The City of Rossville on Saturday is honoring former Rossville High School coach Lynn Murdock, whose 80th birthday is Jan. 27, proclaiming Jan. 17 as Lynn Murdock Day. The public is invited to join family and friends at the Rossville Athletic Center (the former Rossville High gymnasium at 301 Williams St.) between 1 and 5 p.m. "Our daughter and son planned all this," Murdock said of Beth Murdock Hess, who Thanksgiving weekend came up from New Port Richey, Fla., and collaborated with brother Mark Murdock on the project. "I felt like they've kind of gone overboard with it." Murdock spent 30 years teaching at Rossville and 28 as a coach. The Bulldogs won a state title in 1962 during his first year as an assistant football coach and 12 sub-regional championships during his time at the school. In 21 years as head football coach his teams compiled a 133-84-1 record, and among his honors he was chosen Chattanooga-area coach of the year six times ranging from 1964 to 1980. Murdock also spent 10 years as the school's wrestling coach. His teams won five North Georgia championships and two region championships. Murdock said he's most looking forward to meeting with so many people he crossed paths with over those three decades. "It's like I told some people at church the other day," Murdock said, "I've never had a birthday advertised anywhere near close to this. I know it's going to be a great time."
Basketball
Chattanooga State played basketball for the first time in 39 days and won 108-105 in a TCCAA men's overtime game Wednesday night at Walters State, after the nationally ranked host Lady Senators won 95-44 to go to 17-2. Ugo Mmonu scored 31 points and Tramon Moore had 26 points with seven 3-point baskets for the Tigers (10-4, 7-2), while Ronald Jones had 16 rebounds. Deshaun Williams had two key free throws and a 3 in overtime. Alex Hicks scored 23 points and C.J. Nelson from Grace Academy had 13 rebounds with 16 points for the Senators. Teondra Crawford had 14 points in defeat for the Lady Tigers.
Tennessee Wesleyan won 70-51 in women's basketball and 84-73 in the men's game Wednesday evening in Appalachian Athletic Conference play at West Point, Ga. The Lady Bulldogs, ranked No. 11 in NAIA Division II, rose to 16-1 overall and 9-1 in the AAC as reigning player of the week Jenna Adams had 18 points and 11 rebounds with four 3-point baskets, Shira Buley had 21 points and four steals, Armeka Booker had 15 points and seven rebounds and Melanie Barker delivered six assists. For the Bulldogs (8-8, 4-5), Devante Jenkins and Stephen Kite Jr. had 20 and 19 points and eight rebounds apiece and Charles White added 18 points and seven assists.
Bryan College defeated visiting Truett-McConnell 70-52 in AAC women's basketball Wednesday, but second-place Truett-McConnell won the men's game 80-69, dropping the Lions to 9-7 overall and 5-4 in the league. Brandon Cole had 31 points and 11 rebounds and Robert Troino scored 13 points with four 3-pointers for Bryan. Megan Billingsby had 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Ashley Cox had nine assists with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting for the Lady Lions (12-5, 7-3), but Sydney Rau was the scoring leader with 17 points off the bench. Kelsey Brooks made five steals.
West Georgia Tech defeated Georgia Northwestern 72-49 in NJCAA Region XVII men's basketball Tuesday at the Rossville Athletic Center. Devante Orebeau led the visiting Knights with 18 points, while Tyler Shropshire had 12 points and six assists and Dustin Stanley contributed 10 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats (5-9).
Baseball
Dade County High School senior Josh Core signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play baseball for Tennessee Temple University. Core, whose sister Christine played softball for Covenant and whose brother Travis is a senior basketball player for North Georgia, likely will pitch and play outfield for Temple, according to coach Greg Bartley. A right-hander, he shares Dade's main pitching duties with Jacksonville State signee Nic Gaddis and had an earned run average last year of about 1.30 with just over a strikeout per inning, plus a .383 batting average. "Josh is very athletic like Travis," Bartley said. "Besides pitching, he's a good hitter and he runs well, and he's a great fit for us character-wise to go with a lot of talent. And I'm grateful to get another local kid." Core said the Christian aspect at TTU was very important to him, "and the atmosphere when I visited there was great. Everyone was very friendly, including the staff, and I heard a lot about the atmosphere also from people outside the school. The new campus area (beside Woodland Park Baptist Church) is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm excited about that, too."