Hood announced Thursday that he hired Jim Snider to be the Cougars’ new defensive coordinator. Hood also hired John Anderson to be the defensive backs coach.

“Jim Snider is a nice addition to our staff,” Hood said. “Having that kind of coach on our staff will be good for us.”

Snider joins Clarksville Academy after being the head coach at Clarksville High for seven years and an assistant there for a total of 12 years.

But Snider resigned from that post in August of last year, because of a hazing incident that involved the CHS football team at a preseason camp.

“I’m very happy to be coaching again,” Snider said. “Being in a different situation in a different place is always refreshing.”

Hood is excited to be adding a coach with Snider’s experience to go along with offensive coordinator Mike Marciano, who came over from Fort Campbell High in May of last year.

“It’s huge,” Hood said. “I’ve got Mike and he’s been a head coach before and then adding Jim and his experience is nice. I just talked to kids and told them we were going to work hard to improve the program every year and in every way, and we’ve done that so far.”

Snider will still teach at Clarksville High.

Snider led Clarksville High to the playoffs every year since 2004, including a trip to the Class 4A quarterfinals in 2006. Snider was also named the 2005 All-Area Coach of the Year and the 2006 co All-Area Coach of the Year.

“I’m very excited,” Snider said. “I’m going to work with two great coaches in Todd Hood and Mike Marciano. It’s a great opportunity to be around quality guys. I’ve been impressed with the players. I’m just ready to get to work, because I’m excited about the upcoming season.”

Anderson was the strength and conditioning coach for the West Creek’s football teams and coached the JV football team at Ft. Campbell.

James D. Horne, 245-0221
Austin Peay Beat Writer
jameshorne@theleafchronicle.com

Published in The Leaf Chronicle on March 25 and online at:

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110325/HSSPORTS/103250334/1006/sports/Clarksville-Academy-adds-Snider-defensive-coordinator

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Chip Cirillo at: http://blogs.tennessean.com/high-school-sports/2011/03/25/clarksville-academy-hires-snider-as-defensive-coordinator/

Clarksville Academy has named former Clarksville High football Coach Jim Snider as the Cougars’ defensive coordinator.

Snider grew up in East Tennessee and enjoyed success as a player at Farragut. He went on to play at Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee. While there he served as a student coach when Carson-Newman took home the NAIA National Division 1 Championship in 1983.

Snider coached at Clarksville High for 12 years, six of those years as the head coach. He has also coached at Northwest, Austin Peay State University and Carson-Newman College.

“I’ve followed Coach Snider’s career for many years and am excited to see what he will do for our defensive program,” CA athletic director Matt Wallace said.

CA has also added John Anderson as defensive backs coach. He formerly served as the strength and conditioning coach for the West Creek.

Although this trip wasn’t in anticipation of playing another state title game, Smith was waiting to pick up some hardware.

For the second year in a row, Smith was named the Class A Mr. Basketball Award winner. The announcement was made after Lake County crushed Middleton in the state championship game.

“I was a little nervous beforehand because I’m a competitive guy and I wanted to win it,” Smith said. “I also knew that (Class A state tournament team) Hampton’s candidate (Nathanael Hughes­) had like 40 points in his sectional game.”

Smith also had his brother, Martin, who was nominated as well. It was the first time in state history that two brothers were nominated for Mr. Basketball in the same season.

“He deserves it as much as me,” said Malcolm about Martin. “But he was happy for me. He’s a very unselfish person, maybe too unselfish, but he’s always been there for me all our lives, so to even have the chance to share this moment with him was huge.”

Northeast star Alex Poythress was nominated in Class AAA, but lost out to White Station’s Andre Hollins. The 6-foot-7 junior led Northeast to a third-place district tournament finish and a region tournament berth.

Malcolm admitted it was tough walking back into an arena he thought he’d return to under different circumstances.

“It was weird because I knew it wasn’t to play a game,” he said. “But although we don’t accept losing, we do understand that it’s time to move on and like coach (Josh Smith) says, only one team ends the season happy.”

The 6-foot-5 senior forward averaged 23.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.5 steals, 1.6 assists per game and shot 67.6 percent from the field for the Cougars (31-2).

Malcolm has been an All-District and All-State selection each year since he was a freshman, and has been named the District All-Tournament team each year of his high school career. Last season, he was the MVP of the Class A state tournament.

“It was a bittersweet moment being back at state,” Josh Smith said. “But it was a fantastic way to end the season for us. I would have been devastated if neither he nor Martin won it. I actually thought right before they handed it out that what if both split the vote and the award went to someone else. I’m glad that wasn’t the case because you can make a great argument that both of them deserved it.”

Josh Smith will enter next season without the Smith brothers, who will play college basketball at Lipscomb University. It’ll be the first time since the 2006-07 season the Cougars will not have the duo in uniform.

“That’s reality,” Josh Smith said. “It’s not a scary situation, but it will be an interesting one. I look at it as a challenge for me as a coach and our players returning.”

The year before Martin and Malcolm arrived on the court for the Cougars, Josh Smith’s Cougars won five games. Once they stepped on the floor as freshmen, his team won 21 games. The next year they advanced to the program’s first state tournament and last year won the Class A title.

“There’s nothing that can take that away from us, even the loss (to Perry County) two weeks ago,” Malcolm said. “We had a great ride and I’d like to thank my teammates for that, including my coaches and my brothers and the Academy family.

“We couldn’t have done it without everyone being involved and supporting each other. I have to thank God to because he’s blessed me and my brother so much to be able to play for a great team and a great school.”

Printed in The Leaf Chronicle on March 20, 2011

George Robinson, 245-0747
Prep Writer
georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com

Malcolm is averaging 23 points per game.  As of January 26, 2011, he had 2457 career points, 1180 career rebounds and 230 career blocks.  Malcolm is the reining Mr. Basketball 2010. Malcolm has been named in the 3 finalists for Mr. Basketball 2011.  He was also chosen for the All District & All Region teams and chosen as MVP for both the District & Region Tournaments.  He was also chosen as a McDonald’s All American Nominee.

Martin is averaging 16 points per game and has a career total of 1580 points (as of January 26, 2011).  Martin’s other stats as of January 26, were at 924 career rebounds and 209 career blocks.  Martin has been also been selected as McDonald’s All American Nominee and a Mr. Basketball 2011 finalist.  Martin made both the All District & All Region Tournament teams.  The Smith twins helped to lead CA to District & Regional Titles.  Both boys have signed to play basketball for David Lipscomb University next fall.

Unless those teams happened to be Clarksville Academy and McEwen.

Over the past two seasons, the Cougars and Warriors have played four regular-season district games and four tournament championship games, including the District 10-A and Region 5-A title games.

In their meeting on Thursday in the Region 5-A tournament championship, the Cougars made it 8-0 when they beat the Warriors 79-56 at Community High School.

The win gave the Cougars their third-straight region crown, and a return engagement to their home floor on Monday against Perry County in a Class A sectional game.

Perry County lost to Summertown 77-71 on Thursday in the Region 6-A finals.

“I have the upmost respect for McEwen, they are a great team,” Cougars coach Josh Smith said. “We came out tonight offensively and hit some baskets and it got away from them early.

“They’re a top 10 team, they’ve been on the edge receiving votes or nine or 10 (in the state poll), and to beat a team like that eight times.”

A win over Perry County and the Cougars will return to the state tournament for a third-straight year, earning the opportunity to defend their Class A state championship.

“All the credit goes to my guys,” Smith said. “When you’ve got talent like this, you should be able to at least be contending, if not winning them. I think we are doing what is expected.”

Clarksville Academy’s Malcolm Smith scored a game-high 34 points, and showed a unique part of his offensive skills when the 6-foot-5 post hit four 3-pointers. He was named the region tournament MVP, while Martin Smith, Travis Russell and Martin Crozier were also named to the regional tournament team.

“This is amazing considering where we came from five years ago,” Malcolm Smith said. “We were getting beat in the first round of the district tournament as an eighth seed and it’s a wonderful testament to how far this program has come.”

While Malcolm Smith was hitting shots from all over the floor, Martin Smith pulled off a rare triple-double finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. Afterward, coach Smith believed the 11 blocked shots was a program record.

The Cougars had three players score in double figures with Russell adding 13. Crozier scored eight. 

McEwen (23-6) had 19 points from Garrett Mullinicks, 12 from Patrick Mullinicks and 11 from Blain Hooper.

“Clarksville Academy is the top dog, they have beaten us four times twice in the last two years, and they have a heckuva basketball team,” McEwen coach Phil Ross said. “When they shot it like that, nobody is going to beat them.”

McEwen will travel for its second straight sectional game when it plays at Summertown on Monday.

In their two previous meetings, including the District 10-A tournament finals, Clarksville Academy and McEwen played a tight game late into the fourth quarter.

On Thursday, that was never the case.

Clarksville Academy held McEwen to no field goals until the final two minutes of the quarter and built a 21-6 lead after the first eight minutes.

“Teams have really been packing in on us and I think we’ve been passive the past four or five games settling for outside shots,” coach Smith said. “We’ve been really focused on attacking the zone; just don’t take what they give you, take what we want. I think we came out with that mentality.”

Only once did McEwen make the game interesting and it was brief. The Warriors pulled within 26-12 with 5:20 showing in the second quarter, but the Cougars stretched their lead to 39-18 heading into halftime.

“They (Cougars) missed only four shots from the floor in the first half and at the same time defensively they turned it up,” Ross said. “They shot it so well from the perimeter and we couldn’t get anything going.”

Malcolm Smith connected on three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and converted a tradition three-point play allowing Clarksville Academy to extend its lead to 61-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

Malcolm Smith’s final basket came with a little over two minutes remaining and the Cougars ahead 72-51.

“This is as good as high school rivalries get,” Malcolm Smith said. “We’ve played each other eight times in two years, and it shows a lot about the talent in our district. It was great going against them every time, it never got old.”

Reported by Jimmy Trodglen on March 4, 2011 in the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle

After the game, Martin Crozier, Travis Russell, Martin & Malcolm Smith were all named All Tournment team members for Region 5A.  Malcolm Smith was also named All Tournament MVP for 5A.  Congrats to all these guys! 

Our next game will be the Sectional tournament at home on Monday, March 7, at 7:00 p.m.  We will play Perry County.  We ask that everyone pack the Miller Activities in their blue and gold!  Tickets will be on sale on Friday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. in the front office.  We ask that you come by school to purchase your tickets.  Tickets will go fast and we will only have a set number.  Ticket price is $7. 

Tournament t-shirts are being sold to parents and Cougar fans for $15.  Students and faculty will be provided a shirt.  If you would like to purchase a t-shirt, all orders are due tomorrow by 3:00 p.m.  Orders may be emailed to Sally Allen, at sallen@clarksvilleacademy.com.  Your order must include an adult shirt size, your name, your child’s name & homeroom or 7th period class teacher.  This is one shirt you won’t want to miss out on!

During the week of February 14, Martin Smith was named Charter’s Player of the Week.  This honor is given to one athlete in Montgomery County who shows good sportmanship on and off the court.  The award is also looks at individual performance for that week.  During the week of February 21, Travis Russell received the same award.  Congratulations to both young men. 

Heritage Bank is proud to announce, the “Player of Month” award.  This award was given to six deserving students at Clarksville Academy and is for the months of December, January and February. 

 Martin Crozier, Malcolm Smith, Martin Smith, Lauren Maki, Courtney Clark and Kaleigh Goostree all received this special honor during CA’s morning assembly.  Each athlete not only shined on the court, but also embodies the Cougar spirit. Clarksville Academy & Heritage Bank congratulate these students on such a wonderful honor. 

After an exciting win over Cascade on Saturday, the Cougars will travel to Unionville, TN at Community High School to take on Huntland High.  The game will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.  A spirit bus will leave CA at 3:00 on Tuesday and will return to school between 10:30-11:00 p.m.  The cost of the bus is $10 which will include a snack and a ticket to the game.  All students must sign up at Ms. Turnage’s desk in order to be able to ride.  We want to fill the bus and the pack the house with Cougars on Tuesday! 

Parents and fans will have the unique opportunity to order Cougar yard signs (good for any sport) and tournament t-shirts beginning next week.  A form will be sent home with all students no later than Tuesday.  If you are interested in purchasing a yard sign or t-shirt contact Sally Allen. 

University of Memphis signee Adonis Thomas of Melrose and Minnesota signee Andre Hollins of White Station are up for the award in Class AAA. Future Vanderbilt Commodore Kedren Johnson of Marshall County is the favorite in Class AA.

But Class A candidates Malcolm and Martin Smith of Clarksville Academy upstaged their big-school counterparts by becoming the first brother combination to be named finalists for the prestigious honor in the same season. The identical twins are headed to Division I Lipscomb University in Nashville next season.

“They have completely transformed our program,” Clarksville Academy head coach Josh Smith (no relation) said.

After suffering through a 5-23 record in 2006-07, the twins arrived as freshmen the following season and helped the Cougars go 22-9. The program is 90-9 since the beginning of their sophomore years with a state title in 2010 and a 27-1 mark this winter. Josh Smith isn’t naming a favorite when it comes to the Mr. Basketball honor.

“There’s no way I could do that,” said Smith, who believes Clarksville Academy’s standing in the state’s smallest classification may have caused the duo to be overlooked by other Division I programs.

Malcolm, a 6-5, 200-pound forward, is averaging 23.5 points and 11.0 rebounds this season. He posted a monster statline of 36 points and 19 rebounds in an early January win over McEwen.

“Malcolm is outgoing and extroverted,” Smith said. “He’s always the center of group and that’s how he plays. You know he is on the floor.”

Martin, also 6-5 but a little lighter at 190 pounds, is posting 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He poured in a season-high 32 points against Lawrence County in late December to go along with 11 boards and three assists.

“Martin is extremely laid-back and let’s things come to him,” Smith said. “He does a little bit of everything. He’s extremely well-rounded.”

Reported by Jason Hickman on Max Preps Site February 23, 2011 www.maxpreps.com

In three weeks, they’ll be competing for a different prize.

The Clarksville Academy brothers were named two of the three Class A Mr. Basketball Finalists for the 2010-11 season. Nathaniel Hughes, of Hampton High School, was the other finalist.

But this is the first time in the history of the award that two brothers have been named finalists in the same season, according to TSSAA assistant executive director Matthew Gillespie.

In addition to the Smith brothers’ nomination, Northeast star center Alex Poythress was named a Class 3A finalist along with White Station’s Andre Hollins and Melrose’s Adonis Thomas.

For Martin and Malcolm the award represents a chance to go head to head once again.

“Oh I want to win,” Martin said. “I’m happy that Malcolm was named a finalist but I’d love to win it. Who wouldn’t want to win an award like that.”

Malcolm, who won the award last year, may not be ready to relinquish that title just yet.

“To be honest, it means more to me that Martin is recognized than me,” Malcolm said. “Martin has always been one of the best players in the state and he’s never gotten the recognition that I’ve gotten. But if you’re asking me if I want to win again, yes.

“A two-time winner is better than a one-time winner.”

That competitive nature has been at the center of Clarksville Academy’s success the past three years. The two Lipscomb University-bound brothers turned around the Cougars program when they walked into the private school hallways as seventh-graders. They guided the Cougars to the Class A state championship title last year and are the No. 1-ranked team in the state this season.

“I would have never thought all these things would happen to us in a million years,” Malcolm said. “It’s a great testament to where this program was four years ago when we were at the bottom of the fish tank. Now we’re on top and trying to stay there.”

The award presentation will follow the state championship games in both classes March 19.

Malcolm has received much of the publicity over the past three years averaging double-doubles for the Cougars. He’s currently posting a 23.6-point, 11-rebound average this season while Martin is averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. But while Malcolm has always put up dominating numbers, it’s Martin’s ability to step behind the 3-point arc and knock down shots as well as be the team’s defensive stopper while handling the ball in the open court that has gained him attention this season.

“I don’t throw up big numbers so It was nice to still get recognized because I didn’t think I would ever be in this position, and to share it with my brother is awesome,” Martin said.

The brothers were called to the school office early Wednesday morning and were informed of the news as the athletics director Matt Wallace announced it over the school’s P.A. system.

“I think they were shocked,” Academy boys’ coach Josh Smith said. “I know the school was excited because you could hear them cheering in the hallway. The team’s excited for the guys and we’re all excited.”

The Cougars will take on Cascade in the Region 5-A tournament Saturday.

Reported by: George Robinson, The Leaf Chronicle February 24, 2011

This is the first time in TSSAA history that twins have been chosen as finalists for this award.  There have been only a few other times that two finalists have come from the same school.  This is a true honor for Clarksville Academy, the Smith brothers, and our team. 

Malcolm is averaging 23 points per game.  As of his nomination on January 26, 2011, he had 2457 career points, 1180 career rebounds and 230 career blocks.  Malcolm is the reining Mr. Basketball 2010.  He along with his brother Martin, were also chosen as a McDonald’s All American Nominees. Both boys have signed to play basketball for David Lipscomb University next fall.  

Martin is averaging 16 points per game and has a career total of 1580 points (as of January 26, 2011).  Martin’s rebounds at the time of his nomination were at 924 career rebounds and 209 career blocks.