TSSAA
The A.F. Bridges Awards program was expanded fourteen years ago to include 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. The awards recognize again this year 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 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.”
***Information concerning the A.F. Bridges Divisional Finalists follows the listing of the Athletic District Award winners.
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 4 – Hardin Valley Academy, 1 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 6 – University School of Jackson, 1 p.m. CT
Thursday, November 7 – Hillwood High School, 10:00 a.m. CT
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 1
School System Administrator of the Year
Manney Moore, Cocke Co. Schools
Principal of the Year
Toby Ward, Sevier Co. HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Andy Wells, Grainger HS
Female Coach of the Year
Beth Frye, Chuckey Doak HS
Male Coach of the Year
Steve Brewer, Sevier Co. HS
Official of the Year
Dale Ford, Tri-Cities
Contributor of the Year
Gary Gass & Bill Morrison, West Greene
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 2
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Brian Bell, Alcoa City School
Principal of the Year
Alan Reed, Rockwood HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Josh Stephens, Alcoa HS
Female Coach of the Year
Jennifer Laurendine, Coalfield HS
Male Coach of the Year
Ricky Norris, Webb School of Knoxville
Official of the Year
Ken Buchanan, Clinton
Contributor of the Year
Jesse Smithey, Knox News Sentinel
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 3
School System Administrator of the Year
Rick Smith, Hamilton Co. Schools
Principal of the Year
Jesse Messemer, Rhea Co. HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Stacey Hill, Girls Preparatory School
Female Coach of the Year
Kelly Smith, Baylor School
Male Coach of the Year
Jim Schimmerhorn, Notre Dame HS
Official of the Year
Mike Craft, Chattanooga
Contributor of the Year
Allan Jones, Cleveland
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 4
School System Administrator of the Year
Joe Barlow, Jackson Co. Schools
Principal of the Year
Greg Mantooth, Franklin Co. HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Gavin Webster, Watertown HS
Female Coach of the Year
Karen Green, Siegel HS
Male Coach of the Year
Roger Perry, Mt. Juliet HS
Official of the Year
David Martin, Watertown
Contributor of the Year
Jonathon Norris, Southern Landscape Supply
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 5
School System Administrator of the Year
Brett Burchwell, CMCSS
Principal of the Year
Steve Ball, East Nashville Magnet
Athletic Director of the Year
Steve Sheaffer, Overton HS
Female Coach of the Year
Vicki Moncrief, Clarksville HS
Male Coach of the Year
Brian Rush, Clarksville HS
Official of the Year
Billy Fellman, Old Hickory
Contributor of the Year
Maurice Patton, The Tennessean
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 6
School System Administrator of the Year
Edward Hickman, Maury Co. Schools
Principal of the Year
Charles Farmer, Summit HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Webb Williams, Mt. Pleasant HS
Female Coach of the Year
Samantha Childress, Loretto HS
Male Coach of the Year
Craig McGill, Summertown HS
Official of the Year
Randy Jones, Lawrenceburg HS
Contributor of the Year
Johnny Johnson, Pepsi Co.
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 7
School System Administrator of the Year
Rod Sturdivant, Hollow-Rock Bruceton SSD
Principal of the Year
William McAdams, Hardin Co.
Athletic Director of the Year
Craig Murley, Madison Academic Magnet HS
Female Coach of the Year
Lynette Anthony, Jackson Northside HS
Male Coach of the Year
Eric Swenson, Huntingdon HS
Official of the Year
Terry Clement, Lexington
Contributor of the Year
Brandon Shields, Jackson Sun
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 8
School System Administrator of the Year
Randy Frazier, Weakley County Schools
Principal of the Year
Peggy Murdock, Covington HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Craig Rogers, Obion County Central HS
Female Coach of the Year
Martha Lawler, Covington HS
Male Coach of the Year
Thomas Boykin, Humboldt HS
Official of the Year
James “Bubba” Cobb, Dyersburg
Contributor of the Year
Ricky Young, Crockett County
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 9
School System Administrator of the Year
Willie Rhodes, Shelby Co. Schools
Principal of the Year
Michael Kyle, Wooddale HS
Athletic Director of the Year
Bobby Alston, Memphis University School
Female Coach of the Year
Cynthia Giannini, St. Agnes Academy
Male Coach of the Year
Rodney Saulsberry, Whitehaven HS
Official of the Year
Robert Burroughs, Memphis
Contributor of the Year
Ray Mullins, Germantown
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, other member schools, and the Tennessee Observers Program for Sports (TOPS).
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
Cosby High School
Greenback High School
Rockwood High School
CLASS AA
Kingston High School
Scott High School
Sullivan East High School
CLASS AAA
Daniel Boone High School
Campbell County High School
Hardin Valley Academy
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
CLASS A
East Robertson High School
Houston County High School
Red Boiling Springs High School
CLASS AA
Sycamore High School
Maplewood Comprehensive H.S.
Portland High School
CLASS AAA
Blackman High School
Brentwood High School
Lincoln County High School
WEST TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Dresden High School
Humboldt High School
Scotts Hill High School
CLASS AA
Crockett County High School
Milan High School
Jackson South Side High School
CLASS AAA
Bolton High School
Jackson North Side High School
White Station High School
