Celebrating the Stars of the 2026 Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards

The Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards, hosted by Ponce Law, took place on June 9 at the Music City Center in Nashville, honoring outstanding athletes from the region. The event recognized exceptional performances across various sports, featuring accolades such as the player of the year for both girls and boys, along with awards for coaches and teams.

This year’s Boys Athlete of the Year went to Cam Blivens from Lipscomb Academy, marking his second consecutive win in this category. Blivens, who has committed to play football at Clemson, had an impressive year as a multi-sport athlete, excelling in football, basketball, and track. He recorded 63 receptions for 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns while also averaging 23.1 points per basketball game along with notable performances on the track.

Kaylor West of Liberty Creek was honored as the Girls Athlete of the Year. A signee with Western Kentucky for softball, West also made significant contributions to her basketball team, leading them to the Class 3A state tournament. Her softball season included 100 innings pitched, where she struck out 156 batters and maintained a 1.25 ERA.

The award for Boys Coach of the Year was given to Jeremy Cooke of Station Camp, who led his team to a second consecutive Class AA boys soccer title, all while recovering from a kidney donation just weeks prior. Warne Riker from Summit was named Girls Coach of the Year after guiding his team to their first Class AAA championship, concluding a remarkable season with a record of 30-8.

Among the other notable winners, Oakland’s football team was recognized as Boys Team of the Year after securing their second straight Class 6A title, while Stewarts Creek softball claimed the Girls Team of the Year award with their first TSSAA state championship. The event brought together the best of Middle Tennessee athletics, celebrating their hard work and dedication.