Ringgold football coach Robert Akins
Signal Mountain track and field coach Beverly Blackwell
Dalton Head Soccer Coach Matt Cheaves.Winning a state championship was not a requirement to become a finalist for the Scrappy Moore Coach of the Year award. But it certainly didn’t hurt.
The six finalists for this year’s award, to be given at tonight’s Times Free Press Best of Preps banquet, are Ringgold’s Robert Akins (football), Signal Mountain’s Beverly Blackwell (track & field), Dalton’s Matt Cheaves (soccer), McCallie’s Greg Payne (baseball), Calhoun’s Diane Smith (softball) and Cleveland’s Jake Yost (wrestling).
The winner will be revealed tonight, where two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will help honor the area’s top athletes and coaches. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the 6:30 dinner.
Akins led the Tigers to the postseason for only the third time in school history and guided Ringgold to its state-playoff win in the program’s history. Ringgold finished second to Cartersville in Region 5-AAA before defeating North Hall, Cedar Grove and Central-Carrollton in the Class AAA playoffs.
Blackwell guided the Lady Eagles to the program’s first state championship with a six-point win in the Class A/AA meet. After winning the state sectional, Signal Mountain had athletes qualify in all but one running event.