Butler Named 2023 Ledger Leader APRIL 2023 T he S ports L edger
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By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Most folks around North Alabama have heard about the Fyffe Red Devils' athletic program and it's football team. But what you may not know is that the football program, as well as other Fyffe athletic teams, are loaded with not only talented athletes, but also a number of well rounded and academically smart students. This includes The Sports Ledger 2023 Ledger Leader award recipients Kaden Sharp and Katie Edge. Kaden plays both football and baseball, while Katie is a three sport standout at Fyffe Kaden is a member of Fyffe' football team, where he helped the Red Devils earn a 40-28 victory over B.B Comer in the 2022 Class 2A State Championship By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Douglas High School three sport standout Cooper Butler has been named one of the 2023 Ledger Leaders. Cooper has maintained a perfect 4.0 academic GPA while competing in football, basketball and outdoor track and field at Douglas. His efforts in all three sports helped earn him the Iron Eagle Award and he is a Marshall County Scholar Athlete. In football, Cooper was selected as a first team All-County Defensive End and he earned All-Region Honorable Mention.
Katie plays softball and volleyball, and she is a member of the Red Devils Indoor Track team. In 2021, she helped lead the Fyffe softball program to the Area Runner-up title and an appearance in the Elite 8. In track, she was an indoor state qualifier in Shot Put in both 2022 and 2023. Katie also helped the Red Devils volleyball team win the 2022 Area Championship and helped her team reach the Elite 8. Academically, Katie has a perfect 4.0 GPA. She is a Beta Club officer, a FCA leader, and a member of the Pep Club. Katie has volunteered for the Race to Embrace and the CAC Play. She has also been a Beta Club Christmas Sponsor. Additionally, she is a member of the Macedonia #2 Baptist Church. Jaxon is also involved in numerous activities including FFA and Beta Club. He attends Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Kirby is three sport athlete at Sylvania, where she plays softball, volleyball and basketball. In softball, she has received All-Area honorable mention. Academically, Kirby has a 4.06 GPA at Sylvania. She is a class officer, as well as a member of FCCLA, Beta Club, FCA, FFA, and SGA. She also attends Sylvania Baptist Church. 2023 HYDROFEST The 2023 Lake Guntersville Hydrofest is set for June 24-25. 900 CAREER WINS Ider High School Softball Coach David Hughes earned his 900th coaching victory. His 2023 program also beat Pisgah to win the Area Title. VOLLEYBALL The 2023 Cherokee County High School Little Warrior Volleyball camp for 3rd through 8th graders will be held on June 26 from 8:30 to 3:30 in Centre. Early Registration is open until May 25 and the cost is $70 per player. Checks can be turned in at CES, CME, or CCHS. Late Registration at the door at $80. SCHOLARSHIP Guntersville standout Lanie Phillips has signed a volleyball scholarship with Snead State in Boaz. 1000 STRIKE OUTS Sand Rock Pitcher In basketball, he was named the Class 5A Area 13 Tournament MVP, second team All-County, and he was a member of the All-Marshall County tournament team. In addition to athletics, Cooper is a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Club and the National Honor Society. He has also benchmarked on the ACT in all subjects. He is a member of Bethany Baptist Church. Classmate Lauren Chaffin received honorable mention for the 2023 Ledger Leader awards. She plays both tennis and volleyball at Douglas. Jadyn Foster was recently recognized for recording 1000 career strike outs. Sports Sidebar
Douglas Standout Cooper Butler
Fyffe Juniors Named Ledger Leaders
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Smashing Hit!
Etowah's Jaleigh DeVine (#10) gets a hit during the Blue Devils recent game against Buckhorn at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Through mid-April, the Blue Devils had complied a 17-12 season record.
Kaden Sharp
Katie Edge
well as member of the Beta Club, FFA, and National Technology Society. Kaden is also one of two Fyffe juniors to be selected for the Sand Mountain Electric Youth tour, where he placed 4th. Additionally, he is an active member of Flat Rock Baptist Church and a Sunday School Teacher.
Game. With the win, Kaden and his teammates finished the season with a perfect 15-0 record. During the Red Devils undefeated season, Kaden was named a defensive player of the week. Academically, Kaden sports a 3.8 GPA and is a Dual Enrollment student. He is an FCA leader, as
Sylvania Duo Named Ledger Leaders
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Sylvania High School student athletes Jaxon Smith and Kirby Wisner are both among the top students in their junior class and both are recipients of the 2023 Ledger Leader award. Jaxon has a 3.94 GPA and he plays both football and baseball at Sylvania. He is the Rams' Team Captain in football and he helped lead the program to a 10-4 season this past fall. This included a trip to the Class 3A State Semifinals. Bears softball program recently won the 2023 DeKalb County Softball Tournament. This year's crown marks the 8th year in a row that the Lady Bears have won the county championship. Plainview outscored its county opponents in the tournament 56-0. The Lady Bears defeated Crossville 15-0, Collinsville 16-0, Ider 10-0, and Sylvania 15-0 in the championship game. Lily Boswell pitched a perfect game against Ider.
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Determination!
Fyffe's Maelee Chandler chases down a base runner during a recent tee-ball game. Bill Burgess Named To Hall of Fame Former Jacksonville State football coach Bill Burgess has been selected for induction to the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame. Burgess, who coached the Gamecocks for 12 seasons from 1985-96 and built Jax State into one of the top Division II programs in the nation, will be officially celebrated as part of the Class of 2023 on Wednesday, May 31 at 5:30 p.m. CT at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Hotel in Pensacola, FL. Information regarding tickets will be released prior to the event. The ceremony will also be live streamed through GSC's Facebook Page. After posting an overall record of 84-49-4 with four conference titles and the 1992 NCAA Division II National Championship, Burgess adds another Hall of Fame selection to his resume. He was inducted into the Jacksonville State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Eight of his 12 season at JSU came in the GSC, where he led the Gamecocks to conference titles in 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992 - all within their final five seasons in the league before moving to Division I. He led the Gamecocks to their first National Championship in football in 1992 and also coached the Gamecocks to the National Championship Game three times. His overall record included a 79-22-4 record during his years in the GSC, and his teams posted a 42-15-3 conference record in GSC play. He was a three-time GSC Coach of the Year and the 1992 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. Under Burgess' guidance, JSU became the first GSC program in history to win 13 games in a season in 1989. Burgess coached 64 All-GSC Players and Nine All- Americans during his GSC tenure at JSU, who honored him in 2021 by naming its football field Burgess-Snow Field, previously Paul Snow Stadium, after him. In 2021, he received the Alabama Football Coaches Association (ALFCA) Lifetime Achievement Award. A Second-Team All-State player at Jones Valley High School in Birmingham, Burgess went on to play fullback at Auburn, where he lettered in 1961 and 1962. He took the head coaching job at Woodlawn HS in Birmingham in 1966 at the age of 25 and spent five seasons there before taking the head coaching position at Oxford High School He stayed there for 14 seasons before becoming the head coach at Jacksonville State in 1985. He retired after the 1996 season.
Jaxon Smith
Kirby Wisner
Plainview Wins Eighth Straight DeKalb County Softball Title By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The Plainview Lady
Hannah Regula, Jada Hampton, Mia Tidmore, Chloe Hatch all had home runs in the tournament. Hampton hammered three overall and was named the 2023 County MVP. Graidin Haas hit a Grand Slam against Crossville. Plainview's junior high girls team also won the 2023 County Championship. It was the 7th consecutive title for the junior high program. The Plainview Junior High baseball team won the 2023 county championship. The Bears improved to 21-2 overall with the win.
Lily Boswell
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