Stories by Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com

Johnson named Varsity Volleyball Coach

CROSSVILLE, Ala. — At Monday’s meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Education, Coach Ariel Johnson was awarded the Crossville Varsity Volleyball Head Coach position. 

Johnson, a Geraldine alumni, played on the Geraldine Volleyball Team under the leadership of famed Coach Christie Brothers. 

Johnson has been on staff at Crossville as a math teacher but will serve as the AP Computer Science teacher in the new school year.  

Keeping It In The Family

CROSSVILLE, Ala. — In Monday’s meeting of the Dekalb County Board of Education, Jessie Martin was announced as the new Varsity Lady Lions Head Basketball Coach.  

Martin is a Fyffe High School alumni where he was a member of the Fyffe Varsity Basketball team under the leadership of Coach Neal Thrash.  Martin previously served as the Assistant Coach at Oxford High School for three years before coming home to Dekalb County to serve as an assistant with the basketball team at Crossville for the past year.

Wife, Molly Willamson Martin will join her husband on the court as the Assistant Head JV and Varsity Basketball Coach.  Coach Molly Martin is no stranger on the basketball court, as she played on the 2008 State Championship team for the Crossville Lions.  

The Martins also serve as youth ministers at Crossville First Baptist.