EAST TENNESSEE MEDIA
Award-Winning Regional Journalism
Clearing Off the Desk
March 9, 2010
It’s difficult to keep the desk cleared off during tournament time. I’ll attempt to do that now, mainly to see if I can still locate it beneath all the paperwork which has accumulated.
First, thanks to all of you who signed up for our fan page on Facebook, after we transitioned it from a group page. As many of you already know, it’s much more useful. We can just do a lot more with it.
n I want to thank the Media Specialists (former known as Sports Information Directors) at King and
n I had a nice experience at CAK when getting to speak with former Major League All-Star pitcher Atlee Hammaker, whose daughter is an outstanding player for the Lady Warriors. Hammaker had a season where he led the National League in earned run average (2.25). We attended ETSU at the same time where he was a multi-sport standout. The southpaw pitched 12 years in the majors, mostly with the Giants, whom he represented when pitching in the All-Star Game in 1983.
n Sincere condolences to the Hux family (which has Lakeway coaching ties) on their recent loss. I was so saddened to hear of the tragic accident which claimed a loved one.
n It’s good to hear that
n I’ve found a great new Facebook fan page called “Press box etiquette starts here” and the posts really hit on issues of interest. The objection I seem to be hearing there the most concerns neutrality, which is something I’ve always strongly believed in and based my work upon.
n I’ve seen Jason Heyward play some this spring and the Braves look to have their right fielder. He’s the totally package and looks to be very poised for his young age of 20.
n Garret Anderson, a Brave last season, has been signed by the Dodgers. The classy
n The Braves have signed 18-year-old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo. He’s believed to have first-round draft ability, both offensively and defensively.
n The Cubs have signed Cuban defector Juan Yasser Serrano. He’s expected to begin the season in Class A. Hopefully, we’ll see the 21-year-old righty at
n ESPN is adding
n Cheers to Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning for forgiving a huge marketing bill by a hospital which is having significant financial problems. That was a good way for a professional athlete to truly give back.
n The
n The NCAA football title game in
n What an incredible Gold Medal hockey game at the Olympics. Both
I did find it a little disconcerting when U.S. goalie Ryan Miller, who had a spectacular tournament, made a point (more than once) on the post-game interview of describing the epic contest as “just another game” which probably didn’t make fans want to wave their country’s flag.
n One other hockey note…A big JEER to the Canadian women’s team for their post-game antics. Bringing their party onto the ice into public view was more than poor judgment. That’s not the image the Olympics are built around. And the team’s coaching staff deserves some criticism for not harnessing their behavior. Beyond disappointing. The Olympic Games are not the WWE. Here's video...
n I heard the argument that the reason for the drop-off in ratings for Daytona could be directly attributed to the pothole debacle and competition from the Olympics. Still, the fact is that NASCAR television numbers are markedly down again and ticket sales sagged for the
n On a more positive note, TNT is adding Adam Alexander as its play-by-play announcer (lap-by-lap if you prefer) for its NASCAR telecasts. Anyone who has a background with the Motor Racing Network is a plus for the telecasts. Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach return to join Alexander in the booth.
n Congratulations to one of my favorite Lady Vols, Angie Bjorkland. The sharp-shooter has been named a CoSida/ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American.
n Michael Jordan as majority owner of the
n I don’t follow this anywhere nearly as closely as I once did but it’s apparent that the WWE has effectively finished off the ECW brand name, probably for good. The similarity with the original product was unfortunately in name only anyway. Instead of The Sandman we get The Big Show. That sums it up.
n ESPN will be launching a 3-D channel but I wonder if this will really be the next big thing. Are consumers going to buy these pricey television sets and sit and watch them with 3-D glasses, which reportedly WILL be needed?
n I don’t get all the negative comments concerning former Vice President Al Gore receiving an honorary doctorate from UT. Gore was a U.S. Senator representing THIS state. I’ve interviewed him more than once in the past and respect the way this fellow Tennessean handles himself professionally.
But the political climate in this nation is decidedly partisan, one way or the other, at this point. Why is one party always wrong and the other always right in some people’s view? And the exact opposite applies in other’s viewpoints. I’ll make this statement for the record. Neither is right all the time.
n Sure, I’m a big fan of American Idol alums like Daughtry, Phil Stacey and others. But I absolutely love Melinda Doolittle. She’s in Pigeon Forge as a part of the current show at the Miracle Theater, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, which I absolutely plan on seeing.
n “Burn Notice” on
n “Smallville” has been renewed for a 10th season by The WB. This season has been building nicely lately after a somewhat convoluted start, which had be wondering if this season would be the show’s swan song.
n Missy May of
n The reviews for Jay Leno’s return to “The Tonight Show” are mixed at best. The consensus seems to be that his first-week performance was listless and not exactly hilarious. What really seems to be missing to me can be summed up in one word…creativity.
n The respected Dr. Jack Van Impe has released a video entitled “Animals in Heaven”. This is a DVD which I’m definitely looking forward to ordering.
GHS Girls Win Sub-State Thriller
Greeneville High School's Brianna Kelley takes her turn with the scissors in cutting down the net at CAK in Knoxville Saturday
March 8, 2010
Source: The Greeneville Sun
BY STEVE WILHOIT
SPORTS WRITER
KNOXVILLE - After a year away, it's back to the 'Boro for the Greeneville High Lady Greene Devils.
Greeneville secured its sixth trip to the TSSAA State Tournament in seven years by taking a 46-42 overtime thriller over Christian Academy of Knoxville on Saturday.
The Sub-State game was played in front of a close-to-capacity crowd at the CAK Campus Center. The Lady Devils move to 25-8 for the season while the Lady Warriors finish at 26-3.
Senior Brianna Kelley blocked an attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer just before the final buzzer to preserve the victory. GHS tacked on a free throw with a tenth of a second left for the four-point margin.
"Defense is something I stress every day, that and boxing out," said Lady Devils' head coach Stacia Crumbley. "I think the key at the end was boxing out.
"We knew coming in that they're really disciplined and play a lot like we do," she continued. "We were able to do well in the half-court for a while but had to weather the storm after they came back from 10 down in the fourth quarter."
Helping determine the outcome was sophomore point guard Chandler Christopher, who wasn't expected to play due to a hand injury.
"She didn't practice and we had decided not to dress her," Crumbley said. "I looked at the clock in warm-ups and it was 42 minutes before game-time and I decided to talk with her. We made the decision for her to dress out but still didn't plan on her playing. But she was able to and we're so comfortable with her as far as our offensive flow. I do want to say that Betsy Shaw really helped us with her hustle and she's a big part of why we're where we are."
Christian Academy had a shot at a win at the end of regulation but a long 3-pointer rimmed in-and-out as the buzzer sounded.
Four points from Kelley to start the OT gave GHS a lead it wouldn't relinquish though the game went down to the final tick. Kelley finished with a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds).
"This was great before, but making it to the state as a senior is the most amazing feeling ever," Kelley said.
Samantha Fender also poured in 15 points for the winners and added six boards. Senior Morgan Shipley also collected a half-dozen rebounds as GHS finished with a 29-22 advantage on the glass.
For the Lady Warriors, three players hit for double-digits. Kelsey Brown tossed in 16, Alesa Hammaker 11 and Brittany Hoffman tallied 10. Hoffman also grabbed six rebounds. Hammaker, who had piled up 25 points in the CAK regional final win over Austin-East, is the daughter of former ETSU multi-sport standout and Major League Baseball pitcher Atlee Hammaker, who pitched in the 1983 All-Star Game while a member of the San Francisco Giants.
Both teams were slow out of the gate offensively with each displaying tenacious defense. Greeneville took a 3-0 lead and held Christian Academy off the board until the 3:10 mark. But from there, the host team reeled off a 6-0 run with Hammaker hitting a pair of jumpers to go on top. The Lady Devils edged within 9-7 as Rainey Story scored with 15 seconds left in the stanza. GHS was forced into six of their 15 turnovers in the first quarter.
The Lady Devils played an even stronger second quarter defensively, holding CAK to six points and going in front at the intermission 18-15. Fender scored six points in the period and Kelley added five. Christopher entered the contest at the 5:03 mark of the quarter and immediately provided a spark with a pair of sparkling assists.
With a 9-0 run which included a Shipley trey, the visitors built a 10-point spread (27-17) late in the third. Impressive defense continued to throw CAK out of their offensive rhythm with the Lady Warriors only scoring four points in the period. But Hammaker did nail a key lean-in with just four seconds left to give her team life in pulling within eight.
The fourth quarter featured an electric atmosphere in front of a fully-involved crowd.
Greeneville's Story, who missed time in the third quarter due to foul trouble, was eventually forced to the bench after picking up her fifth personal with 2:26 left in regulation.
It was CAK's turn to ratchet up the defensive pressure in the fourth in scoring 14 of the next 20 points to tie the game at 33-33 with 51 seconds remaining on a Hammaker basket. Leading the charge during the surge was Brown with seven points.
The Lady Devils' Kelley gave her team the lead back with an off-hand lay-up at the 30-second mark but Hoffman tied the game at 35-35 by dropping in two free throws with 18.5 seconds left. After a beautiful strip by Hoffman in the lane, the Lady Warriors called timeout with 1.9 seconds left, only to see a long 3-point attempt by Hammaker spin out of the cylinder at the horn.
In the extra period, Kelley dropped in two free throws and a hoop for a 39-35 lead. Greeneville's Fender and Shipley added free tosses to partially offset baskets from Brown and Hoffman. Hammaker dropped in a shot at the line but CAK also missed three times from the charity stripe in overtime. Kelley converted twice more at the line with 27 seconds left to keep GHS on top, 43-40.
After a Hoffman bucket made it a one-point game at 43-42 it was Christopher, playing with a soft cast on her left hand, being fouled with 15.8 seconds left and making one-of-two.
"I bricked the first one and realized I couldn't really use my second hand to put it up; I just had to use it for support and was able to make the second one," Christopher explained.
After a timeout, CAK committed just its 10th turnover of the night and Christopher again hit one-of-two at the stripe for a 45-42 lead with 5.5 ticks left.
The Kelley block then put a stamp on the outcome, with Fender adding a free throw for the final four-point margin.
Greeneville (46): Shaw 0-2 1-2 1, Brianna Kelley 5-12 4-5 15, Shipley 1-5 3-4 6, Story 2-3 3-4 7, Samantha Fender 3-5 9-11 15, Dabbs 0-0 0-0 0, Christopher 0-0 2-4 0. TOTALS: 11-27 22-30 46.
CAK (42): Paige Hoffman 0-2 0-0 0, Alesa Hammaker 4-12 3-5 11, Bennett 0-3 1-4 1, Brittany Hoffman 4-12 2-3 10, Kelsey Brown 6-10 4-9 16, Ruth Edmunds 2-5 0-0 4, Cutshaw 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 16-44 10-21 42.
3-Point Goals: GHS-2 (Kelley, Shipley). CAK-0.
Score by quarters:
Greeneville 7 11 9 8 11--46
CAK 9 6 4 16 7--42
C-N Football Adds to Signing Class
March 2, 2010
JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman added seven more players to its 2010 football signing class, Eagles head coach Ken Sparks announced Tuesday.
Davidson Academy lineman A.J. Parker (Hendersonville, Tenn.), McMinn Central defensive end Ben Stiles (Etowah, Tenn.), Daniel Boone linebacker Blake Shropshire (Gray, Tenn.), Sevier County offensive lineman Jacob Childs (Kodak, Tenn.), Hendersonville offensive lineman Jonathan Bowie (Hendersonville, N.C.), Dade Christian defensive end Michael Machado (Miami Lakes, Fla.) and Station Camp defensive lineman Robert Ignagni (Gallatin, Tenn.) are the newest additions to C-N’s class.
The Eagles went 11-3 in 2009, including a 7-0 record in South Atlantic Conference play and a berth in theDivision II national semifinals.
A.J. Parker
OL/DL – 6’2 – 280 – Hendersonville, Tenn./Davidson Academy
Recorded 36 tackles and two sacks as a senior…Helped lead Davidson Academy to a 10-2 record and a berth to the Division II-A state playoffs.
Ben Stiles
DE – 6’2 – 220 – Etowah, Tenn./McMinn Central
Recorded 77 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior…Helped lead McMinn Central to a 7-4 record and a berth to the Class 3A state playoffs.
Blake Shropshire
LB – 5’11 – 200 – Gray, Tenn./Daniel Boone
Earned Tri-Cities Elite 11, first team All-Conference and Team MVP honors as a senior…Helped lead the Trailblazers to a 10-3 record and a berth in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Jacob Childs
OL – 5’10 – 275 – Kodak, Tenn./Sevier County
Standout on the Smoky Bears offensive line…Helped lead Sevier County to a perfect 10-0 regular season and a berth to the Class 6A state playoffs.
Jonathan Bowie
OL – 6’2 – 286 – Hendersonville, N.C./Hendersonville
Earned All-Conference and All-Area honors in helping the Bearcats amass more than 3,500 yards on the ground as a standout offensive lineman…Also recorded 55 tackles and 46 assists on defense…Helped lead Hendersonville to an 11-3 record and a berth to the Division 1A state playoffs.
Machael Machado
DE – 6’1 – 230 – Miami Lakes, Fla./Dade Christian
Recorded 57 tackles as a senior…Helped lead the Crusaders to a 7-3 record in 2009.
Robert Ignagni
DL – 6’3 – 305 – Gallatin, Tenn./Station Camp
Standout on the Station Camp defensive line.
Source: C-N Sports Information
Braves' Spring Training Preview
February 19, 2010
By Steve Wilhoit
EastTennesseeMedia.com
Well, this is it for Bobby Cox. I’ve always had mixed feelings on his managerial approach but am appreciative of the string of postseason appearances and a World Series title. Undoubtedly the Braves will want to send him out a winner and set the stage for manager-in-waiting Terry Pendleton (in my opinion) to ascend into that position.
A 14-win improvement in 2009 is significant, though it speaks volumes of the disastrous year which was ’08. I would personally feel pretty good about duplicating 86 wins and acknowledge that it’s going to be tough to garner a playoff spot out of the Eastern Division. The Phillies are prohibitive favorites, the talented Marlins are a legitimate sleeper, and the Mets can only be better than last season. As for a wild card berth, the odds look to be pretty good that’ll come out of the West, based on the talent level in that division.
Here’s my early assessment of how
STARTING PITCHING
Jair Jurrgens…Very solid (and still just 24 years old) with apparently no structural damage after his recent arm issues. Excellent stuff and composure.
Tim Hudson…Looked decent after his return from a long layoff last year. Count on him for a good season.
Tommy Hanson…Third in Rookie of the Year voting and one of the better young arms in the game.
Derek Lowe…If he’s the No. 4, that’s pretty good (though I wish there was a lefty in the rotation). He’s still capable but was a bad investment for what he was paid as I’ve said here on EastTennesseeMedia.com since Day 1. He would be gone and Javier Vazquez still in the rotation if not for the financial ramifications.
Kenshin Kawakami…Look in the dictionary under mediocre and you’ll see his picture. Another example of a major league club overspending for an aging Japanese hurler with a lot of mileage on his arm.
BULLPEN
Billy Wagner…A definite upgrade at closer, even at his age. Looked fine after ending last season with the Red Sox after an injury. Sixth all-time in saves (385). Predecessor Rafael Soriano has great stuff but couldn’t work a heavy load without arm soreness factoring in. And Mike Gonzalez was overrated from the onset in my view. Good stuff but erratic.
Takaski Saito…A chance to be a very respectable set-up man even though he also has a lot of age on him at 40. If used properly, Saito could return to his Dodgers’ form.
Eric O’Flaherty…Lefties only hit .215 against him last season. It’s important that he comes through as the chief southpaw in the pen. If not, Braves MUST find a reliable left-hander.
Peter Moylan…An average but okay piece to the puzzle as he can work in any role. It is noteworthy that he didn’t allow a single home run in a whopping 87 appearances last year.
Kris Medlen…I don’t know where they’ll find the work for him even after a good second half last year. Could be eventual trade bait.
Jesse Chavez…Led Pirates in appearances with 73 and throws hard.
Scott Proctor…Ex-Yankee coming back from Tommy John surgery around May.
Craig Kimbrel…Was the system’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in ’09 and is being groomed for the back end of the pen.
CORNER INFIELDERS
Troy Glaus…He’s being plugged in at first base and is a proven major leaguer (a former All-Star) when healthy, with needed pop from the right side. But it’s a new position for him (only four games at first in the majors) and he’s missed a lot of time due to shoulder surgery (just 14 games last year with the Cardinals). A gamble, though he’s still not all that old (33). I think this will work out, but really question letting Adam LaRoche walk after making the effort to bring him back a season ago. Supposedly about money but he signed for just one year with Diamondbacks for clearly below market value for what he’s worth.
Freddie Freeman…One of the best prospects in baseball. He should be out there at first base in 2011 on a regular basis.
Chipper Jones…I think he’ll be fine unless the body again breaks down significantly (always a possibility). Sure, his numbers were way off last season but that was a year removed from a batting title. And the intangibles are huge when he’s on the field.
MIDDLE INFIELDERS
Martin Prado…I like him a lot and he reminds me of a Placido Palanco at second. Does a lot of things well. Exhibits solid bat control and does the job in the field. Forced his way into lineup last year and clubbed 38 doubles. Kelly Johnson may bounce back in
Yunel Escobar…He can hit for average with gap-power and has a rocket arm at short. But he REALLY needs to stay focused. The Braves would have actually been better to advised to have kept defensive whiz Elvis Andrus (now the starting shortstop with the
Omar Infante…Reserve extraordinaire (.298 with 67 RBIs since coming to
Diory Hernandez…Strikes me as pretty average. The Braves have let so many talented middle infielders go in recent years (Andrus, Brent Lillibridge to name a couple).
OUTFIELDERS
Nate McLouth…Gutted it out through injuries after coming over from
Jason Heyward…THE key. If he’s ready that solves a lot. The best prospect in the minors last season, though he didn’t see much time in Triple A. Unless the Braves feel he needs a little more seasoning, Heyward should be the regular right fielder and Cox says he’ll play against righties and lefties if things pan out in the spring. I saw him play for
Matt Diaz…Since it appears that Johnny Damon (who would have been a great fit in the clubhouse and at the top of the order) is going to stay in the American League, the chief beneficiary is Diaz, who always does a nice job and really deserves the at-bats.
Melky Cabrera…I personally like the acquisition as he’s a switch-hitter who can play anywhere in the outfield, and he’s been in a winning clubhouse. Sure, it was a money-based deal with his salary versus that of Vazquez, but he’ll help the ballclub.
Jordan Schafer…I didn’t think we’d hear much about him after his riches-to-rags turn after starting ’09 as the starting center fielder then being send down. But he’s getting buzz again so let’s not overlook him resurfacing in some role just yet.
CATCHER
Brian McCann…I would just as soon have this guy out there on a daily basis as anyone in the majors, helping anchor the middle of the batting order and always giving a good effort in back of the plate. McCann has been an All-Star for four straight years after making it to the big show.
David Ross…One of the better back-up catchers around. He would be a regular for a lot of other teams.
PINCH-HITTER
Hard to list this as an actual position but it is the way Cox handles things. Greg Norton was just terrible last season in that spot (no homers and a .145 average). And Cox just kept parading him to the plate with games on the line all season. Mitch Jones, a 32-year-old career minor leaguer in the Dodgers’ system, hit 35 home runs in Triple A last year (tops in the minors) and will get a long look.
INTANGIBLES
Finally a good move by upper management (after the way the John Smoltz departure was mishandled, the Lowe contract and the Francoeur deal) with Tom Glavine joining the front office. Glavine will also be heard and seen on a semi-regular basis on the Braves’ radio and television coverage. And the final year by Cox as manager has to be factored in from a motivation standpoint.
PREDICTION
Second place in the East is a reasonable goal but a third-place finish is more likely.
SAC Agrees to Football Alliance With North Greenville
February 17, 2010
ROCK HILL, SC – The South Atlantic Conference Council of Presidents has agreed to a scheduling alliance in the sport of football with North Greenville University, the league announced today. The alliance is for four years and will begin with the 2011 football season.
“This is a win-win for both the South Atlantic Conference and North Greenville University,” said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. “It provides our schools with another in-region Division II game and allows North Greenville the opportunity to play more Division II contests. The SAC is grateful North Greenville has agreed to this alliance and we hope it benefits them as much as it will us.”
“We are indeed excited to be a part of the South Atlantic Conference through a football alliance with the conference schools,” said North Greenville president Dr. Jimmy Epting. “It is an excellent conference and we appreciate the opportunity to participate in football with such quality institutions.”
The scheduling alliance will benefit both the South Atlantic Conference and North Greenville. The eight SAC member institutions which sponsor the sport of football will now have another common in-region opponent, while it gives the Crusaders an opportunity to play a complete schedule against Division II opponents.
In recent years, some SAC schools have had trouble securing in-region contests, and some teams have had to travel extensively. North Greenville is within 150 miles of the eight SAC football-playing institutions, which should reduce travel expenses for both the Crusaders and SAC members.
North Greenville, an independent, has struggled to find Division II competition. Last season the Crusaders played seven of its 10 contests against Division II opponents, with three of those contests against SAC members. Beginning in 2010, a team must have eight contests against Division II opponents to be eligible for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The new schedule will push the beginning of conference play two weeks earlier, starting September 15, 2011, and continuing for nine weeks. Each team will also have a bye week, which they can use to play another non-conference opponent.
The North Greenville contests will not be counted as conference games, nor will North Greenville be eligible for any conference championship or league awards.
The South Atlantic Conference is one of the premier NCAA Division II conferences in the country and strives for academic success and athletic achievement. Since becoming eligible for NCAA Division II postseason play in 1993, the league has sent representatives from all of its sponsored sports to NCAA postseason play.
The members of the South Atlantic Conference include: Brevard College, Brevard, N.C.; Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn.; Catawba College, Salisbury, N.C.; Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, N.C.; Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tenn.; Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, N.C.; Newberry College, Newberry, S.C.; Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tenn.; and Wingate University, Wingate, N.C. Anderson University in Anderson, S.C., will become the league’s 10th member in July.
Source: South Atlantic Conference
Appy League Announces New Playoff Structure
February 16, 2010
STATESVILLE, NC - The Appalachian League announced in mid-December that it would implement a new format for the 2010 playoffs to include four teams. Today, they have announced the structure and details of the new format.
As outlined in the league by-laws, the two teams with the best win-loss percentage in both the Eastern and Western Divisions, at the conclusion of the 68-game regular season, will qualify for the playoffs. In the event of a tie for a playoff spot, the winner will be determined by the team that has the better record in head-to-head competition between the two tied clubs.
In the first round of the playoffs, each division leader will face the second place finisher of the opposite division in a best two-of-three series. The series will start the day following the conclusion of the regular season at the home of the second place finisher and will conclude with game two and game three, if necessary, at the home of the division winner. The winner of the series will earn the right to play in the Appalchian League Championship Series.
Following the completion of the first round, the two winning teams will square off in a best two-of-three playoff that will begin at the home of the easternmost club in even numbered years, such as 2010, and the home of the westernmost club in odd numbered years. The Championship Series Series will conclude with game two and game three, if necessary, at the opponent’s park.
Source: Greeneville Astros
G-Astros Complete Front Office Staff
"We are very excited about the addition of Crystal to our staff. Her knowledge and expertise will greatly enhance our organization as we move forward to the 2010 season and beyond," said General Manager, David Lane.
Hirschy is a graduate of Greeneville High School and continued her education at Tusculum College. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training in 2004 and earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Management in 2006.
In the spring of 2006, Hirschy accepted a position with Tusculum College as an Admissions Representative and was later promoted to Director of Special Events prior to joining the Astros. However, she still volunteers her time with the Alumni Executive Board.
Other community involvement for Hirschy includes being a Boys & Girls Club Board member, a Greeneville Woman's Club Board member, and a Greene County Partnership/Leadership participant.
Hirschy joins General Manager, David Lane and Assistant General Manager, Hunter Reed to complete the Greeneville Astros front office staff.
Steve Wilhoit Bio
Steve Wilhoit is a veteran of 30 years in the media field and a member of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.
He is currently associated with The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville Astros and TriCitiesSports.com.
Career highlights include: TSWA Division 3 Best Event Writer, Newport Plain Talk Sports Editor and WSMG Radio Operations Manager.
Broadcast credits include play-by-play of the 1999 and 2000 TSSAA Boys' State Tournament championship games for WLIK Radio, Tusculum College basketball for WSMG and five years of professional baseball (Greeneville Astros, Elizabethton Twins).
