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Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9

Baylor’s Ryan Parker, Signal Mountain’s McKenzie Ethridge named best of the Best of Preps

Baylor's Ryan Parker crosses the stage after receiving one of his awards at the Best of Preps banquet Thursday, June 9, 2016 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Parker won three awards, including the Scrappy Moore male athlete of the year.
Baylor's Ryan Parker crosses the stage after receiving one of his awards at the Best of Preps banquet Thursday, June 9, 2016 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Parker won three awards, including the Scrappy Moore male athlete of the year. Baylor's Ryan Parker crosses the stage after receiving one of his awards at the Best of Preps banquet Thursday, June 9, 2016 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Parker won three awards, including the Scrappy Moore male athlete of the year.

Awards winners

Best of Preps awards winners

This yesr’s nominees

Best of Preps nominees

As the best of the Best of Preps athletes honored at Thursday night’s annual awards banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Ryan Parker and McKenzie Ethridge displayed a resolve that connected them with the Times Free Press event’s featured speaker.

Former University of Tennessee and current Kansas City Chiefs star Eric Berry’s message was about perseverance and never settling for anything but one’s best. The cancer survivor and 2015 NFL comeback player of the year also said a key to his personal and professional success is having a sense of who he is.

photo Signal Mountain runner McKenzie Ethridge was named to the Spring 2016 Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps.

That’s certainly true for Parker, the Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year, and female honoree Ethridge, both dominant athletes who know their place in life.