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State Gazette Male Athlete of the Year for Dyersburg High School: Trojan Ace Mahaffey
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Dyersburg Trojan three-sport athlete Ace Mahaffey has been named State Gazette Male Athlete of the Year for Dyersburg High School.
photo/Jason Peevyhouse
By JASON PEEVYHOUSE
Following a senior season which saw him make significant impacts in three sports, Trojan Ace Mahaffey has been named the State Gazette Male Athlete of the Year for Dyersburg High School for this past school year.
Mahaffey was a member of the first Trojan Boys Golf team to reach the state tournament in school history while also winning his second straight individual region championship.
Dyersburg Head Coach Kavin Carr said his senior provided great leadership on the course during the past two seasons.
“To be the region champion in consecutive years and then be able to go back to state – not only as an individual but as a team this year, that was the goal we had in mind,” Carr said. “We did not know necessarily how we were going to get there and we certainly didn’t expect the freshmen to play as important of a role as they did.
“Early on, Ace began to see that this was a possibility. Hanging that carrot out in front of the horse – that we could very likely go as a team. It just kind of began to gel and fall into place as the season progressed.”
In his second straight state tournament, Mahaffey improved in both overall finish (29th to 25th) and score (+25 to +20). As Carr pointed out, his improvement was not just limited to these two things.
“With Ace, his maturity on the course and his ability to put that last shot behind him and focus how to best strategically place the ball,” the Trojan head coach explained. “That way he’d be ready for the next shot.
“A lot of time golfers are wanting to get it up off the ground and get it into the air. He was literally pinpointing where he wanted to hit the ball. Especially when attacking the green – where he would be putting from next. When you can really dial in your game, you can be pretty dangerous out there.”
Mahaffey was named the State Gazette Male Golfer of the Year earlier this summer, marking the second time he won the award.
In what turned into a busy year for Mahaffey, the Trojan senior moved onto the basketball court where he also had a standout season.
While he had strong games during the regular season – averaging 16.8 points a game during his senior season as well a 4.2 rebounds, Ace stepped onto another level in the postseason. The senior guard averaged over 25 points a game in the District 13AAA Tournament as the Trojans won their second straight postseason district title. In leading his team, the Dyersburg senior also won his second straight Tournament Most Valuable Player award.
For his efforts on the court, especially in the postseason, Mahaffey was named the State Gazette Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year for this past season.
“I think, throughout his career and since he was little, having him play in multiple sports, I think they’ve all benefited one another,” the Trojan basketball coach said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things we as coaches are bad about – making our sport and our season seem like its the most important thing in the world.
“But, multi-sport kids, I think have great chances to be successful not only in their sports but after sports as well. I think it adds to his well-roundedness.”
The Trojan head coach shared what Ace has meant to the program during his four years of high school.
“I think he’s been a great ambassador – not only to this program but to this school and school system,” Mahaffey said. “He’s done a lot for this school system.
“There’s some things that he’s done athletically that have been done before and may not be done again. He’s been a great student up here. He enjoys coming to sporting events. He’s been to every sporting event since he was little. He’s in the student section, he’s cheering. If you look at the girls state championship photos, he’s in the front row, hanging off that rail. I think just that part of it – him being an ambassador for Dyersburg High School and Dyersburg City Schools – that’s what’s been one of the biggest things about him.”
With graduation approaching in May, Mahaffey returned to baseball for the first time in a few years where he quickly became an important part of the Trojan pitching staff.
Mahaffey led the team in appearances with 10 while going 2-0 with two saves, striking out 20 batters in ten innings of work. Mahaffey allowed only 11 hits during the appearances.
“I loved having Ace come back and play for us because he had that bulldog mentality,” Dyersburg Head Coach Zane Mathis said. “He had a great senior year in basketball this year and I think it just bled over into baseball.
“I was never afraid to put him in during crucial situations on the mound. He did an tremendous job for us this year.”