Dalton High School's Matt Land was featured on national television Sunday during the NFL's Pro Bowl as the Don Shula prep football coach of the year. He was in Orlando, Florida, as the Atlanta Falcons' Shula award nominee, and his national selection out of 32 candidates gets him guest privileges at Super Bowl LIV next Sunday in Miami along with $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, $10,000 of that for Dalton's football program, and inclusion in the NFL Honors ceremony Saturday in Miami (televised by Fox at 8 p.m.). The GHSA Class AAAAAA Catamounts were 7-4 in 2019 with Jahmyr Gibbs running for 2,554 yards and scoring 40 touchdowns, and the Shula award panel considers "character and integrity, leadership, dedication to the community (and) commitment to player health and safety" in addition to on-field success, according to NFL.com.
Basketball
* Sewanee beat the Hendrix women 65-53 but lost 85-81 to the Hendrix men in Southern Athletic Association basketball Sunday in Arkansas. Ellie Treanton had 15 points and eight rebounds, Kinsley Logan 13 points and Ashley Stewart four steals for the winning Tigers (8-12, 3-6). Joey Knox was 6-of-7 on 3-point shots and had 28 points and seven rebounds for the Sewanee men (9-11, 3-6), who got 19 points from Ryan Starr and eight rebounds with 10 points from Jordan Warlick in almost overcoming a 22-4 start for Hendrix (12-8, 6-3).
* Chattanooga State's Lady Tigers continued their surge by crushing visiting Southwest Tennessee 84-43 in a Tennessee Community College Athletic Association doubleheader Saturday, but the male Tigers lost 69-63. Naja Fenelon had 15 points and seven assists, Gee Gee Hollingsworth-Pugh scored 13 points and Melisa Carter and Gla'Mia Letcher had 12 and 10 points and seven rebounds each for the winning women (17-5, 8-3). Shaquala Walton had 10 rebounds and five assists. Lorenzo Ferrell and Everette Wilson had 15 and 12 points and seven and eight rebounds for the Chattanooga State men (8-12, 5-6).
* Dalton State College won 75-71 Saturday in Southern States Athletics Conference men's basketball at Martin Methodist. That gave NAIA Division I's sixth-ranked Roadrunners (19-1, 8-1) a 12-game winning streak. Kevon Tucker led them with 19 points, and Dauson Womack had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his first start of the season. Sean Cranney and Randy Bell scored 11 points each, Cranney with five steals, and Rodley Adjai added 10 points. Felix Hayes scored 24 with six 3s for the RedHawks (11-7, 4-5).
* Bryan College won an Appalachian Athletic Conference home doubleheader Saturday against Allen University, 85-68 in the women's game and 92-79 in the men's. Destiny Kassner had 27 points and seven rebounds and Kaitlynn Hennessee, Sarah Cain and Karli Combs scored 16, 14 and 12 points for the Lady Lions (20-1, 16-0), who are No. 18 in NAIA Division II. Deandra Luna had nine assists, and Shayla Ludy and Amadea Pankey collected eight and seven rebounds. For the Bryan men (11-10, 10- 7), Justin Warner had 21 points, Isaiah McClain 20 and five assists, Brandon Thomas 17 points and 14 rebounds and AJ Jones 14 points and four assists.
* The Tennessee Wesleyan teams tuned up for Tuesday's visit from Bryan with an 88-83 AAC men's win and a 78-28 women's romp against visiting Columbia International. Bryant Bernard had 23 points and four assists and Dominique Oggs had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the TWU men (7-11, 5-10), and Ty Patterson scored 19 points. The Lady Bulldogs (8-11, 8-8) got 12 points and six rebounds apiece and a combined seven 3s from Kenzie Conn and Savannah Atkins, 11 points from Madison McClurg and 10 points and four steals by Hannah Cherry. Alyson Crowder led with eight rebounds.
Track & Field
* Sewanee senior Ash Midyett finished fourth and set a school record with an 8:46.26 time in the men's 3000-meter run at the UAB Green and Gold Invitational this past weekend inside the Birmingham CrossPlex. The old record was 8:47.73, set by Clay Bond in 2012. Sewanee was the only Division III representative among 12 men's and 15 women's teams, including UTC.
Compiled by Ron Bush. Contact him at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.