From The Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY – The 25th annual AHSAA Championship Coaches’ Awards Banquet marked the 100th anniversary of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The banquet was the conclusion of the 2021 AHSAA Summer Conference at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.
This year, seven individuals received the organization’s “Making a Difference” Award.
The recipients were: track, football, softball and girls’ basketball coach Anthony Edwards, Loachapoka High School (1A); baseball coach Matt Kennedy, Westbrook Christian High School (2A); head football coach Ryan Hall of Oakman High School (3A); girls’ basketball coach Eddie Bullock, Anniston High School (4A); volunteer head track coach Chris Bashaw, Guntersville High School (5A); soccer coach Joe Webb, Mountain Brook High School 6A); retiring volleyball coach Nancy Shoquist, Mary Montgomery High School (7A).
Jamie Ferguson of Bayside Academy in Daphne was honored by the AHSADCA as the AHSAA 2021 Athletic Director of the Year, and Blount High School football coach and athletic director Lev Holly received AHSADCA Past President’s Award.
House Majority Leader state legislator Nathaniel Ledbetter was the keynote speaker at Friday’s awards banquet recognized 115 state championship coaches who led teams to state titles in the AHSAA’s championship programs in 2020-21 as well as honoring several others for outstanding service or accomplishment. AHSAA Assistant Director Jamie Lee served as emcee.
“We had an outstanding week of professional development, all-star competition and a lot of old-fashioned catching up with old friends,” said AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs, who oversaw his first Summer Conference in his new position since replacing Steve Savarese, who retired after 14 years in the executive director seat on June 30. Briggs, who joined the AHSAA in 2011, served as Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA) before moving into the Associate Executive Director role at the AHSAA in 2019. He began his duties as Executive Director officially on July 1.
“We are so proud of all our member schools,” Briggs added. “Despite the COVID 19 Pandemic challenges facing our state and nation, we were able to start our schools on time, completed all our seasons and championships on time as member schools worked hard to provide the safest environment possible. They bought in to the best practices and safety guidelines outlined by the AHSAA and its Medical Advisory Committee and the Alabama Department of Health. As Mr. Savarese pointed out many times, we think it would our schools’ and communities’ finest hour.”
A total of 76 AHSAA member high schools earned at least one state championship in 2020-21. Class 6A Mountain Brook won four state titles during the 2020-21 school year to lead the AHSAA. The Spartans posted championships in boys’ basketball, volleyball, girls’ tennis and boys’ golf. Class 7A Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Huntsville and Vestavia Hills won three state championships each, Class 3A Providence Christian and Montgomery Academy also won three apiece.
Other special awards included:
NFHS SECTION III COACH OF THE YEAR
Basketball (Boys): Doug Holland, Pike County HS
Baseball: Jacob Fowler, Brooks HS
Softball: C.J. Urse, Spain Park HS
Track & Field (Boys): Steve Reaves, Winfield HS
Track & Field (Girls): Dale Carrell, Westminster-Oak Mountain
NFHS State Coaches of the Year
21 outstanding AHSAA coaches were selected 2020 NFHS state coach of the year in their respective sports:
Football: Paul Benefield, Fyffe, HS
Cross Country (Boys): Blake Borden, Huntsville HS
Cross Country (Girls): Olivia Tofani, Auburn HS
Volleyball: Craig Long, G.W. Long HS
Swimming & Diving (Boys): Lisa Atkinson, T.R. Miller HS
Swimming & Diving (Girls): Roger von Juanne, Westminster Christian
Wrestling: Brian Brasseal, Gardendale HS
Basketball (Boys): Doug Holland, Pike County HS
Basketball (Girls): Ricky Austin, Spring Garden HS
Bowling (Boys): Chris Hollingsworth, Thompson HS
Bowling (Girls): Zachary Blume, Southside-Gadsden HS
Baseball: Jacob Fowler, Brooks HS
Softball: C.J. Urse, Spain Park HS
Soccer (Boys): Shawn Brower, Briarwood Christian
Soccer (Girls): Robert Crawford, John Carroll Catholic
Tennis (Boys): Nathan Miles, Vestavia Hills HS
Tennis (Girls): Susan Farlow, Mountain Brook HS
Track & Field (Boys): Steve Reaves, Winfield HS
Track & Field (Girls): Dale Carrell, Westminster-Oak Mountain
Golf (Boys): Alex Lockett, Mountain Brook HS
Golf (Girls): Bill Oldfield, Providence Christian
NFHS SECTION III & and NATIONAL “SPIRIT OF SPORT” RECIPIENT
Hayden Holton, Elmore County HS
NFHS STATE “HEART OF THE ARTS” RECIPIENT
Randy Bruce, Florence HS
The NFHS Network live-streamed the AHSAA Sportsmanship and Championship Coaches’’ banquets. Go to www.nfhsnetwork.com to see the events, which have been archived and can be accessed on-demand.
To check out the AHSAA State Championship Coaches of the Year for 2020-21, go to the following link at the AHSAA Website.
Children Scholarship Recipients: Ten students, each a child of an AHSADCA member coach or administrator, also received the AHSADCA’s Coaches’ Children Scholarships. They were:
District 1: Ansley Rae Flournoy, Jackson HS (daughter of Coach Cody Flournoy).
District 2: Amberlie Arnett, Zion Chapel (daughter of Coach Shasta Barron).
District 3: Matelyn Alston, Bibb County HS (daughter of Coaches Kecia and James Alston).
District 3: Thomas Treadwell, Trinity Presbyterian School (son of Coach Kelly Treadwell).
District 4: Addison Ward, Benjamin Russell HS (daughter of Coach Doug Ward).
District 5: Keon Handley, Jr., Fairfield HS (son of Coach Keon Handley, Sr.).
District 6: .Jett Smith, Walter Wellborn HS (son of Coach Jeff Smith).
District 6: Sydney Yancey, Southside HS, Gadsden (daughter of Coach Brett Yancey).
District 7: Allie Veal, Phillips HS (daughter of Coach Scott Veal).
District 8: Eli Benefield, Fyffe HS (son of Coach Paul Benefield).
Schools Receive AHSAA Sportsmanship Grants: Eight of the 131 high schools, one per district, that were recognized at Friday’s 14th annual AHSAA Sportsmanship Luncheon were recipients of a $1,000 AHSAA Sportsmanship Grant. A total of $96,000 has been distributed to member schools through this program since 2008.
The recipients this year were: Excel HS (District 1); Florala HS (District 2); Isabella HS (District 3); Elmore County HS (District 4); Fairfield HS (District 5); Munford HS (6); Hubbertville HS (District 7); and Geraldine HS (District 8).
The AHSAA, which unveiled its official “100th Anniversary” logo, plans to honor the anniversary with special events during the upcoming year.