Marlon Knight Jr.’s mother remembers how her son behaved as a toddler once he started walking.
“He was so active. He wouldn’t stay still,” Ashanta Knight recalled on Friday.
His father, Marlon Knight Sr., added, “He was jumping off furniture. He was tough. He was always doing that. He just couldn’t stay still.”
Now 17, Marlon Jr. pointed to his brother Christopher Bailey, now 21, as an inspiration for his love of sports.
“I would go to his practices when I was younger, maybe 1, 2 or 3,” Marlon Jr. said. “My mom would be so mad because I wouldn’t stay in my stroller. I’d be running around. As soon as I got to age to try to play football, they put me in ASAP. Then I just took off with it, running around, scoring touchdowns, catching the ball as a young kid.”
Ashley Dearing Award winner Marlon Knight Jr. poses with family members following the award presentation Friday at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. Knight was named the 73rd recipient of the award honoring Savannah’s most versatile male high school athlete. (Courtesy Calvary Day School Athletics)
Suffice to say, Marlon Knight Jr. has not stopped running around, not stayed still to take breaks between football, basketball, and track and field seasons.
The Calvary Day School junior was rewarded for his activity and overall excellence on Friday with the presentation of the 73rd annual Ashley Dearing Award for the most versatile high school male athlete in Savannah.
Marlon Knight Jr. accepts the Ashley Dearing Award from award committee coordinator Karl DeMasi and Dearing Family representative Steve Dearing on Friday at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. (Courtesy Calvary Day School Athletics)
The award, voted on by Chatham County high school athletic directors and local media members, goes to a student-athlete who plays football in the fall, basketball or wrestling in the winter, and a spring sport.
Knight, one of 35 athletes and the lone Cavalier nominated this year, is the sixth different Calvary Day student to win, with Dom DeMasi going back-to-back in 2010-11.
“When I looked at the list of people who won it, I was kind of surprised because I didn’t do my research,” Knight said. “Looking down at the newspaper (article) and just seeing everybody to (back to) the first one, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is crazy. Out of every athlete in Savannah, I’m one of the people who won this award.’ It’s kind of like mind-blowing when I see how far this award goes back, just the history of it.”
Calvary Day junior Marlon Knight Jr. poses with the Ashley Dearing Award after being named the 73rd recipient Friday at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. (Courtesy Calvary Day School Athletics)
The award, named in honor of the late Ashley Dearing, who was a super supporter and activist for athletics in Savannah, was first presented in 1954. Calvary’s other winners were Lee Lane (1986), Barry Kleinpeter (1992), Demarcus Dobbs (2006), and Jake Merklinger (2023), whose win planted a seed in Knight.
“Dreams do come true,” said Knight, who also said that Dom DeMasi, who attended Friday’s ceremony, told him he’d see him next year for the award presentation.
Only DeMasi and Benedictine’s Brad Stewart (2014-15) have won in consecutive years.
“My plan is to try to go back-to-back,” said Knight, who is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. “As a junior, it’s the mindset (to) just keep grinding, be consistent. Just do the little things.”
He credited his parents with helping him stay focused.
“They’d just tell me stay on course, don’t get sidetracked,” Knight said. “Playing three sports and still having to go to school, you have to be really focused, so some things you have to put to the side. You might not be able to hang out all the time. You might have to go to practice, work out and then do schoolwork. Those things focusing on that were really important, you have to put first.”
Becoming an all-around talent
Knight’s progression to being a standout in all three sports was years in the making. CDS athletic director Mark Stroud, the longtime head football coach before this school year, said Knight worked very hard in the weight room and on developing himself physically.
“He runs really well. He has great ball skills in football. He’s a really talented receiver,” Stroud said after the ceremony. “He made some phenomenal catches, and he was just a threat at all times to score. You had to account for him all the time, which helped his other teammates really excel.
“You watch him play basketball,” Stroud continued. “He’s gifted. He can shoot. He understands the game well. He’s just a really good athlete. He’s a track guy. Doing three is just so difficult to do. Doing them really well is harder.”
Stroud called Knight an outstanding person and a really good student who could probably play any sport at Calvary that he chose.
Calvary Day’s Marlon Knight Jr. poses with teammates after receiving the Ashley Dearing Award on Friday at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. Knight was honored as Savannah’s most versatile male high school athlete. (Courtesy Calvary Day School Athletics)
The junior wide receiver caught 46 passes for 780 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns as the Cavaliers (12-2) advanced to the GHSA Class A-3A Private state championship game. He had five catches for 74 yards in the 28-21 loss to defending champion Heron Christian.
Knight was a shooting guard on the Cavaliers basketball team (23-8), which reached the state quarterfinals. He averaged 11.8 points and made 47 of 99 3-point attempts (47.5 percent).
Bob Martin, who coached the boys' team last season, said Knight is a “great human being” who is extremely coachable. He noted the sacrifices Knight made in his football routine last summer to be with the basketball squad for a tournament and team-bonding trip near Atlanta.
Calvary Day’s Marlon Knight Jr. speaks with freelance sportswriter Nathan Dominitz for the Prep Sports Report website following the presentation of the 73rd annual Ashley Dearing Award on Friday at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia. The award honors the most versatile male high school athlete in Savannah. (Courtesy Calvary Day School Athletics)
“He’s adaptable,” Martin said moments before the ceremony. “He can slide into a situation and pick up on cues for what is necessary for the team to be successful. I think that’s his personality. I think he has a sense of awareness that leads to him finding out where he would best serve his team. Personality-wise, more than anything, Marlon is an overall good guy that knows how to serve others.”
Knight also qualified for the state track meet this week in the high jump and long jump, finishing 10th in the latter (20 feet, 3/4 inches).
His personal best in the high jump is 5-8, and the long jump is 21 feet, 7 1/2 inches.
Football is his path to college athletics, as Knight said he has 27 offers. But he doesn’t plan to specialize, meaning he will be eligible again for the 2027 Ashley Dearing Award.
“Competing is fun,” Knight said. “To me, I was like, I’m just going to play every sport I can before I graduate.”
Knight said he might try lacrosse for the first time, or perhaps baseball, which he played at around age 10 or 11.
“Let’s just say it wasn’t my best sport at the time,” Knight said. “But I think now I would be pretty good at it.”
ASHLEY DEARING AWARD WINNERS
2026 — Marlon Knight Jr., Calvary Day
2025 — Ra'Shawn Truell, New Hampstead
2024 — Jamari McIvory, Savannah Christian
2023 — Jake Merklinger, Calvary Day
2022 — Mike Cabellero, Windsor Forest
2021 — Trent Broadnax, Benedictine
2020 — Gavin Stewart, Benedictine
2019 — Winston Wright, Memorial Day
2018 — Javonte Middleton, Jenkins
2017 — Calvin Turner, New Hampstead
2016 — Demetris Robertson, Savannah Christian
2015 — Brad Stewart, Benedictine
2014 — Brad Stewart, Benedictine
2013 — Paris Baker, Jenkins
2012 — Johnathon Chamblee, Savannah Christian
2011 — Dom DeMasi, Calvary Day
2010 — Dom DeMasi, Calvary Day
2009 — Jesse Morrell, Bethesda
2008 — John Moesch, Savannah Country Day
2007 — Scott Reed, Groves
2006 — Demarcus Dobbs, Calvary Day
2005 — Kellen Stanley, Savannah Christian
2004 — Sage Glasper, Groves
2003 — Joey Boaen, Savannah Country Day
2002 — Ben Patrick, Jenkins
2001 — Lamar Owens Jr., Benedictine
2000 — Danny McNamara, Benedictine
1999 — Rashad Chisholm, Savannah High
1998 — Kris Edge, Savannah Christian
1997 — Tommy McNamara, Benedictine
1996 — Terry Bryant, Johnson
1995 — Ronnie Rockett, Jenkins
1994 — Majiid Lanier, Beach
1993 — Bill Sparks, Savannah Country Day
1992 — Barry Kleinpeter, Calvary
1991 — Marcel Cooper, Groves
1990 — Lloyd Rowland, Savannah Christian
1989 — Pee Wee Kelley, Savannah Christian
1988 — Keith Jones, Savannah High
1987 — Corey Ladson, Tompkins
1986 — Lee Lane, Calvary Day
1985 — Peter Brennan, Benedictine
1984 — Earl Mason, Groves
1983 — Paul Jurgensen, Benedictine
1982 — Robbie White, Savannah Christian
1981 — Greg Amick, Savannah Country Day
1980 — Larry Brobst, Savannah Christian
1979 — Lamar Owens, Tompkins
1978 — Randy Lanier, Benedictine
1977 — Mark Grainger, Savannah Christian
1976 — Rufus Kelly, Savannah High
1975 — Ricky McBride, Groves
1974 — Shan Saunders, Savannah Country Day
1973 — Jo Jo White, Richard Arnold
1972 — Gene Dotson, Benedictine
1971 — Lawrence Maner, Benedictine
1970 — Bobby Reagan, Savannah Country Day
1969 — David Sasser, Groves
1968 — Joby Wright, Johnson
1967 — Julian Smiley, Savannah High
1966 — Peter Schmidt, Savannah Country Day
1965 — Roger Grove, Groves
1964 — Danny Sims, Savannah High
1963 — Dewey Warren, Jenkins
1962 — Tommy Brennan, Benedictine
1961 — Larry Patterson, Benedictine
1960 — Terry Tyler, Savannah High
1959 — Ronnie Braddock, Benedictine
1958 — Jimmy Miller, Savannah High
1957 — Tom Brown, Benedictine
1956 — Carlos Mobley, Savannah High
1955 — Charlie Moore, Benedictine
1954 — Elmer Lott, Savannah High
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Photo courtesy of Calvary Day School Athletics
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