Best foot forward
- Updated: July 22, 2022
Jacksonville’a athletics program makes AHSAA’s Sportsmanship School list for the first time, joined this year by JCA and Sacred Heart
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
MONTGOMERY — There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing and the Jacksonville High School athletics program did the right thing the whole year long.
The Golden Eagles were one of two sports-playing Calhoun County high schools to make the Sportsmanship School list released by the AHSAA Friday. It was their first time on the list, which recognizes schools for having zero fines or ejections during the school year.
“What I think it says is program-wide we’re putting the first things first, which is taking care of not getting ejected and how we treat officials when they come to our place,” Jacksonville athletics director David Clark said. “And it takes everybody from the top down or you can’t do it.
“To me, it says we’re sending the right message and it looks like our kids are receiving that message pretty well. So, that’s a big deal. I think it’s really important. If you don’t have discipline from the top down you can’t be real successful anyway, at least not for a long period of time.
“It’s not an easy thing to do. For us to be able to get it done this year for the first time was a pretty neat deal. I was proud of our coaches and our kids and administration and everybody for making that happen because it takes a bunch of people doing the right thing for it to work out.”
Jacksonville Christian and Sacred Heart were the only other county schools on the list. Sacred Heart no longer sponsors interscholastic sports.
The Sportsmanship Program has recognized an average of 103 high schools since its inception in 2007, but this year only 65 made the grade.
Of those recognized, Alabama School for the Blind and Covenant Christian have earned the distinction 13 times. ASB has the longest current streak at 10 years and was one of eight schools receiving a $1,000 Andrews Sports Medicine Sportsmanship Grant.
HIGH SCHOOL MEDIA DAYS: Talladega County officials have finalized the schedule for their 11th annual high school football media day Wednesday at the Talladega Superspeedway. All 10 programs in the county will participate, bringing the head coach and at least two players.
Here is their list of attendees:
CHILDERSBURG: Coach Johnny Johnson, Kevin Duncan, Austin Luker, Daniel Warlick.
FAYETTEVILLE: Coach John Limbaugh, Zeke Deloach, Atticua Jacks, Hunter Hammonds.
MUNFORD: Coach Michael Easley, Riley Brown, Sylvester Smith, Javion White.
WINTERBORO: Coach Skylar Mansfield, Dequarious Truss, Deonte Smoot, Payton Hutton.
TALLADEGA: Coach Bill Smith, Javion Ashley, Jaylon Cunningham, Chris Isbell.
B.B. COMER: Coach Adam Fossett, Brandon Blankenship, Zack Carpenter, Devin Harvey.
LINCOLN: Coach Matt Zedaker, Gavin Hobbs, Josh Sprawling, Camare Hampton.
TCC: Coach Acardia Garrett, Javari McKenzie, Jhovi Cole.
ASD: Coach Paul Kulick, Kris Williams, Denijah Swain.
SYLACAUGA: Coach Rob Carter, Bryant Waters, Tavares Lauderdale, Zi McElrath.
The Etowah County Media Day is Tuesday and the Calhoun County QB Club Media Day is Friday.
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