McMinn Central boys, Meigs girls win district golf

Led by medalist John Houk’s 75, McMinn Central’s boys won the TSSAA District 5 Small golf tournament Wednesday at Chatata Valley in Cleveland.

Teammate Seth Ward was second individually with an 82 and helped the Chargers shoot 353, which was 21 strokes better than second-place Tellico Plains.

Third-place Polk County (413) had the fourth-place boys’ finisher in Garrett Jones, who totaled 91. Those teams advance to the Region 3 tournament, also at Chatata Valley on Monday.

Meigs County’s girls edged Loudon 225-227, and thirdplace McMinn Central (232) is the other team advancing to the region tournament. Emily Wilson of McMinn Central was the girls’ medalist.

The top five finishing boys and girls not on a top-three team move on to the region tournament as individuals.

McNeal awarded

Soddy-Daisy golfer Madaline McNeal was recently awarded the 2017 Sneds Tour Spirit of Golf award for females. The male and female recipients of the award are chosen based on who exemplifies the best sportsmanship.

“She’s a tough young lady who works very hard at her craft,” said Soddy-Daisy coach Hal Kearney, who was hired in July. “She’s had a little bit of struggles this year, but she’s had a great attitude. She’s a sophomore, so we’ve still got some time to have her in our program. She’s already been a leader since I took over.”

Strong SCORE field

Warner Park will host the annual SCORE International softball tournament Friday and Saturday. Gordon Lee is the host school and will be one of several powerhouse teams in the field.

Joining the Lady Trojans — the 2016 Georgia Class A public school champions — are Chattanooga-area teams Calhoun, Christian Heritage, Coahulla Creek, Dalton, LaFayette, Murray County, North Murray, Northwest Whitfield, Ringgold and Sonoraville. Other teams competing include undefeated Rockmart, Georgia Military College Prep School, St. Pius X and Wesleyan.

“We had to do some scrambling, but it’s a good field,” Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull said. “That’s what you want at this time of the year, to go against good teams to get ready for the postseason.”

Central honorees

Arnold Davis from the Central High School graduating class of 1948 is one of seven former Purple Pounders being inducted into the school’s sports hall of fame Friday in a 6:15 p.m. ceremony after a 5:30 barbecue dinner that costs $5. The event precedes Central’s home football game against East Hamilton.

Davis — who is deceased, as are fellow 2017 inductees Tom Cole, Charlie Glenn and Paul Potter — played football, basketball and baseball and seven years of professional baseball, reaching Class AA.

James Earl Hale (’51) was a football, basketball, track and baseball Pounder who coached football and baseball at Central and won a state championship in 1960 before becoming an administrator in local schools. Potter (’53) played basketball and baseball and had a minor league career in the latter, including with the Lookouts, and became a state softball hall of famer for his fastpitch exploits.

Glenn (’63) played football for Auburn and the New York Giants, Kip Henley (’78) went on to state golf victories and a PGA Tour caddie career, Cole (’83) played football for New Mexico and was an assistant coach at Memphis State, and Matt Shelton (’88) became an All-America decathlete at Tennessee.

“We had to do some scrambling, but it’s a good field. That’s what you want at this time of the year, to go against good teams to get ready for the postseason.”

— GORDON LEE COACH DANA MULL