1 month ago
It was one of those July days in Middle Tennessee. The punishing kind, where shade is at a premium, no one's clothing stays dry and forearms are seared by leaning against metal fences.
Between those fences, 24 high school football teams had braved the blistering sun for hours, contesting a 7-on-7 tournament. It had, mercifully, ended by the afternoon, and 23 teams had long since vanished from Lebanon High School's campus into the air-conditioned comfort of a ride home.
But not Pearl-Cohn.
On an otherwise empty field, the Firebirds were crowded under a tent. Heart-to-heart sermons from ***** istant coaches to players, preaching toughness and dedication, rolled without an end in sight. "They got to hear it right now," Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti said, watching approvingly from an adjoining tent.
Crazy thing was they hadn't performed poorly in the tournament. Pearl-Cohn reached the championship game before losing to powerhouse Oakland High. Nothing for the Firebirds to be ashamed of in that showing, but to Brunetti, it was the way they lost.
#firebirds
Between those fences, 24 high school football teams had braved the blistering sun for hours, contesting a 7-on-7 tournament. It had, mercifully, ended by the afternoon, and 23 teams had long since vanished from Lebanon High School's campus into the air-conditioned comfort of a ride home.
But not Pearl-Cohn.
On an otherwise empty field, the Firebirds were crowded under a tent. Heart-to-heart sermons from ***** istant coaches to players, preaching toughness and dedication, rolled without an end in sight. "They got to hear it right now," Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti said, watching approvingly from an adjoining tent.
Crazy thing was they hadn't performed poorly in the tournament. Pearl-Cohn reached the championship game before losing to powerhouse Oakland High. Nothing for the Firebirds to be ashamed of in that showing, but to Brunetti, it was the way they lost.
#firebirds
1 month ago
The Tennessean is embarking on a season-long journey with Pearl-Cohn High School to document its 2026 TSSAA football season.
The plan is to give readers a window into the life of a public school program that for decades has been consistently among the best in Metro Nashville, with feature stories, documentary-style video, game highlights and plenty of photo galleries.
As we count down to the Firebirds' season opener against Montgomery Bell Academy on Aug. 21, here are some quick facts about Pearl-Cohn athletics.
Nickname: Firebirds
TSSAA enrollment (as of 2024): 524 students
#pearl #firebirds #school
The plan is to give readers a window into the life of a public school program that for decades has been consistently among the best in Metro Nashville, with feature stories, documentary-style video, game highlights and plenty of photo galleries.
As we count down to the Firebirds' season opener against Montgomery Bell Academy on Aug. 21, here are some quick facts about Pearl-Cohn athletics.
Nickname: Firebirds
TSSAA enrollment (as of 2024): 524 students
#pearl #firebirds #school
1 month ago
The defending OHSAA girls basketball Division I state champions are seeking a new head coach for the 2026-27 season.
Jeremey Finn has stepped down from his position effective immediately.
Finn has accepted a position as an ******* istant coach with the Wittenberg women's basketball program, according to Fairmont athletic director Chris Weaver.
Finn had been the head coach at Fairmont for seven seasons and compiled a 124-42 overall record. He led Fairmont to its first undefeated season in school history during its 2025-26 campaign in which the Firebirds won the OHSAA Division I state championship. They beat Princeton 61-55 in overtime at UD Arena.
Finn won multiple OPSMA D-I Coach of the Year awards with Fairmont and coached several players that went on to play collegiately, including Ms. Basketball winner and McDonald's All-American Maddy Westbeld.
#state
Jeremey Finn has stepped down from his position effective immediately.
Finn has accepted a position as an ******* istant coach with the Wittenberg women's basketball program, according to Fairmont athletic director Chris Weaver.
Finn had been the head coach at Fairmont for seven seasons and compiled a 124-42 overall record. He led Fairmont to its first undefeated season in school history during its 2025-26 campaign in which the Firebirds won the OHSAA Division I state championship. They beat Princeton 61-55 in overtime at UD Arena.
Finn won multiple OPSMA D-I Coach of the Year awards with Fairmont and coached several players that went on to play collegiately, including Ms. Basketball winner and McDonald's All-American Maddy Westbeld.
#state
2 months ago
Aug. 5—Happily naming off numerous players on his roster, Fairmont head coach Dave Miller feels his team is in a solid place heading into 2026.
Better than how last season played out. Coming off its first-ever GWOC ******* le in 2024, Miller believes there may have been some complacency after getting to the top.
"They kind of just thought they could show up whenever and it would work out, and it didn't," he said. "I've charted it. This group, their average has been 56 workouts. That's the average. A year ago it was 35."
While Fairmont knocked off league champ Springfield in the regular season, all six of their losses come by seven points or fewer — including a first-round playoff defeat in the final seconds at Lebanon.
The Firebirds have become a playoff mainstay under Miller's watch, making it in each of the past six seasons and eight times in his 10 years in charge.
#miller #average
Better than how last season played out. Coming off its first-ever GWOC ******* le in 2024, Miller believes there may have been some complacency after getting to the top.
"They kind of just thought they could show up whenever and it would work out, and it didn't," he said. "I've charted it. This group, their average has been 56 workouts. That's the average. A year ago it was 35."
While Fairmont knocked off league champ Springfield in the regular season, all six of their losses come by seven points or fewer — including a first-round playoff defeat in the final seconds at Lebanon.
The Firebirds have become a playoff mainstay under Miller's watch, making it in each of the past six seasons and eight times in his 10 years in charge.
#miller #average
2 months ago
Between them, Albany Firebirds quarterbacks Sam Castronova and Tyler Kulka put up numbers this season that leave every other passing attack in Arena Football One in the dust.
Castronova and Kulka each started six of Albany's 12 regular-season games, combining for 3,199 yards and 76 touchdowns through the air against just seven combined interceptions. But, when it came to selecting his starting quarterback for the AF1 playoffs, Albany head coach Damon Ware knew he had to lean on experience.
That means Castronova, who won championships in Albany with the defunct Empire in 2022 and the undefeated Firebirds in 2025, will start Saturday's 4 p.m. semifinal game against the Minnesota Monsters at MVP Arena.
"Sam's at the top of his game, so Sam gets the slight nod," Ware said. "He's been there, done that. He's just such a phenomenal player."
Castronova hasn't played since a June 20 loss to the Nashville Kats, as he was away from the team due to personal reasons for the final two games of the regular season and Albany - which went 9-3 during the regular season - has also had three bye weeks during that time.
#season #firebirds #games #game
Castronova and Kulka each started six of Albany's 12 regular-season games, combining for 3,199 yards and 76 touchdowns through the air against just seven combined interceptions. But, when it came to selecting his starting quarterback for the AF1 playoffs, Albany head coach Damon Ware knew he had to lean on experience.
That means Castronova, who won championships in Albany with the defunct Empire in 2022 and the undefeated Firebirds in 2025, will start Saturday's 4 p.m. semifinal game against the Minnesota Monsters at MVP Arena.
"Sam's at the top of his game, so Sam gets the slight nod," Ware said. "He's been there, done that. He's just such a phenomenal player."
Castronova hasn't played since a June 20 loss to the Nashville Kats, as he was away from the team due to personal reasons for the final two games of the regular season and Albany - which went 9-3 during the regular season - has also had three bye weeks during that time.
#season #firebirds #games #game
2 months ago
The 2026 MLB Draft was completed Sunday evening, with 681 players from around the United States being selected by the league's 30 franchises.
More than a dozen of these draftees have connections to Connecticut, ranging from Nutmeg State natives, local college stars and alums of the state's various collegiate summer league teams. Here's a look at all 13 players with Connecticut ties selected in this year's draft.
Ryan Oshinskie (Fairfield) - No. 192 overall:
Oshinskie is the highest-drafted Connecticut native in this year's draft, heading to the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round to cap off an impressive rise from the Ivy League to the show. The 6-foot-3 righthander grew up in Stamford and starred at nearby Fairfield Prep, earning a pair of All-Southern Connecticut Conference selections.
The Brewers took a chance on Oshinskie even though the 20-year-old missed his entire 2026 college season at Brown due to injury, convinced by a stellar season in the Cape Cod Baseball League the previous summer. Oshinskie posted a superb 1.93 ERA across 13 appearances with the Orleans Firebirds, falling just short of the 1.20 mark he reached in the 2024 summer with the NECBL's Bristol Blues.
More than a dozen of these draftees have connections to Connecticut, ranging from Nutmeg State natives, local college stars and alums of the state's various collegiate summer league teams. Here's a look at all 13 players with Connecticut ties selected in this year's draft.
Ryan Oshinskie (Fairfield) - No. 192 overall:
Oshinskie is the highest-drafted Connecticut native in this year's draft, heading to the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round to cap off an impressive rise from the Ivy League to the show. The 6-foot-3 righthander grew up in Stamford and starred at nearby Fairfield Prep, earning a pair of All-Southern Connecticut Conference selections.
The Brewers took a chance on Oshinskie even though the 20-year-old missed his entire 2026 college season at Brown due to injury, convinced by a stellar season in the Cape Cod Baseball League the previous summer. Oshinskie posted a superb 1.93 ERA across 13 appearances with the Orleans Firebirds, falling just short of the 1.20 mark he reached in the 2024 summer with the NECBL's Bristol Blues.
2 months ago
ALBANY - If the Albany Firebirds want to repeat as Arena Football One champions, they'll probably have to go on the road to do it.
The Firebirds entered Saturday's regular-season finale against the Nashville Kats at MVP Arena with a chance to take the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the postseason away from Nashville. Instead, while the Firebirds came back from an early 19-point deficit to tie the game on multiple occasions in the second half, the Kats were able to scratch out a 57-54 victory to lock up the top seed.
In order to earn the No. 1 seed, Albany (9-3) would have needed to win by 10 or more points to win a head-to-head point differential tiebreaker over Nashville (11-1).
Firebirds coach Damon Ware said that, while he was hopeful his team could turn the tables on Nashville and get the top seed, he's satisfied with being locked into the No. 2 seed and getting two straight bye weeks for his injury-riddled team to get ready for the playoffs.
The Firebirds entered Saturday's regular-season finale against the Nashville Kats at MVP Arena with a chance to take the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the postseason away from Nashville. Instead, while the Firebirds came back from an early 19-point deficit to tie the game on multiple occasions in the second half, the Kats were able to scratch out a 57-54 victory to lock up the top seed.
In order to earn the No. 1 seed, Albany (9-3) would have needed to win by 10 or more points to win a head-to-head point differential tiebreaker over Nashville (11-1).
Firebirds coach Damon Ware said that, while he was hopeful his team could turn the tables on Nashville and get the top seed, he's satisfied with being locked into the No. 2 seed and getting two straight bye weeks for his injury-riddled team to get ready for the playoffs.
2 months ago
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, the award-winning, polished-casual American restaurant and steakhouse, announced the appointment of Florence Ho as the Company's new Chief Marketing Officer, effective July 7. Ms. Ho brings more than 25 years of marketing leadership to Firebirds, with a track record of driving meaningful business growth for both emerging and well-established hospitality, lifestyle, and consumer brands.
"I'm delighted to welcome Florence to the Firebirds team at a pivotal moment as we continue our growth nationally," said Steve Kislow, Chief Executive Officer, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. "Florence brings a combination of creativity, ***** ytical insight, and hands-on marketing leadership that will be instrumental as we continue to grow the Firebirds brand and deepen our connection with guests. Her track record of building high-performing marketing teams and driving measurable results makes her the right leader to take Firebirds' marketing efforts to the next level, including evolving our Inner Circle program into a best-in-class loyalty experience for our guests."
Ms. Ho most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Loyalty and Customer Experience at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, where she played a key role in brand-building during a period of rapid expansion that more than doubled the concept's unit count. Over more than six years, Ms. Ho built the company's digital marketing program from the ground up and successfully enhanced loyalty and CRM programming for Cooper's Hawk, growing its namesake Wine Club membership by more than 1.5x and significantly strengthening its social media presence, while delivering industry-leading Net Promoter Scores.
"Firebirds is a beloved restaurant brand defined by craft, hospitality, and an exceptional guest experience that keeps people coming back," said Ms. Ho. "What excites me most about joining Firebirds is the opportunity to combine its fiery brand heritage with modern, data-driven marketing to grow broader awareness of the concept and create meaningful and lasting relationships with our guests. I look forward to partnering with Steve and the entire leadership team to write the next chapter in Firebirds' story."
Prior to her role at Cooper's Hawk, Ms. Ho spent a decade at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where she held senior marketing and loyalty leadership roles across a portfolio of more than 20 brands at scale. She has also served in marketing and ***** ytics leadership positions at well-known brands including Mercedes-Benz USA, Kraft Foods, and Gartner. Ms. Ho holds a PhD in Economics from the City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts, Economics from the College of William & Mary.
"I'm delighted to welcome Florence to the Firebirds team at a pivotal moment as we continue our growth nationally," said Steve Kislow, Chief Executive Officer, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. "Florence brings a combination of creativity, ***** ytical insight, and hands-on marketing leadership that will be instrumental as we continue to grow the Firebirds brand and deepen our connection with guests. Her track record of building high-performing marketing teams and driving measurable results makes her the right leader to take Firebirds' marketing efforts to the next level, including evolving our Inner Circle program into a best-in-class loyalty experience for our guests."
Ms. Ho most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Loyalty and Customer Experience at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, where she played a key role in brand-building during a period of rapid expansion that more than doubled the concept's unit count. Over more than six years, Ms. Ho built the company's digital marketing program from the ground up and successfully enhanced loyalty and CRM programming for Cooper's Hawk, growing its namesake Wine Club membership by more than 1.5x and significantly strengthening its social media presence, while delivering industry-leading Net Promoter Scores.
"Firebirds is a beloved restaurant brand defined by craft, hospitality, and an exceptional guest experience that keeps people coming back," said Ms. Ho. "What excites me most about joining Firebirds is the opportunity to combine its fiery brand heritage with modern, data-driven marketing to grow broader awareness of the concept and create meaningful and lasting relationships with our guests. I look forward to partnering with Steve and the entire leadership team to write the next chapter in Firebirds' story."
Prior to her role at Cooper's Hawk, Ms. Ho spent a decade at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where she held senior marketing and loyalty leadership roles across a portfolio of more than 20 brands at scale. She has also served in marketing and ***** ytics leadership positions at well-known brands including Mercedes-Benz USA, Kraft Foods, and Gartner. Ms. Ho holds a PhD in Economics from the City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts, Economics from the College of William & Mary.
