Whether it was on a state or even national level, local athletics consistently made headlines during 2010. Here are the top 10 prep stories of the past year:
1. Quick Signal
In its second season of varsity competition, Signal Mountain became the fastest program to claim a TSSAA state football championship. The Eagles went 14-0, averaging 51.6 points per game and winning 10 games by the state's 35-point mercy rule on the way to the Class 2A championship. They set a state-championship game record with 688 total yards and became the highest-scoring area team ever with 722 points.
Brentwood Academy had been the program to win a title fastest, doing so in its fourth year of existence in 1974.
Signal Mountain is 24-2 in its two years of playing a varsity schedule.
"There were always great athletes on the mountain. They just didn't have a high school before now, so they used to scatter all around the city," Eagles coach Bill Price said. "Now those kids have a community school and they take a lot of pride in that."
2. Quicker Jackson
Howard's LaQuisha Jackson became the fastest female sprinter in state history in only her sophomore season.
She lived up to the hype at the Spring Fling by fulfilling on her prediction of breaking state records in the 100- and 200-meters. And she anchored the Lady Hustlin' Tigers' state titles in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.
In two years, she has yet to lose a running event at the state meet.
In her first event, Jackson took the baton for the final leg of the 4x100 relay in fourth place, then smoked everyone in front of her for the win, then followed that by shattering the record in the 100 (11.46). In her third event, she took the baton for the final leg of the 4x200 more than 20 yards behind two other sprinters, but even after a shaky baton exchange that caused her to start from nearly a complete stop, she caused a collective "Whoo!" form the crowd by picking off both runners and winning that event by more than a second.
She capped her amazing night by breaking a 32-year old record in the 200 (23.86), causing the crowd of more than 4,000 to give her a standing ovation.
"That was crazy," Howard coach Jennifer Mitchell said. "I've never seen a whole crowd do that for one athlete. You just don't see anybody break state sprint records by that much. I'm still in shock of what she accomplished."
3. Brainerd basketball coach Robert High moved into second place on the state's list of career victories and is also the nation's leader among active coaches. The 66-year old High now has a record of 929-271 and is one of only 15 coaches nationally to have ever won more than 900 games.
Much as he did in claiming his 900th victory last season, this year's new mark was set in the Bahamas, where Brainerd was playing in a prestigious Thanksgiving tournament.
"When you start coaching, you're not shooting for records," High said. "You can't help but feel proud of what we've accomplished. I say 'we' because so many people have been a part of this record."
High has won at least 20 games 28 times, winning three state championships and finishing runner-up twice. He said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
4. Even by the lofty standards of a program with as much tradition as Soddy-Daisy's softball team, last season was special. Not only did the Lady Trojans claim their fifth Class AAA state championship at the Spring Fling with a 52-2 record, but they also finished in the top five in two national polls -- No. 4 in the ESPN rise FAB 50 and No. 5 in the USA Today rankings.
Four players have since signed college scholarships and the worrisome part for opponents is the amount of talent that returns. When sophomore ace Kelsey Nunley was unable to pitch in the title game because of an injury, freshman Tori Denayer came on to lock down the program's seventh state title.
Junior shortstop Alex Everett, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in the title game, was named the tournament's most valuable player.
5. Besides the Lady Trojans, it was a banner year overall for area girls' athletics, with 10 teams claiming state championships in various sports. GPS' softball team claimed its fourth straight Division II-AA state championship, a streak that ranks third in TSSAA softball history. It was also the seventh state title for Bruisers speedy leadoff batter Tory Lewis, who also helped win two championships in volleyball and one in track and signed to play softball with the University of Tennessee.
GPS' tennis team also won a title, but rival Baylor's girls' program was even more dominant with championships in cross country, golf, soccer and track. Signal Mountain won championships in golf and volleyball, while Notre Dame's girls snapped a six-year jinx of losing in the soccer state tournament to claim its first title since 1988 and Soddy-Daisy also won a golf title. Gordon Lee became the first Georgia fastpitch softball team to complete an unbeaten season after capturing the Class A championship.
6. Regardless of the sport, Calhoun was at the center of attention. It began with national signing day when two Yellow Jackets football players switched from their original commitments to sign with the University of Tennessee. Receiver Da'Rick Rogers, a five-star prospect and a Parade and Under Armour All American, created a sizable backlash from Bulldogs fans when he spurned in-state Georgia for the Vols. Quarterback Nash Nance had originally committed to Vanderbilt, but joined Rogers by signing with UT.
Next, Calhoun's baseball team capped a nearly-perfect season by claiming the Class AA state title for the first time in five years. The Yellow Jackets' only loss came in the state-finals series, but they followed that with two wins to win the championship and finish 35-1.
The football program fell just short in its bid for its first state title since 1952, losing in overtime to finishing runner up for a third consecutive season.
7. Just two days before he was scheduled to begin attending class at the University of Tennessee, Ooltewah defensive lineman Jacques Smith created a drama-filled five days by coming home and reopening his recruitment. Rated the state's top prospect by every major recruiting service and named a prep All American by the U.S. Army, USA Today and Rivals.com, Smith considered transferring to either Alabama or LSU, but after a conversation with new UT coach Derek Dooley, returned to Knoxville and began attending class and preparing for spring practice. He eventually worked his way into the playing rotation, where he made 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks this season.
8. Three traditional powers continued to add championship hardware as Baylor and Bradley Central claimed team titles in wrestling and South Pittburg won its fifth crown in football.
Baylor won the traditional team championship, its 13th, while Bradley Central won both the state duals and traditional tournament for the Bears' 10th title.
South Pittsburg avenged last year's loss in the 1A title game and now the area program which has played for the most championships (9) now also has more football state titles than any other area program.
9. There isn't always a happy ending in the theater of sports, and several area teams experienced the heartbreak of narrowly falling short in a championship setting.
Baylor's football team lost in the final seconds, after it appeared Jacob Huesman had intercepted a pass in the end zone to force overtime. A leaping Huesman had the ball in his hands but as he came down, Ensworth receiver David Dingess was able to also put both hands on the ball and the simultaneous-possession rule gave the offense the catch, and the game-winning touchdown with 7.8 seconds remaining in the Division II-AA title game.
Calhoun lost Georgia's AA football title in overtime when Buford held on downs at the 5-yard line.
Despite rallying from 23 points down in the first half to force two overtimes -- hitting two tying 3-pointers to force both extra periods -- Grace Academy fell to top-ranked Clarksville Academy in the Class A basketball championship. The Golden Eagles had led by five with three minutes remaining in the second overtime.
McMinn Central's girls' basketball team built a 19-point lead in the third quarter of the Class AA title game but lost by three to defending champion Gibson County when senior guard Madison Lee's 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
10. Two of our area's coaching legends retired within a couple of weeks of each other. First, Ooltewah football coach Benny Monroe stepped down, then Polk County girls' basketball coach Ron Davis called it quits.
Monroe had coached at Ooltewah for five years, averaging 10 wins per year and twice making it to the semifinals. He began his coaching career at McMinn County, where he stayed from 1972-77, but it was at Cleveland where he built a hall of fame career. In 18 years with the Blue Raiders, Monroe won three consecutive state titles (1993-95), incluidng a 54-game winning streak. Cleveland named its football stadium in his honor and Monroe has been inducted into six halls of fame. He ended his career with a 259-65 overall record.
Davis coached his alma mater for 34 years, winning at least 20 games 22 times and his 1981 team is responsible for the school's only state championship of any kind. The Wildkittens season ended in the Class AA state tournament, and Davis finished his career with 935 wins.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.