For the 20th consecutive year, The A.F. Bridges Awards program includes 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 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.
Several local coaches and schools were recognized in Athletic District 3. Among them were Mandi Munn, Red Bank High School, Athletic Director of the Year; Kelli Smith and Bill McMahan, Baylor, Female and Male Coaches of the Year and Angela Cass, Ooltewah High School, Principal of the Year.
Also recognized were Bryan Johnson, Superintendent of the Year and Don Elsea, Official of the Year.
GPS, Sequatchie County and Walker Valley were recognized as Awards of Excellence schools.
Nominations were made by a Citizenship/Sportsmanship Committee and member schools in each athletic district and the final selection was made by a State Selection Committee.
Bernard Childress, 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 three Regional Meetings held at the following dates and sites (members of the media are welcome to attend):
Monday, November 4 – Hardin Valley Academy, 1 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 6 – University School of Jackson, 10:00 a.m. CT
Thursday, November 7 – Hillwood High School, 10:00 a.m. CT
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 1
School System Administrator of the Year
Evelyn Rafalowski, Sullivan County School System
Principal of the Year
Patrick O'Neil, Cosby High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Randy Rogers, Jefferson County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Dr. Katie Moore, Gatlinburg Pittman High School
Male Coach of the Year
Caine Ballard, Greenville High School
Official of the Year
Gary Compton, Region I Football/Tri Cities Basketball
Contributor of the Year
Doug Swaggerty, Swaggerys Farms Sausage
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 2
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr.Mike Winstead, Maryville City Schools
Principal of the Year
Rob Speas, Fulton High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Bobby Clark, Harriman High School
Female Coach of the Year
Sarah Bailey, Alcoa High School
Male Coach of the Year
Matt Buckner, Farragut High School
Official of the Year
Justin Pratt, KFOA
Contributor of the Year
Steve Williams, Knoxville Focus
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 3
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Bryan Johnson, Hamilton County Schools
Principal of the Year
Angela Cass, Ooltewah High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Mandi Munn, Red Bank High School
Female Coach of the Year
Kelli H. Smith, Baylor
Male Coach of the Year
Bill McMahan, Baylor
Official of the Year
Don Elsea
Contributor of the Year
Teddy Jenkins, Jenkins Masonry, Inc.
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 4
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Donna Wright, Wilson County Schools
Principal of the Year
Dr. Leisa Justus, Blackman High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Joe Sims, Clay County
Female Coach of the Year
Jenna Morris, Tullahoma High School
Male Coach of the Year
Phil Young, Siegel High School
Official of the Year
David Laws
Contributor of the Year
Mike Hollingshead, Smyrna Ready Mix
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 5
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Del Phillips III, Sumner County Schools
Principal of the Year
Bryan Feldman, Clarksville High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Nicole Burgess, Hume Fogg Academic Magnet
Female Coach of the Year
Molly Yarbrough, Station Camp High School
Male Coach of the Year
Jeff Price, Rossview High School
Official of the Year
David Davenport
Contributor of the Year
David Braun, Springfield High School
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 6
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Cathy Beck, Cheatham County School District
Principal of the Year
Kevin Eady, Hickman County
Athletic Director of the Year
Eric Crabtree, Cornersville High School
Female Coach of the Year
Anna Arnold, Summertown High School
Male Coach of the Year
Gerald Randolph, Cornersville High School
Official of the Year
Eric Bradford
Contributor of the Year
Charles Pulliam, Williamson Herald
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 7
School System Administrator of the Year
Michael Davis, Hardin County
Principal of the Year
Ann Keyl, Sacred Heart of Jesus High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Casshawndra Sain, South Side High School
Female Coach of the Year
Rebecca Ashe, Adamsville High School
Male Coach of the Year
James Counce Jr., Henry County High School
Official of the Year
Floyd Flippen, Southwest
Contributor of the Year
Brantley Smith, Lexington TN
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 8
School System Administrator of the Year
Dr. Versie Hamlett, Humbodlt City Schools
Principal of the Year
Christi Huffman. Brighton High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Cetrice Bounds, Covington High School
Female Coach of the Year
Sharman Coley, Covington High School
Male Coach of the Year
Mitch Wilkins, Gibson County High School
Official of the Year
Jimmy Meeks
Contributor of the Year
Brock Porter
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 9
School System Administrator of the Year
Bo Griffin, Millington Municipal Schools
Principal of the Year
John S. Bush, Douglass
Athletic Director of the Year
Reed Willis, Middle College
Female Coach of the Year
Teresa Thomas, White Station High School
Male Coach of the Year
Jerald Cook, Freedom Prep
Official of the Year
Mark Herrington, West TN Interscholastic
Contributor of the Year
Lou Stackley, Sports Entertainment and Medical Services
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 and other member schools.
Of the 26 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
Hancock County High School
Unaka High School
Wartburg Central High School
CLASS AA
Girls Preparatory School
Loudon High School
Sequatchie County High School
CLASS AAA
Cocke County High School
Maryville High School
Walker Valley High School
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Houston County High School
Middle Tennessee Christian
Santa Fe High School
CLASS AA
East Hickman High School
Harpeth Hall School
Waverly Central High School
CLASS AAA
Beech Senior High School
Cane Ridge High School
Lincoln County High School
WEST TENNESSEE
CLASS A
Dresden High School
Halls High School
South Fulton High School
CLASS AA
Memphis University School
Obion County Central H.S.
Westview High School
CLASS AAA
Kirby High School
Liberty Technology Magnet H.S.