Schools
Dunwoody High Wins All-Sports Award
Wildcats athletics programs recognized for 2010-11 success
For many years in many sports, Dunwoody High's chief rival in DeKalb County has been Lakeside.
That battle came into sharper focus this week, when the county presented to Dunwoody last school year's All-Sports Award, a points competition of school's success in state playoffs. The award, Dunwoody's third consecutive and fourth in the last five years, tied Lakeside for the most with 12.
Dunwoody was presented a trophy by DeKalb County Athletics Specialist Chris Chilton at the school's pep rally on Friday.
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"It's a big sense of pride when you win something like this as one big (school) program," said football coach Jim Showfety, whose team plays Lakeside on Sept. 23. "A lot of credit has to go to the administration and (former athletics director) Steve Fortenberry, as well as the community."
Dunwoody’s successful year in the competition for DeKalb's 20 schools included playoff appearances in baseball, girls softball and volleyball, and boys and girls soccer, tennis and golf. Dunwoody's cross country, swimming and gymnastics teams also reached state.
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Dunwoody's point total of 328.5 was the second highest in the award's 30-year history, not far behind the Wildcats' record-setting 357.5 in the 2009-10 school year. Lakeside was third with 296, behind Southwest DeKalb, whose fourth runner-up finish with 300 was keyed by its fourth girls track state championship in five seasons.
Wildcats baseball coach Chan English, whose team reached the quarterfinals last season, said athletic success typifies Dunwoody students' dedication.
"Our kids have a real good work ethic, and we're fortunate to have a good group of kids who love Dunwoody and want to be successful," he said. "Other kids might not have the commitment to their school ours do. The fan base is outstanding in this community, too."
Though the Wildcats and Vikings are tied with the most All-Sports titles, Lakeside is the only school to have finished among the top five every time. Redan has the most runner-up finishes with seven.
Dunwoody swim coach Rae Colley, whose boys and girls took 15th of 47 teams and 24th of 39 squads at state last year, respectively, well knows Dunwoody's athletics rivalry with Lakeside. Though uninvolved in All-Sports scoring, her girls last year ended Lakeside's 14-year reign of county swim championships, avenging the Vikings' end to the Wildcats' run of 11 consecutive titles in 1997.
"Any time we can beat Lakeside it's exciting," she had said then.
2010-11 DEKALB ALL-SPORTS AWARD
1) Dunwoody 328.5
2) Southwest DeKalb 300.0
3) Lakeside 296.0
4) Chamblee 276.0
5) Arabia Mountain 253.0
6) Tucker 252.5
7) Stephenson 235.5
8) Columbia 221.5
9) Redan 217.0
10) Druid Hills 200.5
11) Miller Grove 193.5
12) Cedar Grove 174.5
13) Martin Luther King Jr. 170.0
14) Lithonia 142.0
15) Stone Mountain 138.5
16) McNair 130.0
17) Cross Keys 127.5
18) Clarkston 102.0
19) Towers 96.0
20) Avondale 66.0