Morrison becomes Grace’s first golf signee

Adam Morrison became the first Grace Academy student to sign a golf scholarship when he signed papers Tuesday to continue his career at Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn.

Morrison visited the TJCCAA school the first weekend in March and it struck his interest. Hiwassee coach Roy Myers was at Grace for the signing.

“They’ve got a really good home course in Rarity Bay,” Morrison said. “There’s a real good practice facility, a good range and good bunkers. When I played up there with the coach, it really impressed me.”

Among the things Morrison said he likes about the program is its competitiveness on a regional scale and of late on the national level. In preparation he said he’s been working with instructor Hunt Gilliland on things like wrist action and head positioning and has managed to pick up some length off the tee, as well as get more spin on his wedge shots. He’s also spent time working out and conditioning.

Grace coach James Stead said Morrison played in several tournaments throughout the summer and believes work ethic is what got Morrison noticed. It complements his knowledge of the game.

“He’s like an assistant coach out there,” Stead said. “His golf accumen is very high. His game is very solid. He’s a grinder. In golf terms, that’s the best way to describe him. He’s been a pleasure to coach. There’s no motivational factor needed at all. You get to the course, let him go and he’ll be a good leader for the team.”

Morrison plans to major in sports management.

Hosfield out for season

Murfreesboro Riverdale’s hopes of winning a Class AAA state softball championship took a severe hit last weekend when pitcher and Tennessee signee Cat Hosfield suffered a season-ending broken ankle.

The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville reported that Hosfield’s injury occurred on a pop-up slide at second base when she doubled in the first inning during a game in Ocala, Fla.

Ooltewah lost at Riverdale in a sectional last year and coach Norma Nelson said not to discount the Lady Warriors just yet.

“It’s still going to be tough if you have to go over there, just because of the environment,” Nelson said. “They have their own little space, and they’ve got some pride.”

Siegel is one of the Lady Warriors’ District 7 opponents and perhaps one of the favorites now to win Region 4 and host a sectional. The Stars played in Soddy-Daisy’s Lady Trojan Invitational last weekend, and among their showings were victories over 2007 state champions Goodpasture and GPS. They lost 1-0 to Ooltewah in a Gold Division semifinal.

“From what I’ve seen, that’s probably the best Class AAA team over that way now,” Nelson said. “But then again, I haven’t seen that many. I guess I will this weekend.”

The Lady Owls are among the teams competing in Riverdale’s Lady Warrior Southern Invitational this weekend.

Ridgeland girls sign

Ridgeland girls’ soccer players Taylor Benefield and Amber Scealf recently signed with Appalachian Athletic Conference rivals — goalkeeper Benefield with Covenant College and Scealf with Bryan.

Ridgeland is 4-7 this spring but lost five games in a row with Benefield out with a broken hand. She’s back now, coach Darren Crutcher said.

“Both of them have done a massive amount for our program,” Crutcher said. “Ridgeland is not known for being a soccer powerhouse at all, but Taylor and Amber have helped just showing people how to practice and how to play. They both have talent, and we’ve tried to showcase them.

“Taylor has kept us in tons and tons of matches, and Amber is a great ball-handler and does a great job scoring and distributing. And they’re both great young ladies.”

Covenant coach Mark Duble said Benefield “fits perfectly with our program. She’s great academically and a real strong leader on their team, and she has a real strong faith in the Lord. I met her at my camp a couple of years ago and ran into her again in Costa Rica on a mission trip my kids were on.

“Amber’s a great kid, too,” Duble added.

Benefield said she talked with Milligan and Tennessee Wesleyan, two other AAC schools, and Simpson College in Milligan. Scealf, also a Ridgeland basketball player, also talked with Covenant, Union University, Faulkner, Jacksonville State, Salem College and the University oof Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Both have played club soccer for UTC coach J.D. Kyzer’s Chattanooga FC; Scealf played this past year for the East Ridge Express.

Not much Glory

Knoxville Webb’s Glory Johnson was one of five Tennessee signees in the McDonald’s All-American girls’ game Wednesday night in Milwaukee. She had two points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field and 0-for-2 free-throw shooting and added three rebounds and an assist as her East team lost 80-64 to the West.