Snider honored at AHSAA Awards Luncheon

From Tribune staff report

Trussville’s own Mark Snider was named the north central Alabama wrestling official of the year today during the Alabama High School Athletics Association’s Officials Awards Luncheon held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

Other AHSAA district officials of the year honored today included the following:

BASEBALL
East Central: Larry Stubbs, Jacksonvillle
North Central: Raymond Crawford, Dora
Northeast: Bobby Scheppler, Huntsville
Northwest: Loyd Potter, Decatur

South Central: Doug Baxter, Montgomery
Southeast: Brian Cross, Andalusia
Southwest: Tim Naber, Theodore
West Central: Danny Matherson, Moundville

BASKETBALL
East Central: Rusty Burroughs, Jacksonville
North Central: Scott Richards, Homewood
Northeast: Marvin Wesley, New Market
Northwest: Brandon Oaks, Hartselle

South Central: Bobby Tindal, Auburn
Southeast: Reginald Franklin, Dothan
Southwest: Katrina Evans, Mobile
West Central: James Sewell, Linden

FOOTBALL
East Central: Johnny Brothers, Southside-Gadsden
North Central: Kevin Sutton, Birmingham
Northeast: Willis Jackson, Harvest
Northwest: Gene Dickinson, Decatur

South Central: Frank Parsons, Montgomery
Southeast: Ricky Morgan, Geneva
Southwest: Ken Atkins, Demopolis
West Central: Fred Cody, Northport
SOCCER
East Central: Charles Stanley, Guntersville
North Central: John David Nicholson, Vestavia Hills
Northwest: “Ed” Tate Wallace, Hartselle

South Central: Pete Gonzalez, Montgomery
Southeast: Ben Davis, Andalusia
Southwest: Ryan Campbell, Spanish Fort

SOFTBALL
East Central: Nick Higdon, Albertville
North Central: Tessa Ivey, Nauvoo
Northeast: Aaron Golden, Madison

Northwest: Scottie Nichols, Sheffield
South Central: Eric Morris, Montgomery
Southeast: Jeff Bridges, Dothan
Southwest: Tim Porter, Mobile
West Central: Carolyn Roshell, Holt

TRACK & FIELD
East Central: Earl Lewis, Sylacauga
North Central: Stan Blakemore, Vestavia Hills
Northeast: Jeff Bradshaw, Madison

Northwest: Keith Wilemon, Hartselle
Southeast: Darrell Houston, Daphne
Southwest: Sheila Crenshaw, Mobile

VOLLEYBALL
East Central: Anthony Dupree, Leesburg
North Central: Anissa Smith, Birmingham
Northeast: Jim Kirkpatrick, Huntsville

Northwest: Walter Young, Moulton

South Central: Walter Crosby, Millbrook
Southeast: Michael Clayton, Dothan
Southwest: Dwight Charley, Butler
West Central: Chris Cummings, Jasper

WRESTLING
East Central: Brent Helms, Southside
North Central: Mark Snider, Trussville
Northeast: Joe Stephenson, Union Grove

South Central: Justin Miller, Decatur
Southwest: Rob Hazenwinkel, Pensacola, FL

Also today during the ceremony, six officials received the Greg Brewer Distinguished Service Award. Those who received AHSAA’s highest officiating honor were Larry Galloway (38 years) of Hartford; Don Hudson (37 years) of Oxford); Bill Young (35 years) of Dadeville; Jimmy Isbell (34 years) of Tuscumbia; Gwyn Morgan (34 years) of Moulton; and Gary Knight (32 years) Dothan.

Longtime contest official, district director and volunteer Gary McGriff of Holly Pond was also recognized McGriff received the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) National Contributor Award.

“The greatest compliment I could provide Gary is to describe Gary as a servant, dedicating his life to serve the AHSAA through officiating,” Steve Savarese, executive director of the AHSAA stated in a press release.
More than 370 attended the luncheon that recognized all contest officials who officiated in state championship events in 2016-17 as district and state officials of the year.

Wright Waters, former Sun Belt Conference Commissioner who became the first executive director of the Football Bowl Association, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon that officially closed the 2017 AHSAA Summer Conference and Coaching School.

AHSAA State officials of the year, as selected in their respective sports were: Doug Baxter of Montgomery (Baseball); Katrina Evans of Mobile (Basketball); Pete Gonzalez Montgomery (Soccer); Jeff Bridges of Dothan (Softball); Keith Wilemon of Hartselle (Track); Jim Kirkpatrick of Huntsville (Volleyball); and Justin Miller of Decatur (Wrestling).

The Alabama Sports Officials Foundation also presented numerous scholarships to children of officials in honor of the dedication and sacrifice families make to support the service of the state’s contest officials. To be eligible, the student must be planning attend a post-secondary school in Alabama.
Those selected for the grants were: Cora Addison Bryan, Troy; Michael Evan Shaddix, Fort Payne; Andrew David Hester, Decatur; Matthew William Hrabovsky, Daphne; Tessa Faith Ivey, Nauvoo; Moriah Lee Brundidge, Brewton; Carly Alana Westmoreland, Addison; Abigail Faye Howard, Oxford; and Patrick Joseph Callahan, Hoover.