Rhea's, MTSU's Green in Patriot All-America

Friday, December 23, 2011

Former Rhea County golf standout Hunter Green, a senior at Middle Tennessee State University, has been invited to play in the 2011 Patriot All-America tournament Dec. 28-30 at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz. The 54-hole event will include 84 collegiate golfers from throughout the nation, and that field includes 21 of the world's top-100 ranked amateurs. Green led the Blue Raiders in their fall tournaments with a 70.1 stroke average, which ranks 11th nationally. He's a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection. The Patriot All-America is linked to Folds of Honor, and each golfer participating will have the name of a fallen soldier on his commemorative PING golf bag. Green's bag will honor Edward Schrank, a Marines gunnery sergeant from Rochelle, Ill. After Green returns from Arizona, the bag will be auctioned online with all the proceeds going to Folds of Honor, according to MTSU coach Whit Turnbow.

Football

• Tennessee Tech wide receiver Tim Benford from Red Bank High School and Georgia Southern place-kicker Adrian Mora from Dalton were third-team selections on the Phil Steele All-American team announced Thursday for Football Championship Subdivision players, and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore linebacker Wes Dothard was a fourth-team choice. Dothard was a first-team All-American in the Sports Network's previously announced listing. Benford was the Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the year. Phil Steele first-team All-Americans included eight from the Southern Conference: Wofford fullback Eric Breitenstein and guard Nate Page, Elon receiver Aaron Mellette, Appalachian State receiver Brian Quick, Furman tight end Colin Anderson and cornerback Ryan Steed and Georgia Southern defensive tackle Brent Russell and kick returner Laron Scott. UT-Martin's C.J. Estelle was the OVC's lone first-teamer, as a punt returner.

Auto Racing

• Crate Late Model car racer Craig Reece of Dalton is billed as the "Dalton Bad Boy" but is involved in a good deed with blossoming country music entertainer Cody McCarver of Dunlap. They have combined to raise more than $1,000 for a Dalton family with seven children. Reece and McCarver both will be shopping at a local Walmart today and helping take the gifts to the family.