ECHS Athletic Hall of Fame To Have Inaugural Induction At Friday's Game: 1976 Championship Team, More

1976 Edmonson County Wildcat KHSAA Boys Basketball State Champions.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The newly-formed Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame will hold its inaugural induction ceremony at halftime of the boys' basketball game Friday night at ECHS in a girl/boy doubleheader against Todd County Central.

Those being inducted include the entire 1976 KHSAA Boys' Basketball State Champion Wildcats, and those who are already part of the "Wall of Fame," located in the ECHS gym: Larry Starnes, Tracy Meredith, Johnny Pete Vincent, Edd Rich, Stephanie Dennison, Lauren Caudill, Pete Clemmons, Dale "Doc" Gray, Charles Alexander, Gerald Meredith, Wes Vincent, Steven Caudill, Keith Madison, Mike Rich, Willie Denham, Neal Booker, Dave Denton, Kevin Jackson, Norm Weaver, Rick Wood, Don Burton, Gary Key, Aaron Goad, Phil Rich, Tom Vincent, Brian Browning, Kevin Clemmons, Brett Meredith, Bo Davenport, Joseph Blanton, and KayDon Vanmeter.

The 1976 Championship team is being honored as one team, even though multiple members are also being honored individually for sports besides basketball.

EC AHOF Committee member Jamie Carnes said the HOF came together as the result of discussions among members of the community, as well as staff at ECHS.

"The "Wall of Fame" that we all have come to know in the high school gym provides a nice tribute, but the general consensus among those concerned was that we needed to establish an actual Athletics Hall of Fame with guidelines and a selection committee," Carnes said. "By doing this, we hope to broaden our scope of recognition in the future and offer eligibility for candidates who played at ECHS as well as those who played at county schools that existed before consolidation."

A portion of those on the ECHS "Wall of Fame" in the gym.

Carnes said once the committee began making preparations to honor individuals, it was decided that all those who had already been honored on the gym's "Wall of Fame" would make up our first official Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame class.  The inductees will be honored with a reception and food from Rafferty's at 5:30 P.M on Friday, December 16th at ECHS.  

Each inductee will have his/her own plaque that will hang in the gym, while the retired numbers will be moved into the commons area.

The Hall of Fame selection committee plans to consider and name new inductees annually according to its established guidelines. 

"Through this process, we hope to call attention to more of the people and stories that make up rich Edmonson County sports traditions," Carnes added.