Multisport standouts in running for award
Although multisport athletes are growing more rare at the high school level due to specialization, the six finalists for the Times Free Press Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year all starred in at least two sports during the 2022-23 school year.
The award winner will be announced at the annual Best of Preps banquet Tuesday evening at the Chattanooga Convention Center, where former University of Tennessee All-American receiver Jalin Hyatt will be the featured speaker.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at bestofprepschatt.com.
The six finalists are Boo Carter — who was an all-state football player at Chattanooga Christian School last fall before transferring to Brainerd, where he was an all-region basketball player this past winter — Trion’s Logan Eller, Baylor’s Caleb Hampton, Tyner’s Josh Jackson, Ringgold’s Ross Norman and Silverdale Baptist Academy’s Brett Rogers.
Carter, who transferred to Bradley Central earlier this month ahead of his senior year, is one of the state’s highestrated prep football prospects. The twoway star was a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist in TSSAA Division II-AA last fall after he compiled 1,478 offensive yards and 28 touchdowns and was in on 40 tackles on defense, where he also intercepted four passes, returning one for a score. As a guard for Brainerd’s 23-win basketball team, he averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game while helping the Panthers reach the Class 2A semifinals.
Eller, an Appalachian State wrestling signee, ended his prep career in that sport as a two-time GHSA individual state champion, going 48-0 with 45 pins this past season. During football season, he led the Bulldogs with 1,382 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while also registering 80 tackles.
Hampton was not only a two-sport
all-state performer as a Baylor senior, he will continue playing both baseball and football at Stanford University. He was a Mr. Football finalist after rushing for 1,745 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, and he was MVP of the DII-AAA BlueCross Bowl after helping lead Baylor to its first state title in that sport in 49 yards by gaining 170 yards and scoring two touchdowns. In baseball, he helped the Red Raiders to a region title by hitting six home runs, stealing nine bases and playing error-free defense in the outfield.
Jackson, who led Tyner’s football program to its first state championship in 25 years, was the Mr. Football winner in Class 2A. The Southeast Missouri State signee rewrote the Rams’ passing records by throwing for 3,318 yards and 41 touhdowns, including a 214-yard, three-score performance in the state semifinals. Then, with his team trailing 15-0 in the first half of the BlueCross Bowl, Jackson compiled 156 total yards and three scores to guide the Rams to an impressive comeback win. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder later averaged a double-double in basketball as the Rams won a district regular-season title.
Norman, a 6-foot-7 righthander and Georgia State signee, had one of the most dominant baseball seasons in the Peach State this spring. In winning 10 games as a pitcher, his ERA was 0.96 and he allowed just 26 hits while striking out 145 batters. At the plate, he batted .380 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs to help the Tigers reach the GHSA Class AAA title series in the state playoffs. He also was the quarterback of Ringgold’s 7-4 playoff team last fall, throwing for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns while scoring seven times on the ground.
Rogers, a senior at Silverdale Baptist Academy this past school year, is a Scrappy Moore finalist for the second straight time and has been one of the area’s most consistent two-sport stars. In football, he totaled 2,800 offensive yards (1,726 passing, 1,074 rushing) with 30 total touchdowns, and this spring he helped the Seahawks reach the DII-A baseball state tournament’s final four, batting .478 with 18 doubles, nine home runs, 56 RBIs, 62 runs scored and 25 stolen bases for the season.