference will feature the normal crop of South Greene, West Greene, Happy Valley, and Johnson County. Hampton has since dropped down to Class 1A and left the league. Unicoi County has dropped down to Class 2A and has joined the conference.
“I think the conference could be a little wide open from what I’ve been told from last year,” Earley stated.
The Lady Knights will have a jam-packed non-conference schedule. They will play home and away games with North Greene, Cherokee, Cloudland, University High, Claiborne, and Washburn.
Over Christmas break the girls will compete in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies’ Classic at Hal Henard Gymnasium.
Chuckey-Doak opens the season with KACHEA in a Hall of Fame game on Thursday, November 20.
We got the chance to catch up with the Chuckey-Doak basketball teams ahead of tip-off Thursday night!
Remember to follow GreeneSportsZone for all your Greeneville/Greene County basketball coverage. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/q6lsL5PiKI
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 18, 2025
The Chuckey-Doak Lady Black Knights start their regular season on Thursday night with new Head Coach Tanner Earley and a band of fresh new faces in black & gold. We caught up with Coach Earley at Media Day yesterday to discuss what he expects in year one. pic.twitter.com/1c0WRHONDK
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 18, 2025
Chuckey-Doak Lady Black Knights seniors Cristen & Carlene Bishop spoke with us at Media Day yesterday with their senior season ahead. pic.twitter.com/Chlcjz8azO
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 18, 2025
Chuckey-Doak junior Chloe Kirkpatrick detailed what her feelings are going into a brand-new season with new teammates and a new head coach at yesterday’s Media Day. pic.twitter.com/DqpoSkg5ma
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 18, 2025
