Maryville College junior defensive tackle Zach Capehart from Silverdale Baptist Academy received honorable mention on the 2014 D3football.com All-America football team. The Ooltewah resident and two-time Maryville team captain had 43 tackles with 11.5 for lost yardage this season, including seven sacks, and forced three fumbles. He earlier was named first-team All-South Region. Capehart has 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his Fighting Scots career. "He spent the offseason working to prove that he was one of the best defensive linemen in the country, and he did just that," defensive line coach Ian Harris said in a school posting. "He is the prime example of hard work and selflessness paying off. This kid is an All-American on and off the field." Head coach Mike Rader said that Capehart "really redefined himself. His sophomore year he'd bulked up and was playing a little bit of a different position for us. This year he lost some weight -- trimmed down -- and it really benefited him. ... It was awesome to see his ability to make plays in the backfield."
Basketball
Lee University beat 20th-ranked Alabama-Huntsville 81-62 in Gulf South Conference men's basketball Saturday night in Cleveland, but UAH won the women's game 70-64 despite 17 points by Lee freshman Emileigh Swafford. Cory Billingsley led five double-figure scorers for the Lee Flames (9-2, 4-2) with 17 points, while Chad Lee had 11 rebounds with eight points. Tyquan Roberts had 14 points and eight rebounds and Jervon Johnson and Bryce Copeland scored 13 and 11 points in the win, and Stedmon Ford had 10 points and five assists. Taylor Chapman led UAH (9-3, 4-2) with 14 points. Shannon Steinert and Josi Saunders made three 3-pointers each in scoring 16 and 14 points for the Lady Chargers (6-6, 3-3), while Christina Johnson, Alex Swope and Erin Walsh had 10 points each and four, three and two steals for the Lady Flames (6-6, 3-3). Johnson also totaled 11 rebounds, eight on the offensive backboards.
The University of the Cumberlands, which received votes in the last NAIA Division I men's basketball poll, won 48-47 over No. 13 Dalton State on the latter's home court Saturday in the Roadrunners Booster Club's Holiday Classic. Dalton State hit 17 of 17 free throws but only 14 of 51 shots from the field (27.5 percent) in falling to 10-2. The visiting Patriots took a 15-4 lead but needed a shot from the corner by Xavier Owens with two seconds left to win. Sean Tate and Ladaris Green scored 13 points each to lead the Roadrunners, Green with 11 rebounds, and Anthony Hilliard had 10 points. DSC plays again on Jan. 2, when it hosts its first Southern States Athletic Conference game. Owens led the Patriots (11-4) with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Chance Armstrong had 12 points and Tony Bradley had five assists.
Hines Prep Academy from North Carolina pulled out an 80-74 overtime men's basketball victory Friday night against Georgia Northwestern at the Rossville Athletic Center. Hines led 30-17 in the first half but only 39-35 at the break, and GNTC's Bobcats took a 68-65 lead on Veshawn Bell's 3-point basket with 3:20 left in the game. But a foul called on the Bobcats' Dustin Stanley after a rebound with 1:29 to go fouled him out and was deemed a "flagrant 1," and the Knights created a 70-70 tie in regulation and controlled the extra period with Stanley unavailable. Bell had 19 points and eight rebounds and Cameron Sherlin scored 17 points with five first-half 3s for the Bobcats, while Tyler Shropshire had eight assists with 13 points, Stanley had 16 rebounds with 11 points and Devin Watkins scored 12 points. David Tripp and Tyrese Harvey scored 21 points apiece for Hines Prep and Alex Coggins had 18 points and seven assists. GNTC doesn't play again until hosting West Georgia Tech on Jan. 13.