Although unable to host the banquet that has become synonymous with the annual awards ceremony, due to health concerns with the coronavirus, the Times Free Press held its Best of Preps virtual awards show Thursday evening to honor the area’s standout high school athletes and coaches for 2019-20.
Despite spring sports being canceled due to the outbreak, there were still 18 award winners announced during the half-hour show, which included several sports celebrities making appearances to send congratulations and best wishes.
Video of the ceremony is available at timesfreepress.com and the Times Free Press Facebook page. Sunday’s newspaper will include a special section recognizing all of this past school year’s Best of Preps selections.
Thursday’s winners included the three annual Scrappy Moore honorees: East Hamilton two-sport standout Madison Hayes as Female Athlete of the Year for the second straight time, Dalton football star Jahmyr Gibbs as Male Athlete of the Year and McCallie’s Ralph Potter as Coach of the Year.
Hayes, who for the second straight year also won the Jackson-Lacy award as the area’s most outstanding girls’ basketball player, is one of the Chattanooga area’s most decorated athletes of all time. The versatile 6-foot-1 guard and Mississippi State signee was named a McDonald’s All American, a USA Today All-American and the Gatorade state player of the year, and she was Tennessee Class AAA Miss Basketball for the second straight season after averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game.