Multisport athletes headline this year’s six finalists for the Scrappy Moore Male Athlete of the Year. The finalist are Tyner’s Jeremiah Batiste, Red Bank’s Cole Bullock, Heritage’s Nolan Letzgus, Chattanooga Christian’s John Rhodes, Arts & Sciences’ Brevin Sims and Ringgold’s Andre Tarver.
The Best of Preps banquet is set for Tuesday at the Chattanooga Convention Center, with doors opening at 6 p.m.
Batiste, a junior this past school year, was a Class 2A state Mr. Football finalist who led the city with 985 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns and also intercepted three passes. In track he finished second in the 200-meter dash at the Small Class state meet and registered the state’s fastest 100-meter time in qualifying (10.67). He also competed in the state long jump and 4×200 relay.
Bullock, an Ole Miss cross country signee, turned in a personal-best time of 14:54 during the fall season and finished third in the Large Class state meet. He qualified for the state track meet in the 800, 1600 and 3200, finishing third in the 1600. He also placed fifth overall in the Arcadia national meet in Los Angeles and competed in the New Balance indoor nationals as well as the Foot Locker Nationals, where only the top 10 times in each of four regions qualify.
Letzgus is a two-sport star for the Generals who led the baseball team with a 5-1 record and 0.46 ERA. He also pitched 75 strikeouts and batted .420 with 28 runs batted in and 38 scored and was drafted this past week by the Chicago Cubs. In football he caught 53 passes for 938 yards and nine touchdowns.
Rhodes is a two-time Mr. Baseball finalist who has signed with Kentucky. He batted .560 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles, 43 RBIs, 51 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. He also had four saves, 30 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings pitched. In basketball, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals a game and was named all-district for a third straight season. He also set a school record with a long jump of 21 feet, 11.5 inches to win the region title and qualify for the state meet.
Sims set a state record in winning the 110-meter hurdles at the Small Class track meet. He also won the state title in the 300 hurdles and competed in the 100 and 200 sprints.
Tarver is a Mississippi State baseball signee who was drafted in the 15th round by the San Diego Padres. The outfielder batted .561 with 13 home runs, 46 RBIs, 55 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. In football the two-way star had 90 tackles, eight for loss and three forced fumbles to go with 875 total yards on offense.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.