• 43°
franklin county times

Russellville tennis standout signs with Gadsden State Community College

Russellville High School tennis standout Ethan Howard made his college plans official during a scholarship signing ceremony Feb. 28 at the RHS field house.

Howard, a senior on this year’s Russellville squad, will join the roster at Gadsden State Community College when his playing days as a Golden Tiger are finished. Competing as a No. 1 singles player in matches so far this season, Howard has already gotten off to a successful start this year on the court.

“We’re looking forward to watching him progress and grow on the tennis court,” Gadsden State coach Buster Stewart said at the signing. “He’s already a good citizen, so he’s going to continue that, but moving on in the academic world as well, where he can provide for himself and his family somewhere down the road.”

Howard said several things that appealed to him about Gadsden State. “It’s close to home, only two hours away,” he noted. “They have a good team, and the coach has some connections in the upper level of tennis, and their education is pretty good for a community college,”

Howard only started playing tennis about three years ago, and he said one factor has driven how his game has changed from then until now: “My work ethic. When I first started playing, I didn’t know how to hold a racket, and I had never hit a tennis ball before. I had never held a racket, and I figured out that I loved it, and I started grinding, and I started working hard.”

Ben Phillips is in his first year coaching the boys at Russellville, and he said he saw something special in Howard from the beginning.

“I see him at practice, and he will finish his drills, and I’ll see him down there with some of the alternates, teaching them how to serve and teaching them a better second serve,” Phillips said. “I haven’t told him to do that, and he’s kind of taken it upon himself because he wants to be better and he wants the whole team to be better.

“He wants this program, when he leaves, to be better than when he started.”

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x