Welcome to the 4th of July episode of High School Sports Saturday With Tate Mathews! This show  kicks off with an energetic Fourth of July greeting, celebrating America's 250th birthday. Tate quickly sets the agenda for the morning's broadcast, announcing upcoming interviews with newly appointed Rutherford County Athletics Director Coach Greg Wyant, Nolensville volleyball coach Brett Young, and regular guest Tom Kreager from The Tennessean. Tate  lists numerous local athletes and coaches who recently earned mid-state and all-state honors in boys' and girls' lacrosse, baseball, and softball. Wrapping up the block, he issues a vital reminder for student-athletes to hydrate as the state's mandatory two-week athletic "dead period" comes to a close.

Next, Tate speaks with Greg Wyant, the newly appointed Athletic Director for Rutherford County Schools. Wyant reflects on his transition to this county-wide administrative role after a 34-year career coaching and directing athletics at local high schools like Riverdale and Siegel. A major focal point of their conversation is the critical importance of middle school athletic programs. Wyant emphasizes that developing foundational skills at the middle school level—and retaining those athletes—is essential for building highly competitive high school feeder programs across the county's rapidly growing athletic landscape. The discussion also covers the strategic expansion of the county's athletic administration, specifically highlighting the hiring of Jenna Jones as the new athletics compliance director. Wyant explains that he and Jones will divide administrative and compliance responsibilities to better support all of the county's schools, ensuring they adhere strictly to TSSAA regulations while advocating for smaller schools. As the interview wraps up, Wyant confirms he will also maintain his seat on the TSSAA Legislative Council, which provides a strategic advantage for Rutherford County by keeping them on the front lines of state-wide athletic policies and best practices. Tate is also  joined by Brett Young, the head volleyball coach for the Nolensville Lady Knights, on this segment the two discussed how local teams navigate the summer dead period. Coach Young emphasized the importance of resting his heavily scheduled club players, noting that after the break, the team will resume practice in mid-July. He detailed that preseason camps are slated for early August, with the Lady Knights’ first official match scheduled for August 17th. The conversation then shifted to the high level of competition in Williamson County and Nolensville's promising roster. Coach Young shared his excitement about returning eight of his top nine rotation players from last year, praising the skills of senior ETSU commit Taylor Collins and the team's two returning setters, Avery Ethridge and Sadie Demming. They also touched on the formidable local volleyball landscape, recognizing the historic strength of Brentwood and Ravenwood while agreeing that Franklin looks to be the district favorite this year. Tate  is  finally  joined by Tom Kreager of The Tennessean for a festive 4th of July edition of High School Sports Saturday. After kicking things off with some holiday grilling banter about Kreager's brisket and messy mac-and-cheese, the energetic duo quickly pivoted to the highly anticipated return of high school football. They highlighted the upcoming 7-on-7 tournament week starting on Monday, specifically pointing out major local events and competitions scheduled at Lebanon and Riverdale high schools. The conversation then shifted to a recently published article ranking Tennessee's top ten high school athletes of all time. The two sports minds eagerly debated the ever-changing list and broke down a few notable inclusions: #1 Wilma Rudolph: They offered immense respect for the Clarksville track legend, acknowledging her incredible Olympic achievements and unparalleled legacy despite her untimely passing. #10 Steve Spurrier: They shared a fun historical nugget about the Science Hill standout, noting he chose to play for Florida instead of Tennessee because UT's single-wing offense didn't suit his forward-passing style. Mookie Betts: The segment wrapped with unanimous agreement that the Nashville-area native is not only on a first-ballot MLB Hall of Fame trajectory, but is also undeniably the best bowler in baseball.