A special group from Anderson County High takes its talents to the next level
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Anderson County High School’s Conner Martin signed to play at Treveca University.
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Leah Freeman (center) is flanked by her family as she signs a letter of intent to play volleyball at Kennesaw State University.
Anderson County High School had another successful year in sending its athletes to the next level.
The Mavericks had a total of 12 athletes signing scholarships at the collegiate level, according to Athletic Director Gary Terry.
The 2022 class has won the region championship in all four years in soccer, football, volleyball and wrestling.
“The class of 2022 has been a special group,” Terry said. “They have done some really great things as far as winning region championships as teams.
“It was an unprecedented time in Anderson County school history to do what this class did, running it four years in a row like that.”
Terry said that many of these kids had talent coming in, but it was the work put in that gave them the opportunity to progress to the next level.
“We want our kids to get scholarships to colleges; it’s a big deal that they do that,” Terry said. “But it’s not the end game for them. I think the end game for them is to grow as young people and find those leadership skills. Also, to find out that if you work hard at something and put in the time, you’re going to get better and give yourself the opportunity to play at the next level.”
While it takes being a great athlete to earn a scholarship, it speaks volumes about the type of people the kids are to make it to the collegiate level, he said.
“Their hard work says a lot about their determination and their character,” Terry said. “What happens is that it bleeds out on other classes. The other classes see what these guys are doing: getting there early to practice, in the weight room, the track, the field and the gym. Character counts, and it’s a big deal.”
Terry said that the staff at Anderson County works together to make sure that the student-athletes are put in a place to succeed, and that has certainly shown with this upcoming class. It takes much more than purely athletics to play at the collegiate level, but academics as well.
“It takes a team effort, and we’ve got a great team here,” Terry said. “They’re doing a great job making sure they get that opportunity academically, and then our coaches are making sure they have the skills to play at the next level if that’s what they want.”
Terry congratulates his 2022 signees on a great year on and off the field.
“I am just so proud of them,” he said. “To watch them come in as freshmen as a talented group with high expectations, and to meet those expectations and standards, was a real treat for me to get to watch.
“I am glad to be a part of it and I am glad I got to witness it, because I’ll get to tell that story,” Terry said. “We call them Maverick moments. If it’s all about those Maverick moments like I say it is, then boy what a story I get to tell about the class of 2022.”
• Leah Freeman – Volleyball, Kennesaw State.
• Luke Lowery – Baseball, ETSU.
• McKenzie Henderson – Softball, ETSU.
• Kylee Alvis – Track, LMU
• Reece Simpson – Softball, Johnson University.
• Conner Martin – Basketball, Treveca University.
• Jacob Workman – Football, Lindsey Wilson.
• Jace Braden – Volleyball, University of the Cumberlands.
• Brycen Wolfenbarger – Baseball, Union College.
• Filip Balaz, Soccer, Johnson University.
• Allyssa Wetherington, Soccer, Johnson University
• Shelby Freyre, Soccer, Johnson University.