BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The names of 36 athletes were etched into history April 27 during a Martin County All-Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Collier Center in Inez.

The inductees and family representatives were surrounded by loved ones and fans as their stories and lives were honored.

HOF president Dwayne Sweeney opened the ceremony by thanking the Collier Center for providing a facility for the event and space for the Hall of Fame Museum on the second floor.

“I’d like to thank the Mountain Citizen for their continuous coverage. A family in Florida found out through the newspaper that they were to be a part of this induction,” Sweeney said.

He also thanked the HOF Committee: Roger Harless, Jack Ward, Phil Kirk, Bill Bo Davis, Everette Horn Jr., AJ Haney and Charlotte Anderson.

“We have the best committee in the state of Kentucky. Without them, this couldn’t be possible,’ he said.

Jack Ward introduced Alice Lloyd Alumni Gary Stepp to give welcoming remarks.

Stepp taught in Martin County for 14 years and is a member of the Alice Lloyd College Hall of Fame, having played four years for the Eagles. Stepp became the first player in school history to record over 300 assists for his career and still ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in that category.

“My grandfather had to quit school at an early age to support his family. He worked hard, but he did what he had to do,” Stepp said.

“My dad would always tell us, ‘If you can only do three things, make it this: Obey the Lord, respect and take care of your family, and try your best to do what’s right.’”

Ward then introduced the second-round inductees.

Frank Crum — 1954

Frank Crum was a native and resident of Inez when he won the senior division of the National Association of Left-handed Golfers national championship. The tournament was Aug. 9-12, 1954, at the Miami Valley Country Club in Dayton, Ohio, and hosted 147 golfers from 27 states. Crum bested Al Douglas of Napa, California, for the title.

The National Association of Left-handed Golfers was created in 1936 to emphasize the need for companies to produce equipment for lefties.

Crum won many other golf tournaments over the years, including the prestigious West Virginia Amateur championship at the Greenbriar.

Golf was not his only sport. Crum lettered three years in baseball for the University of Kentucky 1915-1917.

“Ole Pigeon Creek Frank,” as he was known to his friends, volunteered for duty during World War I and achieved the rank of First Lieutenant. He worked in the coal mining industry and played baseball in the coalfield leagues.

His funeral was held at the Inez High School gymnasium Feb. 20, 1963.

Crum’s family accepted his award. Mary Crum Spaulding thanked the Hall of Fame committee, saying, “We really appreciate that he is getting the recognition for his academic and athletic successes. He was quite a remarkable person.”

Channing Smith — Sheldon Clark Football 2007-2010

Channing Smith is only the second First-Team All-State football player in Sheldon Clark High School history. The 6-foot-2 and 250-lb Smith was a four-year starter and led the Cardinals in tackles for three years, exceeding 90 each season. Smith had 54 tackles as a freshman, 91 as a sophomore, 98 as a junior, and 104 as a senior.

His teams were 34-17 with seven playoff victories, including a 57th District title and 15th Region title.

Coaching legend Shawn Hager said, “Every team we played his senior year, he was the strongest and best lineman they had played against.”

Smith bench pressed 410 lbs. He had a 4.185 grade-point average and scored a 23 on the ACT. He made All-State Honorable Mention during his junior campaign in 2009.

Clarence ‘Boney’ Mills — Inez High Basketball 1945-1949

Clarence “Boney” Mills was named Second-Team All-State in two seasons and Honorable Mention All-State in 1946 and 1948. He led the 1946 Inez Indians to a 31-8 record, as well as 57th District and 15th Region titles. His 1947 team was 39-4 with a district title and ranked second in the state. Mills’ 1948 team was 28-4 and ranked eighth in the state.

Mills was a great rebounder and defender. He was known for being unstoppable around the basket. He was All-District and All-Region several times.

Mills played college basketball at Pikeville.

Bill Fairchild — Inez High Basketball 1945-1949

Bill Fairchild was one of two men’s basketball players to make All-State all four seasons. He was Honorable Mention All-State in 1946 and 1947. He was Second-Team All-State in 1948 and Third-Team All-State in 1949. His 1946 team brought home the district and 15th Region Championships. The 1947 team was 39-4 with a district title and No.2 ranking in the state of Kentucky. His 1948 team was 28-4 and his 1949 team was 26-7, winning a district title and the 15th Region runner-up. Fairchild was 124-23 in his four years of playing.

Bill was extremely quick and an agile center. Teammates called him a great shooter and a clutch player. He averaged double figures in scoring all four years and was named All-District and All-Region several times.

John David Slone — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1989-1993

John David Slone was named Second-Team All-State in 1993. He averaged around 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for his career. Known for his monstrous slam dunks, he led his team to back-to-back district titles. His junior year, Sheldon Clark went 20-11. The Cardinals were 21-10 during his senior year.

Slone received scholarship offers from many schools. He signed with Pikeville College and played two seasons. He transferred and finished his playing career at Alice Lloyd College.

Eric Marcum — Sheldon Clark Football 1994-1995

Eric Marcum was a 6’5 210 LB defensive end who made life miserable for quarterbacks and opposing linemen. In 1994 he led Sheldon Clark to a 7-5 record and their first-ever playoff victory over Lawrence County on the road.

Marcum made key defensive stops in the playoffs. He was the first Sheldon Clark football player to be named Second-Team All-State.

Adam Dials — Sheldon Clark Football 2004-2007

Adam Dials was a force to be reckoned with at running back. He rushed for over 1000 yards in 2006 and 2007 at Sheldon Clark High School.

He earned Third-Team All-State honors during his senior campaign when he rushed for over 1800 yards and had a dozen touchdowns.

Dials’ teams were 27-9 his last three years and had three wins in the playoffs.

Dials was also known as a standout wrestler. He placed second in his weight class in the 2008 KHSAA state wrestling tournament and placed eighth as a freshman.

Justin Johnson — Sheldon Clark/Western Kentucky University/Professional Basketball 2010-2012

Justin Johnson led the Sheldon Clark Cardinals to a 17-12 record as a freshman in 2010. They were the 57th District runner-up and went to the 15th Region quarterfinals. As a sophomore, the Cardinals were 26-7. Johnson won a 57th District championship while reaching the 15th Region quarterfinals once again. He made Third-Team All-State that year while averaging more than 10 rebounds and 15 points per game.

Johnson transferred for his junior and senior seasons to Perry County Central where he won a district title and 14th Region runner-up. He was Second-Team All-State his junior year and First-Team All-State his senior year.

Johnson averaged a double-double his entire high school career and scored over 2000 points.

He signed with Western Kentucky University and led his team in scoring at 14.9 points per game during his sophomore year and 7.9 rebounds. Johnson led the conference during his junior year with 9.4 rebounds per game and was Second-Team All-Conference.

In his senior year, Johnson joined the Western Kentucky football team to play tight end but returned to basketball. He again led the Hilltoppers with 15.7 points per game and repeated as the conference rebounding champ with 9.4 per game.

Johnson led Western to a 27-11 record and a second-place finish in the NIT. He was First-Team All-Conference USA. He had 14 double-doubles his senior year. He chalked up 1715 points and 1058 rebounds and shot 53% from the field.

Johnson is ranked fourth all-time at Western in rebounds, third in offensive rebounds with 315, third in games played with 135, seventh in field goal percentage at 53.9, eighth in field goals made with 669, sixth in minutes played, third in efficiency rating, and 11th all-time in points.

The super talent played professional basketball in Italy from 2018 to 2019 for Dinamo Cagliari, averaging 16.7 points and 9.2 rebounds. He then played for another team in Italy until 2022. He is currently playing in Germany with Riesen Ludwigsburg.

Jesse Watts — Sheldon Clark Football 1989-1992

Jesse Watts held the national high school passing record for 21 years until it was beaten by 1 yard. He completed 24 out of 38 passes for 651 yards in a 61-16 victory over Allen Central on Oct. 11, 1991. He led his team to a 9-2 record in 1991 and 1992. Despite being small in size, he had toughness and grit and was blessed with a great throwing arm. Most would say he is Sheldon Clark High School’s greatest passing quarterback.

After the 1991 season, Watts was named the fifth-best Kentucky high school quarterback prospect by Kentucky Football Coaches. He was named Honorable Mention All-State in 1992.

Watts signed with Kentucky State and played on special teams.

Dylan James — Sheldon Clark Basketball 2010-2017

Dylan James held the Kentucky high school state record for 482 made three-point baskets in his career at Sheldon Clark High School. Mr. Kentucky Basketball Travis Perry just recently broke his record.

James played varsity basketball for seven years beginning as a sixth grader. He scored 2,752 points in his career.

Making a move to Mercer County for his junior and senior years, he led the Titans to a 33-2 season and 46th District and 12th Region titles. He was named Third-Team All-State.

James won two district titles and a region runner-up at Sheldon Clark.

He is ninth all-time in rebounds in Kentucky high school history with 1473. He was named All-State Honorable Mention in 2017. He averaged over 20 points per game in three seasons.

James signed a basketball scholarship and played at the University of Pikeville for one season. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky with the goal of becoming a coach. He was on the coaching staff of the 2022 state champion George Rogers Clark High.

Arnold Harmon — Inez High Basketball 1945-1949

Arnold Harmon was named Honorable Mention All-State for four straight seasons from 1946 to 1949. His 1946 Inez Indians team went 31-8 and was the 15th Region champion. The 1947 team was 39-4 with a 57th District title and ranked second in the state.

In 1948 Harmon’s team was 28-4 and ranked eighth in the state.

In his senior year, the Indians were 26-7, with the 57th District title and 15th Region runner-up. His four-year record was 124-23.

Harmon was named All-District and All-Region several times in his career.

Gary Meade — Inez High Basketball 1966-1970

Gary Meade was named Honorable Mention All-State three years in a row from 1968 to 1970. He was a 6-foot-4 center who led the team in scoring for three years. He was known for being a great midrange shooter. He had a career-high of 44 points against Al-State center Gary Waddle of Lexington Lafayette.

Meade led his team to three straight winning seasons and one trip to the 15th Region tournament in 1969. The Indians had a 65-47 record in his four years. He was named All-District twice.

Gene Cain — Inez High Basketball 1945-1949

Gene Cain was named Honorable Mention All-State in 1946 and 1948. He was All-District and All-Region several times.

Cain was known for being the perfect team player and for utilizing all his allotted fouls in a game.

Inez had a record of 124-23 in his four years and was ranked No. 2 in 1947 and No. 8 in 1948.

Dena Booth — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1974-1977

Dena Booth was named Honorable Mention All-State in 1975 and 1977. She was a member of the first girls team at Sheldon Clark that had five All-State players. Booth played on three regional title teams and three district championship teams. She was named All-District and All-Region several times.

The Lady Cards were 74-6 in her three seasons. She was known as a great shooter.

Booth approached the podium and said, “I had the best coaches in the world.”

Booth’s teammates said she had the heart of a lion.

“The first game of the 57th District tournament, my grandmother couldn’t go to the game, so she listened to it on the radio. They cut it off for a Kentucky game. There was one minute to go in the game, we came back and won by four points. I played my heart out.”

She spoke of a teammate: “Brenda Preece and I were big buddies. We would play out on the playground with the boys. We had to be as rough and tough as they were.”

Booth amused the crowd with a story of Coach AJ Haney. He had the team practice on Thanksgiving. Coach made them get on the baseline and squat down and act like turkeys.

“Thank you so much for supporting me and the Cardinalettes,” Booth said to the Martin County faithful.

Debbie McCoy — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1974-1976

Debbie McCoy was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1975 and 1976. She was a member of the first Sheldon Clark girls basketball team.

McCoy was the Cardinalettes point guard. The sharp-shooter averaged 12 points and over five assists per game over the span of her career.

The Real McCoy was All-District and All-Region in 1975 and 1976. She was known as a tough-nosed defender and for running the fast break.

On March 11, 1976 McCoy eliminated Geri Grisby’s McDowell team after she fired in 14 points in the 15th Region tournament. She was a vital part of two 57th District and 15th Region titles.

McCoy joined the military after her basketball career. She served in the United States Air Force for four years. She was a Senior Airman and worked as a hydraulic mechanic on F15 airplanes.

“It’s such an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” McCoy said. “I’d like to thank my fans and my family. I wished my mom and dad could have been here. They were my biggest fans.”

Brenda Preece Collins — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1974-1977

Brenda Preece Collins was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1975 and 1977 at Sheldon Clark. She was a rough and tough rebounder who was great at getting the ball out on the fast break. Her teammates called her the emotional leader of the Cardinalettes.

Preece cleaned up the glass and was the first great center for Sheldon Clark. She was a rock wall and known for setting bone-jarring screens.

Preece’s teams were 74-6 in her three years, and she won three 57th District and three 15th Region titles.

Betty Crum — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1979-1983

Betty was All-State in 1982 and 1983 at Sheldon Clark. Her team brought home four straight 57th District titles. She won two 15th Region titles and was a 15th Region runner-up.

The Lady Cards won 105 games during her basketball career.

Crum was known as a scrappy player who could score in traffic and transition. She was fearless with a passion to win.

Angie Fields — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1978-1982

Angie Fields was an All-State point guard in 1981 and 1982 at Sheldon Clark. She was a true point guard who could score on the break, shoot from any angle and harass the other team’s best player.

Her teams won four straight 57th District titles and one 15th Region title. She was twice a 15th Region runner-up.

The Lady Cards were 92-41 in her four years.

Teddy Duncan — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1980-1984

Teddy Duncan was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1983 and 1984. He was part of the first regional championship and state tournament team in 1983 with Sheldon Clark.

Duncan averaged 11 points and eight rebounds as a sophomore, 16 points and eight rebounds as a junior, and 22 points and 10 rebounds as a senior.

Duncan made All-District and All-Region in 1983. He was on the Williamson Daily News All-Area team in 1984.

In the summer of 1983, he was named one of the top 25 players in Kentucky by the Cats Pause magazine.

Duncan was All-Tournament in the Ashland Invitational in 1983.

Larry James — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1984-1988

Larry James was an All-State Honorable Mention center for the Cardinals in 1987 and 1988. He led the team in scoring and rebounding in both years averaging almost 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He scored almost 1500 points in his varsity career and had over 1000 rebounds. James was All-District his junior and senior seasons. He was First-Team All-Area his senior season.

In 1988 his team won the 57th District championship and was 15th Region runner-up.

James was impossible to contain in the post.

He has served as a teacher, coach, principal, and now the Superintendent of Martin County schools.

Kandice Porter — Sheldon Clark Basketball 2008-2013

Kandice Porter was named All-State Honorable Mention for the Lady Cards in 2012 and 2013. She was a high-scoring center and was the leading rebounder for her team for three seasons averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. Porter led the Lady Cards to 98 wins, two 57th District titles and one 15th Region championship.

Porter signed with the University of Pikeville to continue her college career. In 2016, she led the Bears to the Fab Four and was named to the NAIA All-Championship Second-Team.

Porter averaged 17 points and scored a tournament second-best of 68 points overall. She shot 60% from the field and blocked a sixth-best seven shots.

Joe Stepp — Warfield High 1947-1951

Joe Stepp was a two-time All-State Honorable Mention for the Warfield Red Devils in 1950 and 1951. He averaged over 25 points and 15 rebounds per game, leading Warfield to 52 wins in his four seasons.

Stepp is the first of the basketball royalty in the Stepp family of Martin County. He is the uncle of Martin County Hall of Famer Orville Stepp, the father of HOFs Joe Alan Stepp and Jim Stepp, and the father of Kentucky’s all-time leading season scorer and KHSAA Hall of Famer Ervin Stepp.

Carlos Evans — Warfield High 1965-1969

Carlos Evans was an All-State Honorable Mention player. He played forward and led Warfield High School in scoring in two seasons. He was a 57th District runner-up in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Sports Illustrated ranked Evans in the top 300 players in the nation before his senior year.

Evans once scored 31 points and had 26 rebounds. He had a then-record of 35 rebounds in a single game, leading the Red Devils to a district runner-up.

Evans is the father of Martin County Hall of Famer Jason Evans.

Jason Evans — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1991-1995

Jason Evans was a 6-foot-6 power forward. He led the Cardinals to 62 wins in his four years at Sheldon Clark. He won 57th District titles in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Evans led the team in scoring and rebounding in his junior and senior seasons. He earned back-to-back Honorable Mention All-State honors, Williamson Daily News All-Area, and 57th District All-Tournament. He was First-Team Academic All-State.

Evans serves Martin County as an optometrist in Inez. He is the son of Hall of Famer Carlos Evans.

Donna Maynard Nezbeth — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1984-1988

Donna Maynard was named All-State Honorable Mention in 1988. She led her Sheldon Clark team to 57th District titles in 1985 and 1987.

She was a smooth shooting forward.

Her team was district runner-up in 1986 and 1988. The Cards finished as 15th Region runner-up in 1985.

Maynard played basketball at Pikeville College. She was relentless and a top-tier defender.

John Crum — Inez High 1947-1951

John Crum was a 6-foot-4 forward who led his Inez High School team in rebounding his junior and senior seasons. He was named All-State and led his team to two 57th District titles and two 15th Region runner-up finishes.

Crum won 48 games during his junior and senior seasons. He received a scholarship to play at Marshall University.

Crum’s son accepted the award for John: “My dad was not only a great basketball player but also a great person.”

John Crum was instrumental in starting the Martin County Water District, Inez Fire Department and the Big Sandy Regional Airport.

Leslie Moore — Warfield High 1963-1967

Leslie Moore was a sharp shooting guard for the Warfield High School Red Devils. He was the 57th District runner-up in his sophomore season. His team made it to the 15th Region semifinals.

Moore was a district runner-up in his junior year. He was named All-District three times and All-Region. He received an All-State Honorable Mention selection.

Moore signed to play basketball at the Virginia Commonwealth.

Ken Maynard — Warfield High 1964-1968

Ken Maynard was named All-District for two years. He won 62 games and had two 57th District runner-up finishes at Warfield.

Maynard was in the 15th Region final four in three of his seasons. He averaged over 20 points per game his senior year and was named All-State Honorable Mention.

Maynard played college basketball at Berea.

John C. Kirk — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1979-1983

John C. Kirk won Sheldon Clark High School’s only 15th Region crown in 1983. 

The guard won two 57th District championships in 1981 and 1983 and was named All-District and All-Region in 1983. In the final of the 1983 district tournament, he made 14 of 14 free throws.

Kirk won a state tournament game for the Cardinals over Taylor County in 1983 and was named All-State Honorable Mention. He led the Cardinals with 22 points, hitting 10 of 17 from the field.

The Cardinals amassed a 29-6 record in Kirk’s senior year. He averaged 20 points per game, shooting 47% from the field and 89% from the free-throw line.

A multi-sport athlete, Kirk was a pitcher for the Sheldon Clark baseball team that went 25-2. He had over 60 steals in his career, pitched three no-hitters and had a career ERA of under 2.

As a senior Kirk had an ERA of .76.

Kirk received a basketball scholarship to Georgetown College.

He is currently an attorney with his father at his law office.

Jimmy Dale Turner — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1982-1983

Jimmy Dale Turner was a transfer from McDowell his senior year. He led the Cardinals to a 29-6 record, a 57th District title and their only 15th Region championship. He was named All-State Honorable Mention.

Turner led the Cardinals baseball team to a 25-2 record. He did not lose a game on the mound and pitched two no-hitters and had an ERA of 0.60.

Turner received a basketball scholarship to Georgetown College. He played professionally with the Atlanta Braves as a pitcher for three years.

Turner passed away at a young age from cancer in his 40s.

His family accepted his award on his behalf: “We miss him very much. For those who knew him, he was quiet and humble. His daughters are the exact example of him.”

Randy Bowen — Sheldon Clark Baseball 1980-1984

Randy Bowen was the first Cardinal baseball player to receive a college scholarship. He was a left-handed catcher and first baseman who batted .514 in 1983 and .435 as a senior.

He was a vital part of Sheldon Clark’s greatest baseball team that went 25-2 his junior year. He set a school record at that time for hits and batting average in a season. Bowen was named All-District in 1984.

Bowen was also part of the Cardinals football program and was on the first team in 1981 that went 9-2, which was known as the Skinny 20.

Bowen played one season at Mercer University before deciding to attend the State Police Academy, after which he served as a state trooper for 21 years.

He was head baseball coach at Sheldon Clark for one season in 2016 and took a young team to the 15th Region tournament for the first time in 11 years.

“I see 93 names now in the Hall of Fame. Only three are for baseball,” Bowen said. “I’m very honored to be a part of that. I made the B-team my first year in Little League. My twin sister made the A-team. So don’t give up when you get shot down.”

Bowen had a special appreciation for Roger Harless. “It was because of Coach Harless’ dedication. He drove us around our senior year to every college we wanted to go to. He never got a penny out of it. And he’s still here today. God bless you, sir. I thank you.”

Bowen continued, “There is only one other Hall of Fame I’m hoping to achieve. When my time here is done, I hope my Lord and Savior finds that I am acceptable to enter the Great Hall of Fame.”

Chase Parsley — Sheldon Clark Basketball 2011-2015

Chase Parsley was named Honorable Mention in 2015. He played five years for the Cardinals and averaged over 23.9 points per game his senior season.

Parsley led the team in assists for four years and could possibly be Sheldon Clark’s all-time leader. He won 106 games, including two 57th District titles, a 15th Region runner-up and a Region final four.

Parsley signed to play basketball at the University of Pikeville. He averaged over eight points per game for four years. After serving as an assistant basketball coach at Martin County High School for three years, he became the head coach at Prestonsburg High School.

Todd Cline — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1985-1986

Todd Cline was a transfer from Williamson High School. He averaged over 20 points per game and was selected All-State Honorable Mention.

Cline attended Military Academy after high school. He then received a scholarship to Liberty University. He played one season and averaged 10.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds before a back injury ended his college career.

Cline’s older brother Mark played college basketball at Wake Forest, as did his father Herbert Cline and uncle Jack Cline.

Todd Cline sadly passed away from a sudden illness in 2019.

Tom Setser — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1982-1986

Tom Setser was a power forward who could score down low whenever he wanted to. He was named All-State Honorable Mention.

The Cardinals won 50 games with Setser in the paint as a starter.

He played four years at Alice Lloyd College and became a legendary rebounder.

Setser became a teacher and a coach. He taught physical education in Martin County until his retirement.

Keith Hale — Sheldon Clark Basketball 1985-1989

Keith Hale scored over 50 points twice in his career. He set the school record with 54 points in a single game. He led his team to a District runner-up in 1988 and to the 15th Region championship game. As a senior, he averaged 27 points and eight rebounds per game.

Hale was named All-State Honorable Mention. He was nominated for McDonald’s All-American as a senior. He was All-District his junior and senior seasons and All-Region his junior year. He played basketball for Pikeville College for one season.

He is the Superintendent of schools in Barren County, Kentucky.

Ethan Osborne — Sheldon Clark Baseball 2012-2017

Ethan Osborne is the only Sheldon Clark baseball player to be named All-State. He was named All-State Honorable Mention after his junior season in 2016. He played basketball and baseball at Sheldon Clark for five years and one year of football. He threw a no-hitter in the 57th District tournament as an eighth grader. He was 7-3 as a freshman, 8-5 as a sophomore, and won a 15th Region title. He was 11-3 as a junior and hit .486. He was 9-2 as a senior with a perfect game against Betsy Lane. He hit .524 as a senior.

Osborne had a career record of 37-24 with over 400 strikeouts. He has more shutouts and more strikeouts than any Sheldon Clark pitcher. He was All-District twice and batted over .400 for his entire career.

Osborne won 91 games as a basketball player, won the 2015 57th District championship, and was a 15th Region runner-up in 2013.

Osborne played for three years for Alice Lloyd College, even after suffering an arm injury, and graduated early.