Duke University linebacker David Helton from Baylor School is the 2014 recipient of the Jim Tatum Award as the top senior football scholar-athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Helton is the third consecutive Duke player to receive the award, following Sean Renfree (2012) and Perry Simmons. Helton was named this week to the All-ACC first team and leads the league in tackles per game (10.42), and he carries a 3.64 grade point average as a psychology major. He is a finalist for the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy recognizing the sport's top student-athlete nationally and also is a finalist for the national Lott IMPACT trophy. The Tatum award will be presented tonight in Charlotte, N.C., as part of the festivities surrounding the ACC championship game Saturday.
• Walker Valley High School assistant head football coach Ken Johnson is the new head coach for Cumberland County High School. Johnson, who worked for three years in a variety of aspects at Tennessee under Phillip Fulmer, has been on staff at Walker Valley for the past eight years. Also the co-offensive cordinator for the Mustangs, he was chosen from more than 50 applicants for the Crossville school. He and his wife, Angela, have children ages 7 and 2 with a third due next summer.
Boxing
• Anthony Campbell from Covington, Tenn., is no stranger to boxing in Chattanooga, and tonight he will be trying to win the 165-pound weight class in the United States team trials at the Chattanooga Convention Center. In fact, he began his career as a youngster with Chattanooga's Westside (now Y-CAP) program. Campbell and LeShawn Rodriguez of Medford, N.Y., won the semifinals in 165 class Thursday night. Two-time Georgia high school wrestling champion Sidney Wheeler of Dalton, Ga., lost to Steven Nelson of Colorado Springs, Colo., at 178 pounds but will compete for third place this afternoon. Officially called the 2015 WSB & World Team Trials, the tournament decides the U.S. team that will be competing internationally next year for berths in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. The best amateurs in the country have been fighting all week in Chattanooga.
Basketball
• The Lee University basketball teams opened Gulf South Conference play Thursday night with a 78-51 victory for the Lady Flames against Christian Brothers but a 73-70 loss for the previously undefeated Flames against the Memphis school. The Lee men (5-1) trailed by 21 points with 13:34 to go. They got 21 points from Cory Billingsley and 15 points with four assists and four steals from Stedmon Ford, but Sidy Sall had 22 points and eight rebounds and Charlie Oswald had 10 assists and four steals with 12 points for Christian Brothers (3-1, 1-0). Freshman Emileigh Swafford scored 24 points and Erin Walsh had 19 for the Lady Flames (4-0), while Kayla Beavers scored 15 points, Alex Swope had seven assists and Carrie Cheeks had eight rebounds. Taylor Pugh led the visitors (2-4, 0-1) with 20 points.