By Steve Williams
Central High School took its February signing day ceremony into the Fountain City community.
Sam & Andy’s on Broadway hosted the event Wednesday and it attracted a big turnout of family members, students, teachers and community supporters.
Four members of the Bobcats’ 2019 state championship football team signed scholarship papers – linebacker Tyler Bost (Maryville College), quarterback Dakota Fawver (Carson-Newman University), wide receiver Isaiah Osborne (Union College) and linebacker Malik Robinson (Lindsey Wilson College).
Central’s Jake Domermouth, a cross country runner and a distance runner in track (800, 1600 and 3200 meters), also signed with Milligan College.
“We’re extremely happy with the turnout,” said Nick Craney, Central’s new head football coach. “These guys have accomplished something really significant in earning an athletic scholarship. I’m proud of the young men that signed today and excited to see what they are going to do in the future.”
Diamond Clear Media covered the event and streamed it on line.
Former Central head coach Bryson Rosser, who resigned in January for family reasons and now resides in Boston, also watched the signings via FaceTime.
“He’s just very proud of the boys,” said Kelly Johnson, who was asked by Rosser to FaceTime him.
More Central football players are expected to sign in the near future after weighing their offers, including running back Jason Merritts, WR-DB Makhi Anderson and Braden Gaston, a football wide receiver and track athlete.
One Bobcat standout, defensive lineman Eunique Valentine, announced Saturday he had verbally committed to Tennessee as a preferred walk-on. Earlier last week, Valentine decommitted from Navy.
TOURNEY TIME: Several high school basketball district tournaments will tip off this week. Starting tonight (Feb. 17) are District 3-AAA at Oak Ridge and 4-AAA at Bearden. District 3-AA gets underway Friday at Gibbs and 4-AA begins Friday at Fulton.
The top four finishers in each Division I district advance to region tournaments.
DIVISION II CHAMPS: Webb boys and The King’s Academy girls captured District 1 Class A titles Friday night. The Spartans rolled past Grace Christian Academy 79-41, while the Lady Lions edged Webb 39-38 in a surprisingly close game.
STATE FINALISTS: Senior Edward Lacey of Fulton (Division I Class AA) and sophomore B.J. Edwards of Knoxville Catholic (Division II Class AA) were announced as Mr. Basketball finalists in their classifications last week by TSSAA.
HOYAS IN TOWN: Georgetown University Assistant Coach Robert Kirby was in Knoxville last Wednesday to watch Catholic senior post Akeem Odusipe at practice.
Hoyas head coach and former Georgetown and NBA star Patrick Ewing saw Odusipe play in a holiday tournament in Washington D.C. in December.
Akeem made an official visit to Rhode Island the Feb. 8 weekend and received a solid offer, according to Catholic Coach Mike Hutchens.
“The visit from Georgetown went well,” said Hutchens. “Coach Kirby and Georgetown also are very high on Handje Tamba (6-11 sophomore post) and B.J. Edwards (6-2 sophomore guard).”
BOMBING BAILEY: Powell senior Bailey Trumm, the TSSAA’s new girls’ career record holder for 3-pointers, moved past the 400-plateau in the Lady Panthers’ win over Union County last week and added five more treys in a Senior Night victory over Halls Thursday.
