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Dr. Merrick has annually conducted the physicals for the football team prior to the beginning of fall practice. He also has sacrificed his time to see injured athletes to provide them with the best possible care in a fast and appropriate manner. In addition, he has assisted the team in scrimmages and on game days to attend to those players that may have needed immediate medical care. As a committed and loyal Rebel fan, Merrick has attended Rebel games for the past six years and has positively contributed to the program. His behind-the-scenes community service reflects the spirit of Mr. Abernathy and the award.

Jim Steele and the McKenzie Banner also are avid supporters of the football program. Jim made an immediate impact in his first year at the Banner and continued the tradition of great sports coverage, elevating it with his own unique style of writing and personal reflection on the game. This year, he followed the McKenzie Rebels religiously all the way to the state semifinals in Memphis. He not only presented the facts, but also gave his articles a human dimension by involving the thoughts and reflections of the players and coaches in his weekly articles. As a Banner correspondent, Jim continued the partnership between the McKenzie Banner and McKenzie High School. The Banner has actively supported all facets of student life at the school, including the football program. Jim Steele and the Banner likewise typify the spirit of the award.

The J.A. Abernathy Award is named for the late J.A. Abernathy, a long-time successful businessman who operated a hardware and furniture store at the present location of Williams Furniture. Mr. Abernathy was a strong advocate of interscholastic athletics. He funded or helped fund many of the projects for the football team in the 1950s and 1960s. His two sons, Jimmy and George L., starred at McKenzie High School and later played at the University of the South and Vanderbilt University, respectively. Many graduates of McKenzie may remember Mr. Abernathy for his graduation gifts to them. At the time of graduation, Mr. Abernathy would ask many in the class to come to his store to receive graduation gifts. Invariably, he would present them two gifts - a Case knife and a dime. He would explain that the knife had little value, but the dime represented his service to them. He elaborated that if at any time in the future that person needed assistance, to use the dime to call him and that he would help in any way that he could.

Undoubtedly, many seniors were helped by Mr. Abernathy's selflessness. They also learned that one had a commitment to help others in need.

Bryan Merrick and Jim Steele and the McKenzie Banner are to be congratulated for serving others. They truly are deserving of the J.A. Abernathy Award for their support of the football program.

(This story was submitted by the McKenzie Rebel Touchdown Club).

McKenzie High School alum and Chattanooga signee Ricky Mathis will become the first Rebel football player to take part in the Tennessee-Kentucky high school all-star game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Lexington, Ky. Bruceton's Patrick Willis, an Ole Miss signee, is already in Oxford pursuing his academics and nursing a wrist injury. He declined to play in the all-star game because of the injury. Willis was a Mr. Football Class A back finalist and the Mr. Football lineman winner last year.

Mathis, 6-3, 290 lb. offensive and defensive lineman, helped lead McKenzie to the Class 2A state semifinals and was the lone returning starter on the 2001 team that went 13-1 and also reached the semifinals. His senior-year efforts earned him recognition as the first MHS Mr. Football finalist. He also was named to the Tennessee Sports Writer's Association all-state list.

"It's really an honor just to be named on the team and playing with all these athletes from Tennessee," Mathis said. "I hope to go up there, have a good time and get a good experience out of it. It will be a good challenge."

Athletes often talk about representing their school, state or nation on some larger stage and Mathis will get that chance; he will be one of 43 representing Tennessee.

"I'll be one of those players and that's going to be pretty cool," he said. "I'll get a week of practice in and get my feet wet again. It will be good preparation for when I go to Chattanooga."

McKenzie High School coach Wade Comer said he's excited about Mathis's opportunity.

"This is a huge deal," said Comer. "We've had a couple make the East-West game before, but never the Tennessee-Kentucky game. To participate in this game - and he's the first player we've had - is a big honor."

Comer said that every player there has signed a Division 1 or 1AA scholarship. He also said that losing a player like Mathis leaves a void up front and in leadership.

"Ricky was an asset to us and he helped us get a lot accomplished," said the coach. "I hate that I only had him two years, but I'm glad it was the last two and not the first two. He was by far the best lineman I've ever coached. I've never had anybody that could dominate a game like he could."

Even seven months after the final whistle of the 2002 season, Mathis is still respected by his teammates.

"He still comes by the weight room and the kids like him. He's meant a lot to the program," Comer said. "He's going to succeed no matter what he does in life because he has a good work ethic and he's a good asset."

The Tennessee team began practice at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville Sunday. Perhaps Thursday, the team will bus up to Lexington for final preparations. The Kentucky team won the all-star game last year at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee leads the series with Kentucky 15-4.

McKenzie's David Duncan and Mitchell Hall played in the 2002 East-West Shrine Game at Murfreesboro.

Other players of note who have competed in the Kentucky-Tennessee game are Chad Clifton (Martin-Westview, Tennessee, Green Bay Packers), John Henderson (Pearl-Cohn, Tennessee, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Will Ofenheusle (Martin-Westview, Tennessee, New York Jets).

Other area players in the Daniel Brooks of JCM and Rafael Hill, who once ran for over 400 yards in a state playoff game, from Westview. Hill will likely be Mathis's roommate during the event.

But even Michelangelo's Pieta was once a lump of clay.

And like a lump of clay, MHS girls' coach Dan Ridley hopes to mold this young bunch into winners when November rolls around.

McKenzie hosted nine other teams in the basketball fest and Ridley said the event went well.

"This is a tough time of year because Wayne County has that huge camp every year," Ridley said. "But we had a good group and we had to turn people away simply because we didn't have the gym space. Nobody got hurt that I know of and that's good. I think it went over well."

The Lady Rebels were without the services of returnees Renee Crawley and Hope Wyder for much of the week. Sophomore Courtney Wiggins, expected to play a big role on next year's team, was finally cleared to play Thursday after missing 10 weeks because of a broken ankle sustained during softball season. Wyder, who was struggling with a tonsil ailment, did see spot action in some of the games, but Ridley maintains she wasn't 100 percent.

"In fact her tonsils were so swollen, they had to lance them on Tuesday," said Ridley. "That tells you what kind of kid she is; she had a surgical procedure on Tuesday morning and played Tuesday night."

Crawley was at a minority leadership conference during the camp.

Without some of their personnel, the Lady Rebs were winging it on offense.

"We were without Renee out there, we couldn't run 80 percent of our offense," the coach said. "We were freelancing it out there on offense."

Because of the success of softball and track this past spring, the Lady Rebels were unable to engage in spring practice.

"There were times we had three sophomores and two freshmen on the floor, with no practice time," said Ridley. "We had no offense to run geared to the people we had on the floor. But the effort was good and we played real well defensively. I think we'll be better."

Ridley liked the idea that he was able to assess who, among his young crew, will step up this year.

"We are going to play a lot of freshmen and sophomores this year," said Ridley. "That way, we'll have people ready to play every year."

The coach said he wanted to see how his defense performed.

"We rely on our defense so much to generate offense and we are going to have to gamble on defense to score. We did a better job rotating on defense," he said. "I saw improvement; I found that we did some things defensively that I wasn't sure we could do and that was good."

There is no rest for MHS this week. The Lady Rebels are off to UTM for three days of competition and then they will head to a huge team camp at Martin-Westview at the end of July.

"I feel good about what we got done," said Ridley. "We're going to be okay. Once we get everybody here and we can put everything in, I think we'll be fine."

Firestone Indy 200 tickets are on sale today by calling toll-free 1 (866) RACE-TIX. Wynonna is no stranger to the Indy Car Series, having recently served as the Grand Marshall for the Indy 500 in May. Her sister Ashley is married to Indy Car Series Driver Dario Franchitti. Wynonna's new album, It All Comes Down To Love, will be released in August and her new single, "What the World Needs," continues to climb the country charts.

The gates open at 3 p.m., Wynonna's concert begins at 4:30, the pre-race show and driver introductions take place at 6 and the Firestone Indy 200 begins at 7.

For Firestone Indy 200 ticket information, please call toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or visit online at www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com.

• Diamonds Compete at Manchester Next
• Clayhill Motorsports Results
• Huntingdon, McKenzie Girls' All-Stars Picked

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