Golf brings honor to
Bell
Hall of Fame inductee
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
Paula Carter Bell will be one of five new inductees into the
Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame April 14.
As a two-time winner of the Tennessee girls’ Class AAA Golf State
Championship, Paula Carter Bell knows about handling pressure.
Whether she is ready to step to the podium and give a speech to accept her
nomination to the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame will be determined
at the 6:30 p.m. April 14 induction banquet at the Paris Convention Center.
Bell enjoyed an oustanding high school golf career that included
back-to-back state championships in 1995 and 1996. She had placed second in
1994 as a sophomore and ninth as a freshman in 1993.
As a senior, she was chosen as the TSSAA Class AAA Player of the Year and
made the All-State team. She won four awards from the Tennessee Athletic
Coaches Association including the All-Star Golf Team, Class AAA Player of
the Year, Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and the District Player of the
Year.
She ranked eighth in her graduating class at Henry County High School and
earned a golf scholarship to the University of Alabama.
At Alabama, Bell was chosen for the Southeastern Conference All-Academic
team for four straight years. Starting in her sophomore year, she was named
to the National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-America team each
season.
She was chosen to the All-SEC second team as a senior and competed on every
travel squad for Alabama’s women’s golf team. Her best collegiate finishes
were second place in the Ohio State Buckeye Invitational during the
1999-2000 season and a fourth-place finish in the ACC/SEC Shootout in
Destin, Fla., in the 2000-01 season.
Bell graduated cum laude from Alabama. She continued to play golf including
winning the Women’s Tennessee Amateur Championship in 2000 and placing
second in the Women’s Tennessee State Open (her first professional event)
the next year.
A pharmacist, Bell is a member of several professional associations
including the American College of Clinical Pharmacists, American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists, Phi Lambda Sigma, Tennessee Pharmacists Society
and Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terry M. Carter of Paris. She married
Jonathan Bell of Paris in 2006. The couple lives in Memphis.
Howard among best
Central athletes ever
Hall of Fame inductee
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
Former Central High School basketball standout Billy Lee Howard will be
inducted into the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame April 14.
If someone started ranking the best athletes that played at Central High
School during the 1960s, then Billy Lee Howard Jr. certainly would be near
the top of the list.
He was a standout athlete in football and track but it was in basketball
that Howard really made his mark. At 6-foot-7, Howard had the skills of a
guard but the height to be a rebounding demon. That prowess led to an
outstanding college career at Union University in Jackson and now to his
induction to the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the banquet cost $25. They are available at the law office of
William T. Looney, 127 N. Poplar St.; Paris Insurance Agency, 203 W. Wood
St.; and at Medical Center Pharmacy, 234 Tyson Ave.
Howard is the son of the late Billy Lee and the late Elnora Howard of Paris.
He first began to be noticed in athletics while attending the Henry County
Training School where he participated in the Junior Olympics in 1960. He
received a medal in the shot put at the Junior Olympics. Howard competed in
baseball, basketball, football and track as a youth. Late in the 1960s, he
attend Boys’ State at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville where he
helped one of the camp’s basketball teams win the championship.
He went to Central in the eighth grade where he began playing basketball and
football. As a basketball player, those who watched him play said he was a
tall ball-handler much like Ervin “Magic” Johnson would become a decade
later.
Howard became a starter at Central as a freshman with the highlight that
season being a 19-point effort against Brownsville in the district
tournament at Jackson. As a senior, Howard averaged 30 points while grabbing
an average of 18 rebounds each game.
As a track runner at Central, Howard competed in the long jump and ran
distance events. He was a four-year starter in football where he played on
both sides of the ball at end and tackle.
Howard ranked fifth out of 33 students that graduated from Central in 1968.
He received numerous scholarship offers from colleges around the country and
chose to attend Union University in Jackson.
By the time he was a senior at Union, Howard was averaging 27 points a game
which ranked him 10 among small colleges in the country. He tied for first
in the country in free throw percentage and set a Union record that still
stands by grabbing 30 rebounds in one game in 1971.
Howard helped Union twice beat Memphis State University in 1971 and 1972. A
year later, Memphis State met UCLA for the NCAA championship.
While at Union, Howard competed in track where he did the long jump, triple
jump, 880-yard run, mile run and was on the mile relay team.
Off the playing field, Howard was a member of the Letterman’s Club and
honored in Who’s Who Among College Students.
Howard continued playing basketball after college on the semi-professional
level with a team from Memphis sponsored by Holiday Inn. During the eight
years he played, Howard helped the Holiday Inn team to a 120-20 record with
10 of the losses coming by forfeit.
He also played softball in the Memphis Park league where he was strong
hitter.
Howard and his wife Annie Samuels Howard make their home in Oakland, just a
few miles from Memphis. They have two children, Shanti who works in Memphis
and Sheanita who is a medical student at Georgetown University School of
Medicine in Washington, D.C.
He has worked 33 years for Penn Specialty Chemical which was known as Quaker
Oats when Howard began working there after graduating at Union. He is a
production supervisor.
Hudgins loved to play ball
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
Hall
of Fame inductee.
As a high school athlete, Chris Hudgins was named
All-District 10-AAA in baseball, basketball and football in the 1985-86
season. He’ll be inducted into the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame
April 14.
Published: Friday, April 3, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
Ask Chris Hudgins what he did in athletics and he’ll probably answer that he
just played ball.
That he did indeed and well enough to win All-District 10-AAA in three
sports while at Henry County High School. Now Hudgins can tell everyone he
did that well enough to be elected to the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of
Fame.
An assistant football coach at Inman Middle School, Hudgins will be inducted
at an April 14 banquet at the Paris Convention Center along with Paula
Carter Bell, Billy Lee Howard, Lance Smith and the late Dan Robison. The
late Bill Davis will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award.
Tickets for the banquet cost $25. They are available at the law office of
William T. Looney at 127 N. Poplar St., Paris Insurance Agency at 203 W.
Wood St. and at Medical Center Pharmacy 234 Tyson Ave.
Hudgins was hailed in a 1986 Post-Intelligencer article as the Most
Decorated Player Ever at HCHS after earning All-District honors in football,
basketball and baseball during the 1985-86 sports season. He wasn’t a
physical specimen at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds in high school. He made up for
his lack of skills by playing with great desire and heart which made him a
favorite of all his coaches at HCHS.
In football, Hudgins was an All-State selection as a wide receiver in 1985.
He was All-District as a receiver and punter that year. He was also named
All-District as a punter as a junior.
He left HCHS with records for most passes caught in a season and career;
most reception yardage in a career; most extra point kicks in a career; most
consecutive extra point attempts made; tied for most touchdowns catches in a
season and a career. All those records have since been broken.
In basketball, Hudgins was an All-District and All-District tournament pick
as a senior while making the All-Region 5-AAA team as a junior.
Hudgins shined equally in baseball where he was All-District as a senior and
the District 10-AAA tournament Most Valuable Player that year. He posted 17
strike outs during a game with Bolivar at Selmer during his senior season.
He went on to play three years of baseball and football at Lambuth
University in Jackson. In addition to his high school and college success,
Hudgins was a constant All-Star selection in youth baseball and played on
several successful travel teams.
Hudgins is married to the former Mandy Brown. They have two children Jesse,
12, and Emily, 9.
He is the son of Joyce and Kenneth Hudgins of Paris.
Speedy Smith raced from
Patriots to Vols
Hall of Fame inductee
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
Speedy Lance Smith raced his way into sports recognition first at Henry
County High School and then later as a Tennessee Volunteer in baseball.
Smith will be able to add the accolade of Hall of Famer when he is enshrined
by the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame during an April 14 banquet at
the Paris Convention Center on East Wood Street.
Smith played varsity baseball for three years at HCHS from 1988-91 under the
direction of then Patriot baseball coach Jeff Morris. He stole 88 bases
while serving as the Patriots’ leadoff hitter and played outstanding defense
in center field. He earned All-District 10-AAA honors as a junior and
senior.
He also was a football standout at receiver and defensive back where he also
was twice an All-District selection. He captured the prestigious Lions Club
Most Outstanding Player Award following his senior football season in 1990.
In 1989, he set a then-school record with a 61-yard punt return. As a
senior, Smith ran the ball for 212 yards while catching 17 passes for 284
yards and he returned 11 kickoffs for 289 yards. He also had two punt
returns for 40 yards. On defense, he recorded 27 tackles with two fumble
recoveries and one pass interception.
Smith played for two Babe Ruth state championship teams in 1990 and 1991.
After high school, Smith attended Northeast Mississippi Junior College in
Senatobia, Miss., where he played both baseball and football for two years.
He was All-State in baseball and led the school with 34 stolen bases in 36
attempts.
He transferred to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for his junior
season and served mostly as a pinch-runner as a junior. The Vols won the
Southeastern Conference championships in Smith’s junior and senior seasons.
Smith earned a role as a starting outfielder as a senior and helped the Vols
reach the College World Series for the first time in 40 years.
He graduated from Tennessee in 1995 and took a sales position at Champion
Homes in Henry. He later moved to Union City to help with his family’s
farming business but has returned to Henry County to own and operate OLCS
Inc., a lawn and landscaping business.
Smith is married to the former Olivia Prince. They have a son, Cooper, who
Smith has sponsored teams in soccer and T-ball. Smith is still an avid HCHS
sports fan and is a season-ticket holder for both football and basketball.
He is the son of Danny Smith of Union City and Marilyn Davidson of Paris.
Robison brought basketball to Grove
Hall of Fame inductee
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
One of the true pioneers in secondary school athletics in Henry County is
the late G. Dan Robison Jr.
Robison coached baseball, basketball, football and track at Grove High
School from 1927-1934. There was no basketball team at Grove when Robison
arrived at the school but he convinced his superiors that the school’s
fledging athletic program would not be complete without the sport.
He was the school’s first basketball coach but games were played outdoors at
the time. After he had left the school and the coaching profession, he
played a significant role in urging the school system to build a gymnasium
on the Grove campus.
For putting his indelible stamp on local high school sports, Robison has
been chosen for the Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame. He will be
inducted during banquet at 6:30 p.m. April 14 at the Paris Convention Center
on East Wood Street.
Also being enshrined into the local Hall of Fame that night are Paula Carter
Bell, Billy Lee Howard Jr., Chris Hudgins and Lance Smith. The Hall of
Fame’s annual Distinguished Service Award will be given to the late Bill
Davis.
Tickets for the banquet cost $25. They are available at the law office of
William T. Looney at 127 N. Poplar St., Paris Insurance Agency at 203 W.
Wood St. and at Medical Center Pharmacy at 234 Tyson Ave.
Robison was honored for his contributions at Grove in the mid-1930s when the
school’s yearbook, The Futurist, was dedicated to him.
He coached for seven years at Grove including undefeated teams in baseball
(1931) and football (1929). Grove’s 1929 football team went unscored upon
after the season’s second game and outscored opponents by a margin of
271-19. While coaching at Grove, Robison had Paris-Henry County Sports Hall
of Famers R.L. Dunlap Jr., C.C. Humphreys, Neill Andrews and Gordon Smith
play for him.
In addition to coaching, Robison officiated in high school games in all
sports while at Grove and long after leaving the coaching profession. He
also worked as an official in college games at Murray State University
through 1944.
Robison was a native of Springfield. He attended college at Cumberland
University in Lebanon where he played basketball and football. While playing
center for the Cumberland basketball team, Robison helped hold the
University of Tennessee to just 29 points in a game.
He was the editor-in-chief of Cumberland’s school annual The Phoenix.
Athletics were a lifelong part of Robison’s life. He played tennis
throughout his life and was a fan of amateur athletics. His younger brother,
Polk F. Robison, is a member of the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and a longtime
coach.
The father of Paris attorney Barton F. Robison, he died in 1986.
Hall of Fame honor going to Pats stats guy
By TOMMY PRIDDY, P-I Sports Editor
Sports fans love to compare athletes from different eras.
Complete statistical analysis is needed to do that and thanks to the efforts
of the late Bill Davis, Henry County High School has one of the most
complete football record books anywhere.
Davis and his stat crew, usually Charlie Brown and the late John Myers, were
fixtures on sidelines, in bleachers and press boxes anywhere the Patriots
played from 1969-1999. Before that, he did stats at Grove High School and
for many years served on the stats crew at Murray State University football
games.
A longtime community and civic leader, Davis is being honored with the
Paris-Henry County Sports Hall of Fame’s Distinguished Service Award. His
family will receive the award during a 6:30 p.m. April 14 banquet at the
Paris Convention Center.
A native of Old Hickory, Davis graduated from Dupont High School there. He
earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Murray State
University where he worked on the college newspaper.
After serving in the United States Army, Davis moved to Paris in 1960 and
managed the former Paris Plaza Motel. In 1974, he became the data processing
manager for Jim McKee Supply Co.
In 1978, he became the executive director of the Paris Mental Health Center,
which is now the Carey Counseling Center. He worked there before becoming
The Post-Intelligencer’s business manager in 1981.
He supervised the newspaper’s circulation and business departments before
his retirement in 1999.
Davis was active in the community and was among the charter members of the
Optimist Club when it was formed in 1961. He served as the group’s second
president and was a longtime secretary-treasurer. Twice chosen as Optimist
of the Year, the club named its building on Bell Avenue in his honor for his
contributions.
He was listed in Outstanding Young Men in America in 1965.
Perhaps he is best known for his association with Helping Hand Inc. When the
Helping Hand radio auction started in the late 1970s, Davis was its first
treasurer. He stayed in the position for 23 years, retiring in 2001. He was
credited with devising a system of carbonless forms and bid sheets that
helped keep track of donated sale items and buyers.
After leaving Helping Hand, he became treasurer of Friends of the Tennessee
National Wildlife Refuge here.
He was named the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year and
served on the chamber board twice. He also served for a number of years on
the Paris Malt Beverage Control Board.
Davis has one daughter Evelyn (Jim) Yeargin of Puryear. He died in March
2008.
|
