🏈 Game Day in Cleveland, Red Ribbon Week Begins, and Bledsoe Students Will Help Build a Board Office

Or: Pack a Blanket, Wear a Little Red, and Watch the Next Generation Pick Up the Hammer

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Friday, October 23, 2026

Good morning, and happy Friday. There’s a little patchy fog in the low spots again. It should burn off by about 8, and then we get one more sunny fall day.

Friday mornings feel like the last stretch of a long porch swing. You can coast a bit, but you still want your feet ready to touch down. So here’s what’s worth knowing before the weekend.

Here’s the roundup: The Indians play at Walker Valley tonight at 6 p.m. our time, and the Times Free Press says senior Kason Hicks is one of the area’s top two-way players. Our neighbors’ Bledsoe County Lady Warriors finished their volleyball season at the state tournament in Murfreesboro. Bledsoe County is also getting ready to build a new school board office, and high school and TCAT students are expected to help finish the inside. Red Ribbon Week starts today. And TCAT Upper Cumberland opens its doors for a College Preview Day on Nov. 10.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Tonight: Indians at Walker Valley, 7 p.m. Eastern = 6 p.m. Central. Free stream on NewsChannel 9.
• Neighbors: Bledsoe’s Lady Warriors made it to the state tournament. Bledsoe schools are on a regular schedule today.
• Student builders: Bledsoe plans to have CTE and TCAT students help with the inside of a new board office.
• Red Ribbon Week: Oct. 23–31. This year’s theme is “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.”
• SCMS: Today is Dress Down Day, $1 or 7 Braves Bucks.
• Seniors: TN Promise is due Nov. 2. TCAT Preview Day is Tue., Nov. 10, 9–11 a.m. in Crossville.
• Weather: Fog until about 8, then sunny, high near 75. Clear tonight, low around 44.

🏈 Game Day: Indians at Walker Valley, 6 p.m. by Our Clocks

It’s the next-to-last game of the regular season. Sequatchie County (5-3) travels to Cleveland to play Walker Valley (7-1). MaxPreps lists kickoff at 7 p.m. Eastern, which is 6 p.m. Central, Dunlap time. It’s a non-district game.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press picked it as one of four area games to watch this week. The paper says senior Kason Hicks has scored 10 touchdowns and made 52 tackles (nine for loss) this season. In last year’s game, the Indians won 7-2, and Hicks ran for 150 yards and a score. The paper says the Class 5A Mustangs have a tough defense that has allowed 9.9 points per game since their season opener.

Can’t make the drive? NewsChannel 9’s Friday Night Rivals is streaming it at chattanoogacw.com and on the station’s YouTube channel.

What it means for you: A road game against a bigger school is like hauling your best pie to the county fair. You know it’s good, and you go to see how it stacks up. The weather is kind tonight: clear and calm, with a low in the mid-40s. Bring a jacket and a blanket for the bleachers. Then mark your calendar: the regular-season finale is at home against Giles County next Friday, Oct. 30.

👉 Read more (Times Free Press: This week’s Chattanooga-area prep football games to watch)

🏐 Neighbors: Bledsoe’s Lady Warriors Close Out a Season at State

Just up the Valley in Pikeville, the Bledsoe County Lady Warriors made it to the TSSAA state volleyball tournament in Murfreesboro this week. That’s a big deal for a small-county program.

Chattanoogan.com reports the Lady Warriors’ run ended Thursday in the consolation semifinals, against Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA), which went on to finish third in its first state tournament. Bledsoe County Schools had said Friday could become a virtual learning day if the team reached the championship. Since it didn’t, Director of Schools Kristy Walker confirmed that today is a regular school day. She also said the district is proud of the team and its coaches.

What it means for you: If you have Bledsoe grandkids, they’re in class today on the normal schedule. And if you see a Lady Warrior at the Pikeville grocery this weekend, tell her “good season.” Reaching state is like getting your tomatoes into the blue-ribbon tent. Most folks never make it that far.

👉 Read more (Chattanoogan.com: CSLA Third In First State Volleyball Tournament)

🏗️ Bledsoe Students Will Help Finish Their Own School Board Office

Here’s a neat one from the Bledsonian-Banner. The Bledsoe County Board of Education has outgrown its office and plans to build a nearly 8,000-square-foot building. It will go on land the school system already owns, at the corner of Sequatchie Road and Municipal Drive in Pikeville.

Maintenance Supervisor Brian Turner told the paper the plan goes in steps:

• Next month: Bids go out for putting up the steel building. Approval could come at the December or January board meeting.
• Around March: Building materials are expected to arrive.
• Around August 2027: The outside of the building should be up.
• By the end of 2028: Inside work is hoped to be finished, with a possible move-in in August 2029.

Here’s the best part. Turner said the plan is to have TCAT Upper Cumberland and Bledsoe County High School CTE students do the inside work, from electrical to plumbing to walls and finishing. He said the board chose to build in phases so it won’t have to borrow money.

What it means for you: This is an old-fashioned barn raising with a modern twist. Students get real job-site experience on a building their own community will use, and the county pays as it goes. If you’ve got a teenager who likes tools more than textbooks, ask the SCHS counseling office what career and technical classes are offered here at home.

👉 Read more (The Bledsonian-Banner: Board office closer to construction phase)

🎗️ Red Ribbon Week Starts Today: “Be a Hero”

National Red Ribbon Week runs Oct. 23 through 31 every year. It’s the country’s long-running school campaign that encourages kids to stay drug free. The 2026 theme is “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.”

The Red Ribbon Campaign says the theme came from a middle schooler, Ava Tackett of Griswold Middle School in Connecticut. She explained it simply: “You can be a hero to other people by not using drugs and inspire them to choose a healthy lifestyle.”

In past years, Griffith Elementary has marked the week with fun dress-up days like Wear Red, Plaid and Sports Day. We haven’t seen this year’s local schedule posted yet. Watch your child’s folder or the school’s page for any dress-up days.

What it means for you: You don’t need a big speech. Kids remember the little talks, the ones on the drive to practice or over a bowl of beans. Ask your grandchild who their hero is, then tell them who yours was. That’s a Red Ribbon conversation, and it’s an easy one.

👉 Read more (Red Ribbon Campaign: 2026 theme)

🎓 For Seniors and Career Changers: TCAT Preview Day Nov. 10

TCAT Upper Cumberland, which also has a campus in Pikeville, holds a College Preview Day on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9 to 11 a.m. at its main campus, 910 Miller Avenue in Crossville. According to the college’s events calendar, visitors can tour live shops, meet instructors and learn about financial aid. The calendar asks you to call for an appointment at 931-484-7502.

If that date doesn’t work, the next Preview Day is Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the same time.

What it means for you: TCAT is one of the schools TN Promise can help pay for, and the TN Promise application is due Monday, Nov. 2. Kicking the tires before you buy the truck is always smart. A two-hour visit can help a senior figure out whether welding or another hands-on trade feels like home.

👉 Read more (TCAT Upper Cumberland events calendar)

🗓️ Dates to Pin — Plus One Board Result Still to Come

• Today, Fri., Oct. 23: SCMS Dress Down Day ($1 or 7 Braves Bucks). Indians at Walker Valley, 6 p.m. Central. Red Ribbon Week begins.
• Tue., Oct. 27: Sequatchie County school board working session.
• Wed., Oct. 28: The state’s TISA Review Committee meets in Nashville (statewide, not local). TISA is Tennessee’s school funding formula.
• Fri., Oct. 30: Regular-season finale, Giles County at Sequatchie County.
• Sun., Nov. 1: Clocks fall back one hour.
• Mon., Nov. 2: TN Promise deadline, and the Sequatchie County school board’s next regular meeting.
• Mon., Nov. 9, 3 p.m.: Special education consultation for private-school and homeschool families at the Sequatchie County Board of Education.
• Tue., Nov. 10, 9–11 a.m.: TCAT Upper Cumberland College Preview Day in Crossville.

The Marion County Board of Education met last night in Jasper. Its agenda included a teacher agreement for 2026 to 2029 and a multi-year bus contract. We haven’t seen results reported yet and will pass them along once they’re posted.

What it means for you: Write the two big ones on the calendar by the phone: Nov. 1, clocks back, and Nov. 2, TN Promise due.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Board of Education: October meetings calendar)

🌤️ Fog Before 8, Then a Sunny, Calm Weekend

The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap calls for patchy fog before 8 a.m., then sunny, with a high near 75. Tonight will be clear with a low around 44 and hardly any wind. That’s good football weather. Fog comes back after 4 a.m. Saturday, then it’s sunny again with highs near 73 Saturday and Sunday.

What it means for you: Low beams on in the fog, and give the school bus extra room this morning. Tonight, dress in layers. It’ll feel like summer at kickoff and like October by the fourth quarter.

👉 Read more (NWS: Dunlap point forecast)

✅ Your Friday Fridge Checklist

• ✅ Kickoff tonight is 6 p.m. our time (7 p.m. Eastern) at Walker Valley.
• ✅ Pack a jacket and blanket. Low tonight is around 44.
• ✅ Can’t go? Stream it free at chattanoogacw.com or NewsChannel 9’s YouTube.
• ✅ SCMS students: $1 for Dress Down Day today.
• ✅ Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23–31: ask a grandchild, “Who’s your hero?”
• ✅ Seniors: TN Promise by Nov. 2. Call TCAT at 931-484-7502 for the Nov. 10 Preview Day.
• ✅ Clocks fall back Sun., Nov. 1.
• ✅ Next Friday: home finale vs. Giles County.

Practical rule: Check the clock, grab a coat, and cheer for every kid who shows up and tries — on the field, in the gym or on the job site.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English School Glossary

• Non-district game: A game that doesn’t count in the district standings. It still counts in a team’s overall record.
• Two-way player: A football player who plays on both offense and defense.
• Tackle for loss: A tackle behind the line of scrimmage, so the other team loses yards.
• Consolation bracket: The part of a tournament where teams that lost a match keep playing for third place and other finishing spots.
• CTE (Career and Technical Education): High school classes that teach job skills, like construction, welding, health science or agriculture.
• TCAT: Tennessee College of Applied Technology. These state colleges teach hands-on trades and career programs.
• Red Ribbon Week: A national drug-prevention campaign that schools observe Oct. 23–31 each year.
• TISA: Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, the state’s formula for funding public schools.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What time is tonight’s football game in Dunlap time?

Kickoff at Walker Valley is 7 p.m. Eastern, which is 6 p.m. Central.

How can I watch the game if I can’t drive to Cleveland?

NewsChannel 9’s Friday Night Rivals says you can watch at chattanoogacw.com or on its YouTube channel.

When is the last regular-season game?

Next Friday, Oct. 30, at home against Giles County.

Are Bledsoe County schools open today?

Yes. Bledsoe County Schools confirmed Friday, Oct. 23, is a regular school day because the Lady Warriors did not reach the state championship match.

Who will build the inside of Bledsoe’s new board office?

Maintenance Supervisor Brian Turner told the Bledsonian-Banner the plan is to use TCAT Upper Cumberland and Bledsoe County High School CTE students for the interior work.

When is Red Ribbon Week, and what’s the theme?

Oct. 23–31. The 2026 theme is “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.”

How do I sign up for TCAT’s College Preview Day?

The college’s calendar asks visitors to call 931-484-7502 for an appointment. The Nov. 10 visit runs 9 to 11 a.m. at 910 Miller Avenue in Crossville.

Has Marion County posted results from last night’s board meeting?

We hadn’t seen results reported as of early this morning. We’ll share them once they’re posted.

🔗 Other Resources

• Times Free Press: Area football games to watch
• MaxPreps: Sequatchie County at Walker Valley game page
• NewsChannel 9: Friday Night Rivals preview
• Chattanoogan.com: State volleyball wrap-up
• Dunlap.Today: Bledsoe returns to a regular Friday
• The Bledsonian-Banner: Bledsoe board office plans
• Red Ribbon Campaign: 2026 theme
• TCAT Upper Cumberland: Events calendar
• TN Promise overview (collegefortn.org)
• Dunlap.Today: SCMS week ahead (Dress Down Day)
• Marion County: School Board Meeting, Oct. 22
• Sequatchie County Schools: Board agendas
• Tennessee State Board of Education: Meetings calendar
• NWS Dunlap point forecast

🏠 Keep Learning — Stay Calm

A road game under clear skies, a neighbor team that made it to state, students who’ll help raise a building, and a week to talk with kids about being somebody’s hero. That’s a good Friday. Nothing here calls for worry. Set the clock reminders, grab a coat for tonight, and enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

For more calm, practical Valley news you can use, keep reading Dunlap.Today.