By Sherri Blevins
The Remembering Legends DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet was held at the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum. Unfortunately, the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame Board was unable to hold the banquet in 2020 because of the COVID -19 pandemic and wished to honor those deserving recipients this year. According to DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame President C.M. Sanford, the goal of the Hall of Fame is to honor athletes, coaches, and any individuals connected to athletics that have brought recognition to themselves, their school, and DeKalb County. The Hall of Fame Board honored eight individuals that fit that description with an awards ceremony and meal. Approximately 300 individuals attended the banquet to celebrate the inductees. The Board also recognized Hall of Fame Scholarship Winners for the classes of 2020 and 2021. The 2020 winners were Ian Blair (Valley Head), Bailee Carter (Valley Head), Zeb Furguson (Plainview), Kaleb Jones (Collinsville), Matthew Shaddix (Fort Payne), and Tobi Trotter (Plainview). The 2021 scholarship winners were Madelyn Wallace (Fort Payne) and Elijah Benefield (Fyffe).
WQSB’s Jeff Allan served as the Masters of Ceremonies, reading each inductee’s biography highlighting the accomplishments that gained them the nomination. A summary of each member’s accomplishments follows:
Claud “Butch” Cassidy graduated from Fort Payne High School in 1964. He obtained a business degree from Jacksonville State University and a Masters’ Degree in Health and Physical Education at UAB. He began his basketball coaching career at Henagar coaching junior high basketball. Between 1968 and 1973, his teams compiled a record of 125 wins and 73 losses. Next, he moved to Fort Payne High School for four years, compiling a record of 38 and 38. Pisgah became his third and final coaching home. While at Pisgah, he started a girls basketball program while also coaching the boys’ program. In 1978 and 1979, his junior high girls’ teams had 38 wins and only seven losses while winning the Jackson County Tournament both years. In 1979, Cassidy coached the varsity girls and guided them to a 21 win and eight loss season their first year. The next year the girls went 25 and two. During the 81 and 82 seasons, the Pisgah girls ran off a 48 game winning streak finishing 31 and 0 in 1981 and 30 and 1 in 1982. Over four years, Coach Cassidy’s Lady Eagles went 107 and 11 while winning three area championships and three regional championships. The Eagles were sub-state champions three years in a row beginning in 1980. In 1981 and 1982, the girls’ basketball team won back-to-back State Championships. The Jackson County Girls Tournament Trophy is named the Butch Cassidy – Carry Ellison Trophy. Cassidy was selected as Jackson County Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1981, and in 1981 he was also selected as the State 2A Coach of the Year.
Michael Dryer is a 1992 graduate of Fort Payne School. He began his running career in the sixth grade during a youth meet, winning the race while wearing jeans. The next year Dryer joined the cross country and track team, and within five years, he became one of the top distance runners in Alabama. In 1991, Dryer won the gold medal at the state cross country meet in Birmingham. In February of that year, he achieved gold at the state indoor track meet in both the 1600 and 3200-meter runs. In addition, he won silver in the 800-meter run. Dyer easily won the state cross country meet and repeated as indoor champion in the 1600 and 3200 races in his senior year, once again earning silver in the 800-meter run. He also paced the 4×800 relay to the state title. After the state meets, Dryer competed in the USATF National Cross Country meet held in Birmingham. He finished in the top 25 out of 750 runners from all over the U.S. During his high school career, and Dryer finished in first place 40 times out of 72 races. He was a 12-time sectional champion and an 11-time state champion. He attended The University of Alabama and ran track for three seasons, competing against some of the best distance runners in the world. Dryer graduated from Alabama in 1997 with a degree in Criminal Justice.
Mick Hedgepath is a 2008 graduate of Crossville High School, where he played basketball, scoring 1915 points during his high school career. Mick averaged 18 points per game with 11 rebounds his sophomore year, 21 points per game with 12 rebounds and 17 double-doubles his junior year, and 23 points per game with 12 rebounds and five blocked shots his senior year. During his sophomore year, he was selected by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as All-State Honorable Mention in Class 3A. During that same year, he led his sixth-seeded Crossville team to win the DeKalb County Basketball Championship Trophy. In 2007, Hedgepath was named the Sports Writers 3A Player of the Year, and he received the same award from the Gadsden Times. In 2008, he was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. He represented Crossville as the Regional Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Winner while finishing 9th in the state with blocked shots. As a senior, he led Crossville to a 31 and three record with 28 double-doubles. He is the all-time leader in rebounds with 1110 and the shot block leader with 298. He played college ball at Belmont University, winning 96 games, three Atlantic Sun Conference Season Championships, two tournament titles, and three NCAA events. After graduating with an accounting degree in 2012, he played professional basketball in Spain before returning to the states to begin a coaching career at Williams College in Massachusetts. He became the head basketball coach at Sewanee Tennessee two years later, and he is now the Director of Basketball Operations at Belmont University.
Mike Holtzclaw was a four-year starter in football (1962-1965) for Fort Payne High School. He played on the 1962 undefeated team and the 1964 State Championship team. He was selected to the 1965 Birmingham Post-Herald All-State Team, the 1965 Chattanooga News-Free Press All-Tri State Team, the 1966 Alabama High School All-Star Team, and the 1965 Coach and Athlete Magazine’s Prep All-American Team. In 1965 he was also named the AHSAA Player of the Week and the Associated Press Back of the Week. In addition, Holtzclaw ran on the 440 relay team that set a school record at the state track meet in the 1965 season during high school. Holtzclaw played football at Auburn University under head football coach Shug Jordan. Coach Jordan described Mike in this way, “Holtzclaw is some sort of a football player. He is like Mike Kolen. He likes to HIT!” In the 1967 Auburn vs. Florida game, Holtzclaw’s punt block ensured a 26-21 Auburn victory. After graduating, he worked for the Farmers’ Home Administration until he retired. He was an avid outdoorsman and was inducted into the Turkey Hunters Hall of Fame. Holtzclaw passed away on August 3, 2015.
Coach Bobby Jones graduated from Valley Head High School in 1968, where he played football under Coach Ron Haushalter. Jones led the Tigers to their first 11 win season and their first playoff appearance. After that, Jones signed with the Eagles of Tennessee Tech playing with star running back Larry Schreiber, who went on to play with the Chicago Bears and San Fransico 49ers. After one year, Jones transferred to Jacksonville State University to play under Coach Haushalter again, who was then the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator. As soccer gained popularity at the high school level, Coach Jones helped form a Fort Payne Travel Team in 1986. The club progressed, and in 1990 the Fort Payne team won the Birmingham League State Championship. In 1991 Fort Payne High School formed its first team, and Coach Jones coached the team along with Tommy Guice. He coached from 1991 until 2008 without receiving any compensation. The girls’ team dominated high school soccer in that period, winning eight state titles and finishing runner-up six times. In addition, Coach Jones coached his two daughters Gena and Mindy, who both went on to play soccer in college. Gena Jones Fowler became the Fort Payne Girls’ Soccer Coach, and Mindy and their dad assisted.
Donald Jones Sr. (Donny) graduated from Collinsville High School in 1975 after excelling in basketball and football. He helped the Panthers win the AHSAA Basketball State Championship in 1975. He was a 5’9″ left-hander who scored 14 points in the championship game finishing the season with 26 wins and five losses. Jones shot 75% from the free-throw line over his career. On the football field, Jones played quarterback and kicker for the Panthers. In 1973, the football team went nine and one losing only to then-undefeated Fyffe. However, the next year the Panthers made it to the state semi-final game. Jones earned the honors of MVP, Best Defensive Player, All-County, and member of the North All-Star Team. Jones was a star in the classroom as well by winning a National Science Scholarship and participating in the Beta Club. During his coaching career, Jones has coached many different sports. He was the Boys Head Basketball Coach at Gaylesville High School for two years and then moved to Spring Garden for three, earning 50 wins, 30 losses, one area championship, and a trip to the elite eight. He then coached at Crossville High School, where the Lions went 22 and eight winning the area and region championships. In 1992, Jones returned to Collinsville High School as an assistant principal while still coaching various sports. He coached girls’ basketball for seven years with a record of 134 and 78 and two trips to the final four. Jones coached volleyball and baseball too. His volleyball teams went 42 and 23, and the baseball teams won three area championships and one county championship over five years. While coaching, Jones joined the official profession officiating in basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball for thirty-eight years. He is a member of the ASA-USA-Softball Hall of Fame.
Mike Shirey is a five sport letterman from Fort Payne High School. Shirey aspired to play college football and did by earning a spot as an Auburn Tiger walk-on. He was a defensive end and a freshman team captain. During his sophomore year, Head Coach Doug Barfield moved him from defense to center on the offensive side of the ball. Shirey blocked Auburn running backs, James Brooks and Joe Cribbs. Coach Pat Dye came to Auburn Shirey’s senior year. Because Shirey had played a game on the junior varsity team, he was ruled ineligible for the varsity team. Coach Dye was disappointed about not getting to coach Shirey. Dye said, “Mike was the most valuable player I never got to coach.” Shirey graduated from Auburn with a degree in Civil Engineering. He returned to Fort Payne and began working for TVA for 35 years. During that time, he became a football official with the Northeast Officials Association. He officiated junior high and high school games before moving up the ladder to call college games for the Independent College football Officials Association and the Southland Conference. In 1999, Shirey joined the Southeastern Conference as a line judge. He has officiated in 17 post-season bowl games, including two SEC Championship games and eight BCS-New Years Day games with two Rose Bowls, three Fiesta Bowls, and three Orange Bowls. In 2018, Shirey was awarded the Gaston Dudly Spirit of Officiating Award, and in 2019, he served as the President of the SEC Football Officials Association. Shirey has also officiated in Arena and NJL Europe Professional Football games.
Brent Tinker graduated from Ider High School in 1997, excelling in football. He played a part in winning three consecutive Regional Championships for Ider. As a running back, Tinker accumulated 4,663 yards rushing on 595 carries. He scored 58 touchdowns in 31 games. Tinker had six games for 200 plus yards and went over 100 yards 27 times from 1994 t 1996. On the defensive side of the ball, Tinker made over 170 tackles during his junior and senior seasons. He was selected to the Times Journal All-Century Team, the Birmingham News All-State Team in ’95 and ’96, and the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team in 1995. DeKalb County named Tinker as the Player of the Year in 1996. Tinker signed a football scholarship with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He played four years, starting in 43 of 44 games. He was voted Team Captain in 2000. After college, Tinker returned to Ider to coach the Hornets from 2003 until 2018. Fort Payne High School hired Tinker in 2018 as an assistant football coach and strength coordinator for all sports.
Biographical information for these award winners was provided by the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame.
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