Austin Peay freshman JaVaughn Craig from McCallie School turned his first collegiate start at quarterback into two of the Ohio Valley Conference football honors for last week. Craig was the co-offensive player and the newcomer of the week after throwing five touchdown passes and setting a school record with 466 yards of total offense in the winless Governors' 41-40 loss to Tennessee State. Craig completed 17 of 25 passes for 322 yards and ran 20 times for 144, the most by an OVC quarterback this season. His fifth scoring pass, a 40-yarder, gave Austin Peay a 40-34 lead with 1:05 to play.
Soccer
* Lee University announced Monday that Paul Furey has resigned after six years as the men's soccer coach, and president Dr. Paul Conn said assistant vice president Cole Strong and athletic director Larry Carpenter would lead a search committee to find Furey's successor. "It is with a heavy heart I find it necessary to step down due to personal reasons," Furey said in the school release. "I have greatly enjoyed working with my fellow coaches and colleagues in the athletic department and around campus. The most difficult part will be missing my players and coaching staff that I have come to love so much." Conn said all had enjoyed working with Furey as well and he "can be proud of his leadership of this program." Furey previously served 21 years as the head coach at Mount Vernon Nazarene. His Lee record of 66-41-13 includes the 2014 NCCAA national championship.
* The Lee women's soccer team was invited to the NCAA South Regional in Miami Shores, Fla., and will play there against fourth-seeded Rollins (10-3-3) on Friday at 2 p.m. The Lady Flames (14-2-2) are seeded fifth. The winner of that match will face host Barry at 1 p.m. Saturday. Lee's Kinsey Cichowitz and McKenzie Bricker were voted to the Gulf South Conference all-tournament team after the Lady Flames were knocked out on penalty kicks in their semifinal against Mississippi College.
* Dalton State midfielders Rosie Lindo and Daniel Valenciano were the Southern States Athletic Conference soccer offensive players of the week for their contributions to league-quarterfinal wins over the weekend. Lindo netted a late penalty kick that sent the female Roadrunners to overtime and ultimately victory against Bethel; she has eight goals and 12 assists for a team-high 28 points this season. Valenciano had two goals and an assist in the DSC men's 4-0 win over Middle Georgia State; he had 10 goals and two assists.
Basketball
* After 19 years as an NCAA Division I assistant coach, former Alabama standout Stacey Franklin makes her debut as a head coach tonight at 6, with her NJCAA Division I Lady Tigers on the road against the Milligan junior varsity. The Chattanooga State teams open TCCAA play by hosting Dyersburg State and Southwest Tennessee on Friday and Saturday. "This path has opened up for me. I love coaching and impacting lives," said Franklin, who will have returners Mia Collins, Kaela Patrick and Shana Miller in her starting lineup and a fourth returner, Madison Rogers, helping provide leadership. "All four have set a good example, and they all lead in different ways and have been very important to our progress so far," Franklin said. "I'm very pleased with how the girls are working. We're looking to get better every day, and we're excited about this first game and about starting league play at home this weekend." Key freshmen are Taylor Simmons, Mariah Bryant and Janiah Williams (who has been hampered by hamstring and ankle injuries) from Georgia and Jada Morgan from North Carolina.
* The Chattanooga State men improved to 2-0 with a 108-63 win Monday night in Madisonville against the Hiwassee junior varsity. The Tigers beat the King JV 120-61 a week ago.