Board Member & Sports Fan Mark North

Antioch Lady Bears – Region 6-AAA Champs

The Lady Bears from Antioch High School took home the championship trophy in Region 6-AAA with an impressive run through the bracket. I like to say they “Bear-ly” won the tournament. The North Sports Report dictionary of sports terms defines Bear-ly in this context as: “in a bear-like manner; totally dominating; awesome. See Antioch Lady Bears’ performance in the 2012 Region 6-AAA championship game.” Congratulations to Coach White and the Antioch Lady Bears!

Antioch Principal Brian Mast has called a Code Blue for the Lady Bears’ Sub-state game Saturday night March 3 at 7:00pm at the Antioch High School gymnasium. Be there dressed in blue.

Hunters Lane Warriors – Advance to the Sub-State Round

The Hunters Lane Warriors are primed and ready for a sub-state match-up with Clarksville High School on Monday night March 5 in Clarksville. The highly ranked Warriors –led by Coach Anthony Sewell and point guard Billy Hughes – put together one of the best seasons in school history and are one win away from a trip to the state tournament. Everybody’s a Warrior fan Monday night!

Regional Tournament Hosts – Stratford and Hillwood Representin’

Photo Credit: Mike Straginger

Hosting a Regional Tournament requires the coordinated efforts of coaches, administrators, teachers, staff and students. Hillwood welcomed the 16 participating teams in Region 6-AAA, and Stratford hosted Region 5-AA. Fans of high school basketball from across the mid-state enjoyed the hospitality and great environment provided by their MNPS hosts. Congratulations to the Principals – Dr. Chauncy of Hillwood and Mr. Steele of Stratford – and everyone who worked on the tournaments for a job well done. The photo shows the Hilltopper ambassadors who helped me find my seat.

Middle School Basketball Champions

MNPS crowned the Middle School boys and girls basketball champions last week at Pearl-Cohn High Schools’ gym. Congratulations for a great season to Smithson-Craighead boys basketball team (Eastern Division Champions and City Champions), McKissack Middle School boys basketball team (Western Division Champions), Kennedy Middle School girls basketball team (Western Division Champions and City Champions) and Haynes Middle Design Center girls basketball team (Eastern Division Champions).

Brush with Fame

The North Sports Report rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest athletes and coaches in MNPS history this week at basketball tournaments. Stratford basketball great Ray Maddox was back in his old stomping grounds at the Region 5-AA tournament at Stratford. In the Hillwood gym on the same night were: Pearl High great and MNPS Sports Hall of Fame member Walter Overton (he was officiating the game); Glencliff High hoopster and leader of Metro Schools’ athletic department Roosevelt Sanders; Donelson High star Mike Tribue; Madison High baseball legend (also the most popular player in Nashville Sounds’ history) Gene Menees; MNPS Sports Hall of Famer Joanne Arnold Tribue (Antioch High school legend and presently the Coach of the Cane Ridge Lady Ravens); and last but not least Coach Carlton Collier, longtime Madison High and Hunters Lane basketball and softball coach. Wow… that is a lot of fame in one gym.

Vanderbilt Sports Medicine – Athletic Trainers…keeping it healthy

I witnessed an extraordinary burst of quickness from Hunters Lane Athletic Trainer Emily Carter when a Warrior hoopster took a tremendous fall last week. Emily was on the court, providing care almost instantly and showed exemplary skill and compassion in her treatment of the injured player and his family. MNPS student-athletes have the best athletic trainers in the country on the sideline for every game. A big healthy thank you to Vanderbilt Sports Medicine for providing the athletic trainers and for the care each provides our students.

MNPS: The First Choice for Extraordinary Bursts of Quickness