Christopher James

Two William Blount alums caught my eye this past week.
Yousef Baskin is listed as a freshman defensive back at Centre College. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Baskin doesn’t appear to have seen any action in the Colonels first two games, including a 24-17 win over Maryville College Saturday. Baskin caught 11 balls for 172 yards and a touchdown last season as a receiver for WB.

Carson-Newman freshman golfer Melanie Manis, who advanced to the State class AAA tournament last year with the Lady Govs, tied for ninth in the Lady Falcon/McNairy Invitational in Badin, N.C. Manis shot a 79 Monday. Manis lost a chance to move up when the tournament was shortened today.

Manis is joined on the Lady Eagles by sophomore Erica Ray, a former Maryville standout. Ray tied for 36th.

It may be near impossible for a Blount County golfer to find a way into this year’s class AAA state tournament.
All three county teams struggled Tuesday at the District 4 tournament, played on Heritage’s home course at Lambert Acres Golf Club. Consider for a moment that the six individual qualifiers for the region tournament Sept. 22 at Tennessee National in Loudon is less than half the 14 Blount County sent to the same round a year ago. Last year’s haul included three teams and a district championship for the William Blount girls.
The WB boys dropped from third in the District, and a spot in the regionals, last year to eighth this season. The top County boys squad was Maryville, who finished sixth and failed to qualify an individual golfer.
“I can’t tell you (what happened),” Govs first-year coach Jason Rowe said. “We’ve played this course and our scores were higher than usual. Maybe it was, some of our younger players aren’t used to walking 18 holes. They’re used to walking nine at a time.”
Whatever the reason, Rowe saw just two WB golfers make the next round, senior Alaura Brogdon and freshman Kinsley Vincent. They’ll be joined by the Lady Rebels’ Cassie McCracken and Angela Long. Only two male golfers made it from the County: Heritage’s Logan Vaughn and Travis Nichols.

Inconsistent greens were the biggest complaint Tuesday, but what McCracken described as “links-style” bunkers will make the Region tournament a real challenge.
Just ask Maryville coaches Tom Stinnett and Mike Driver.

Some notes from Egwani Farms Thursday:

• Alcoa’s Lindy McGuire may have just shot even-par, but the junior hit an amazing 8-of-9 greens in regulation. McGuire said she missed a couple five-foot putts for birdie that seemed to cost her. It may have been the difference in a match that ended in a one-stroke win for Maryville. She said she shot a 32 on the back nine at Pine Lakes in practice the other day and her strong start has been thanks in large part to work on “hinging” on her down swing. (Hear McGuire explain how she’s worked on her swing)
• Maryville’s Nick Bridgman appears to have surprised all his teammates this season, but not his coach. Rebels coach Tom Stinnett said he knew the freshman would be plenty competitive this season.
  “Nick’s played a lot of summer golf and stuff,” Stinnett said. “He’s a great golfer.”
  (Hear Stinnett on Bridgman)
• Former Farragut coach Mike Driver is now an assistant with the Rebels. Stinnett was bragging on his new helper inside the clubhouse, hinting that Driver could be poised to take over Maryville when Stinnett does step down. Driver coached Ole Miss junior Jillian Brodd, the 2008 and 2009 Knox Area Women’s Golf Association Champ, and Mercer junior Carolyn Levy at Farragut. The Lady Admirals were Class AAA State Champs in 2004 and finished second in 2005.
• Heritage’s Brittney Endsley shot a 49 in her first action in more than a week. Endsley, who finished third in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Division I bowling tournament as a sophomore last winter, is also a motocross rider and was on the bike instead of the course last week.”She’s just a really good athlete,” Lady Mountaineers’ coach Chris Clift said.  “She’s a competitive person and she wants to get better. So, I hope she sticks with it and puts some time in. She could be very competitive if she worked on it.”