Posted: Monday, September 3, 2012 7:00 pm

Briefly


Ex-UC standout Nicks
likely to have surgery

Former Union City High School football star Josh Nicks is slated for surgery after tearing knee ligaments Thursday during Southeast Missouri State’s game with Central Michigan.
Nicks, The Messenger’s 2009 player of the year when he helped lead the Tornadoes to the Class 1A state championship, was hurt on the opening kickoff in SEMO’s 38-27 road loss.
He said Sunday doctors have said he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and possibly a torn medial collateral ligament.
He is scheduled for a MRI on Tuesday, and told The Messenger Sunday that surgery was likely “in a couple of weeks.”
A junior for the Red Hawks, Nicks has played mostly on special teams. He did score a touchdown last season vs. Central Methodist.
For the Tornadoes, he was an all-stater — setting a state record with 47 carries in the BlueCross Bowl championship game in ’09 when UC stunned heavily-favored South Pittsburg for the school’s only football title.

Hickman ladies’ event
decided by one stroke

The threesome of Kathy Barker, Annell Goodwin and Laurie Higdon shot 2-under par to win the weekly ladies’ scramble at Hickman Country Club on Thursday.
Two teams tied for second with Dino Nerren, Wanda Brown and Beverly Yates making up one group, and Anne Kincade, Jacque Lethcoe and Jackie Russell another that shot 1-under.
Janice Hanna was the closest-to-the-pin on hole No. 8, leaving her tee-shot four feet, one inch from the hole.
The ladies play every Thursday afternoon at the Hickman course.

Former McKenzie ace
to be assigned to AFL

Ex-McKenzie football/baseball standout Drew Hayes has been selected by the Cincinnati Reds to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.
The AFL has regularly been an offseason springboard to the major leagues for rising minor leaguers.
Hayes, who led the Rebels to a state baseball title in his prep playing days and was also a record-setting quarterback, has played this season with the Penscola Blue Wahoos — the Reds’ double-A affilitiate.
Heading into the weekend, he was tied for the Southern League lead with 55 appearances as a reliever. He had a 2-3 record with a 3.52 earned run average and had held opponents to just a .235 batting average.
Hayes was one of five Reds prospects to receive the AFL invite.

UTM hero Sandlin
lauded by conference

Cody Sandlin, who kicked a game-winning 43-yard field goal to help UT Martin upset Memphis 20-17 for the school’s first-ever victory over a FBS program, was named the adidas Ohio Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
Sandlin hit two field goals in the final five minutes of the Skyhawks’ victory after missing two first-half attempts.
He hit a 26-yarder with just under five minutes remaining to give UTM a 17-10 lead.
Tennessee Tech’s Da’Rick Rogers, a transfer from Tennessee after being dismissed from the Vols, was the OVC’s Co-Newcomer of the Week, while Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garo-ppolo and defenseive back Brooklyn Fox of Eastern Kentucky were selected as the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.
UTM’s Jason McNairy (offense) and Chris Wright (defense) were also nominated for those honors.

Published in The Messenger 9.3.12