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Welcome
The Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame will induct 10 members in its 2009 class, including former Albertville Aggie and Texas Ranger Rusty Greer.
The 2009 induction banquet is scheduled for May 30 at 6 p.m. at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.
Greer, a 1987 Albertville graduate, is a member of both the Texas Rangers and University of Montevallo halls of fame.
Joining Greer in the class of 2009 are Waylon Cooley, Jackie Thrower, Julia Casey, the Garrett brothers, James Robert Chafin, Jeremy Hays, Bobby Buford, Richard “Butch” Ferguson and Bill Moore.
Cooley, Thrower and Casey are Arab natives.
Casey, a teacher at Brindlee Mountain High School, is the second woman to be selected for induction. She was among the first female coaches in the county.
Thrower won county championships as Guntersville’s basketball coach before later serving as superintendent of the Marshall County School System.
Cooley’s career included success as a prep basketball coach, as well as serving as superintendent of education for Marshall County.
The Garrett Brothers — Gordon, John, Pete, Russell and Wheeler — are being inducted together. All five made significant contributions to the early history of Albertville football and later played at Howard College.
All of the Garretts enjoyed tenures as head coaches.
Hays, of Boaz, is one of the greatest big men in Marshall County basketball history. He led Boaz to the state tournament as a senior before becoming a starter and key player for Alabama.
Chafin, an Albertville native, was a state championship coach before becoming an administrator in Montgomery. He is a member of the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Buford, who currently serves as an administrator in the Marshall County School System, enjoyed success as boys basketball coach at DAR and is a member of the Madison County Sports Hall of Fame.
Ferguson is in the midst of his 36th year as an educator in Marshall County, where he’s served as a teacher, coach and administrator. He is assistant superintendent for the Marshall County School System.
Ferguson has also served as an officer for the MCSHOF’s board of directors since the organization’s inception.
Moore, an Albertville native, played high school and college basketball before embarking on a professional career that saw him serve as an official and radio broadcaster.
Moore served as parks and recreation director for Guntersville, working diligently to provide the city with top-notch facilities and programs.
The class of 2009 expands the MCSHOF to 85 members.
The hall of fame plaques are on display on the ground floor of the Marshall County Courthouse in Guntersville.
This will be the hall of fame’s eighth induction class. The charter class was inducted in 2002.
Tickets for the induction banquet will be $30 each. Information about purchasing tickets will be released at a later date.
The hall’s members are:
Charter class of 2002 – Buddy Beard, Jim Bishop, Joe Chorba, Rabbit Currey, J.B. Davis, Jim Dooley, Jerry Edmonds, Donald Fuell, Eugene Griep, John Hannah, Scoop Howard, Travis Hunt, Bill Jones, John Kitchens, Melton LeCroy, Billy Ledbetter, Kent Looney, Percy Lee, Bemon Lyon, Frankie McClendon, Jesse Morgan, Charley Pell, Emmett Plunkett, Dr. Ellis Porch, Roger Ralph, Ralph Reed, Shannon Sloan, Raymond Weaver, Vernon Wells and Wayne Wigley.
Class of 2003 – Dee Anne Ashley, Gilmore Brannon, Rod Rudolph, Garland Franks, Bill Wharton, Neil Reed, Frank Reed, Blackie Heath, Dr. Andy Finlay and Cecil Wright.
Class of 2004 – Randy Ross, Marion Abercrombie, Lyle Darnell, Hugh “Shorty” Ogle, Raymond Wedgeworth, Boyce Stone and Billy Hudson.
Class of 2005- John Allen, Tom Maddux, John L. Beard, Thomas Rains, Harold Bentley, Gerald Thomas, Jimmy Keller, and Bill Yancy
Class of 2006- Jimmy Alford, Jimmy Geiger, Hal Hayes, Hamp Moore, Bob Roberts and Mack Whitaker
Class of 2007- Ed Nesmith, Mike Little, Sr., Johnny "Butch" Looney, Danny Parker, C.K. "Preacher" Gant, Richard Hayes, Ken Tyler, Billy McDonald
Copyright 2007 Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame