Unaka High School and one of its students recently received honors for displaying good sportsmanship and ethics both on and off the sports field.
Unaka High School was selected to receive the A.F. Bridges State Award of Excellence for Class A schools in the East Tennessee Division by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.
As a recipient of the A.F. Bridges Award, Unaka was granted a $1,000 scholarship to award to a senior student athlete.
“All the head coaches got together and voted,” said UHS Principal Betsy Oliver. “It’s not based on athletic performance, but on citizenship, sportsmanship and ethics.”
The coaches selected Joe Pate as the scholarship recipient. Pate has played football for the Rangers for 4 years.
Oliver said over the years Pate has consistently displayed good citizenship, excellent school attendance and a commendable work ethic.
“He would go to practice every day and then leave here and to work at Food City,” Oliver said. “Then he would study at night when he got home.”
“He’s got a good work ethic, he is intelligent and he is a leader in our school,” she added. “He is very dependable. If we need something done or if someone needs a friend, Joe is right there.”
Winning the award was something Pate was not expecting.
“I was surprised,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to think.”
Part of the reason for the surprise is because Pate doesn’t see anything special about displaying the characteristics the award honors.
“I’m just trying to be a good person,” he said. “It’s the way I was raised really.”
When it comes to athletics, football is Pate’s passion.
“I’ve been playing football for a really long time,” he said. “I’ve been playing since second grade.”
In addition to sports, his academic achievements and his after school job, Pate also finds time to be active in his church, Unaka Baptist.
“I’m pretty involved in the youth there,” he said.
After he graduates high school, Pate plans to attend Northeast State Community College to study to become an electrician. The $1,000 scholarship from the TSSAA’s A.F. Bridges Award will be sent directly to Northeast State to go toward Pate’s tuition and fees.
Joe Pate is the son of Greg and Cindy Pate and the grandson of Jerry Pate.