Special to the Enquirer

Nov. 21, students representing all nine Morgan County middle schools, grades five through eight, participated in the 2017 Fall Chess Tournament.

Cotaco Principal Brad Stapler hosts this event for the entire county school system every year.

This year, 120 students participated – after a challenging selection process. At each school, gifted program teachers held mini-tournaments to decide who would get to attend.

The tourney was single-elimination until the final six students. “At that point, those six played in a double elimination tournament to decide the ultimate first through fifth place trophies,” gifted teacher Cristal Owens explained. “The other ‘not-so-winners’ kept playing for eight games.”

Each round of games lasted 10 minutes. At the end of a round, the students tallied their captured opponent’s pieces for points.

“Even with a loss, a student can count the points he achieved toward a final tally and possible trophy for highest points,” Owens said.

The tourney, Owens added, is “highly competitive, from students playing at their own schools to see who attends, to the actual tourney.” However, “we are very proud of our students, who always exhibit the finest of good sportsmanship – shaking hands before and after a round and congratulating each other on a game well played.”

This year’s winners are:

• First place – Joseph Harden, Priceville, seventh grade
• Second place – Mason Holmes, Cotaco, seventh grade
• Third place – Treyce Oden, Cotaco, seventh grade
• Fourth place – Tatum Sivley, Priceville, fifth grade
• Fifth place – Eli Hawkins, Priceville, sixth grade

Sponsoring gifted teachers were:

• Max Parker, Cotaco
• Carrie Aultman, Priceville
• Melissa Parker, Danville
• Kara Ibrahim, Lacey’s Spring, Union Hill
• Mica Rabb, West Morgan and Priceville Junior High
• Cristal Owens, Falkville
• Julia James, Eva and Sparkman
• Sherri Mann, Central Office gifted coordinator

The spring tournament is scheduled for March 15.