This year’s Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year finalists are a mixture of state champions and nationally rated players in their chosen sports.
The six finalists are Ringgold’s Martez Eastland, Calhoun’s Mott Hyde, Lakeview-Fort Oglehtorpe’s Derrick Laney, Baylor’s Brandon Lord, Calhoun’s Da’Rick Rogers and Ooltewah’s Jacques Smith.
The winner will be announced during Thursday’s annual Times Free Press Best of Preps banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Eastland, an Ole Miss football signee, was ranked among the top five fullbacks in the nation by Rivals.com. He accumulated 1,561 rushing yards, 310 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns last fall. Eastland also averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds in basketball to help the Tigers win their subregion tournament and host a state playoff game.
In a Calhoun baseball lineup full of dangerous hitters, Hyde was the one opposing coaches tried to make sure wouldn’t beat them. That strategy rarely worked as the Georgia Tech signee ended his high school career by helping lead the Yellow Jackets to a 35-1 record and the Class AA state championship. Along the way were several memorable moments, including home runs in five consecutive at-bats, a .464 batting average, a .603 on-base percentage, 67 runs driven in and 54 scored.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Laney was the top All-North Georgia honoree in both football and wrestling and ended his LFO career as the most decorated athlete in school history. Laney followed a football season in which he recorded 111 tackles, including 40 for loss, and two game-winning blocked kicks with his third consecutive individual state wrestling championship. Before winning, however, he had to overcome a rib injury that seriously affected his conditioning. The Atlanta Takedown Club named Laney to the state’s all-decade wrestling team. He will attend West Georgia State University on a football scholarship.
Lord, a University of Georgia signee, won three Chattanooga Cross Country League meets and the Division II-AA state championship. He placed fifth in the Foot Locker South Regional to qualify for the national meet in San Diego. He won two of his three distance races at the Division II state track meet, claiming 3200 and 1600 titles and narrowly finishing second in the 800. He set a school record in the 3200, and his times in the 1600 and 3200 this season rank in the top five nationally. He finished third in 3200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational, a national event in California.
Rogers, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver and University of Tennessee football signee, earned a rare five-star rating from Rivals.com and was ranked among the nation’s top 10 overall prep prospects. During the Yellow Jackets’ playoff run to the Class AA state title game, Rogers had more than 600 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in five games, setting a Georgia record with 1,647 receiving yards for the season. He played in the UnderArmour All-American game and was named a Parade All-American.
After graduating in December so he could enroll at early at Tennessee, Smith emerged from spring practice as a freshman who could see significant playing time this season for the Vols. In his final prep season he had 79 total tackles, 21 for loss and 9.5 sacks. He became one of the most decorated local players ever. He was a state Mr. Football for a second straight year, was selected a prep All-American by both USA Today and Parade magazine and played in the U.S. Army All-American game. He was listed as the top prospect in the state by numerous recruiting services.
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