Author Archives: Jim Crawford

Gene Crawford

Leave a reply

Gene Crawford - FCSHOF 1Gene Crawford is a multi-faceted man with many talents. He displayed one of those talents, namely his ability to block and tackle other young men, on football fields in and around Fannin County for six years and then for another couple of seasons at Tennessee Tech College in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame will pay homage to Crawford’s athletic talents by issuing him a lifetime membership card, with all rights and privileges, at the Hall’s induction ceremony in April of 2014. Continue reading →

Steve J. Fry

Leave a reply

Steve FrySteve Fry – Legendary West Fannin basketball coach Tom Foster says that Steve Fry was ‘a coach’s player—yes sir, no sir—bust my tail for you’. Quite a tribute from a coach who mentored many young basketball players during his career. Another tribute is forthcoming to Steve Fry in the form of his induction as a member of the 2014 class of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.

Steve came to West Fannin High School from the Epworth community in the fall of 1960. He was a natural athlete who competed in both football and basketball as a freshman. His skills and work ethic were so advanced that Fry became a member of the 1960-61 West Fannin varsity basketball team in his first year of high school. He lettered that first season and went on to win 4 varsity letters in basketball during his high school years. Fry won a starting spot as a sophomore in 1961-62 and would be a team leader for three seasons. Continue reading →

Rene Godfrey

1 Reply

Rene Godfrey West Fannin Rene Godfrey was always the kid who could run faster, jump further, catch better and hit the ball better than anyone else. Rene went to  McCaysville and then to Epworth Elementary School.  He recalls that the only game that his teams at Epworth played against a team from another school was during his 8th grade season of 1956. Epworth met the McCaysville/Copperhill ‘River Rats’ in a game played at halftime of the Copper Basin vs. West Fannin game at West Fannin. Epworth won 24-0 with Godfrey running for four touchdowns in the short contest. Continue reading →

Clyde Henry

Leave a reply

Clyde Henry Clyde Henry, one of the most successful and winning basketball coaches in Fannin County history.  Football coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant, when asked to summarize his coaching career, has been quoted as saying: “I ain’t nothing but a winner”. Whether he actually said that or not is subject to doubt, but there is absolutely no doubt that the quote does pretty well describe the coaching career of Clyde Henry. Henry’s ultra successful tenure as a basketball coach in Fannin County schools has landed him a prominent spot in the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame class of 2014.

Clyde Henry was born in Mineral Bluff, Georgia on August 13, 1910. He attended Fannin County High School in Morganton where he was a member of the basketball team. Following his graduation from high school, unlike most mountain boys, Henry continued his education at nearby Young Harris College, where he earned a teaching degree. Continue reading →

Ashley Herendon

Leave a reply

ashley-2Ashley Herendon.  It is impossible to find the adjective that describes the athletic career of Ashley Herendon. Outstanding, exceptional, stellar, remarkable, notable, prominent, distinctive and other superlative descriptions come to mind but all seem inadequate. For lack of a stronger word, EXTRAORDINARY is probably best. Continue reading →

Lynn Phillips

Leave a reply

Lynn Phillips – Fans walking out of the West Fannin High School gym on the night of January 7, 1969 were shaking their heads in disbelief and awe of the performance they had just witnessed. On that night, Lynn Phillips, 6’ 7” center of the Yellow Jackets put on a terrific performance by scoring 37 points and grabbing 27 rebounds in a 77-50 pasting of Region 7AA foe North Whitfield. The 37 points scored was an all-time high for a single game in West Fannin history. Those present were probably convinced that the record would stand for years. Continue reading →

Travis Summers

Leave a reply

Travis Summers-1Travis Summers was a wrestling phenom at Fannin County High School from the autumn of 1999 until his graduation in 2002. His outstanding mat record, makes him the first Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame inductee to gain admission based on skills at the sport of wrestling. Continue reading →

Jim Woodall

Leave a reply

Jimmy Woodall West FanninJim Woodall began his career in organized athletics as a freshman at West Fannin High School in 1957 and ended it at Northwest Whitfield High School in 2008. He was involved in competitive athletics as a player or coach for roughly 47 of those years.  In recognition of his many accomplishments during that  period, Jim has been elected to the 2014 class of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.

Jim was an excellent all-around athlete. He and his older brother Charles hailed from the community of Epworth. Charles was the first outstanding athlete at Continue reading →

1993 Fannin County High School Girls Basketball

Leave a reply

1993 Fannin County Championship Team1993 state Champions:Team members, coaches, and managers are from left to right:  Row 1 – Head Coach Johnny Farmer holding son Jordan, son Jonathan, Tonya Walker, Melissa Pierce, Jennifer Cooley, Julie Mealer, Tina Davis, Angie Taylor (manager), Assistant Coach Carla Sisson.  Row 2 – Amy Green (manager), Renee Pelfrey, Melissa Holler, Katie Collins, Leslie Jabaley, Suzianne Green, Angela McDaris, April Pack, Shannon Dillinger, Melissa Clore (manager). Continue reading →

4th of July Observance at Epworth

flag2flag24th of July Activities – Epworth Community Club  

This is a great American 4th of July event for kids of all ages.  Located at the Old Epworth Elementary School cafeteria and play ground.  Come as you are.  American.   FREE Admission and purchase tickets for events at Epworth. house2

  • 125 Schoolhouse Rd
  • Epworth, GA 30541-2305
  • Across the road from Epworth Methodist Church

8:00 to 10:30 Pancake Breakfast at upper parking lot/cafeteria. $6!

We’re expecting over 400 for breakfast.  pancake.2jpg

  • A hardy North Dakota Winter Wheat is part of our special recipe.
  • A time to meet and greet old friends and make new friends.

10:30 to 2:00 Field Activities on lower field & shade area.

Field Activities are fun things to see and do for all ages.  This usually includes:

  • B-I-N-G-O.  Great Prizes!  (Yee-Haw)
  • Boy Scouts Exhibit/Display Areacar2
  • Classic Cars on Display
  • Classic Farm Tractors on Display
  • Color Guard Raising the Flag at 12:00 noon
  • Concession Stand – Hamburgers/Hot Dogs/Ice Cream
  • Corn Toss (Younger kids love this game)
  • Cub Scouts Pack 432 & The BIG SLIDE for KIDS
  • Epworth’s Best Homemade Cakes – (Git one).green2
  • Face Painting
  • Old Hit & Miss Engines
  • Patriotic Crafts for Kids
  • Pet FFA Farm Animals
  • Presentations at the GAZEBO
  • Story Telling
  • The BIG SLIDE for KIDS
  • Tractor Hay Ride – (Yee-Haw)

  • Horseshoe Tournament

  • In conjunction with FCSHOF.  To enter – call TJ at 706-632-5752horseshoe2
    • Anyone can enter for $5 or watch it for FREE.
    • Singles Competition and Double Elimination.
    • Starting time is 11:00 am.
    • Winner declared Fannin County Horseshoe Champion.

 

VIDEO – 4th of July Pancake Breakfast and Field Activities at Epworth

 VIDEO – How to get to the 4th of July activities from Abernathy’s.

David Turner

Leave a reply

David Turner Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

fcshof003-david-turner-2_0East Fannin High School opened its doors in 1955. The school fielded its first football game one year later in the fall of 1956.

The school was created as a result of the consolidation of the four Fannin County high schools into two new schools, East Fannin and West Fannin, effective with the 1955-56 school year. It would be very interesting to know the rationale of the county education mavens who decided how to allocate students from the old schools (McCaysville, Epworth, Blue Ridge and Fannin County High in Morganton). Essentially, all students from McCaysville, Epworth and Blue Ridge were sent to West Fannin. East Fannin was simply a new, more modern environment for the students from Fannin County High School. Continue reading →

Aldon Farmer

Leave a reply

Aldon Farmer Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Aldson Farmer

FCSHOF Inductee Aldon Farmer

High schools in Fannin County have been fielding football teams since West Fannin High sent its first gridiron warriors into battle in the fall of 1955. Counting 2012, that means that a total of 78 football teams have taken the field to represent local high schools (21 at West Fannin from 1955 through 1975, 20 at East Fannin from 1956 through 1975, and 37 at Fannin County High from 1976 to the present). From all of those teams, only one player has ever earned the distinction of being named to an official all-state team in two separate seasons. That player is Aldon Farmer of East Fannin High School who was selected as a member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class C all-state squads in 1958 and 1959. Continue reading →

Fannin County High School Girls Team of 1945-46

Leave a reply

Fannin County High School Girls Team 1945-46 Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Team Inductees

1945-46 Girls Team“A massive inexorable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path.” This is the definition that famed lexicographer Noah Webster gives to the word ‘juggernaut’.

They are also appropriate words to describe the 1945-46 Fannin County High School (Morganton) girls basketball team, which was selected to the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.

This great team ran roughshod over 28 consecutive opponents before finally losing to Colquitt High of Miller County in the championship game of the Georgia State Tournament in Macon. Continue reading →

TJ Thompson

Leave a reply

TJ Thompson Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

TJ ThompsonTJ Thompson was one of the greatest basketball players in the history of Fannin County and the Copper Basin area. His hardwood wizardry has earned him a place in the 2013 inaugural class of inductees into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.

T.J. Thompson was something of a basketball and baseball prodigy growing up in McCaysville, Georgia. He entered West Fannin High School as a freshman in the fall of 1957. When he arrived, he found a basketball program suffering from growing pains. Continue reading →

Johnny Farmer

Leave a reply

Johnny Farmer Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Johnny Farmer (29)When he took on the challenge of coaching the high school girls basketball team in the remote North Georgia town of Blue Ridge, Johnny Farmer said he wanted to “put Fannin County on the map.”

Nearly 600 victories and two state championships later, one can safely say, “mission accomplished.”

The route Farmer mapped out with his stellar playing and coaching career has taken him to a prime destination — the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame as an inaugural member of the class of 2013. Continue reading →

Brian Satterfield

Leave a reply

Brian Satterfield Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Brian Satterfield

Brian Satterfield

Brian Satterfield’s record-setting career provided Fannin County football fans with lots to be proud of, and that pride has been channeled into his selection as an inaugural member of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame class of 2013.

The Epworth native and current Blue Ridge resident graduated from Fannin County

High School in 1989, where his prowess as a running back helped the Rebels achieve their first two winning seasons since the school opened in 1976

Satterfield set the single season school rushing record in the 1987 season with 2,028 yards on 292 carries and scored 14 rushing touchdowns. Continue reading →

Raymond Montgomery

Leave a reply

Raymond Montgomery Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Raymond MontgomeryRaymond Montgomery is a native of the one time mining town of Ducktown, Tennessee. He was a popular student at Ducktown High School where he played basketball and was a starting guard on the 1943 and 1944 football teams. He was captain of the 1944 Ducktown football team.

After graduation from high school, Montgomery served in the navy and then attended Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee. He played center for the 1949 and 1950 Tusculum football teams. Continue reading →

Bernadine Heaton Ralston

2 Replies

Bernadine Heaton Ralston Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Bernadine Heaton RalstonViola Bernadine Heaton Ralston was a very, very good basketball player at Mineral Bluff School, Epworth High School and Fannin County High School in Morganton during the mid 1940s. In fact, she was so good that the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame has selected her as a charter member of the class of 2013.

Bernadine was the fourth of seven children born to S.V. and Jessie Nichols Heaton of Mineral Bluff, Georgia. Her three older siblings, Kell, Doug and Pauline all played basketball at Mineral Bluff so Bernadine was introduced to the game early in life. She and her siblings played a lot of basketball in the yard, but they did not always have a real basketball to use. Bernadine remembers one occasion when her older brothers took the bladder of a hog recently slaughtered, blew it up, stitched the seams and used it for a basketball. The Heaton kids took their hoops seriously. Continue reading →

Bunzie Johnson Ross

Leave a reply

Bunzie Johnson Ross Biography – 2013 FCSHOF Inductee

Bunzie Johnson RossBunzie Doradell Johnson Ross has been selected for induction into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2013 in recognition of her considerable basketball accomplishments at Fannin County High School in Morganton during the mid-1940s.

Bunzie was born on March 8, 1929. She was the fourth of six children sired by Harley Johnson. She grew up in the family home on Highway 60 between Copperhill, Tennessee and Mineral Bluff, Georgia, a road that the locals refer to as the ‘Mineral Bluff Highway‘. Continue reading →