Granville Taylor and the late Harold Hunter became the 34rd and 35th inductees into the Russellville Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Friday,
They were inducted between games of the Clash of the Cats, as Russellville swept a pair of close games from visiting Logan County at Jim Young Gymnasium.
Taylor was a three-sport standout at RHS in the mid-50s, highlighted by his being named one of only 11 all-staters overall in 1954. Hunter coached all three sports, was the winningest coach in RHS history when he retired, and made a number of innovations to local sports. More details about their qualifications can be read in a December Sports Article on The LoJo http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=sports233
John Brett Reynolds read a description of each man’s accomplishments while they were being inducted. Making the presentation to Taylor was his RHS basketball teammate Jim Riley, who went on to play NCAA basketball at Georgia Tech. Taylor’s sister, Frieda Meade of Russellville, and several members of their family were present.
Making the presentation to Coach Hunter’s family was former mayor Ken Smith, who played for Hunter and with Taylor at RHS. He wore the R letter jacket of his late son Mike Smith, one of four of the Smith brothers who played championship football at RHS. Accepting for their dad were his daughters, Hattie Jean Carter of Auburn and Pam Holdcraft, who is the gifted and talented teacher in the Russellville system. With Hattie were her daughter, Christy Marksberry, her husband Alan, and their children Laura Grace and Carter. With Pam were her son, Jeffrey Hunter Holdcraft, and her daughter, Lauren Holdcraft.
There have been 35 inductions into the Hall of Fame since it began. One man, current boys basketball coach and former athletic director Phil Todd, has gone in as both an athlete and a coach.
The current members are as follows:
Players
1930s: Homer Chapman
1940s: William Owen Chapman
1950s: Jim Sanford, Howard Wren, Granville Taylor, Sonny Duncan, Johnny Guion
1960s: Dicky Bagby, George Hill, Larry Johnson, Jerry Humble, Garry Todd,
Larry Duffey
1970s: Virgil Benton, Phil Todd, Jimmy Smith, Forrest Killebrew
1980s: Tommy Wilkins, Bernard Bellamy, John Markham, Darwin Washington,
Tobeika Elliott
1990s: Andy Britt, Bubba Wells, Stacie Gamble, Sara Schauberger
2000s: Teco Dickerson
Coaches
Harold Hunter: Football and Basketball, 1940s; Football, Basketball and Baseball, 1950s;
principal 1950s and 1960s
Buddy Linton: Golf and Football; 1960s; Football: 1980s and 1990s; athlete in the 1940s;
elementary principal 1970s; assistant superintendent, 1970-90s
Howard Wren: Football, basketball and baseball 1960s; football 1970s-90s; athlete 1950s;
counselor 1970s; middle school principal 1980s; central office administrator 1990s
Wayne Mullen: Basketball 1970s; Athletic Director 1970s-90s; athlete 1950s-60s;
assistant principal; 1980s-90s
Mickey Meguiar: Basketball 1970s; Golf 1970s-80s; elementary principal 1980s-90s;
assistant superintendent 1980s; principal 1990s
Ken Barrett: Football 1970s-90s; Golf 1990s; athletic director 1990s
Phil Todd: Basketball 1990s-2000s and currently; football 1980s-present; athlete 1970s;
athletic director 2000s-2012
Matt Tipton: Track 1970s-present; Basketball 1970s-90s; Football 1970-80s; game director
Contributor
Lon Sosh: Sportscaster 1960s-1980s, 2000s; athlete 1950s -60s
A number of outstanding athletes remain eligible for the Hall of Fame, including at least a dozen who have played a sport either professionally or semi-professionally. It’s obvious that the 1930s and ‘40s are under-represented. Only three members of those three state championship football teams from 1980-90 are in the Hall as yet. Only three women have been inducted. Only three players plus a coach from the football teams which had a combined record of 43-7-1 from 1946-50 are in the Hall, and one of them (Linton) went in as a coach. Only one member of the 1975 state champion boys track team is a member. Only two players from the two football teams which reached the state football finals in the 1960s are in the Hall. Just one player from the two Final Four boys basketball teams as the century turned has yet been inducted.
Also obvious in their omission are members of some outstanding golf and swim teams, including the 1970 boys state golf champions. One of the qualifications has been that an athlete excel or at least contribute significantly in more than one sport, which has held some of them back.
Alumni who were students in one decade don’t understand why many from their era have been excluded so far. The selection task gets tougher, though, when the list of possibilities comes from more than 75 years of Panther sports.
So for many years to come there will be opportunities to expand the Hall of Fame each January. It’s always an impressive event.