Locals Receive TSSAA's A.F. Bridges Awards

Nov 02, 2017 at 03:53 pm by bryan


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.

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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

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