Last fall, Sasha Carbone put a finishing touch on her senior high school season that secured her place among the all-time greats in GPS soccer history and delivered the Bruisers' third TSSAA state championship.
Next fall, she'll have a chance to play for an NCAA Division I program that could very well become a regular national championship contender.
Texas Christian University, which has made the NCAA tournament the past seven years and reached the round of 16 the past three — starting with a quarterfinal run in 2020 — landed one of Tennessee's top soccer standouts in Carbone, who was impossible to stop in pivotal moments for the Bruisers.
The star forward had a hat trick in a 4-1 pummeling of Briarcrest Christian in the Division II-AA state title game on Oct. 28 at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge. Carbone also scored the winning goal against Hutchison in the state semifinals, and she set a career high with five goals in one region match in her final prep season.
"Sasha had some really memorable goals," GPS coach Patrick Winecoff said. "I am super proud of what she has been able to accomplish. She had a very singular desire to put her teammates and herself in position to score and hoist that championship trophy.
"I knew she could be a great player right when she came up to play for our varsity team in eighth grade and nearly scored twice in her first few minutes of action in the state semifinals. TCU has a special program going right now. I think she can add to what they are doing. Sasha always plays and works hard."
GPS now has two seniors from its 2022 state championship team going to play for Power Five programs as Carbone joins Kennedy Ball, who is headed to Arkansas.
"I think the teams that I've participated on and the bonds that I have made have pushed me to be the best that I can be," Carbone said. "The support from my family has also played a large impact. To go out on top winning a state championship is something I will cherish forever."
White taking over for Bucs basketball
Chattanooga native Kenneth White will now proudly wear new shades of blue and gold.
White spent this past season as an assistant coach for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team. Boyd Buchanan announced Thursday that he is taking over as head coach of the Buccaneers boys' basketball program.
White won a TSSAA state title in 2013 as coach of Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. Cameron Payne, who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns, was a star guard for that Lausanne team, totaling 22 points, five assists and three blocks in an 67-43 victory over Evangelical Christian School in the DII-A championship game.
White has also been part of elite programs as a player, with his alma maters including Virginia's Oak Hill Academy and the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' 2000 Final Four team.
He returned home in 2001 as coach of the Tyner girls' basketball program and led the Lady Rams to four district championships and one region title in a four-year span.
"I want guys who are eager to prove people wrong. Guys who will fight and claw every day and are a hard team to play against," White said. "Across the state, our goal will be for people to say I don't want to play Boyd. To get there will take a lot of hard work. But I know we can get there and do special things here for sure."
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Kenneth White, left, has been hired as boys' basketball coach at Boyd Buchanan. He was an assistant for the UTC men's program last season.Red Bank's Brune signs scholarship
Days after pitching a complete game to help Red Bank beat East Hamilton in the District 6-3A tournament, Lions senior Jake Brune signed a baseball scholarship to continue his career at Roane State.
The avid St. Louis Cardinals fan helped lead a resurgence for the Lions, whose 15-16 record marked their most wins since 2014. All 15 of the Lions' wins came during their final 25 games.
"Jake is a natural-born leader," Red Bank coach Matt Roberson said. "He leads by his work ethic and how hard he practices and works out. The kid loves baseball as much as anyone I have been around. Seeing how much he loves the game makes everyone around him want to do more, too. Out there in his last start on the mound, he gave us all he had for us to get another game."
Lady Seahawks are region champs
A year after losing to Lakeway Christian Academy by one run in the Division II-A East Region championship game, Silverdale Baptist Academy's softball program delivered some payback.
Kennedy Stinson, Addie Keef and Gabbie Hensley had line-drive hits to spark a three-run first inning that provided more than enough offense in Wednesday's 3-1 region championship victory at Lakeway.
Keef batted .529 in the region tournament with nine hits and three stolen bases in five games, while Stinson had two home runs to give her 14 this season.
Starting pitchers Bita Cox and Ella Cunningham combined for a 0.62 ERA and 35 strikeouts for Silverdale (30-4) in the region tournament.
Dalton's Escobar wins two titles
Dalton's Kenneth Escobar will bring home two GHSA adaptive track and field individual state championships after he won titles in the boys' ambulatory discus and shot put Thursday at Rome's Barron Stadium.
Escobar won the discus with a throw of 55 feet, 10 inches and the shot put with a throw of 28-4. Calhoun's Max Richardson also brought home an adaptive title in the boys' wheelchair shot put with a throw of 4-10.5.
Heritage's Avah Morrison won the Class AAAA discus at Albany with a throw of 130-1, with Northwest Whitfield's Emily Lane third at 122-9. LaFayette's Tristen Ross was second in the Class AAA long jump at 22-0.
Northwest's Gage Voyles finished third in the AAAA high jump with a best of 6-4, while Calhoun's Kristyane Gregory was third in the AAAAA discus with a best of 157-1. Gordon Central's Meredith Capuzano finished fourth in the AA girls' discus with a best of 115-3.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com and Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.