| Mr. Football: UC’s Fair joins elite company in line for prestigious award |
By: Mike Hutchens Messenger Sports Writer
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Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 6:40 pm
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By MIKE HUTCHENS
Messenger Sports Editor
From Day 1 in his tenure as Union City High School head football coach, Darren Bowling noticed Ronnie Fair.
Apparently now, so have a number of other coaches across the state.
Fair, a dominating defensive player for the fifth-ranked Golden Tornadoes the past two years, was named one of three finalists for Class A Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Lineman of the Year Award today.
The senior stalwart becomes just the seventh such UCHS player to be among the final nominees for the prestigious honor that dates back to 1985. Only running back Mario McElrath in 2000 has won the award — in the Back of the Year category — while wearing the Purple and Gold.
Fair is joined on the Class A finalist list by Adamsville linebacker Josh Carroll and Trousdale County defensive end Jiajuan Fennell.
Standout Huntingdon running back Kennon Holder is a finalist for the Class A Back of the Year honor. He is joined on that short list by Kevin Ashabraner of Jo Byrns and South Pittsburg’s Terrell Robinson.
This year’s winners in all categories and classifications will be announced Nov. 30 at a luncheon at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro.
Finalists are nominated by coaches and media members across the state, with a panel of nine sports writers who represent Tennessee geographically then meeting to discuss criteria and statistical data before determining the winners via vote.
The award is based solely on regular season play and this year is chosen for the three Division I or public school classifications and two more in Division II or private schools — or before schools are separated into six classes for playoff competition in Division I.
Fair has been both a disruptive force and defensive playmaker along the front line for the Tornadoes, who will begin their postseason vs. South Fulton Friday night after earning a bye in Round 1 as the District 14A champion.
The 5-10, 238-pounder has lined up both at tackle and end and has made 17 tackles for lost yards this season after recording 10 quarterback sacks as a junior. He’s collected another four QB drops among his 58 solo stops this year for a Union City unit that has recorded three shutouts in its last five games and four overall.
It was his tenacity and physical nature that caught Bowling’s eye almost immediately after he saw him in uniform.
“At my first spring practice in pads after taking this job in February of ’08, I noticed him right off the bat,” said the Union City coach, who has produced back-to-back district title seasons and restored the once-proud football tradition at UCHS in his two seasons at the Twister helm.
“Our first order of business was to change the mentality here. Ronnie was so physical and powerful, and that was apparent immediately. It’s a violent, vicious sport and he brings that mentality with him to the field every day and against our opponents every Friday.”
Blessed with both explosiveness and quickness, Fair is equally efficient at controlling the line of scrimmage or capable of chasing down a runner from the backside. Those multi-talents have served him well as the Tornado defensive staff has moved him to various positions while opposing teams scheme to avoid him.
Still, opposing teams have often resorted to either double-teaming or running away from Fair and his overpowering abilities.
“He was a tackle until people started double-teaming him where they couldn’t get a bead on him, and then we moved him to end and most have tried to run away from him,” Bowling said. “The good thing about him is he has started to understand what we really need from him in our scheme, and he has still been dominant while playing with great technique.
“And he’s sound fundamentally, which means we can move him and he’s equally effective at more than one position. He really can make things happen, no matter where he plays.”
Fair, who has drawn college recruiters from several Ohio Valley Conference schools as well as some NAIA programs, joins past UCHS standouts Colton Speed (’08), Josh Johnson (1999), Scottie Hayslett (’97), Chris Smith (’93) and Marcus Lewis (’92) as finalists for the award from the Tornado program.
“To be included in that company is a great honor for Ronnie, but he’ll tell you, I’m sure, it’s a team accomplishment,” Bowling concluded. “Our motto since we’ve come here is to ‘Forget about yourself.’ Any time any of our kids receive an individual accolade, they all understand that it’s something the entire program shares in.”
Fair’s competition for the award has been equally impressive for their respective teams.
Adamsville’s Carroll has led the state in tackles each of the last two seasons, racking up more than 150 this year for a Cardinal club that won District 15A and is ranked sixth in Class 2A heading into the postseason.
Fennell, who has verbally commited to Middle Tennessee State, has made 51 total tackles with nine of those behind the line of scrimmage. He’s recorded 6 1/2 sacks.
The Pirates are ranked third in Class 1A and are generally considered the odds-on favorite to win the single-A state championship.
Sports editor Mike Hutchens can be contacted by e-mail at mhutch@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 11.10.09 |
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