May 30, 2024
Rutherford County Schools
You may not know that Rutherford County has a high school hockey team, but parents like Janell Wolfe are hoping to spread awareness, especially after this season's championship win.
Wolfe and other hockey parents submitted the following recap and photos of the season, information about the team, and details about how to learn more.
---
With an 0-4 start to the season, it was shaping up to be another mediocre year for the Rutherford Rampage, a supplemental hockey team comprised of hockey players zoned to any Rutherford County high school.
After reaching the midway point of the season with a 1-6-0 record, the Rampage were relegated to Tier 2 for the second half of the season.
Nov. 13 began the up-hill battle.
The Rampage acquired goalie Alec Dawes who was brilliant in his GNASH debut, posting a 15-save shutout against Independence-Ravenwood 2 and securing the 2-0 win. Dawes was crucial in the following games victory as well, shutting down Hendersonville with 21 saves. Captain Justin Dickinson led the offensive charge, netting 2 goals in the first period, one in the second for a hat trick. The Rampage would also collect a win from Centennial High School, but fall to USN before the winter break.
Games resumed in January and the Rampage continued to battle though opponents beating Station Camp-Liberty Creek 4-1, Brentwood Bruins 4-2, and the Tennessee Outlaws 7-3. The Rampage finished the second half of the regular season with a record of 6-1-0, an incredible turn around that earned them the number one seed going into the postseason.
The Hine Cup playoffs, a double elimination style tournament between the 8 Tier 2 teams, began on February 7th. The Rampage were perfect in postseason play, shutting down every opponent on their quest for the Cup. It took only 3 games for the team to secure their place in the Henry Hine Cup Final, their first showing in a cup final since Rutherford County began competing in the GNASH (Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey) league over 15 years ago.
On February 28th, Seniors Justin Dickinson and Carson Brownlow lead the team to a 4-0 victory over the Brentwood Bruins. Junior Alec Dawes put on another incredible goaltending display with a 37 save shutout. The Rampage became the first supplemental team in GNASH history to win a GNASH trophy of any kind. Dickinson and Dawes were awarded co-MVP’s, the first time two MVP’s have been recognized in a GNASH tournament final.
Coach Mike Jones, who has been with the team for the past six seasons, is a volunteer to the sport of youth hockey. A long-time hockey player himself, Jones played high school hockey in the GNASH league for the Nashville South Sharks. In 2002, they also faced Brentwood in a GNASH cup final but would ultimately come up short, losing to the Bruins by a score of 0-4 coincidentally. Twenty-two years later, Jones would get his opportunity to hoist the cup.
The Rutherford Rampage compete in the GNASH league. This year there were 16 total teams consisting of official scholastic hockey programs, club teams, and supplemental teams like the Rampage. The 23-24 Rampage team was comprised of students from 9 different Rutherford County Schools. These student athletes travel to rinks in Antioch, Nashville, and Bellevue to practice and play.
If you are interested in learning more about the Rutherford Rampage, you can find them @rutherfordrampage on Instagram or at Middle Tennessee Hockey on Facebook.
2023-2024 Hine Cup Champions - Rutherford County Rampage
- Colin Burnette-Vice Smyrna High School 12th Senior
- Carter Burnette-Vice Smyrna High School 12th Senior
- Preston Chezek Oakland High School 10th Sophomore
- Alec Dawes Home School- zoned Blackman 11th Junior
- Justin Dickinson Smyrna High School 12th Senior
- Cooper Feasel Home School- zoned Stewarts Creek 10th Sophomore
- Nick Hansen Siegel High School 10th Sophomore
- William Haynes Providence Christian Academy 10th Sophomore
- Cody Jones Stewarts Creek High School 11th Junior
- Mason Matthews Rockvale High School 10th Sophomore
- Eddie Maze Home School- zoned Stewarts Creek 10th Sophomore
- Alastair McCarrall Central Magnet 10th Sophomore
- Kelvin Mcclendon Rockvale High School 11th Junior
- Maurice Plante Riverdale High School 10th Sophomore
- Kaya Plante Riverdale High School 12th Senior
- Abigail Ricalday Blackman High School 12th Senior
- Cohen Sims Blackman High School 10th Sophomore
- Tasman Takayama Central Magnet 12th Senior
- Brennen Tellez Home School- zoned Smyrna 10th Sophomore
- Dylan Welch Stewarts Creek High School 11th Junior
- Tucker Wilhelm Home School- zoned Siegel 11th Junior
- Jackson Wilson Stewarts Creek High School 10th Sophomore
- Logan Wolfe Blackman High School 9th Freshman
- Joshua Wolfe Blackman High School 11th Junior
- Kyle Wolfe Blackman High School 9th Freshman