The list includes players from Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties. The Terrific 22 also honors a player, newcomer and coach of the year, with the players also considered part of the team.
Here is the 2025 Huntsville Times Terrific 22:
Steven Cavaco, IF, Huntsville, Sr.
The Ohio State baseball signee batted .355 for Huntsville as a senior and posted a 1.156 OPS at the plate. He finished with 10 doubles and six home runs while driving in 24 runners and going 10-for-11 on stolen base attempts. Cavaco was a second team all-state pick in Class 7A.
Jace Meadows, P, Hartselle, Sr.
The Class 6A Pitcher of the Year went 11-1 with a 0.94 ERA on the mound for the Class 6A state champion Tigers this season. A UAH baseball signee, Meadows struck out 77 batters across 67 innings of work this season.
Memphis Scott, IF, Madison County, Sr.
The senior batted .487 and posted a 1.527 OPS for a Madison County team that advanced to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. A UAH baseball signee, Scott hit 12 doubles and four home runs to go along with 17 RBIs. He claimed second team all-state honors.
Charlie Cassingham, P/IF, Grissom, Sr.
Cassingham contributed on both sides of the ball for a Grissom team that finished ranked in the top 10 of Class 7A. A second-team all-state pick, Cassingham finished with a 2.29 ERA on the mound with 75 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP. The South Alabama signee batted .321 at the plate with 26 RBIs and went 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts.
Luke Murrell, IF/OF, Athens Bible, So.
The first team all-state pick in Class 1A batted .565 with 15 doubles, six triples and a home run for Athens Bible, which advanced to the second round of the playoffs. He posted a 1.528 OPS and logged 28 RBIs while going 19-for-20 on stolen base attempts.
Asher Doepel, UTL, Hartselle, Jr.
The Class 6A state championship MVP batted .325 and logged 38 hits for the Class 6A No. 1-ranked Tigers this season. He also played a key part of Hartselle’s pitching staff, throwing 125 pitches to earn the save in the second game and the win in the third of the Class 6A championship series.
Luke Gilbert, IF, Pisgah, Sr.
The Jacksonville State football signee batted .469 with a 1.521 OPS for Pisgah this season, going 24-for-26 on stolen base attempts. He hit six doubles, eight triples and four home runs while logging 25 RBIs for the Eagles.
Myles Johnson, P/OF, Madison Academy, Sr.
The first team all-state pick in Class 5A batted .436 and posted a 1.224 OPS for Madison Academy this season. He finished with 16 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBIs. On the mound, the Eastern Kentucky signee had a 1.44 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 68 innings of work.
Zack Johnson, DH, Bob Jones, Sr.
The Alabama baseball signee claimed first team all-state honors this season after batting .443 with a 1.109 OPS for the Class 7A Patriots. He finished with 51 hits and 29 RBIs while logging seven doubles and four home runs.
Luke Holbrook, P/IF, Whitesburg Christian, Sr.
Holbrook finished with a 1.11 ERA and struck out 127 batters across 63 innings pitched (14.1 K/7) as a senior for the Warriors, which advanced to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs. He also batted .436 and posted a 1.319 OPS with seven home runs, seven doubles and 40 RBIs.
Dillon Adkins, OF, Bob Jones, Sr.
The Austin Peay baseball commit batted .328 while hitting 10 doubles and nine home runs for the Patriots, which advanced to the Class 7A state semifinals this season. He racked up 35 RBIs and posted a 1.072 OPS, claiming all-state honors.
Conner Drake, P/IF, Madison County, Jr.
Drake batted .443 and had a 1.114 OPS this season for Madison County, also going 23-for-25 on stolen base attempts. The junior finished with 29 RBIs and crossed home plate 28 times, only striking out four times in 97 at-bats while drawing 14 walks.
Jack Doyle, P, Madison Academy, Sr.
The Class 5A Pitcher of the Year finished with a 1.37 ERA and 1.15 WHIP for Madison Academy, which advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals this season. The UAH baseball signee struck out 79 batters across 71 1/3 innings of work and posted a 10-4 record.
Olsen Howard, P/SS, Decatur Heritage, Sr.
The Class 2A Hitter of the Year posted a 1.689 OPS and batted .527 for Decatur Heritage this season, hitting 11 home runs and 13 doubles. He racked up 62 RBIs and posted a .590 on-base percentage. He also finished with a 2.39 ERA and an 8-3 record on the mound, striking out 63 batters across 38 innings.
Andrew Oelke, P/IF, Buckhorn, Sr.
Oelke finished with a 1.94 ERA and struck out 85 batters across 54 innings of work for the Bucks this season, also claiming all-state honors. At the plate, he batted .404 with 11 home runs and 11 doubles, totaling 45 RBIs and scoring 24 runs.
Trey Greenwell, OF, Decatur, Sr.
Greenwell claimed first team all-state honors in Class 6A this season, batting .372 with a 1.115 OPS for Decatur. He went 17-for-18 on stolen base attempts while hitting seven doubles, three triples and four home runs to log 17 RBIs.
Andrew Beaverson, IF/DH, Hazel Green, Jr.
The first team all-state pick batted .490 and posted a 1.229 OPS for Hazel Green this season, putting down 11 doubles and driving in 30 runners. He crossed home plate 33 times and logged 47 hits.
Jace Duckett, UTL, Madison County, So.
Last year’s Huntsville Times Newcomer of the Year, Duckett batted .430 and posted a 1.475 OPS for Madison County as a sophomore. He went 19-for-20 on stolen base attempts, hitting 12 doubles, six triples and six home runs. The first team all-state pick finished the year with 46 RBIs.
Tee Foster, IF, Madison Academy, Sr.
The shortstop batted .413 for Madison Academy this season, totaling 59 hits and crossing home plate 38 times. The first team all-state pick finished with 34 RBIs and put down 14 doubles, posting a 1.028 OPS.
Braden Abernathy, IF, Buckhorn, Sr.
The second team all-state pick in Class 6A batted .455 and posted a 1.258 OPS for Buckhorn. He finished with 14 doubles, four triples and six home runs while logging 32 RBIs and scoring 44 times. He also went 16-for-17 on stolen base attempts.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bob Jones’ Tanner Hermesch delivers the final out of the series, throwing to first base, during an AHSAA Class 7A second-round playoff baseball game against Hewitt-Trussville in Trussville, Ala., Monday, May 5, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt
Tanner Hermesch, P/IF, Bob Jones, Sr.
The Class 7A Pitcher of the Year shined for the Patriots, finishing the year with a 1.14 ERA and a 12-1 record on the mound. The Shelton State signee posted a 0.82 WHIP and struck out 126 batters while walking just 17 across 85 2/3 innings pitched for Bob Jones, which advanced to the Class 7A state semifnals.
RECENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2024 –Tanner Hermesch, Bob Jones
2024 – Braden Booth, Bob Jones *
2023 – Coleman Mizell, Hartselle
2022 – Elliott Bray, Hartselle; Alex Wade, Madison Academy
2012 – Kyle Wright, Buckhorn (player); Trey Wingenter, Bob Jones (pitcher); Daniel Garner, Sparkman (hitter)
2011 – Andrew Dennis, Huntsville (player); Daniel Koger,* Huntsville (pitcher)
2010 – Stafford Booth, Madison Academy (player); Dillon Ortman, Grissom (pitcher)
2009 – Luke Bole,* Hartselle (player); Chad Girodo, Hartselle (pitcher)
2008 – Kody Ortman, Grissom (player); Corey Williams, Madison Academy (pitcher)
2007 – Hunter Morris, Grissom (player); Corey Williams, Madison Academy (pitcher)
* Won Alabama’s Mr. Baseball award
Hartselle’s Easton Nelms gets props from teammates after turning a double play during the Hartselle vs. Prattville baseball game in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Easton Nelms, P/IF, Hartselle, Sr.
The first team all-state pick in Class 6A batted .350 this season for Hartselle with 11 doubles and 26 RBIs after moving from Florence. A Samford baseball signee, he went 16-for-18 on stolen base attempts and posted a .957 OPS.
RECENT NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
2025 – Easton Nelms, Hartselle
2024 – Jace Duckett, Madison County
2023 – Tee Foster, Madison Academy
2022 – Bryant Sparkman, Decatur Heritage
COACH OF THE YEAR
Hartselle coach Brad Phillips walks back from a talk with the umpires during an AHSAA Class 6A state final baseball game in Jacksonville, Ala., Thursday, May 15, 2025.
(Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt
Brad Phillips, Hartselle
The first-year coach guided Hartselle to a Class 6A state titles after beating Chelsea in Games 2 and 3 of the championship series. The Tigers finished 35-8 and ranked No. 1 in Class 6A.
2024 – Jake Miles, John Hall, Keith Wright, Jacob Cole, Hartselle
2023 – Robby Seemann, St. John Paul II
2022 – Steve Meek, Decatur Heritage
2021 – William Booth, Hartselle
2020 – No winner due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 – Jared Smith, Bob Jones
2018 – Frankie Perez, Hazel Green
2017 – Andrew Smith, Ardmore
2016 – Mike Good, Madison Academy, and Jared Smith, Bob Jones
2015 – Lee Hall, Randolph
2014 – Kellen Greer, Sparkman
2013 – Jeff Bell, Bob Jones
2012 – Roger Wright, Buckhorn
2011 – Mark Mincher, Huntsville
2010 – Adam Moseley, Grissom
2009 – Mike Good, Madison Academy
2008 – Kellen Greer, Sparkman
2007 – Roger Wright, Buckhorn
Grissom High School’s Joshua Burrell celebrates his home run with teammate Charlie Cassingham in a game against Bob Jones on Saturday, March 30, 2025, at Madison, Ala.Kevin Farrell
We’ve got Thursday night football to kick off Week 1 around the Garden State as JSZ brings you three games from the gridiron. Princeton and Allentown meet in a Mercer County thriller, Demarest looks to start strong against Bergen Tech plus Washington Township tries to reach 2-0 against Pennsauken in the WJFL. Check back as the highlights are posted throughout the night!
Down 6-0, senior Ellinton Hinds who already had an interception on the first drive of the game, made one of the best catches in all of New Jersey high school football so far this season to keep Princeton (2-0) undefeated in 2025. Hinds had two leaping catches from QB Quinton deFaria, who threw for 109 yards and a TD. The Tigers beat Allentown (0-2) for the first time since 2005 and look to keep their win streak alive with a Week 2 matchup against Ewing.
JSZ’s Tyler Mroz has the highlights + reaction from Allentown:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Princeton and Allentown is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.
The Minutemen took care of business in their home opener by racing out to a 35-0 halftime lead and cruising the rest of the way. Colin Beeler scored a pair of touchdowns to lead a bruising rushing attack in the victory. Paris Pratt hauled in a touchdown and added a fumble return touchdown for Washington Township (2-0). Pennsauken (1-1) will look to bounce back next Thursday against Highland.
JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Sewell:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Washington Township is made possible by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
With lead running back Reed Kauderer unavailable for the majority of the game, the Norsemen needed their other playmakers to step up. They ultimately answered the bell. Quarterback Joseph Yun accounted for three total touchdowns as Demarest (1-0) begins their 2025 season with a bang. Daejuan Joseph caught a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Bergen Tech (0-1) will now turn their focus to a game against Ferris next week.
JSZ’s Sean Dugan has the highlights from Little Ferry:
Five games dotted the high school football schedule Thursday night.
In Class AA, Butte stormed past Billings Skyview 33-13 on the road while Missoula Sentinel knocked off No. 3 Great Falls CMR 6-0. A big showdown in 8-Man lived up to its billing as No. 3 Fort Benton beat No. 2 Belt 24-22.
Check out the highlights and details below:
CLASS AA
Missoula Sentinel 6, No. 3 Great Falls CMR 0
After a scoreless first half, Sentinel struck with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Hess to Kyler Haslam. That ended up being the game’s only score, as the Spartans’ defense kept Great Falls CMR off the scoreboard entirely.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Missoula Sentinel knocks off No. 3 Great Falls CMR in defensive slugfest
Sentinel held CMR to six first downs, and 0-for-9 showing on third down and 132 total offensive yards. The Spartans’ Jake Boggust recovered a fumble on a promising CMR drive in the fourth quarter that helped preserve the shutout.
Butte 33, Billings Skyview 13
Hudson Luedtke caught three touchdown passes from Brooks Vincent to lead Butte to a road victory. Peyton Johnson had a scoring run and Jaeger Hansen returned an interception for a TD as the Bulldogs built a sizable first-half lead.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Butte picks up convincing win at Billings Skyview
The Falcons got their points on two touchdown passes from Jaxon Zagata to Jackson Carter.
At halftime, Skyview celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1995 state title team. That year, the Falcons went 11-1 under coach Rob Lebsock and won the Class AA championship with a 27-20 victory over Bozeman.
MTN Sports
The 1995 state champion Billings Skyview Falcons are honored at Daylis Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Billings.
8-MAN
No. 3 Fort Benton 24, No. 2 Belt 22
Truman Giese’s fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion gave Fort Benton the lead and two defensive takeaways in the final minutes helped maintain it as Fort Benton knocked off Belt in a ranked matchup.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
No. 3 Fort Benton knocks off No. 2 Belt in 8-Man showdown
Blake Waldner set an early tone for the Huskies with a 29-yard touchdown run, but Giese scored from 3 yards out to help tie it 8-8 in the second quarter.
Slater Lords had a long catch and run for a touchdown, putting Belt up 16-8, but a Giese-to-David Olson TD pass tied the game again. In the third, Waldner turned a Huskies interception into another touchdown run as Belt grabbed a 22-16 advantage. But it didn’t hold up.
Australian Sam Groth has the honour of having the fastest recorded tennis serve of all time.
The 6ft 4 Australian set the record during an ATP Open Challenger match in Busan, South Korea, in 2012 against Belarusian tennis player Uladzimir Ignatik.
Groths serve clocks in at a staggering 263.4kph (163.7mph).
Frenchman Albano Olivetti holds the record for the second-fastest serve ever recorded. The French tennis pro also remains the second person to break the 160mph serve speed barrier.
Olivetti’s serve came in 2012 at the challenger level during the Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–Faip.
Albano Olivetti holds the second-fastest record serve on the tour.
It would be hard not to include the American giant John Isner in this list. The 6ft 10 American is known best for his monster serves, which are delivered consistently throughout.
His monstrous serve is thanks in part to his stature. Isner clocks in as the third-tallest tennis player on the ATP behind the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic and American young gun Reilly Opelka (both 6ft 11 inches). Ivo Karlovic currently holds the record for the fourth fastest recorded tennis serve.
Isner currently holds the third fastest serve in tennis. The Americans serve, clocking in at 253 kph (157.2 mph) during a 2016 Davis Cup tie against Bernard Tomic.
John Isner also holds the record for playing the longest match in Grand Slam history against Nicolas Mahut. During Wimbledon 2010, Isner beat Mahut in 5 sets: 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68. The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Isner’s serve is the fastest recorded serve in tennis, recognised by the ATP.
Spaniard Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest recorded tennis serve by a woman.
Perez clocked a serve of 200kph (136.7 mph) during the Hungarian Ladies Open in 2018.
Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest serve by a female.
Why is it nearly impossible to hit a 160 mph tennis serve?
A considered calculation of stature, technique, coaching, mechanics and good old practice is said to make the perfect concoction for a fast serve.
A direct correlation has been proven between the height of a player and power during a serve. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the top servers of the game are all giants by nature.
The trajectory of a serve remains ever important. Players who are 6ft 7 or above have the ability to hit the ball with a downward trajectory, whereas those who are under that height are unable to do so.
Modern technology has also greatly aided in the incremental increase of server power over time. The changeover from wooden rackets to today’s modern racket is a huge factor in determining serve power. Advancements in string technology and racket materials also play a huge part in determining a fast serve.
Other mitigating factors include court conditions. Faster serves are much more likely to happen on a hard court and during hotter temperatures, where there is less resistance to air density, translating to faster speeds.
When you compare the fastest tennis serve with other sports, you can see how fast it is.
Fastest Football shot – 114 mph by David Hirst in 1996 Fastest Baseball pitch – 105.1 mph by Aroldis Chapman in 2010 Fastest Cricket Bowling speed – 100.2 mph by Shoaib Akhtar in 2003
What is the average tennis serve speed?
The average tennis serve speed differs between both men and women, as well as between pros and amateurs. Data shows us that for professional male tennis players, the average tennis serve speed is approximately 114 mph (on their first serve) and 93 mph (on their second serve).
For women, the average tennis serve speed clocks in at 98 mph (on their first serve) and 82 mph (on their second serve).
This data was recorded between 2002-2013, so bear in mind the average speeds have likely increased by a few miles per hour in the modern era, as racquet technology and athletes continue to evolve and adapt within the sport.
Check out Wired’s video, which covers the topic more in-depth.
It’s the second edition of Blue Federal Credit Union‘s Fort Collins-area Athlete of the Week for the 2025-26 high school sports season.
And this week’s honor is hitting the local tennis courts with a top singles player.
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Poudre boys tennis player Owen Addington took top honors in the Fort Collins area for the week of Aug. 25-30 after a couple of dominant sweeps.
Playing on the No. 1 singles line, the Impalas senior dropped just six games in four sets across two match wins over Windsor and Northglenn’s top players.
He beat Windsor’s Joseph Bisceglia (6-2, 6-3) and followed that up with a 6-0, 6-1 over Northglenn’s Emrah Mehidic.
Poudre’s Owen Addington bends down to hit a shot during a city rivalry boys tennis dual on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo.
Addington, also a basketball player and tennis team captain, has helped Poudre get off to a 3-1 start this season that also included a team tournament title at the Thompson Valley Invitational.
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The senior and third-year varsity player is the first tennis player to earn Blue FCU Athlete of the Week honors in the award’s third school year. He joins Rocky Mountain’s Bode Nesbitt as the first winners in the 2025-26 prep sports season.
Poudre fans pushed Addington atop the polls, giving him the victory with 51.5% of the fan vote.
That propelled him past these other four outstanding Athlete of the Week nominees:
Brooke Pravlik, PSD flag football (runner-up at 36.7%)
Taylor Morgan, Wellington softball
Judd Nikkel, Fossil Ridge boys golf
Nora Ebel, Rocky Mountain girls cross country
The Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week series features five nominees on Mondays, with voting at Coloradoan.com until 11:59 p.m. every Wednesday.
Fans can nominate their favorite athletes (deadline: 11:59 p.m. every Sunday), and the Coloradoan Sports staff will ultimately select the nominees each week.
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If you have nominations for a future Athlete of the Week, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.
View the full results:
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
BB&N senior Sam Kelley (right) announced he will play football at Brown. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
With sincere apologies to all the games played Thursday, here at Globe Schools it feels a lot like Christmas Eve, with a full slate of high school football arriving under the tree Friday evening.
Over the last two weeks we talked to nearly 200 football coaches and wrote more than 30,000 words previewing every team in Eastern Mass. There’s still time for a cram session!
Team-by-team previews for every Eastern Mass. program
Trevor Hass wrote about Whittier football coach Kevin Bradley, who is continuing to coach the team while battling tongue cancer. Read coach Bradley’s inspirational story.
The first three football games of the season were played Thursday night, with Pentucket topping Northeast (26-22), Waltham holding off Belmont (24-12), and Brookline beating Lexington (27-10).
1. Milestones
▪ Two golf teams made history, as Canton set a new low home score at Blue Hill Country Club, scoring a 138 as a team to best Mansfield by 15 strokes thanks to 1-under-par 33s from senior Joey Ryan and freshman Chase Thomas.
▪ Rockport set a record for most points on its home course, Rockport Country Club, posting a 168-151 win over Hamilton-Wenham behind a 38-point showing from Sam Kesterson, who shot a 1-under-par 34 with three birdies.
▪ St. John Paul II field hockey coach Leah Pierce got her first win with the program, beating Bishop Stang, 3-0. Ariana Liakos got her first win helming the Pembroke girls’ volleyball, beating Falmouth, 3-1. And Acton-Boxborough girls’ soccer coach Manny Lopes notched his first victory, 4-0, over Algonquin.
▪ On the pitch, No. 18 Medfield boys’ soccer shocked No. 10 Oliver Ames, the defending Division 2 state champions, with a 2-0 win powered by goals from Max Tillmann and Sebastian Cole.
Keene State freshman Kayla DiPasquale, a Marshfield High graduate, was named Little East Conference women’s soccer Rookie of the Week after scoring her first two collegiate goals in a 4-2 win over Rivier.
4. Commitment central
BB&N senior captain Sam Kelley, a 6-foot-2-inch, 228-pound two-way athlete from Natick, announced he will play football at Brown.
