The year in Kosciusko High School athletics and the athletes who made it special were recognized last week at the annual athletic banquet.
“It's always a good night to see all the athletes together,” said athletic director Macy Wilbanks.
She noted some of the highlight from the academic year 2018-19:
— Every team qualified for MHSAA student-athlete recognition with at least a 3.0 GPA.
— Fast-pitch softball played in the 4A North State final for the fifth year in a row.
— Devonte Ellis, a junior, won the 4A 100 meter dash at the state meet with a time of 10.90.
Coaches presented awards for all 16 interscholastic teams. Award winners by team are as follows:
— Baseball: Micah Parker, Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Offensive Player; Nolan Yuille, Most Outstanding Pitcher; Justin Nunn, Most Outstanding Defensive Player; Lucas Price, Whippet Award; Parker, El'Darius Roby, Chase Morgan, and Brandon Black, Captain Award; Parker, Nunn, Roby, Heath McBride, and Black, All-Division Players.
— Boys Basketball: O'corya Forest, Offensive Player of the Year; Xavier Miller and Antonio Harmon, Defensive Players of the Year; Sam Rigby, Whippet Award; Terry Skinner, Most Versatile Player; Calvin Banks, Sixth Man Award; Forest, Region 4-4A Player of the Year; Skinner, Banks, Harmon, and Jaquan Hall, All-Division Players.
— Girls Basketball: Ariel Fleming, Offensive Player of the Year; Diamond Rayford, Most Versatile Player; Katie Mitchell, 3-Point Shooter Award; Kayla Davis and De'Asia Brown, Lady Whippet Award; Aaliyah Amey, Sixth Woman Award; Mihkayla Vaughn, Assist Leader; Amiyah Greer, Rookie Of The Year.
— Cheerleading: Maddy Gilmore, Best All-Around Cheerleader; Ansley Gordon, Most Improved; Kathryn Clare Schuler, Most School Spirit; Anna Claire Woodfin, Whippet Award; Anna Grace Rigby, Spotter Award.
— Cross Country (Boys and Girls): Gustavo Orduna and Reid Hutchinson, Most Valuable Runner; Jacob Davide and Macie Alford; Tyler Merritt and Zeke Frazure, Most Dedicated; Emmalee Myers and Ethan Lindsay, Most Improved; Cody Pope, Whippet Award.
— Football: Zavier Miller Most Valuable Offensive Player; Kendrell Gambrell, Most Valuable Defensive Player; Kody Causey, Most Valuable Special Teams Player; Issac Moore, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman; Davonta Turner, Most Valuable Defensive Lineman; Antonio Harmon, Most Outstanding Offensive Skills Player; Devonte Ellis, Most Outstanding Defensive Skills Player; Jordan Patrick, Hard Hat Award; Kadarius Banks, Most Valuable Running Back; Nicholas Mallet and Parker Jones, Golden Whippet Awards; Davion Roby, Top Newcomer Award; Harmon, Region 4-4A Athletes of the Year; Miller, Causey, Mallet, Ellis, Jones, Gamble, Patrick Azikwe Mays, Moore Jedaris Tolar, Turner, Ethan Wood, Paul Wood, Ethan Dawson, Heath McBride and Cody Pope, All-Division players.
— Golf: Jacob Gibson, Medalist; Jett Crosby, Medalist Runner-Up; Carter Jones, Most Improved; Jeremy Gibson, Rookie of the Year;
— Powerlifting: Nicholas Mallet, Best Overall Lifter; Jaquarius Thomas, Most Improved, Isaac Moore, Whippet Award; Michael Rimmer, Heart of a Champion.
— Boys Soccer: John Mark Sims, Most Valuable Player; Robert Pickle, Rookie of the Year; Billy Paul Russell, Offensive Player of the Year; Will Carter, Most Improved; Mardy Blackmore, Best Defensive Player; Alfredo Martin, Whippet Award, Martin and Blackmore, All-Division Players
— Girls Soccer: Mackenzie Alford, Most Valuable Player; Reid Hutchinson, Most Improved; Anna Catherine Cheek, Best Defensive Player; Raven Pernell, Best Offensive Player; Destiny Van, Rookie Of The Year; Vanessa Martinez, Whippet Award; Alford and Pernell, All-Division Players.
— Fast Pitch Softball: Katie Mitchell, Most Valuable Player; Josie Meggs, Most Valuable Defensive Player; Kelly Hood, Most Valuable Offensive Player; Maddy Gilmore, Lady Whippet Award; Hood, Dirt Dawg Award; Campbell Blaine, Most Improved; Abigail Myers, Academic Award; Emma Rush, Coaches Award; Madeline McCown, Heart of a Whippet Award; Blaine, QAB Award; Mitchell, Teammate of the Year; Hood, Katie Mitchell, Meggs, Gilmore, Rush, Annaleigh Jones, Blaine, Laken Milner and Brooke Mitchell, All-Division Players; Katie Mitchell, Division 4-4A MVP; Hood, Division 4-4A Offensive MVP; Meggs, Division 4-4A Defensive MVP; All-State Team, Gilmore and Katie Mitchell.
— Slow Pitch Softball: Josie Meggs, Most Valuable Player; Madeline McCown, Lady Whippet Award; Gracie Williams, Coaches Award; Kelly Hood, Highest Batting Average; Lizzie Kate Jones, Most Improved; Hood, Meggs, Maddy Gilmore, Kathryn Clare Schuler, Lakelynn Fancher, All-Division Players.
— Tennis: Kody Causey & Lakelynn Fancher, Most Valuable Players; Arissa Olive, Ellis Armon, and Darlecia Carter; Parker Jones, Leadership Award; Madison Autry and Fancher, 4-4A Girls Doubles Champions; Javonte Ragsdale and Karla Nash, 4-4A Mixed Doubles Champions; Causey and Ben Brunt, 4-4A Boys Doubles Runners-up.
— Boys Track: Terry Skinner, Best Field Athlete; Duntavies Fondren; Calvin Banks, Zavier Miller, Devonta Ellis, Vinterrius Hunt, Best Relay Team; Kendrell Gamble and Azikwe Mays, Most Improved.
— Girls Track: Mikayla McBride, Best Runner; Mikayla Vaughn, Best Field Event; Tyler Merritt; Golden Shoe Award; Tyneria Cross, Terrica Talley, Ta'Lynda Boyd, Diamond Rayford, Best Relay Team.
