DECATUR, Ala. — When the Decatur Heritage Christian Academy team of Brianna Tucker and Mitchell Gowen won the first B.A.S.S. High School Invitational, July 20, the city of Decatur realized what big news it was.
The city presented the winners with an official resolution and presented it to them at a recent ceremony, officiated by the city's mayor, Don Kyle.
"Mayor Kyle always attends the pre-tournament meetings and welcomes the organizations, anglers and families to Decatur," said Don Gowen of nearby Hartselle, Ala., "and is known to be standing on the dock every morning at 4 a.m. for the tournament blast-offs. A number of times, he has served as emcee or weighmaster on the tournament stage because he likes the sport and is well aware of the economic impact such events bring to the Decatur and Morgan County area.
"He and the city council take special pride in what the Decatur area has to offer its visitors," continued Gowen.
The resolution read as follows:
WHEREAS, on July 20, 2013, Mitchell Gowen and Brianna Tucker, along with boat captain Norman Brown, with the Decatur Heritage Christian Academy (DHCA) Fishing Eagles, participated in the inaugural B.A.S.S. High School Invitational Tournament sponsored by the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau held on Wheeler Lake out of the Ingalls Harbor; and
WHEREAS, Mitchell and Brianna, assisted by boat captain Norman Brown, out-fished 65 other high school teams to take 1st place team honors in the Invitational by bringing in 16 pounds, 15 ounces of largemouth bass; and
WHEREAS, Mitchell and Brianna will go down in history as the first high school anglers to win a sanctioned B.A.S.S. high school bass fishing event; and
WHEREAS, Mitchell and Brianna have earned the right to compete at the 2014 B.A.S.S. High School Classic Exposition Tournament to be held in conjunction with the Bassmaster Classic out of Birmingham on February 21-23, 2014 and will have exclusive backstage privileges for the entire 2014 Bassmaster Classic;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Don Kyle, as Mayor of the City of Decatur, Alabama, do hereby congratulate Mitchell Gowen, Brianna Tucker, and Norman Brown for their achievements and express our appreciation for the way they have represented this city and wish them success at the tournament in Birmingham in February 2014.