Published: May 22, 2008 12:06 pm         

McFarlin wins Baugh award

Zach McFarlin was the winner of the Brad Baugh Determination award Monday at the Gainesville All Sports banquet.

It was the first year that Baugh was on hand to present the award.

The University of Alabama wheelchair basketball player, and former Leopards athlete, presented the plaque as a crowd of more than 300 athletes, parents and fans packed the Gainesville Civic Center.

The award goes to the Leopard athlete who shows the most determination and drive during the season.

Gainesville Coach Eric Johns helped Baugh present the award. Johns said McFarlin, who will play football for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, was an easy choice for the award, Johns said.

Another highlight of the annual event was the presentation of two, $250 scholarships by the Gainesville Athletic Booster Club.

One scholarship went to Kevrick Jackson and the other went to Julietta Mendez.

Another highlight of the event was the keynote address by Gainesville First Baptist Church Youth Minister John Earle.

Earle said people should be "making deposits on your life."

Earle, a former NFL and Canadian Football League player said you have to work and build up "deposits" so you will have something to draw on when you get into tough situations.

Earle said how he, and other athletes he knows, put in the time in the weight room, or on the practice field, so they could improve themselves.

He said people should look at how Jesus put the same time an effort into them as any athlete can put into training.

"Christ took the time to put in some payment for 'ugly old John Earle' so I could have a relationship with him. I am ugly in God's sight, but Jesus still paid the price to save me."

Earle closed by asking the audience what type of payment each person in the crowd has put in to their life.

Gainesville High School Home Economics teacher Rachel Strait said she thought the banquet went very well. “It ran smoothly and I really enjoyed seeing the students get their awards,” she said.

Individual awards

Football

Leopard Pride — Eric McCann; MVP — Casey Metzler and Zach McFarlin.

Volleyball

Leopard Pride — Jaci Felderhoff; MVP -Laci Felderhoff.

Boys basketball

Leopard Pride — Payton Roye and Zach McFarlin; MVP — Lee Griggs and Josh Lawson.

Girls basketball

Leopard Pride — Kaitlyn Culbertson; MVP — Jaci and Laci Felderhoff.

Boys Cross Country

MVP — David Serrano; Leopard Pride — Miguel Lopez.

Girls Cross Country

MVP — Crystal Lackey; Leopard Pride — Laura Alexis

Soccer

Newcomer of the year — Migel Fluentes; defensive MVP — Samuel Allred; offensive MVP — Justin Espinosa; MVP - Mark Vargas.

Power lifting

Leopard Pride — Jace Hinkle; MVP — Joe Call.

Tennis

Girls MVP — Jenny Parsons; Leopard Pride — Caylie Ginther.

Boys tennis

MVP — Deven Garrett; Leopard Pride — Tony Wiese.

Golf

Girls MVP — Sierra Strait; Boys MVP — Zach Claxton.

Softball

Newcomer of the year — Megan Gonzales; Leopard Pride — Madyson Bond and Laci Felderhoff; MVP — Jaci Felderhoff.

Baseball

Leopard Pride — Kevrick Jackson; Outstanding player — Jay Foster.

Girls track

Leopard pride — Sassy Thomas; MVP — Amy Franklin.

Boys track

Leopard pride — DeShawn Franklin and Meritt Banks; MVP — Stephen Betts.

Cheerleading

Most Loyal Fan — Kevrick Jackson