Three Rutherford County Schools officials are recipients of the TSSAA's A.F. Bridges Awards.
For the 18th consecutive year, The A.F. Bridges Awards program includes awards for School System Administrator of the Year, Principal of the Year, Athletic Director of the Year, Female Coach of the Year, Male Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, and Contributor of the Year.
From athletic district four, Don Odom is named school system administrator of the year. Principal of the Year is Central Magnet's John Ash. The male coach of the year is Oakland football coach Kevin Creasy.
The awards recognize 63 individuals from across our state that represent what's best in high school athletics. Recognition was made in the above mentioned categories in each of the nine athletic districts in our state.
Nominations were made by a Citizenship/Sportsmanship Committee and member schools in each athletic district and the final selection was made by a State Selection Committee.
Bernard Childress, Executive Director of the TSSAA stated, "Being recognized for one of these awards as a school or individual should be seen as one of the highest honors in high school athletics in our state. Those who receive the awards truly reflect what high school athletics should be about, and that's good sportsmanship and good citizenship."
All of these awards will be presented at the three Regional Meetings held at the following dates and sites (members of the media are welcome to attend):
Monday, November 6 - Hardin Valley Academy, 1 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 8 - University School of Jackson, 10:00 a.m. CT
Thursday, November 9 - Hillwood High School, 10:00 a.m. CT
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 1
School System Administrator of the Year
Steve Starnes, Hawkins County Schools
Principal of the Year
Dr. George (Scott) Walker III
Athletic Director of the Year
Anthony Richardson, Sullivan South High School
Female Coach of the Year
Annette Watts, Greeneville High School
Male Coach of the Year
Mike Guinn, Pigeon Forge High School
Official of the Year
Jeff Blanken, Morristown
Contributor of the Year Tim Copenhaver, Science Hill
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 2
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Jeanne Barker, Lenoir City Schools
Principal of the Year
Matt Mercer, First Baptist Academy of Powell
Athletic Director of the Year
Sherry Chapman, Campbell County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Dayna Cater, Chrisitian Academy of Knoxville
Male Coach of the Year
Shane Brown, Union County High School
Official of the Year
Louis Newberry, Wartburg
Contributor of the Year John Farris, McDonalds
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 3
School System Administrator of the Year
Scott Wilson, Baylor Head of Schools
Principal of the Year
Linda Pickett, Bledsoe County High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Micah Reuhling, Rhea County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Debbie Hill, Sale Creek High School
Male Coach of the Year
Ronnie Davis, Copper Basin High School
Official of the Year
Carolyn Jackson, Chattanooga
Contributor of the Year
Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times Free Press
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 4
School System Administrator of the Year
Don Odom, Rutherford County Director of Schools
Principal of the Year
Dr. John Ash, Central Magnet School
Athletic Director of the Year
Scott Dorsett, The Webb School
Female Coach of the Year
Leslie Riddle, Livingston Academy
Male Coach of the Year
Kevin Creasy, Oakland High School
Official of the Year
Mike Northcutt, SCBOA
Contributor of the Year Tom Kreager, The Tennessean
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 5
School System Administrator of the Year
Brett Burchwell, Montgomery County Schools
Principal of the Year
Dr. Schuler Pelham, Hillsboro High School
Athletic Director of the Year
James Reese, Cane Ridge High School
Female Coach of the Year
Lynn Dearing, Goodpasture Christian School
Male Coach of the Year
Thomas Morand, Station Camp High School
Official of the Year
Ron Sisk, Middle Tennesee
Contributor of the Year Jimmy Trodglen
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 6
School System Administrator of the Year
Michelle Gilbert, Hickman County Schools
Principal of the Year
Joey Holley, Dickson High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Kevin Mcgehee, Marshall County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Audra Fowler, Cheatham County Central High School
Male Coach of the Year
Scott Blade, Independence High School
Official of the Year
Jim Barr, Dickson
Contributor of the Year Bob Wolcott, Dickson
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 7
School System Administrator of the Year
Troy Kilzer II, Chester County School System
Principal of the Year
Shawn McDowell, Camden High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Neal Halvorson, Fayette Ware Comp. High
School
Female Coach of the Year
Mellanie Surratt, McNairy Central High School
Male Coach of the Year
Jeff Lean, Jackson Christian School
Official of the Year
Marty Clements, South West
Contributor of the Year Ahmad Hicks, WBBJ-TV 7 Sports
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 8
School System Administrator of the Year
Bobby Mullins, Crockett County Schools
Principal of the Year
Jeromy Davidson, Westview High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Tim Seymour, Haywood County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Merideth Jacobs, Bradford High School
Male Coach of the Year
Brian Haskins, Westview High School
Official of the Year
Jake Joyner, Northwest
Contributor of the Year Dr. Mickey McAdoo
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 9
School System Administrator of the Year
Jason Manuel, Germantown Municipal School District
Principal of the Year
Bo Griffin, Bolton High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Tom Densford, St. George's Independent School
Female Coach of the Year
Nefertit Beckett, Memphis Central High School
Male Coach of the Year
Rashad Haynes, Memphis Central High School
Official of the Year
Greogory Mathis, MSBOA
Contributor of the Year
Bill Seely, Varsity Spirit
A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards and State Award of Excellence
The A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards are given to schools that have had no reported unsportsmanlike conduct incidents during the previous school year and have displayed an overall positive effort to teach, expect, and demand a positive atmosphere of sportsmanship at their particular contests.
The schools that received this prestigious award were nominated by local officials associations and other member schools.
Of the 27 divisional recipients, one school in each class will receive Tennessee's top award for overall outstanding effort in its division. One of the three schools in each classification will be presented the A.F. Bridges State Award of Excellence shortly after the divisional awards are handed out. This is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a school to honor its overall efforts to promote citizenship and sportsmanship at school, and at athletic contests.
The A.F. Bridges Award is given in honor of the TSSAA's first executive secretary. He served as executive secretary from 1946 until his retirement in 1972. Under his leadership, athletics in the state of Tennessee reached a level of excellence and competence that earned the respect of all people. Mr. Bridges was a person of high principles who displayed firmness and fairness, as well as the high ideals of ethics and integrity, as he and many other school people established the foundation of TSSAA across our state.
EAST TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Clinch High School
Cloudland High School
Sequoyah High School-Soddy
Daisy
CLASS AA
Kingston High School
McMinn Central High School
Sweetwater High School
CLASS AAA
Cocke County High School
Gibbs High School
Sevier County High School
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Fayetteville High School
Perry County High School
The Webb School
CLASS AA
Greenbrier High School
Harpeth Hall School
Lewis County High School
CLASS AAA
Hunters Lane High School
Lincoln County High School
Station Camp High School
WEST TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Big Sandy High School
Gleason High School
Middleton High School
CLASS AA
Crockett County High School
Memphis University School
Westview High School
CLASS AAA
Dyer County High School
Memphis Central High School
White Station High School