CHAMPS: The Cherokee Braves 2017 varsity football team, shown celebrating after winning the 1A state championship at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Dec. 9, 2017, has been nominated for the Skyland Automotive Group Division II Male Team – Major Sport award which will be presented at this year’s WNC Sports Award Banquet. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
QB: Tye Mintz, a Braves senior who has committed to play football next season at Kennesaw State University, has been nominated for the Merrill Lynch/Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete – Major Sport award for his performance in football and basketball this past season. He has also been nominated for the Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year award and is a finalist for one of the 15 scholarships that will be awarded at $1,500 each per the Darlene and John McNabb Scholarship program. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
The Cherokee Braves 2017 varsity football team has been nominated for a WNC Sports Award which will be presented at the 57th Annual banquet to be held Sunday, May 6 at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The team is nominated for the Skyland Automotive Group Division II Male Team – Major Sport award along with Christ School football, Mountain Heritage basketball, Mountain Heritage football, and Murphy football.
Tye Mintz, a Braves senior who has committed to play football next season at Kennesaw State University, has been nominated for the Merrill Lynch/Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete – Major Sport award for his performance in football and basketball this past season. He has also been nominated for the Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year award and is a finalist for one of the 15 scholarships that will be awarded at $1,500 each per the Darlene and John McNabb Scholarship program.
STUDENT OF THE GAME: Shelby Wolfe, a Lady Braves senior who has committed to play basketball next season at Gardner-Webb University, has been nominated for the Blue Ridge X-Ray Female Athlete Academic Award. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
For the football season, he helped lead the Braves to their first state championship. Along the way, he completed 105 of 178 passes for 2,040 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed 164 times for 1,704 yards and 33 touchdowns. Some of the accolades he received this past year include: Shrine Bowl roster, Smoky Mountain Conference Back of the Year, Smoky Mountain All-Conference team, 1A State Championship Game Most Valuable Player, and Associated Press All-State. On the basketball court, he had 288 points, 169 rebounds, 33 assists, and 34 steals for the season. He was named to the Big Smoky Mountain All-Conference team, the Blue-White All-Star game roster, and the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association All-District second team.
Shelby Wolfe, a Lady Braves senior who has committed to play basketball next season at Gardner-Webb University, has been nominated for the Blue Ridge X-Ray Female Athlete Academic Award. A four-year member of the Lady Braves basketball team, she had 216, 119 rebounds, and 25 steals this past season as she was named to the Big Smoky Mountain All-Conference team and the Blue-White All-Star game roster.
Shay Tisho, an EBCI tribal member at Smoky Mountain High School, has been nominated for the Jan & Lary Schulhof Division I Female Athlete – Major Sport award. She is also included in a nomination the entire Smoky Mountain girls basketball team received for the Home Trust Bank Division I Female Team – Major Sport award. The Mountain Six Conference Player of the Year, she averaged over 15 points and 9 rebounds per game for the season.
BALLER: Shay Tisho (right), an EBCI tribal member at Smoky Mountain High School, has been nominated for the Jan & Lary Schulhof Division I Female Athlete – Major Sport award. She is also included in a nomination the entire Smoky Mountain girls basketball team received for the Home Trust Bank Division I Female Team – Major Sport award. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
Will Paul, an EBCI tribal member at Swain County High School, has been nominated for the White & Williams Division II Male Athlete – Olympic Sport award. He won the 1A state wrestling title at 220lbs. this season which he ended with a record of 24-3.
Other Smoky Mountain Conference nominees include:
- Jessica Beckner (Murphy), basketball and volleyball, Wells Fargo Division II Female Athlete – Major Sport and Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year
- Abigail Knight (Robbinsville), softball, Wells Fargo Division II Female Athlete – Major Sport
- Emma Pindur (Swain Co.), track & field, Carole Martin/Northwestern Mutual Division II Female Athlete – Olympic Sport and Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year
- Murphy girls basketball team, Homewood Suites Division II Female Team – Major Sport
- Payne Anderson (Robbinsville), wrestling, White & Williams Division II Male Athlete – Olympic Sport
- Kade Millsaps (Robbinsville), wrestling, White & Williams Division II Male Athlete – Olympic Sport
- Robbinsville wrestling, EmergeOrtho Blue Ridge Division Division II Male Team – Olympic Sport
- Josh Cottrell (Hayesville), basketball, Merrill Lynch/Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete – Major Sport
- Joey Curry (Murphy), baseball and football, Merrill Lynch/Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete – Major Sport and Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year
- Katelyn Jones (Murphy), football and soccer, Blue Ridge X-Ray Female Athlete Academic Award
STATE TITLE: Will Paul, an EBCI tribal member at Swain County High School, has been nominated for the White & Williams Division II Male Athlete – Olympic Sport award. (Photo courtesy of Swain Co. High School)
