Scholarships plentiful for local student-athletes

Published 12:42 am Friday, May 8, 2015

Dalton High School senior Jacob Johnson was one of the area’s most consistent tennis players during the past few seasons, earning a spot on The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Spring Team last season and garnering honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore.

Because of that consistency, it was no surprise to Dalton coach Jordan Widelock that Johnson has signed with the men’s tennis program at Point University in West Point, which is southwest of LaGrange and on the Alabama line.

“Jacob’s been a great player here and a huge asset to the team,” said Widelock, who took over Dalton’s boys and girls programs this season after longtime coach David Hilley retired last year. “He’s been our No. 1 (singles player) for two years and posted a great record this year and was a team leader.”

Johnson said he was grateful for the opportunity to continue playing tennis at the collegiate level, but he also sees Point as a great fit for him and what he was looking for in a school. He chose Point over several other options, including Oglethorpe University and Reinhardt University.

“It’s a small school and is a faith-based Christian school,” Johnson said. “The people were great when I visited and I loved the family atmosphere.”

Johnson had a 15-6 record in 2014 as the Catamounts finished second in Region 7-4A and advanced to the second round of the Class 4A state tournament. Dalton wasn’t as successful this season, going 6-7 and missing not only the state tournament but the region tournament after a poor Sub-region 7A-5A finish, but Widelock said Johnson was 10-3 at the No. 1 singles spot.

Johnson and Widelock agreed that if Johnson wants to succeed in college, he needs to improve in some of the mental aspects of the game.

“I need to improve my shot selection and my focus in a match,” Johnson said. “I need to keep cool in certain situations.”

Widelock said Johnson has the talent to contribute quickly at Point if he can do that. Point, which posted a 13-9 record this season, doesn’t list any seniors on its roster. Johnson said cracking the starting lineup is a goal.

“I am going to work very hard this summer, because I want to be one of the top six players as a freshman,” Johnson said. “I feel like if I give myself that drive and effort this summer that I can make it.”

Johnson plans to study either exercise science or business with a concentration in sports management.

n Dalton senior defensive end Chipper Elrod recently signed with the football program at Reinhardt University in Waleska, which is north of Atlanta in Cherokee County.

Elrod recorded 54 tackles (five for a loss) and a sack this past season. But Dalton coach Matt Land said the biggest thing Elrod brought to the team was his work ethic despite having the challenge of a medical condition.

“Out of any kid we have had in the last five years, he was the most bought-in,” Land said. “He gained 60-70 pounds of muscle here and battled every day — even with diabetes and having to check his blood sugar in between series on the sidelines. He was just so committed to his teammates and his coaches.”

Elrod said he originally committed to Centre College in Kentucky, but that he also kept Reinhardt in mind as he went through the recruiting process. Toward the end of last season, Centre went through a coaching change and Elrod reconnected with the Eagles’ coaching staff. Once he went on a visit, he knew his decision was clear.

“I realized then I should have chosen them from the start,” Elrod said. “They are a faith-based program and the coaching staff resembles Dalton’s coaching staff, which I liked. They bring the same mindset.”

The Eagles are entering their third season of football with a pair of 6-4 records their first two seasons. They compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Elrod said Reinhardt has recruited him to play fullback and middle linebacker, but that they’re open to using him at a number of positions.

n Southeast Whitfield senior pitcher Chase Jenkins recently signed a baseball scholarship with University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. Jenkins, who earned honorable mention to The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Baseball Team in 2014, will also receive an academic scholarship.

“Over the past four years, Chase is a kid that has flown under the radar for us,” Southeast coach Brad Lofton said. “I always told him with his frame, being 6-foot-3, he would have a chance to move forward and play at the next level.”

Jenkins said he chose to attend Cumberlands after going on a visit there before this past season. He enjoyed getting to see the facilities and meeting the coaches, and once he returned home, he knew his mind was made up.

“When I got back I told my parents I felt at home there,” Jenkins said. “I felt like I could get a good degree and just really enjoy my time there.”

Cumberlands was 26-27 this past season, but it was only their second losing record in the past decade. The Patriots compete in the NAIA’s Mid-South Conference. 

Jenkins said he is primarily focused on pitching in college, but that he hopes to have the opportunity to play in the field as well.

“My goal is to be in the starting rotation in my first two years there,” Jenkins said. “I’m working on trying to get my velocity up and improving my other pitches.”

Jenkins plans to major in criminal justice.

n North Murray High School’s Alex Viars isn’t going a long way to continue his basketball career, but on the court he’s shown he can make the ball travel far and still find the basket.

Viars, a shooting guard, recently signed with Georgia Northwestern Technical College after a record-setting career with the Mountaineers. According to North Murray coach Tim Ellis in a release from Georgia Northwestern, Viars set the program mark this past season for 3-pointers made (160) and 3-point percentage (45).

North Murray, which opened in 2009, went 19-9 this past season while earning its fourth straight appearance in the state playoffs. Viars earned honorable mention on The Daily Citizen’s 2014-15 All-Area Boys Basketball Team.

Georgia Northwestern has campuses in Floyd, Gordon, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties. The Bobcats are members of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association.

“This day means a lot to me,” Viars said in the release. “I’ve been looking forward to signing with someone since the start of basketball season and Georgia Northwestern is the place I want to be.

“I saw on the website that they already have players (on the roster) that I know and have played against before, so it means a lot to know I’m going to be able to play with them now. I wanted to stay close to home the first two years, so (Georgia Northwestern) is in a good location for me, and to be able to go there and play basketball is just a blessing.”

In the release, Ellis called Viars “probably the most prolific 3-point shooter” he has ever coached.

“He definitely added a dimension to our offense that allowed us to stretch the floor,” Ellis said. “He caused (opposing teams) to change their game plans and was someone people had to account for. He’s able to get shots in various ways. He knows how to read screens and he has a very good, quick release. He doesn’t get rattled even when people try to deny him the ball. It just doesn’t bother him.”

According to the release, Viars plans to study education with hopes of teaching and coaching.

n Northwest Whitfield’s Ethan Hayes recently signed a scholarship to play golf at Reinhardt.

In his four years with the Bruins — who will compete in the Class 4A state tournament at Waynesboro Country Club on May 18 — Hayes has had a knack for saving his best scores for when it counts. He shot a 73 at the Region 7-4A tournament this year to tie for third and a 74 last year, when he lost a playoff for medalist honors. Those performances followed up a 79 at region as a sophomore, and he has performed well at state tournaments also, with a 78 in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

“I just focus better at the bigger tournaments,” Hayes said. “Those scores are what I will remember most about playing in high school.”

Northwest coach Greg Brown said the Eagles connected with Hayes a little later in his recruiting process. But Hayes’ communication with Reinhardt picked up during the past month or so and an offer was eventually extended.

“He’s a great kid and really deserves and has earned this scholarship,” Brown said. “We were really hoping something would work out. He’s really put in the time.”

With his penchant of performing in big tournaments, Brown said Hayes needs to become a more consistent golfer in college. 

“He has all the physical tools,” Brown said. “He’s 6-foot-3 and can hit the ball 300 yards. But he needs to continue to develop the mental parts of the game.”

Hayes said he was considering other schools, but that once Reinhardt offered him a scholarship it was an easy decision because he “fell in love” with the school the first time he saw it. The campus and his relationship with Reinhardt coach Dan Mullins were Hayes’ biggest reasons for choosing Reinhardt, and he said he’s ready to be a contributor right away.

“I’d love to make the traveling team as a freshman and start helping them with my scores right away,” Hayes said. “I just need to go out there and stick to my game and stay focused.”

Hayes plans to study business management.

n North Murray senior softball player Baylee Sutton recently signed with Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tenn.

Sutton, a shortstop who made The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Softball Team in 2013 and earned honorable mention in 2012 and 2014, originally signed with Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga. The school’s announcement in March that it would be moving its campus to Winston-Salem, N.C., caused Sutton to reassess her situation.

“Honestly, I was in shock about the move,” Sutton said. “It took me a couple days to actually believe it. It was about two weeks after that I started talking to Tennessee Wesleyan.”

Despite the change, Sutton said she is very excited about continuing her career at Tennessee Wesleyan. The Lady Bulldogs posted a 31-7 record this season and won the NAIA’s Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament.

But the biggest factors in Sutton deciding to attend were the proximity to home and her relationship with her future teammates.

“It’s close to home, so if anything happens at home I can just come without worrying about a three-hour drive,” Sutton said. “Another reason is the girls made me feel at home and like I was already a part of the team when I went and practiced with them.”

North Murray coach Steve Granger said the Lady Mountaineers will miss the four-year starter’s leadership skills. He believes she will be more than ready to contribute if she is able to take care of her business away from the diamond.

“Her game is fine, but just like all kids it’s going to be about being able to juggle athletics and the classroom,” Granger said. “It’s a full-time job at the college level. On the field she is ready to go.”