Catholic honors eight college signees at end of 2022-23

By Steve Williams

Eight student-athletes at Knoxville Catholic High inked college scholarship papers in the school's final two signing days for 2022-23.

A "special summer signing day" for two members on its Division II-AA state championship baseball team was held on June 21 in the KCHS Library. Ian Hubbard signed with Radford University and Ben Sompayrac with Cleveland State Community College.

Head Coach Caleb Moore spoke at the ceremony and several Irish teammates were on hand for the occasion.

Catholic also held its fifth National Signing Day of the school year on May 30 in the St. Gregory the Great Auditorium with six student-athletes signing their national letters of intent that will chart their future academic and athletic careers.

That group included three cheerleaders – Ellie Brickner (East Tennessee State University), Ella Perry (University of South Carolina) and Anna Kauffman (Maryville College).

Others signing that day were Sam Brott with Lincoln Memorial University (Lacrosse), Sam O'Leary with ETSU (Football) and Devyn Dunn with UNC Asheville (Volleyball).

What is the TSSAA dead period?

For those who aren't aware, TSSAA makes contact between coaches and athletes in its high schools illegal for two weeks – the last week in June and first week in July (June 26 through July 9 this year). There are to be no workouts, no scrimmages, no practices, no lifting, no meetings, no instructions, no texts, no phone calls.

Browning and Sharp fill AD positions

Knox County Schools have two new athletic directors going into the 2023-24 school year.

Jeff Browning takes over the position at Carter. Browning was already on the staff at Carter as an assistant principal. Jewel Brock, a retired educator, had been the AD in recent years.

Danny Sharp, who was an assistant baseball coach at Gibbs this past season, is the new athletic director at Central, replacing J.D. Lambert, who retired.

Campbell, UT signee, soars to high jump record

Grant Campbell, Heritage High's record-setting high jumper, was one of the most impressive athletes in the state in the field events this past season.

The UT signee set a state prep record by going over the high jump bar at 7 feet, 3¼ inches in the annual Volunteer Track Classic at Tom Black Track on April 29.

Campbell went on to win the TSSAA Class AAA state title at 7-0.

To put Grant's performances in further perspective, the boys' Knoxville Interscholastic League meet record is 6-7, set by Gibbs' Larry Clapp in 1977.

In other track news, Bearden sprinter and hurdler Laila Rudolph reportedly will be continuing her education and athletic career at MTSU.

Farragut High graduate Quinn DeGuira won the 2K Steeple with a time of 6:15.88 in the Music City Track Carnival June 2-3.

Webb rising senior Colin Eckerman, running for Cosey Elite, finished sixth in the New Balance National Outdoors June 15-18 with a time of 8:40.21 in the 3000-meter run.

Pro soccer anyone?

One Knoxville Sporting Club, Knoxville's first professional soccer team, has two home matches coming up – Saturday (July 8) against North Carolina and July 11 against Northern Colorado at the Regal Soccer Stadium. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Vintage Base Ball twinbill Saturday

Mountain City Club of Chattanooga will play Emmett Machinists of Knoxville at noon Saturday (July 8) at the Historic Ramsey House in the Tennessee Vintage Base Ball Association. The visitors also will take on the Knoxville Holstons at 2:30.

The Machinists are currently 4-0 and tied for first place with the Lightfoot Club of Chattanooga in the Tennessee Vintage Base Ball Association standings.

Admission is free.

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