Night of fame: Top honorees at Best of Preps Banquet announced

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It's interesting that of all the stories John Smoltz spun and the bits of advice he gave the athletes in attendance at the Best of Preps Banquet on Monday night, the topic that stayed with Alex Trotter was failure.

The former Atlanta Braves pitcher who will be inducted next month in the Baseball Hall of Fame lit up a packed house at the Chattanooga Convention Center with a variety of tales, but when he spoke about a key to his brilliant career revolving around both accepting and learning from his failures, McCallie's Trotter took notice.

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Trotter, a senior two-sport all-star who walked away with the Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year award, also praised his teammates for helping him reach an elite level, much like Smoltz credited ex-pitching mates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.

"This means a lot to me, especially after all the hard work me and my teammates have put in," Trotter said. "It means more because I've had guys who have pushed me and I know not everybody has that, so this is as much for them as it is for me.

"Meeting John Smoltz was great, and when he explained what failure meant and how you can't be afraid to fail, it really stuck with me."

McKenzie Ethridge, like Trotter, failed very infrequently this past school year. The Signal Mountain junior track star was named the Scrappy Moore Female Athlete of the Year and said afterward that earning the honor will only make her work harder.

"It means a lot to just know I was up for this award, and to actually get it puts confidence in myself that I'm doing the right things, especially when you see all these great athletes," she said. "This is amazing."

Calhoun football coach Hal Lamb was honored as the Scrappy Moore Coach of the Year after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 15-0 record and a Georgia state championship in the school's first season in Class AAA.

Success is hardly anything new to Lamb, who won a state championship as a player, just won his second as a coach and is a competitive golfer. Still, seldom has a team captured his heart like this year's Yellow Jackets.

"It's definitely an honor and there's a lot of people involved in this award -- the coaching staff, the players and the community," he said. "I didn't expect it, and it means a lot to me to be able to share it with them.

"This was a special group. The seniors were amazing. The highest level any of those kids signed with is (NCAA) Division II, so that tells you how much they loved the game and how much they wanted to win a state championship. It really was an unbelievable group."

Those three major award winners were just part of a night in which 18 athletes received player-of-the-year awards in their sports. There were also four special awards handed out.

McCallie's David Bowman and Wesley Brown, the school's co-valedictorians, shared the Franklin Academic Award. Cleveland wrestler Chris Debien received the Bobby Davis Award for winning state and national wrestling titles following major knee surgery.

East Ridge assistant football coach Austin Roden was named the Dr. Guy Francis Go the Extra Mile Award for his courageous fight against cancer. Roden understood maybe more than most Smoltz's message that while great, sports are only part of an athlete's life.

"It was special to have John Smoltz here to share this," said Roden, who was given a standing ovation following a video presentation. "I've learned when you're facing death you start enjoying life a lot more. Sports are temporary, so take advantage of it while you've got it. Sports are great, but you've got a life to live, so live it well.

"You have what you have right now, so enjoy it today. You've got no control over tomorrow."

The night's other special award winner, Dalton assistant football coach Bill Napier, understands that all too well. Suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease, he's now wheelchair bound, but that doesn't stop the Sandy Sandlin Unselfish Sportsman Award winner from continuing to coach.

"This is the first time I've been to the Best of Preps Banquet, and it's really a special event," said Napier, who is working a football camp near Atlanta today. "I feel blessed to have been here tonight. It's always great to see the athletes and coaches get recognized for all the work they put in."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.