TSSAA honors Turner Jackson, Mike Craft

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Bradley Central athletic director Turner Jackson and Chattanooga-area wrestling official Mike Craft have been singled out by the TSSAA.

Jackson received the state association's Distinguished Service honor for administrators, and Craft was recognized as the state's top official.

A native of Huntsville, Ala., Jackson attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and earned All-America honors while wrestling for Jim Morgan. He later coached teams at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and Bradley Central before being named the Bears' athletic director in 2002.

Craft came from Anniston, Ala., and was a teammate of Jackson at UTC, earning the team's "most improved" award in 1974. A former NCAA official, he has refereed wrestling matches in Tennessee for 37 years.

Blue Raiders second

Cleveland remained second in the final Tennessee wrestling coaches' poll despite a 78-4 beatdown of Wilson Central in the Class AAA state duals championship. The Blue Raiders were ranked second behind Christian Brothers, which won its second straight Division II championship.

Schools penalized

Five area schools received penalties in the fall semester, four in football and one in girls' soccer.

Bledsoe County was fined $250 for a fan running onto the field when an altercation broke out during a game, and McMinn County and Soddy-Daisy had players leave the bench and come onto the playing field. Each of those schools was fined $250.

McCallie self-reported an ineligible player taking part in a game and forfeited the game, receiving a $50 fine.

Sequatchie County was fined $250 after its girls' soccer coach was ejected from a match. The coach was suspended two games by the school administration.

Turnage to Tusculum

Signal Mountain senior Elijah Turnage will sign football scholarship papers with NCAA Division II member Tusculum College.

A four-year starter in the defensive line who spent some time this pastseason as a fullback, Turnage was second in tackles for the Eagles with 58.5. He led the team in tackles for loss (13) and sacks. He averaged 4.6 yards on 24 carries.

Massey holds clinic

Former Baylor standout Tyler Massey will have a baseball camp for players in grades 4-12 at the school's Von Oehmig sports performance center.

A member of the Colorado Rockies organization (drafted in 2008), Massey will be joined by Blake Forsythe and Stephen McCray. Forsythe is a catcher in the New York Mets' farm system and McCray a pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization.

Cost is $75 for one session and $120 for both. Friday's session is 6-9 p.m. and Saturday's is 9 a.m.-noon. Further information is available from Massey at 901-484-6204.

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