On Saturday, we debuted the first half of our list of the top 2022 local sports headlines. Here are the top three headlines from local athletes and teams in Bedford County:

No. 3 Viqueen softball reaches state tourney
Being paired up against the Forrest Lady Rockets in the same district is no easy draw for any team.
Prior to the 2022 season, the Lady Rockets had won two-straight state titles, reaching back to 2019 and then in 2021, after the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But iron sharpens iron and the Community Viqueens made the most of their season, despite several clashes with the Lady Rockets, and forged a historic season that included not only the first-ever berth for the state softball tournament, but also the first-ever win in the big dance.
After falling to Forrest in the Region 4-AA title game, Community made the long trek to Pikeville to face the talented Bledsoe County Lady Warriors.
Entering the Class 2A sectional, Bledsoe County had just one loss—a 5-4 loss to Chattanooga Christian.
With the odds stacked against them, Community put forth perhaps its best effort of the season and knocked off the Bledsoe County (30-2) in a 1-0 thriller to clinch its first-ever state tournament berth.
“We set goals and not always can you go down a list and check off goals that you set. I’m just proud of those girls and their parents and how everyone worked. It’s been a heck of a group,” Viqueen coach Cam Farrell said.
All season long, Community relied on the efforts of freshman Taylar Wessner from the pitcher’s circle and in the sectional matchup, she twirled a dandy of a gem to keep the Viqueens in the mix.
Bledsoe County managed just four hits off Wessner, but it was some timely hitting and stellar base running that put the Viqueens through to the big dance.
It wasn’t until Abby Murrill connected on a two-out double in the top of the sixth and then was driven home by Zoey Dixon for the game’s only run.
“She (Murrill) is just a phenomenal athlete. She wants to work hard. She’s a kid who stays late, comes early and always asking for someone to work with her,” Farrell said.
While qualifying for the state tournament was certainly among the goals for the Viqueens, simply making the state tournament wasn’t enough for the Purple and Gold.
Wessnar followed up her outstanding showing in the sectional round with a two-hit shutout against Summertown in the first game of the state tournament.
Haley Mitchell provided the offense via a two-run double to open the state tournament with a statement win.
Community suffered its first loss of the tournament to eventual state champion Alcoa, before ending its season with a 7-5 loss to Loretto.
Community turned in a 26-13-1 overall record and returns the bulk of its squad in 2023.

*Original reporting by Chris Siers and Rickey Clardy

No. 2 Webb Lady Feet repeat as state champs
In 2021, the Webb School Lady Feet established themselves as one of the top basketball teams in the state, regardless of division or classification, en route to the first-ever state championship by defeating Providence Christian in the Division II Class A state championship in convincing fashion.
After edging USJ, 48-43, in the semifinals, Webb followed with a dominant 54-38 win over Providence Christian for the first-ever state title.
While programs could feel the pressure of success, Webb thrived after the title in March of 2021 and flourished.
Once again, making it to the state tournament at Tennessee Tech, the Lady Feet dominated Trinity Christian in the semifinals, 64-36 to once again earn a berth in the state championship game.
In 2022, however, the opponent was an all-too-familiar foe in Middle Tennessee Christian.
For the fourth time in a single season, the Lady Feet paired up against Middle Tennessee Christian and completed the season sweep, beating the Lady Cougars, 68-48 to hoist the state championship trophy for the second-straight year.
“This group is different. People don’t understand what practice is every day and what the negative chatter that went on. They’re mentally tough and they battled,” coach Matthew Shewmake said following the championship game.
Against MTCS, Webb saw four players reach double figures, with Bree Robinson posting a game-high 19 points.
Tatianna Stovall added 14, while Angelica Velez and Lauren Rust added 13 and 12, respectively.
After struggling through much of the first half, shooting just 30% from the floor, the Lady Feet caught fire in the second half of the title game and shot 51.1% from the floor to extend its lead.
In the final two quarters, Webb combined for 48 points, while holding MTCS to just 29.
“I know the nerves were running high. We’re just limping through it and we make a little run and then the kid made a nice shot to cut it to one before the half. We were kind of playing cat and mouse with them, just trying to figure out what they’re going to do and what we’re going to do,” Shewmake said.
Eventually, Webb’s depth proved to be too much for MTCS as Robinson and Stovall took control on the offensive end of the court.
“We talked about that every day at practice all through the year that it’s going to be somebody different each night and that’s OK. Today it was Tatianna and Bree and yesterday it was Bre’aria Cannon and Aallyah (Del Rosario),” Shewmake said.
For her efforts in the tournament, Stovall was named tournament MVP.
Webb finished the 2021-2022 season with a 31-6 overall record.

* Original reporting by Chris Siers

No. 1 Cheeseman wins 2nd straight XC title
Winning a state championship in an individual sport like cross country is one of the hardest feats a student-athlete can accomplish.
There are not teammates to rely on, just you and the course.
But for Webb sophomore Abby Faith Cheeseman, that’s just what she did as she posted the fastest time in the state of any classification for the second-straight season and won the Division II Class A state championship in 17:12.
She bested second-place finisher, Lauren Rutlin of St. George’s by 1:21.
Cheeseman’s title comes after winning the state title as a freshman during the 2021 season as well.
While Cheeseman’s efforts stood out in the overall standings, Webb finished fourth in the team standings.
In 2022, Webb saw a dramatic improvement in the team standings and improved to a second-place overall finish.
After claiming her second-straight individual title, Cheeseman advanced to the Champs Sports Cross Country regional race, held in Charlotte, N.C., where she finished seventh overall and earned a trip to the national cross country meet, held in San Diego, Calif.
After finishing the state cross country meet in 17:12, Cheeseman finished her run in the national meet just a second off her mark in the state meet to finish fourth nationally in 17:13.

* Original reporting by Chris Siers