Local radio broadcasts of Atlanta Falcons football games will be moving this season to Chattanooga's ESPN station, 105.1 FM "The Zone," beginning with the Aug. 25 preseason game at Miami. The Falcons' longtime Chattanooga affiliate, WDEF 1370 AM, now has a country music format. "The addition of the Falcons is a natural extension of the station's growing sports commitment," 105.1 The Zone program director Wells Guthrie said in a Friday release from Brewer Media in conjunction with the NFL team. "As Chattanooga's only full-time sports outlet, we are providing the most in-demand sports content, and the Falcons certainly fill the bill." Added Brewer market manager Joe Bell: "We're excited about the possibilities that exist with the Falcons, not only on ESPN 105.1 The Zone but on our other stations, too: Power 94, Groove 93, BIG 95.3 and The Big Easy 106.9. It's going to be a great partnership."
Basketball
* New Hiwassee College women's basketball coach Meagan Price has announced the signing of former Walker Valley guard Kathaleen Alomar for the 2016-17 season. "We are so excited to add Kat to the program," said Price, who had been an assistant coach at Truett-McConnell since graduating from Missouri Baptist in 2011. "Her character is evident from the moment you meet her, and I am so excited to add her high level of skill, hard work and leadership." The 5-foot-6 Alomar, a native of Yonkers, N.Y., scored more than 1,000 points in her Walker Valley career and averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 assists a game as a senior. Price praised Alomar's AAU coach, Andrew Little, and new Hiwassee assistant Darrell Buckelew, who also worked with Alomar, for their part in her development. Price was an all-region player for Class A power Gleason (Tenn.) High School and then helped lead Bethel University to its first NAIA national tournament, shooting better than 50 percent from 3-point range in that 2008-09 season, before finishing her playing career at Missouri Baptist.
Cross Country
* The Dalton State women's cross country team has finished no lower than first in the Southern States Athletic Conference since joining the league in 2014, and the Roadrunners were picked to make it three titles in a row this season. They got eight of the nine first-place votes from the SSAC coaches, who picked Blue Mountain, Brenau and Mobile second through fourth. Emily Poole, Natalie Hensley and Mallory Edwards from Heritage High School finished first, second and eighth in leading Dalton State to victory in the 2015 SSAC meet.
Baseball
* Former Ringgold High School standout Josh Hendricks has joined the baseball coaching staff at Tusculum College. A release Friday from the NCAA Division II school in Greeneville, Tenn., school said he would be working primarily with hitters, catchers and recruiting. Hendricks was an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator for Brescia University this past year after eight years as a high school coach, including at Prattville High, Opelika High and Edgewood Academy in Alabama. His Edgewood teams won three AISA baseball (2009-11) and two football state titles. Hendricks was a three-sport athlete at Ringgold and played Team Georgia baseball in 2000 and 2001, and he signed with Tennessee Tech out of high school. He wound up playing for Mars Hill, Brewton-Parker and Auburn-Montgomery, where he was on the 2006 team that finished third in the NAIA World Series. "Josh has a passion for the game of baseball and the energy and drive it takes to be successful in this profession," Pioneers head coach Doug Jones said. Said Hendricks: "I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Tusculum baseball program, as well as the tremendous coaching staff. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to learn from these talented coaches."