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Madison County Sports Hall of Fame

2022 Hall of Fame Members

Freddy Ballou, Class of 2022, Football Player

Freddy Ballou was a standout running back at Madison-Model High School under head coach Roy Kidd from 1959 to 1961.  He earned High School All-American, Kentucky All-State, and All-Central Kentucky Conference honors, and led the Royal Purples to a 34-4 overall record and 27 consecutive victories while gaining 5,000 yards rushing and scoring 50 touchdowns in three seasons.

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Earle Combs, Class of 2022, Baseball Player

Earle Combs was a centerfielder for the New York Yankees and batted leadoff for the famed Murderer’s Row lineup of the 1920s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1970.  During his 12years in New York, he helped

lead the Yankees to four American League pennants and three World Series while compiling a .325 batting average.  He was inducted into the Kentucky Sports Hall

of Fame in 1963.

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Billy Evans, Class of 2022, Basketball and Tennis Player

Billy Evans, a native of Berea, was a standout high school tennis and basketball player at Berea Foundation. He went on to play both sports at the University of Kentucky from 1953-55. He captured two Kentucky State High School Tennis Championships. He played basketball for Coach Adolph Rupp at UK. Following graduation, Billy served a year in the military, before returning to play for the 1956 Gold Medal-winning United States Olympic basketball team.  He was inducted into the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. His number 42 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena.

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Ralph Hacker, Class of 2022, Broadcaster

Ralph Hacker was a household name throughout the state as he spent 34 years on the University of Kentucky Radio Network. Ralph began his broadcasting career as a teenager in Richmond calling high school games and what was then known as the Eastern Kentucky State College football and basketball games during the early 1960s. Following the retirement of legendary broadcaster Cawood Ledford, he spent eight years as the play by play voice for University of Kentucky Basketball, and five years as the play by play voice for UK Football. Ralph was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

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Charles "Turkey" Hughes, Class of 2022,  Coach, Administrator

Turkey Hughes coached five sports at Eastern Kentucky University over his 42-year career, which also included 23 years as the Athletic Director at EKU, and 27 years as the chairman of the Health and Physical Education department. Coach Hughes won 350 games as the EKU Baseball coach, and claimed eight OVC Baseball Championships. The EKU baseball field is named in his honor. Coach Hughes was inducted in the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and the OVC Hall of Fame in 1977.

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Roy Kidd, Class of 2022, Football Coach

Roy Kidd, who built a legendary football coaching resume at Eastern Kentucky University, began his football coaching career at Madison-Model High School in 1956 after earning Little All-American and All-OVC honors while playing quarterback for Eastern. He also played four years of baseball for the Maroons.  In six years at Madison-Model, Coach Kidd compiled a 54-11-1 record and was voted 1961 Kentucky High School Coach of the Year. In 39 years as EKU’s coach, his teams compiled a record of 314-124-8, captured two NCAA Div. 1-AA National Championships (1979 and 1982), and earned 16 OVC championships. He was voted OVC Coach of the Year 10 times and National Coach of the Year twice. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, the OVC Hall of Fame, and the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame.

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Don Mills, Class of 2022,  Basketball Player

After an All-American senior season, and back-to-back All State selections in 1955 and 1956 at Berea High School, Don Mills signed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky for Coach Adolph Rupp where he was a key member on the famed 1958 Kentucky Team nicknamed the “Fiddlin Five”. He earned a starting position as a 6-8 center and helped the Wildcats capture the NCAA National Championship. Don averaged 12.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game and earned Associated Press second team All SEC honors and 1st Team selection by the SEC coaches. Following his UK career, he was selected by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft.  After his basketball playing days ended, Don has enjoyed a long and successful insurance career in Madison County.

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Don Richardson, Class of 2022, Baseball Coach and Player

Don Richardson is the winningest high school baseball coach in the history of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association with an 85.8 winning percentage.  During 35 years as coach at Madison Central High School he compiled a record of 952-157 and guided the 1982 Indians team to a 40-0 record in route to the KHSAA Championship and the USA Today National Championship. Don also coached Madison Central’s basketball team for 15 years, compiling 350 wins and leading the Indians to their first KHSAA Sweet 16 appearance in 1987. He was inducted into the National Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998, the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2002, the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1998, and in 2019 he was inducted into the Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame for his pitching performance in the mid-1950s. 

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Irvine Shanks, Class of 2022, Basketball Player

Irvine Shanks, who grew up in Richmond and graduated from Richmond High School, broke the color barrier in Kentucky during the 1953-54 basketball season while playing for Berea College. History was made on Feb 4, 1954 when Berea faced Wilmington College on the road in Ohio. Irvine became the first African American to play for an all-white team from Kentucky. Another historical date occurred two days later on Feb. 6 when Berea hosted Bellarmine College, and Irvine became the first African American to play for a predominantly white school inside the state of Kentucky. He was a member of the 1955 team that upset Georgetown College for the KIAC Championship.

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Katty Wylie, Class of 2022, Golfer

Katty Wylie developed into one of the top amateur women’s golfers in Kentucky history. She began playing golf in 1946 at the Madison Country Club, and in 1948 she captured the first of her 16 Madison Country Club Championships. In 1951, she finished as runner up at the Central Kentucky Golf Association Championship which led to three titles in 1952, 1955 and 1956. Katty captured the 1956 Kentucky Women’s Golf State Championship after finishing as runner up in 1955. She continued to play golf throughout her life and won the 1981 Senior Women’s State Championship Title, and 13 years later she captured it again at age 68.  Katty held the Madison Country Club women’s record for low nine-hole score at 35 and low 18-hole score of 75. She served as the director of the Women’s State Golf Association and Central Kentucky Golf Association.

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2002 Hall of Fame Teams of Distinction

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1921 Madison High School Football Team
First Team In School History

Members of the team are pictured front row, from left: Tevis Huguely, Talton Stone, Lafon Wilson, Frank Hacker; middle row, Hazel Stone, Shirley Clouse, Marshal Hurst, Ralph Gentry, Burnell (Dutch) Martin; back row, James Anderson, Joe Reeves, Pete Blevins, James Allman, Bill Bower, John Allman, Charley Hacker, Coach A.L. Lassiter.

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1940 Richmond High Basketball Team Kentucky High School Athletic League Champions

Members of the team are pictured front row, from left: Alex Embry, Leon Watts, John Mackey, William Leace, Hugh Black; back row, Coach Joseph C. Fletcher, Robert Grubbs, George Parks, Allen Huguely, Allen Lysle, Harvey Walker, Arthur Johnson.

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1942 Richmond High Basketball Team Kentucky High School Athletic League Champions

The identifications of the 1942 team are unavailable.

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1943 Richmond High Basketball Team Kentucky High School Athletic League Champions

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2023 Hall of Fame Members

Beverly Acker, Class of 2023, Swimmer

Beverly Acker earned five KHSAA state swimming championships while competing for Model Laboratory School from 1980 to 1984. She captured the 1981, ’82 and ’83 state titles in the 100-yard breaststroke and was a member  of the ’80 and ’81 state championship 400-yard freestyle relay teams. She earned a spot on the 1981 USA National Junior Team and set records in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke events. In 1982, she swam for the USA Team in the World Championships in Ecuador and then won the 200-meter breaststroke at the National Championship in Indianapolis with the 2nd fastest USA time and the 9th fastest world time.  Following high school, she attended the University of Florida and competed in the 1984 USA Olympic Trials.

The identification of the 1943 players and coaches in unavailable.

Robert Brooks, Class of 2023, Basketball Player

Robert Brooks was an outstanding basketball player for Madison High School and EKU.  He led the Royal Purples to the KHSAA State Tournament in 1969 and 1970. His 1970 performance ranks as one of the best in  history as he scored 128 points and made 52 field goals to lead Madison High to the championship game. He was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball .  He earned a scholarship to EKU where he helped lead the Colonels to the 1972 NCAA Mideast Regional in Knoxville.

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Shirley Kearns, Class of 2023,  Coach & Athletic Director

Shirley Kearns started the boys’ basketball program at Model Lab School in 1962 and led the Rebels/Patriots for 27 years before retiring in 1989.  Prior to beginning his high school coaching career, Kearns played basketball for legendary coach Paul McBrayer at Eastern Kentucky State College from 1948 thru 1953 and helped lead the Maroons to its first Ohio Valley Conference championship in his senior year of ’53. Following graduation, he remained at Eastern and served as coach of the 1955-56  freshman team. In 1977, Model's gymnasium was named for Kearns.

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Monty Joe Lovell, Class of 2023,  Football Coach & Athlete

Monty Joe Lovell served as the head football coach at Madison High School for 11 years and compiled a 77-48 record while building a KHSAA Class A football power.  His best season came in 1972 when the Purples had an undefeated regular season and finished 12-1, losing only in an upset to eventual Class A state champion Trigg County.  During his  coaching career, Madison captured four KHSAA Class A District II championships in 1971, ’72, ’78 and ’79 and three Region titles in 1972, ’78 and ’79.  Lovell was voted Central Kentucky Conference Coach of the Year in 1972 and Class A Coach of the Year in 1972 and 1979.

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Edwin Luxon, Class of 2023,  Golfer and Basketball Player

Edwin Luxon was the starting guard and leading scorer on Model High School’s first two basketball teams in 1963 and 1964, and had an outstanding amateur golf career. He lettered for three years in golf at EKU and. was an eight-time Madison Country Club Champion, a six-time Madison Country Club Labor Day Invitational winner,  and set the Madison Country Club record for lowest 18-hole score with 62. In his honor the top flight of the Madison Country Club Labor Day Invitational is named the Edwin Luxon Championship Flight. . For the past 33 years, he has been chairman of the Gibson Bay Golf Course Advisory Board.

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Sandy Martin, Class of 2023,  Four-Sport Coach at EKU

Sandy Martin was head coach of four EKU women’s sports teams during a 23-year span. She led the cross country, track and field, tennis and women’s golf teams, and was the first golf coach in school history. She was voted Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year five times, including twice in both track and field (1979 and 1980) and golf (1995 and 1996), and tennis (1992). From 1975 to 1981 Martin led EKU women’s cross country to sixth place in the AIAW National Championships, won four AIAW regional championships, captured four KWIC titles, and led EKU to two OVC crowns. She started the golf program and directed EKU to the 1996 OVC title and finished runner-up four times. 

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Buddy Roberts, Class of 2023,  Basketball Coach and Player

 

Buddy Roberts started the boys’ basketball program at the newly consolidated Madison Central High School in 1955. During 10 years as the head coach, Roberts compiled a career record of 234-94.  Roberts was a standout high school basketball player in Paris under famed coach Blanton Collier. He went on to earn a scholarship to Eastern Kentucky State College where he played for the famous Paul McBrayer from 1946-50. He helped lead the Maroons to a 50-17 record during his varsity career, including a 16-6 record, a No. 11 national ranking, and the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship in 1950. In 1996 he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame.

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Talbot Todd, Class of 2023,  Football Player

Talbott Todd was the starting quarterback at Madison-Model High School from 1959 thru 1961 andled the Purples to a three-year record of 31-4 and a school-record 27 consecutive victories.  Todd threw 32 touchdown passes, ran for 22 TDs, and kicked or ran for 35 extra points. He capped his career by being selected Class AA All-State by the Courier-Journal, MVP of the Recreation Bowl, and Wigwam Wiseman All-American. He went on to letter four years at Kentucky and led UK in pass interceptions with four in 1964 and made a game-saving fumble recovery to snap Ole Miss’ 22-game winning streak.  He was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Roland Wierwille, Class of 2023,  Basketball Coach & AD

Roland Wierwille served as the Berea College men’s basketball coach for an illustrious 30-year career from 1972-2002 in which he compiled a record of 464-334 and led the Mountaineers to the 1999 NAIA Div. II Final Four.  He also served as Director of Athletics and golf coach during his Berea tenure. Prior to arriving in Berea, Wierwille served as the Transylvania University assistant basketball coach for seven years under C.M. Newton and Lee Rose. During his Berea tenure, Roland was chosen for the coaching staff of the U.S. Division I Team for the World University Games in Japan and the Jones Cup competition in Taiwan.

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2023 Hall of Fame Teams of Distinction

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1969-70 Madison High Basketball Team KHSAA State Tournament Runner-up

Front Row, from left : Bobby Griggs (manager), Charles Sweat, Eddie Freeman, Reggie Camp, Frank Parks, Randy Black, Shelby Winkler (manager); .back row: Ray Vencil (head coach), Donnie Catchings, Alex Embry, Howard Miller, Robert Brooks, Jimmy Curry, Tim Harris, Dwight Douglas, Jesse Ward (assistant coach)

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1982 Madison Central Baseball Team KHSAA State Tournament Champions (40-0)

Front Row, from left:  Danette Wells (manager), John Mosley, Mike Adams, Marty Hembree, Lloyd Rhodus, Zeke Connor, Larry Gray, Jimmy Connor, Ricky Price; middle row, Tracy Powell (manager), Jimmy Kelly (manager), Jake Fields, David Acker, Jeff Cruse, Larry Agee, Russell Thomas, Karl Lainhart, Pat Black, Tommy Gross, Mike Crawford, Cynthia Tudor (manager); back row, Jimmy Whitaker (Assistant Coach), Cliff Winkler, Jeff Tevis, Scott Ward, Keith Kidd, Greg Jones, Gene Cruse, Greg Stephens, Ken Jones, Rick Congleton, Tim Black, Johnny Covington, Don Richardson (head coach).

2024 Hall of Fame Members

Phillis Wirtz Adams, Class of 2024, Little League Administrator

Phillis Wirtz Adams has been a leader with the Richmond Little League for 42 years as a coach, fund-raiser, board member, vice president, player agent, and president. Under her leadership, RLL holds distinction as the largest Little League program in Kentucky. The program has expanded from 42 spring teams to as many as 70 spring teams and now offers 49 fall teams as it provides baseball for kids from ages 4 through 16. During her tenure, as many as 750 players have been registered for spring baseball and up to 500 have played in the fall. Adams’ fund-raising skills have also proven valuable as Richmond Little League has maintained a budget of $150,000 to $180,000 annually and another $800,000 has been raised over the past 15 years for tournament travel, major renovations, and addition of fields. Due to growth of the program, the playing fields were moved from IrvineMcDowell Park in 1997 to Lake Reba. Phillis was honored in 2004 when Adams Field was named in her honor at Lake Reba.

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Keith Bosley, Class of 2024, Football Player

Keith Bosley played football and basketball at Madison High School. He was named to the Associated Press All-State Football Team for three straight years, and was a near unanimous selection for both the 1981 defensive and offensive AllState Football teams. Bosley was also honorable mention for the All-State Basketball Team during his junior year at Madison. While playing football for the Royal Purples, he was selected to play in the Kentucky East-West games in both his junior and senior years. In the Spring of 1982, Bosley committed to play for Coach Roy Kidd at Eastern Kentucky University. As a Colonel, Bosley had a stellar 4-year career and was a member of the 1982 Division 1-AA FCS National Championship Team, and playoff teams in 1983 and 1984. He was named to the All-OVC Team in 1985 during his EKU senior year. Bosley entered the NFL draft in 1986 and was signed and played for the Cleveland Browns.

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Jimmy Cain, Class of 2024, Baseball Player

Jimmy Cain began his baseball career playing for legendary coach Don Richardson. He was an AllState player at Madison Central High School,and led the Indians to four straight trips to the State Tournament as a third baseman and pitcher. Coach Richardson called him “the best baseball player I ever coached.” After high school, Jimmy was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies but chose to sign with the University of Kentucky where he played one year before transferring to Eastern in 1966. He was a two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in 1967 and 1968. He helped lead EKU to the 1967 OVC championship while hitting .400. He again led EKU in hitting in 1968 with a .395 average, played in an infield that was among the nation’s leaders defensively with 38 double plays turned in 29 games, and he ranked second nationally for home runs and runs batted in per game. In 1973. He was one of 25 former EKU athletes who were Founding Members on Eastern’s 1974 Centennial Athletics Team and in 2006 he was inducted into the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame.

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Mike Elkin , Class of 2024,  Football Player and Coach

Mike Elkin was both a standout high school football player and coach. He began his playing career at Berea High School before transferring to Madison High School in 1963 where he helped lead the Royal Purples to the 1964 KHSAA Class AA State runner-up finish. After beginning his collegiate career at New Mexico Highlands, he completed his career and graduated from Mississippi Delta State College in 1970. Mike was hired as Berea Community High School’s head coach in 1971 where he served for seven years and compiled a 39-35 record. He then returned to his alma mater at Madison High where he served as offensive coordinator for three years before moving over to Madison Central High School as assistant coach under Bobby Harville, who died tragically in 1982. Elkin succeeded Harville and led the Indians to a 75-43 record over 11 seasons. He then took over the head coaching job at Madison Southern where he led the Eagles to a 26-20 record in four years and to the KHSAA Class AA Region title and state quarterfinals in 1996

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Dominique Hawkins, Class of 2024, Basketball Player

Dominique Hawkins led Madison Central High School to its first KHSAA State Basketball Tournament Championship in 2013 as his performance earned him selection as Tournament MVP, Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball, and Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game during the 2013 Kentucky Boys’ Sweet Sixteen. That performance made Dominique a recruiting target of the University of Kentucky where he chose to attend college. He enjoyed a four-year career as a Kentucky Wildcat and enjoyed several highlights led by selection to the 2017 Southeastern Conference All-Tournament Team and received the MVP after scoring a careerhigh 14 points in the championship game. During his senior year he appeared in all 38 games and made four starts. As a junior, he earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, and had a memorable game against UK’s rival and No. 16 ranked Louisville with 13 points and three 3-pointers in 26 minutes of action.

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Dr. Harold Moberly, Jr., Class of 2024,  Three-Sport Player

Harold Moberly, Jr. was a three-sport standout at Madison-Model High School from 1944-47. He had his most success in basketball as he helped lead the Royal Purples to the Kentucky State Tournament three times in 1944, 1946 and 1947. Moberly set a State Tournament single game scoring record in 1947 with 32 points against Dawson Springs, a record that was broken two years later by the great Cliff Hagan. He was named to the All-State Tournament Team and was voted to the Courier-Journal and Herald-Leader First Team All-State teams. Moberly was selected to play in the Kentucky-Indiana, the Kentucky-Tennessee, and the Kentucky East-West All-Star games. He also led the baseball team to the State Tournament twice in 1945 and 1946, and quarterbacked the football team to an undefeated season in 1945 and earned honorable mention All-State. He went on to play basketball at Eastern under Coach Paul McBrayer.

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Taryn Patrick Ignacio, Class of 2024, Diver and Coach

Taryn Ignacio Patrick is a 2003 graduate of Model Laboratory School where she began an outstanding diving career as an eighth grader. She went on to become the 2006 NCAA Diving Champion and earned SEC Diver of the Year and All-American honors during her three years at the University of Kentucky. She set an NCAA, SEC and UK record score of 335.20 while winning the platform finals in 2006. She also holds the UK record on the 1-meter board and won a total of five SEC titles, including two each in 2005 and 2007 which is the most of any male or female diver in UK history. In 2022, Taryn was honored as one of the Top 50 female athletes in UK history by being selected fon the UK Title IX Anniversary Team, and in 2008 she was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Taryn is currently in her 16th year as head diving coach at Fresno State.

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Pat Stephens, Class of 2024, Golfer and Coach

Pat Stephens is a product of Madison Central High School and went on to make his mark during 23 years as an award-winning student-athlete and head coach at Eastern Kentucky University, He began his collegiate career at Kentucky where he played for two seasons before transferring to EKU in 1982. In his two years as a Colonel, Stephens led the Colonels to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships, was named the 1982 OVC Player of the Year and Medalist, earned the 1983 OVC Runnerup, and received All-OVC honors both years. After completing his EKU playing career, Stephens turned professional and played in several PGA Tour events, including the 1988 U.S. Open. He’s a three-time runner-up in the Kentucky Open (1978, 1983, and 1995) and was named the 1996 and 2007 Kentucky PGA Player of the Year. He returned to EKU as head coach for 21 years (1997-2018) and led the Colonels to three OVC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances and received five OVC Coach of the Year Awards. He was inducted into the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 2022.

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J.W. "Spider" Thurman, Class of 2024, Football Player

“Spider’ Thurman made a major impact on Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College as a legendary football player and later as Director of Alumni Affairs for 21 years. In 1940, Spider played quarterback for the Maroons and directed Eastern to its first undefeated season with an 8-0 record and champions of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Football Association. For his performance, he was selected to the 1940 ‘Little All-American’ football team. He was also a three-time All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Football Association selection. Thurman came to Eastern from Benham High School where he was an All-State quarterback in 1936 and a three-year choice on the AllCumberland Valley Conference football and basketball teams and the All-District and All-Regional basketball squads. Before returning to Eastern in 1962, Thurman served as head basketball coach at Clay County High School from 1949-62 and was chosen Coachof-the-Year in the Kentucky Southeast Conference four times for directing his Clay County team to 12 district titles and six Regional Championships. He was inducted as a Founder on the EKU Centennial Athletic Awards Team in 1974. In 1988 he was inducted into the Dawahare’s KHSAA Hall of Fame, and in 2006 was inducted into the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame.

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2024 Hall of Fame Teams of Distinction

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1956 Madison-Model High School Football Team

Front row, from left: Bill Strong, manager; Jim Parks, Charles Noland, Joe Parks, Tyronne Cunningham, George Wlcox, Andy Rucker, Gordon Adams, Jay Roberts, J.C. Long, Bill Blount, Billy Humble; middle row, Robert Walker, Albert Haynes, Richard Elam, Orville Abner, Jerry Walker, Danny Presnell, Johnny Bottoms, Charles Harkleroad, Allen Hughes, Ernest Aldridge, Sam Chambers, Marvin Taylor; back row, Head Coach Roy Kidd, Shirley Smith, Ralph Azbill, J.I. Isbell, Cecil Curry, John Greene, Fred Crump, Harold Lane, Jimmy Hinkle, Wayne Bowlin, John Hancock, manager; Jack Figart, manager; Assistant Coach Zeb Blankenship. Not pictured is manager Bill Buchanan

The 1956 Madison-Model football team was the first team coached by Roy Kidd. The Royal Purples finished the regular season undefeated with a 9-0 record and captured the Central Kentucky Conference Championship. The team’s undefeated season was spoiled by Paintsville, 20-0, in the Big Sandy Bowlst every site.

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1957 Madison-Model High School Football Team

Front row, Jim Coy, Billy Humble, George Boyd, Paul Hale, Joe Dunn, Dick Denny, Joe Parks, Danny Presnell, manager Bill Buchanan; 2nd row, manager Jack Figart, Bill Putteet, Robert Walker, Allen McCracken, Don Rice, Bill Blount, JC Long, Jay Roberts, Andy Rucker, Charles Noland, Ray Teater; 3rd row, assistant coach Zeb Blankenship, manager John Hancock, Wayne Bowlin, Pearl Cowan, Sam Chambers, Jerry Walker, Jerry Woolum, Orville Abner, Shirley Smith, Ed Klatte, Jerry Boyd; Back row, line coach Bobby Harville, Gordon Adams, Billy Lee, Marvin Taylor, Walt Young, Johnny Bottoms, Richard Elam, Albert Haynes, Frank Hicks, head coach Roy Kidd

The 1957 Madison-Model football team was coached by Roy Kidd. The Royal Purples finished with a 8-1-1 regular season record and were quarterbacked by Jerry Woolum who led the team to the 1957 Recreation Bowl championship with a 19-6 victory over Frankfort for the team’s 9th win. He was selected as the Rec Bowl MVP, and repeated that honor in 1958 to become the first player to achieve that feat two consecutive years, a record that stood for 53 years.

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1978 Madison High School Track Team
KHSAA Class A State Champions

Front row, Lenora Williams, Jennifer Campbell, Tina Mundy, Stephanie Kemp, Linda Martin, Mary Gentry, Danetta Richardson, Patricia Sweat; Back row, Team managers Michelle Farris and Devonna Campbell, Verna Ballew, Tammy Campbell, Ronetta Farris, Karla Black, Gretchen Kemp, Tracy Sweat, Cynthia Campbell, head coach Gwen Long

The 1978 Richmond Madison High School Girls Track and Field team, which was coached by Gwen Long, knocked off defending champion Harrodsburg to capture the 1978 Kentucky State High School Class A Championship. Coached by Gwen Long, the Lady Purples excelled in the relays, winning the 880-yard relay, the 880-yard medley relay, took second in the mile relay and finished third in the 440-yard relay.

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