McCallie soph Boyce commits to Providence

McCallie School goalkeeper Tate Boyce recently committed to play NCAA Division I lacrosse for Providence College - as a 10th-grader. The 5-foot-10 left-hander hasn't even played a match for the Blue Tornado, having become a boarder this year from Matthews, N.C., and he is one of four quality goalies at McCallie, according to coach Troy Kemp. "At least three of them have Division I ability, and one is a junior. It's both a blessing and a curse for a coach, but these guys seem to be handling it well," Kemp said. He's not in favor of sophomore commitments but acknowledges that as a trend in lacrosse, noting that North Carolina, where his son plays, "is finished recruiting for 2015, all with sophomores." Boyce is very mature, Kemp said, "and he definitely has the talent. He is probably one of the top 10 goalies in his class in the country, if not the top five. Some of the college coaches told me he's the best in his class." Ivy League schools Cornell, Dartmouth and Brown as well as Hofstra and Villanova were among those recruiting Boyce, but Ivy schools can't give athletic scholarships and Kemp said Boyce really likes the new coaching staff at Providence, headed by former Duke assistant Chris Gabrielli with former Syracuse first-team All-America goalie John Galloway as an assistant. "He has a chance to play early, he has a great financial offer, he loves the coaches and the team has prospects to be very competitive. Those four things sold him on Providence," Kemp said. Boyce was an all-star at the Top 205 event last summer and at the LB3 Southeastern Showcase in the fall, among other high-profile club tournaments and camps.

Basketball

• Jenna Adams scored 41 points, hauled in 14 rebounds and blocked four shots as Lee University whipped Southern Polytechnic State 82-61 in Southern States Athletic Conference women's basketball Thursday night in Cleveland. Then the Lee men, ranked second in NAIA Division I, beat the Hornets 73-60. Lee's women, tied for seventh in the rankings, held the 24th-ranked Lady Hornets to 27.6 percent shooting in taking a 43-23 lead into halftime. Adams was 15-of-22 from the field, including 6-of-12 on 3-point shots, and made all five of her free throws. Hollie German added 18 points with three 3s and eight assists for the Lady Flames (24-2, 13-2), while Sarah Ogoke led SPSU's six players with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Will Barnes had 20 points and seven rebounds and Chase Dunn contributed 19 points and three steals for the Flames (25-1, 14-1). Barnes was 4-of-5 on 3s.

• Ish Sanders from Cleveland High School scored a season-high 28 points on 7-of-11 3-point shooting and added four assists and six rebounds in Carson-Newman University's 91-59 South Atlantic Conference basketball win Wednesday against visiting Mars Hill.

Track & Field

• Senior sprinter Ashley Ruth from Bradley Central High School was one of seven King University athletes named to the Conference Carolinas indoor track and field academic all-conference team for 2013. Selection requires a cumulative 3.25 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and active participation in the sport.

Upcoming Events