Top 15 rising juniors in Weakley County for the 2026-27 school year

By Michael Odom | July 15, 2026 |

Westview’s Graham Simpson (6) throws a pass against Westmoreland during the second round of the Class 3A high school football playoffs at Hardy Graham Stadium on Nov. 14, 2025.

The beginning of the 2026-27 high school sports season continues to get closer and closer.

Last week, we looked at the top 15 rising seniors in Weakley County going into the new school year.

Now, we will look at the top 15 rising juniors across the county:

1. Graham Simpson (Westview football) — Simpson won the Tennessee Titans Class 3A Mr. Football award last year after being named a finalist as a freshman. He helped the Chargers win the Class 3A state championship with a 14-0 record as he completed 194-of-256 passes for 3,565 yards and 43 touchdowns with only three interceptions to go with 204 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

2. Vaughn Bounds (Dresden boys cross country) – Bounds had a strong sophomore season that ended with the Class A state championship. He won with a time of 16:18.79. During track season, Bounds won the Class A 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.21, which was 2.43 seconds ahead of Gatlinburg-Pittman’s Bradyn Lewis.

3. Kohen McWherter (Westview baseball) — McWherter helped lead the Chargers to the Class 2A semifinals after winning the District 14-2A and Region 7-2A championships. He batted .404 with three doubles and two triples. And on the mound, he went 8-3 with a 2.08 ERA and 69 strikeouts.

4. Westin Porter (Greenfield football) – Porter should be in the conversation for the District 14-1A player of the year, if he stays healthy. Last season, he helped the Yellowjackets to the Class 1A second round as he rushed for 797 yards and 13 touchdowns on 157 carries, while catching 26 passes for 406 yards and two touchdowns.

5. Drake Hickman (Westview football) – Hickman continued to dominate on the defensive line for the Chargers as a two-year starter. He helped Westview win the Class 3A state championship as he recorded 91 total tackles with 18 tackles for loss, five sacks and three fumble recoveries.

6. Bailey Collie (Dresden girls cross country) – Collie is a strong long-distance runner for the Lady Lions. During the cross country season, she helped Dresden make the Class A state meet and finished 14th individually with a time of 21:44.20. During the track & field season, finished third in the 800-meter run at the Class A state meet with a time of 2:31.49. She also finished fourth in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:42.31. She also ran a leg in the 4×800-meter relay team that finished third with a time of 10:20.45.

7. Kella Simmons (Westview girls soccer) – Simmons was strong for the Lady Chargers in goal and helped them not give up a goal in the postseason on the way to winning the Class A state championship. She only gave up 17 goals against with 12 shutouts on the season – including the seven final matches of the season.

8. Graham Simpson (Westview baseball) — Simpson helped the Chargers to a top-four finish in the Class 2A state tournament as he batted .394 with two triples, 11 doubles and 29 RBI, while earning four wins with a 2.65 ERA.

9. Hylan Leach (Gleason girls basketball) – Leach helped the Lady Bulldogs reach the Region 7-1A quarterfinals last season. During her sophomore season, she averaged 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 assists.

10. Collin Stroh (Westview boys soccer) – Stroh was named the 2026 All-Weakley County Boys Soccer Player of the Year after helping the Chargers win the District 12-A championship from his defensive midfield position.

11. Kaydence Papich (Westview girls soccer) – Papich was a leader on the defense – despite being an underclassman. Her play on the backline helped the Lady Chargers win the Class A state championship as the defense only gave up 17 goals against and recorded 12 shutouts.

12. Baker Biggs (Greenfield baseball) – Biggs played shortstop for the Yellowjackets as the program made history with their first-ever appearance in the Class 1A state tournament. He batted .355 with a .444 on-base percentage and scored 57 runs with seven doubles.

13. Jacie West (Dresden girls basketball) – West was a leader on the court for the Lady Lions last season as the team reached the Region 7-1A semifinals. Her play around the basket was a difference maker as she averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and made 38 3-pointers.

14. Carson Brownlow-Rendon (Dresden cross country) – Brownlow-Rendon joins Bounds as the top two runners for the Lions. Brownlow-Rendon finished 21st in the Class A state meet with a time of 17:49.88 last season.

15. Alistair Braddock (Westview boys tennis) — Braddock played as the Chargers’ No. 1 singles all season, and in the postseason, he teamed up with Dylan Parker in doubles play, reaching the District 14-A and Region 7-A championship matches and finishing runner-up.

Michael Odom is the sports editor for the Mirror-Exchange, Weakley County Press, Brownsville States-Graphic and Fayette Falcon. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @GCSportsWriter. Reach him by email at michaelodom@milanmirrorexchange.com.