Category Archives: 2014 Inductees

Thirteen individuals and one team inducted into the 2013 Fannin County Sports Hall Of Fame.

Wayne Black

Wayne Black CopperhillJohn Wayne Black entered the world on March 5, 1915 in the village of Mineral Bluff, Georgia. His father, a blue collar worker for the Tennessee Copper Company, moved the family down Mineral Bluff Highway to McCaysville, Georgia when Wayne was very young. During Wayne’s childhood and adolescent years, therefore,  he experienced  the Roaring 20s and the early years of the Great Depression, two vastly different eras in our country’s history. Continue reading

Carla Sisson Boutin

Carla BoutinCarla Sisson Boutin.  In 1986, during Senior Night ceremonies , Carla Sisson Boutin received an honor that had never been given to any athlete in the history of athletics in Fannin County. The school rewarded Carla for her outstanding athletic accomplishments at the school by announcing that her basketball jersey, number 15, would be retired and never worn again by any female athlete at the school. As a one time exception and at Carla’s behest, the school has brought number 15 out of retirement to be worn by Molly Chandler, Carla’s niece and current Fannin County girls basketball player in 2013-14.

28 years later, Carla will again be rewarded for her outstanding athletic accomplishments at Fannin County High School, and in subsequent years, when  she is inducted into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Continue reading

Tom Bowling

Tom BowlingTom Bowling was an outstanding basketball player at West Fannin High School from 1960 through 1964. He was a key contributor to Region 3AA tournament champions in 1962 and 1964, two of only three regional championships ever captured by the school. Tom always played at a championship level, and in recognition of his exceptional career, he has been selected as a member of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Continue reading

Freddy Cook

fschof030Freddy Cook Jr. was only allotted a shade more than 29 years on this earth. He crammed more living into those 29 years, however, than most who survive for more than the standard three score and ten. Golf was a passion for Freddy for more than half of his life and, in recognition of his accomplishments at that sport, a name card reading ’Freddy Cook, Jr. – Permanent Member’ has been placed on the table reserved for members of the 2014 class of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame. Continue reading

Steve Cheatham

Steve CheathamSteve Cheatham will be inducted into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2014.

Steve was a tough-as-nails running back and defensive safety for the West Fannin Yellow Jackets from the autumn of 1962 through his senior season of 1965. He graduated in the spring of 1966. Physically, Cheatham topped out at 154 pounds distributed on a frame that was 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He was small for a football player at any position. Continue reading

Gene Crawford

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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