Region tournament brackets, 3B
Baseball/Softball Schedules, 3B
New face of Lions football, See 3B
Sports Independent Appeal
St. Jude 5K in memory of Molly Burns, see 2B
Making McNairy County Sports headlines for more than 110 years
Volume 110, Number 41, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
www.independentappeal.com
B Section
Cards end season against stiff competition By Andrew Alexander Sports Writer
Though the 2012-2013 Cardinals rose from the ashes of their worst basketball season in school history by tripling their win total from a year ago, Adamsville (1613) was unable to advance past the first round of the Region 8-A Tournament.
B.T. Washington Adamsville
File Photo
Lane Burcham takes the mid-range jumpshot against the Tigers. Burcham had 12 points in the contest.
UT Vols: Nowhere to go but up By Brian Azevedo Sports Writer
Although it is winter, college football fans do not hibernate. We have all been on the Internet, searching our social media and sports news sites trying to figure out how our teams might be next year. This is the part of the college football season that can be the most exciting...recruiting season. Every head coach in the country is in a scramble, trying to figure out what holes they need to fill and who they are going to get to fill them. If you’re like me, you have been paying attention to firstyear head coach Butch Jones and this year’s crop of Volunteer recruits. Vols fans all around, especially if you are Facebook friends with my mom, have been hearing names such as: Marquez North, Joshua Dobbs, Riley Ferguson, Ryan Jenkins, Corey Vereen and Austin Sanders among many others. These are some of the top recruits that Jones has indeed signed to the Volunteers roster. Who are these kids? Fans and supporters alike never really have the insight that coaches do. They may hear rumors about how good a player is, or they are told that a player could change the game as we know it, but it’s the coaches that really see the potential. Jones and his staff, along with every other staff in the country, have been working night and day to find, evaluate, process, and recruit the players they think they need in their program in the upcoming season. Heading back to Tennessee, Jones has a tough job ahead of him. He has to sell a school that has not been on top of its game the past few years. Sometimes it can be hard to convince a young man with talent that instead of going to another school like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Texas, or any other Division I school in the area, that he should come here and be a Vol. What Jones and his staff are in need of are players not looking to be in the national spotlight, but players who want to build a program and leave a legacy of hard work and determination behind for the generations to come.
See Vols, 5B
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The Booker T. Washington Warriors entered their tournament opener against Adamsville last Saturday as the No. 1 ranked team in the state with a 23-3 record and a District 16-A Championship. Despite their underdog status, the Cardinals gave the Warriors a run for their money. Cardinal head coach Nathaniel Root said the atmosphere at BTW was electric, and he likened the game to a prize fight between boxers battling for a title. “We went into an unbelievable basketball environment in Memphis,” said Root. “Booker T. came out early and gave us a first round knock down and got up 12-2 on us, but we kept taking their punches as we slowly got back in it by punching back.” After wiping their brows and cleaning their wounds with a 21-8 deficit in the first quarter, the Cardinals refused to go down and battled back to cut the Warrior lead to six points by halftime. “We came out in the second half and cut their lead to three points, but we never
could get any closer than that,” said Root. “My guys came in and played tough. I don’t believe in moral victories, but I definitely believe it’s something for us to build on next year.” Sophomore Tucker Campbell and junior Lane Burcham both scored 12 points for Adamsville in the loss. Both averaged more than 10 points per game this season. Seniors John Mark Pettit and Brandon White each scored three points against Booker T. Washington in what became the final game of their high school careers. “I hate to lose such great leadership in John Mark and Brandon,” said Root. “This year, they really bought into what we needed to do and the understanding that they may not be the scorers on this team, but they are undoubtedly the leaders.” The Cardinals improved from a fivewin team last season to a 16-win team this year. Root believes the team’s evolution is a trend that will continue, and anything short of a district championship next year would be a disappointment. He was also appreciative of the support given to his team this season. “I appreciate everyone that came out this year to support us,” Root said about Cardinals fans. “Toward the end of the year, we went on a roll and it was a great atmosphere here at Adamsville. We also had a great fan base to follow us to Booker T. We hope everyone will come out and be just as supportive next year.”
See Cardinals, 4B
Lady Cats end great season By Brian Azevedo Sports Writer
A two-point home loss to the Dyersburg Lady Trojans in the first round of the Region 7-AA Tournament ended the Lady Bobcats’ season last Thursday.
Dyersburg McNairy Central
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It came down to the final minutes in the Lady Cats’ match-up against the Lady Trojans. It boiled down to managing the clock and free throw shooting, and the Lady Trojans just did it better. The Lady Bobcats took the lead early but could not hold onto it. After the first quarter, they found themselves down 13-8. McNairy picked up the pace in the second quarter and matched the Lady Trojans in most aspects of the game. They went in the break with some momentum but were down 22-17. Clawing the entire time, the Lady Cats never fell too far behind. Mikaela Rowland and Mallorie Sweat led the McNairy offense and
See Lady Cats, 3B
Staff Photo by Brian Azevedo
Mallorie Sweat goes strong through the lane against the Lady Trojans. Sweat scored 11 points in the contest.
More than 1,000 attend Sportsman’s Banquet By Stephanie Parsons Staff Writer
Last Saturday, over 1,000 people attended the Sportsman’s Banquet, held at MCHS. To benefit The Lauren King Ministries and Ronald McDonald House. Chris Whitten, who serves as a member of The Lauren King Ministries committee, stated that it took eight months of planning to bring this entire thing together. The outpouring of support given by businesses and personal donations made it possible for the large sum of over $10,000 to be accumulated before the first ticket was sold. The respect that people have for The Lauren King Ministries, as well as the King family, was made apparent by the large number of people in attendance. “I could have never met anyone like the King family. They have touched so many people’s lives, not just through The Lauren King Ministries, but in everyday life as well,” Whitten said as he spoke of Larron’s legacy and his hopes for the future continuation of The Lauren King Ministries. Larron and Anita King began their journey to help families with a child suffering from a disease or illness at Staff Photo by Rodney Murray St. Jude Children’s Hospital when they Many gather to scale the rock climbing wall, which was one experienced the devastating loss of of many fun attractions at the Sportsman’s Banquet. their one-year-old daughter, Lauren
King, to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in 1996. Since that tragic time in their life, they have spent one Saturday every month for the past 13 years giving aid and support to so many that are going through a similar situation they once endured. The Ronald McDonald House offers a place for families with a child receiving care from St. Jude to call home. Anita King explained that while families are staying at the RMH, they are provided all the essentials any household would need – food, linens, toiletries, etc. – all without the financial burden each one carries. The King family understands how important it is to have a place like Ronald McDonald House and what it provides, and it is so easy to take them for granted. The financial means it takes in order to keep RMH running is very costly, and that is why events like this are so important. The Sportsman’s Banquet was the second benefit the committee organized for the Lauren King Ministries, the first was held in Michie in order to help the King family after Larron King passed in 2012, due to a tragic car accident.. Chris Whitten expressed that he hoped, since the first benefit was such
See Banquet, 5B