Swain’s Neil Blankenship was named the Smoky Mountain Conference Coach of the Year, it was reveled Sunday. His Maroon Devils finished 15-1 on the season and won the Smoky Mountain Conference Championship.
Blankenship won more games in his rookie season than any coach in Swain County history. Boyce Deitz won 10 in his first year as head coach, the most previously won by a Swain coach in his first year. The Devils also tied the school record for most wins in a seaon.