Pearl-Cohn football, Gordonsville softball, big winners at Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards
Pearl-Cohn football and Gordonsville softball were named the Boys and Girls Teams of the Year Monday night at the Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards held at Marathon Music Works.
The show is produced in partnership with Nissan.
The Boys and Girls Teams of the Year were sponsored by Two Rivers Ford.
Other finalists for Boys Team of the Year were Independence Basketball and Tullahoma Baseball.
The additional Girls Team of the Year finalists were Liberty Creek Soccer and Pickett County Basketball.
With Pearl-Cohn’s 36-27 win over Upperman in the BlueCross Bowl Class 4A state football championships last December, the program shed a few notable droughts.
The Firebirds captured their first football state title in 26 years. They brought the Gold Ball back to Metro Nashville for the first time since 2008 and Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti made his fourth time the charm. Having lost state titles in 2015, 2019 and 2022, Brunetti finally broke through thanks to a talent-rich team that included a 181-yard, two-touchdown performance from game MVP Zeion Simpson-Smith.
Pearl-Cohn finished the season undefeated at 15-0 as the emotional sideline celebration and another that followed days later at the school punctuated how much this championship meant to the school and Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Sometimes the hardest championship to win is the one you’re expected to. This was particularly the case for Gordonsville, who came into the 2024 Class 1A state softball tournament as the defending state champions.
But Gordonsville was equal to the challenge, having been tested by a grueling regular-season schedule that included some of the best Middle Tennessee softball programs from Class 1A to 4A. And it didn’t hurt that Gordonsville could trot out talent like Tennessee softball commit Kailey Plumlee, senior first baseman Kelcie Watts, catcher Bailey Stewart and sophomores Mackenzie Herron and Kailyn Roberts.
The Lady Tigers didn’t lose a game in the state tournament two weeks ago, capping a second straight title with an 11-1 win over Jo Byrns for the program’s third state title and first back-to-back.
Monday night's show packed in a sold out Marathon Music works, honoring nearly 300 student-athletes from across the Mid-State.
The Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards is one of 20 regional shows held across the United States. It's a nine-month student-athlete recognition program that recognizes athletes, coaches and teams from across the Mid State.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pearl-Cohn football, Gordonsville softball, named Teams of the Year
