Multisport stars and nationally rated specialists headline this year's six finalists for the Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year award. The group includes Cole Copeland, Brendon Harris, Hakim McMorris, Luke Shiflett, Andre Tarver and Drew Viscomi, and the winner will be announced Tuesday night at the annual Times Free Press Best of Preps banquet.
At the banquet, set to begin at 6 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center, awards will recognize an individual player of the year in all boys' and girls' sports, as well as overall male and female athletes and coach of the year.
Every athlete and coach named to a Times Free Press Best of Preps first, second or third team for the 2016-17 school year receives one complimentary ticket to the banquet. An email has been sent to those athletes and coaches with a private link for them to RSVP. Anyone planning to attend must go to the link and RSVP to claim his or her ticket.
Anyone else who wishes to attend can do so by ordering tickets at bestofprepschatt.com. Each costs $50. All questions concerning banquet tickets should go to marketing@timesfreepress.com or to Kate Brennan at 423-757-6308.
Copeland, a Bradley Central senior who accepted a football scholarship from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, threw for 2,512 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for another 600 yards despite missing three games with a shoulder injury. He was a Tennessee Mr. Football semifinalist. In basketball, he averaged 20.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game and was voted District 5-AAA player of the year.
Harris, a junior safety for Baylor, has been rated a four-star prospect by every major recruiting service nationally and recently committed to Tennessee. Considered one of the top overall prospects in the nation, he had 76 total tackles and five interceptions and also led the Red Raiders with 603 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
McMorris, a McCallie junior, won the Division II state decathlon title with a point total that made him the nation's top-rated prep decathlete. Three days later he also won the state title in the 300-meter hurdles, finished second in the triple jump and also competed in the high jump and 110 hurdles.
Shiflett, a junior at Northwest Whitfield, led the football team into the Georgia Class AAAA playoffs and a first-round win with 2,033 passing yards, 703 rushing and 30 total touchdowns. He was also a first-team Best of Preps basketball selection after being voted Region 6 player of the year for averaging 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals a game.
Tarver, a Ringgold sophomore, already has committed to Mississippi State in baseball, where this past season he helped the Tigers reach the Class AAA quarterfinals with a .398 average, nine home runs, 37 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. As a receiver in football he set a school record with 1,140 yards on 42 catches and had 12 touchdowns while also excelling in the defensive backfield.
Viscomi, a McCallie senior and Northwestern signee, was named the Tennessee Gatorade soccer player of the year and was a finalist for USA Today's All-USA player of the year. He had 36 goals and 12 assists, helping the Blue Tornado earn their first Division II-AA state championship since 1999.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.