from CommercialAppeal.com
MUS’ Class of 2013 closed out a memorable run with one last blast of
hardware Friday night, dominating at the 44th Pepsi Best of the Preps,
presented by The Commercial Appeal at the Germantown Performing Arts
Center.
The Owls won their 15th boys school championship trophy and fourth in
five years. But for the first time, since school awards were split into
Memphis, suburban and private classifications in 1998, they won an
overall trophy as well for large private schools. It is their first
since taking a Class AA win in 1991.
“It’s a special bunch,” Owls athletic director Bobby Alston said of
the group, which helped bring home team titles in lacrosse and tennis,
runner-up finishes in football and bowling, thirds in golf, baseball and
track and individual titles in track, swimming and tennis. “You could
tell they had talent, but they also had a lot of focus and ambition, and
some good coaching along the way.”
The school titles were just the tip of the iceberg. Individual Player
of the Year honors were captured by repeat winners Pace Clark
(swimming) and Peyton Klawinski (lacrosse) and Marshall Sharp (tennis),
who won for the third time in four years. The seniors were joined by
junior track star Harrison Williams, who won four state championships,
including the decathlon. Coach of the Year honors went to by Joe Tyler
(cross country) Bryan Parker (swimming), Elliott Dent (lacrosse) and the
tennis tandem of Bill Taylor and Phil Chamberlin. In all, 10 trips to
the stage.
“To be part of something like this awesome,” Georgia-bound Clark
said. “You had talent across all the teams, real talent. But this group
was also tight.”
Klawinski, headed to North Carolina, said “No matter who was playing,
there was support from the other guys, and their fans as well.”
White Station won its seventh straight MIAA title, Houston its 15th
straight suburban title. ECS won the small private school title and St.
Agnes won its third straight girls title.
Male Athlete of the Year went to Donald Gray of White Station (MIAA),
Brent Rooker of ECS (private) and Carlos Williams (suburban), the first
AOY winner in Covington history who said quickly, “Behind any award
like this is a team, and I was on great teams.” Female Athletes of the
Year were
Odegua Oigbokie of Ridgeway (MIAA), Erika Christian of
Southwind (suburban) and
Kaylah Keys of Harding (private).
Scholar-Athlete awards went to Jamarius Julious of Raleigh-Egypt
(MIAA), Josh Cooley of Olive Branch (suburban) and Walker Jones of ECS
(private), who has followed brother Barrett and Harrison to Alabama.
“Took my first biology test in college this week, and I think I did OK,”
he said. Girls Scholar-Athlete winners were Nekiaya Elam of Central
(MIAA), Katlyn Dupree of Millington (suburban) and Bailey Kramer of
Briarcrest (private).
In addition to Clark and Klawinski, repeating as individual Athlete
of the Year were three-time winner
Nina Davis of Central (girls
basketball) Brooke Alford of Marion (girls golf), Kaleb Baker of CBHS
(wrestling).
Whitehaven’s unbeaten state championship football team swept its
awards, with Mark Dodson taking Offensive Player of the Year, Adam
Collins Defensive Player of the Year and Rodney Saulsberry Coach of the
Year. It’s only the second such sweep in BOP history, the last by
Alston’s MUS state champs in 2009.
“I knew from the first game how good we could be,” said Collins,
who’s headed to Morgan State. “And I’ll never forget Mark scoring that
last touchdown to win the title.”
And White Station freshman Kenya Jones won the girls tennis award her
sister Kayla won the past two years — after claiming the state title,
which her sister never could.
“This and a state championship is best,” Kenya said. “But Kayla (now
at UT-Chattanooga) was excited for me, and she helped me get there.”
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