Pelfrey signs with Bryan

The Rhea County High School library filled up quickly on Friday afternoon with friends and family eager to congratulate the newest Golden Eagle athlete to advance to the next level.

Senior Adam Pelfrey, a standout point guard/forward for the Green and Gold this season, signed a letter of intent to play basketball with the Bryan College Lions in the fall.

“Offensively, he really impressed me,” Lions head coach Don Rekoske said. “He’s a very assertive scorer, who improved a lot between his junior and senior years. And he can drive it.”

“He could potentially be our leading scorer on JV, working toward a lower varsity spot his freshman year, though we’d like to see him get stronger defensively in the off-season,” Rekoske continued.

Though he entertained interest from other schools including Hiawassee College (Madisonville) and Cleveland State Community College, Pelfrey decided on the close-to-home Lions.

“My family and friends played a big role in me choosing Bryan,” Pelfrey said.

“I always dreamed of playing college ball, but I wasn’t any good. Then I found out this year that I could play and I got a bunch of publicity. I was pretty surprised, but probably not as much as McCowan,” Pelfrey added.

Jason McCowan, Rhea County High School’s head basketball coach, has sent three of four seniors to college on scholarships in the past two years, including Andrew Slikker and Randy Aikman who both signed at Bryan.

“I’m very proud of Adam. When he came in as a freshman, I probably wouldn’t have believed it if you told me he would play college ball. He’s the most improved offensive player I’ve ever coached,” McCowan said. “We give a lot of players playing time in our program, and if we hadn’t, Adam wouldn’t have blossomed to become our leading scorer his senior year.”

In addition to tight family ties, Pelfrey cited the opportunity to rejoin former teammates as another attraction to Bryan. “I was close with Andrew Slikker and loved playing with him because of the energy he brings,” Pelfrey said.

Wendy Pugh, Pelfrey’s mother, gushed about her son’s accomplishments. “I can’t even express how proud I am. Without Coach McCowan pushing him, he wouldn’t have made it this far. This is just a dream come true,” Pugh said.