2006-2007 A.F. Bridges Awards

The A.F. Bridges Awards program was expanded eight 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, Assistant 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 regional meetings held at the following sites (all times local):

Monday, November 5 at 10:00 a.m. ­ Nashville (Hunters Lane High Schhool)
Wednesday, November 7 at 1:00 p.m. ­ Jackson (University School of Jackson)
Thursday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m. ­ Knoxville (Knoxville Central Hiigh School)

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 1
School System Administrator of the Year
Mike Antrican - Hancock County Schools
Principal of the Year
Gary Roach - Sevier County High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Tim Campbell - Daniel Boone High School
Female Coach of the Year
Raycean Hollis - Dobyns-Bennett High School
Male Coach of the Year
Benny Hammonds-Gatlinburg Pittman High School
Official of the Year
Sherrell Gage - Johnson City
Contributor of the Year
Scott Byrd - Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 2
School System Administrator of the Year
Judy Blevins - Campbell County Schools

Principal of the Year
Jon Miller - Knoxville Central High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Lynn Hill - Bearden High School

Female Coach of the Year
Angie Lucier - Greenback High School

Male Coach of the Year
George Quarles - Maryville High School

Official of the Year
Tom Scott - Oak Ridge

Contributor of the Year
Orthaepedic Surgeons of Oak Ridge

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 3
School System Administrator of the Year
Johnny Grimes - Marion County Schools

Principal of the Year
Jerry Levengood - Rhea County High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Jim Jarvis - Ooltewah High School

Female Coach of the Year
Kelli Smith - Baylor School

Male Coach of the Year
Steve Logsdon - Bradley Central High School

Official of the Year
Buddy Edging - Hixson

Contributor of the Year
Allen Jones ­ Cleveland

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 4
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Charles Edmonds - Franklin County Schools

Principal of the Year
Mel Brown - Mt. Juliet High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Andy Jacobs - Warren County High School

Female Coach of the Year
Karen Brooks - Cookeville High School

Male Coach of the Year
Richie Chadwick - Tullahoma High School

Official of the Year
David Laws - Manchester

Contributor of the Year
Greg Gates - Coca Cola Bottling Company

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 5
School System Administrator of the Year
Scott Brunette - Metro Nashville Schools

Principal of the Year
Mark Pugh - David Lipscomb High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Mike Ellson - Christ Presbyterian Academy

Female Coach of the Year
Becky LeGate - Davidson Academy

Male Coach of the Year
Tom Adkins - Jo Byrns High School

Official of the Year
Chuck Arnold - Erin

Contributor of the Year
Jimmy Ayers - Jo Byrns High School

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 6
School System Administrator of the Year
David Heath, Williamson County Schools

Principal of the Year
Cindy Johnson - Columbia Central High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Barry Laxson - Richland High School

Female Coach of the Year
Rachel Moore - Columbia Central High School

Male Coach of the Year
Les Trotter - Summertown High School

Official of the Year
Randy Jones - Lawrenceburg

Contributor of the Year
Dr. Jeff (& Tina) Adams-Middle TN Bone & Joint Clinic

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 7
School System Administrator of the Year
Charlie Miskelly - McNairy County Schools

Principal of the Year
Troy Kilzer - Chester County High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Steve Patterson - Madison Academic Magnet School

Female Coach of the Year
Andrea Pugh - Jackson Christian School

Male Coach of the Year
Greg Martin - Adamsville High School

Official of the Year
Danny Leasure - Lexington

Contributor of the Year
Brian & Amy Reid - Savannah Courier

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 8
School System Administrator of the Year
Errol Hook - Dyersburg City Schools

Principal of the Year
Tim Haney - Peabody High School

Athletic Director of the Year
Ned Lewis - Covington (Halls) High School

Female Coach of the Year
Maxine Griffith - Brighton High School

Male Coach of the Year
Randy Frazier - Gleason High School

Official of the Year
Jimmy Meeks - Halls

Contributor of the Year
Ron Rook - Brighton

ATHLETIC DISTRICT 9
School System Administrator of the Year
Steve Collums - Evangelical Christian School

Principal of the Year
Dr. Joe Newman - First Assembly Christian School

Athletic Director of the Year
Chad Stevens - Bolton High School

Female Coach of the Year
Wanda Jones - Memphis East High School

Male Coach of the Year
Phil Clark - Bartlett High School

Official of the Year
Brad Essary - Brownsville

Contributor of the Year
Tommy Harrison - MUS

---

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
Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences
Midway High School
Rockwood High School

CLASS AA
Bledsoe County High School
Johnson County High School
Unicoi County High School

CLASS AAA
Heritage High School
Knoxville Central High School
Maryville High School


MIDDLE TENNESSEE

CLASS A
Huntland High School
McEwen High School
Mt. Pleasant High School

CLASS AA
Creek Wood High School
Lewis County High School
Loretto High School

CLASS AAA
Brentwood High School
Hendersonville High School
Riverdale High School


WEST TENNESSEE

CLASS A
Gleason High School
Lake County High School
Middleton High School

CLASS AA
Camden Central High School
Lexington High School
Milan High School

CLASS AAA
Arlington High School
Hardin County High School
Raleigh Egypt High School