Day best center in NCAA Division II

Friday, January 1, 1904

Carson-Newman College senior Kevin Day from Soddy-Daisy added to his collection of 2012 postseason football honors by earning the Rimington Award as the best center in NCAA Division II. The three-time All-South Atlantic Conference player and winner of the SAC's Jacobs Blocking Award already was picked for three 2012 All-America teams, including the Associated Press's Little All-America listing covering multiple divisions, and was a finalist for the Upshaw Award as the best lineman in Division II. Carson-Newman had the best rushing average in Division II, the second best in the entire NCAA, and led all NCAA levels with 52 rushing touchdowns. The Rimington Award is presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Day will be teaching social studies at Knoxville West High School this spring and assisting with the West football team next season.

• Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School placed seven players on Georgia's All-Region 5-AAA football team for 2012. Running back Pooh Harden and lineman Jok O'Barr were named to the offense, while lineman Dylan Flowers, linebacker Nate Long, cornerback Jackson Walling, athlete Trey Silmon and punter/kicker Kyle Trego were named to the defense. Gordon Central, led by defensive player of the year LaRons Winston, placed six on the team. Joining him on the defensive team were fellow lineman D.J. Prather and cornerback Chandler Curtis; quarterback M.J. Reynolds, receiver Tyshaun Clemmons and lineman Jacob Mitchell were offensive selections. Also making the first-team offense were North Murray's Jacob Mays and Brady Swilling, Sonoraville's Jackson Murray and Ringgold lineman Caleb Hamby. Other first-team defenders were Ringgold's Dakota Baer and Slade Dale, North Murray's John Chastain and Coahula Creek's Cordarius Tarver. Named to the second-team offense were Ringgold's Kile Sholl and Christian Plott, North Murray's Wesley Ross, Isaiah Jackson and Jacob Bryson, Sonoraville's Matt Edgar and Hiram Valez and Gordon Central's Bo Dooley. Second-team defenders were Ringgold's Zach Morris and Kanan Briner, Gordon Central's Eric Smith and Mauria Coria, North Murray's David Martin, Coahula Creek's Erick Dominguez and LFO's Daniel Parrish.

Basketball

• The Tennessee Temple women's basketball team beat area rival Tennessee Wesleyan 62-53 in the Union College tournament Saturday at Barbourville, Ky. The Lady Crusaders (4-9) erupted from a 16-point first half to outscore Wesleyan 46-33 in the final 20 minutes. Starters Amanda Rector and Alexis McGhee scored 12 points each and LaQuinta Gallishaw came off the bench to hit 12 of 12 free throws and total 14 points for Temple. Rector added four assists. Heather Gibson scored 12 points and Cody Houck had 11 rebounds with nine points for TWC (4-6), which shot 27.1 percent from the field to 30.6 for Temple. Courtney Gobble made three steals. After two Houck free throws gave the Lady Bulldogs a 42-40 lead, TTU scored 14 points in a row. Cumberland University, ranked No. 7 in NAIA Division I, beat NAIA Division II-ranked Union 61-49 with Jessica Pace scoring a game-high 18 points.

• The University of the Cumberlands men's basketball team, ranked No. 2 in NAIA Division I, improved to 13-0 for the season with a 100-83 home win Saturday against Tennessee Wesleyan, but the NAIA D-II Bulldogs made a good accounting for themselves with their most complete roster of the season. Zamarius McClendon and Tyler Burse scored 18 points each for TWC (7-6), and Shannon Smith and Desmond Crisp had 14 and 11, while veteran point guard E'Jay Ward was back in the starting lineup with 10 points, nine assists and three steals. Burse was 4-of-5 on 3-point shots. Benito Santiago Jr. led six double-figure scorers for the Patriots with 21 points, and Markeith Cungious had 13 points and led a 49-19 team dominance in rebounds with 10.

• The Sewanee women's basketball team came off a three-week holiday layoff Saturday with very rusty shooting, 19.6 percent (9-of-46), and lost 49-26 at Washington & Lee. The winning Lady Generals (4-4) shot only 36 percent, but reserve Alena Hamrick was 6-of-11 with three 3s and scored 17 points. Kayla Sewell led Sewanee (4-4) with seven points and had 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. The Tigers play today at Randolph.