The TSSAA Board of Control lifted the playoff ban on Austin-East boys’ basketball, moved the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football awards date and set a membership entry date for the new Lakeway Christian Academy during its Monday meeting.
The Roadrunners, who were involved with Chattanooga Brainerd in an on-court brawl in a late-January game, will be free to participate in the postseason this upcoming season (2018-19) — as will Brainerd — due to their actions since the incident.
“Administrators and coaches from Austin-East presented many sportsmanship initiatives and positive changes the school has implemented since the incident in January,” the TSSAA release stated.
Meanwhile, a slight scheduling change was presented to the board concerning the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards. Normally, the awards are presented the Monday during Championship Week in a ceremony at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
However, due to a scheduling conflict with the Titans, the 2018 Mr. Football Awards will be held on Sunday, Nov. 25 — as well as the championship week media day for teams and coaches that has always preceded the awards banquet.
Lastly, the new Lakeway Christian Academy school in Morristown requested to the Board that it rejoin the TSSAA membership beginning with the 2019-20 school year without having to serve as an affiliate member for one year. The TSSAA Membership handbook defines an affiliate member as “having all rights of other member schools but not being allowed to participate in the TSSAA tournament series.”
That request was denied, and the board voted to accept Lakeway Christian Academy as a member for the 2018-19 school year, “pending approval of Lakeway Christian Academy’s Board.”