BGA honors past athletes, alum at Hall of Fame Gala
By TOM CHEREDAR, Staff Writer
tched@williamsonherald.com
Battle Ground Academy will honor a handful of its alumni inducting them into the sports Hall of Fame at a gala ceremony June 9.
The Hall of Fame features over a century of athletic achievement at the school. The alumni association will add six 2007 inductees who represent backgrounds in football, basketball, swimming and soccer.
“The ceremonies have just been fabulous in the past,” said Scott Parrish, vice president for advancement in BGA’s Alumni department. “Some of these stories from the people inducted are really interesting.”
The Alumni Association Board of Directors chooses the Hall of Fame inductees though a ballot-type process in which they collect information about former athletes throughout the year, according to Parrish.
A research committee then reviews each potential candidate’s accomplishments upon postgraduate college and career. Yet, others in the community also submit names to the board.
“We really try to look at the group [of athletes] prior to 1950 since we’ve had this school around for 118 years,” Parrish said.
BGA alumnus Miles O’Connor is the inductee with the most history.
After playing football for the Wildcats and graduating in 1898, O’Connor went on to become a captain on Vanderbilt’s football team. He will be the ninth captain in the Hall of Fame.
Former NFL player Darris P. McCord, alumnus class of 1951 who was a defensive end for the Detroit Lions, is also being honored.
Since BGA admitted only boys to the school until 1979, much of the athletic honors have been presented to men, but this year also marks the first time the board has inducted a woman to the Hall of Fame.
University of Louisiana at Monroe women’s soccer head coach Stacy Lamb will be honored for her career of outstanding athleticism at the Gala.
Lamb, who was named All County, All Region, All Mid State, All State, and All Tournament for soccer before graduating in 1993, will be the first of many female inductees, Parrish said.
“Stacy has distinguished herself in soccer, not only while here at BGA, but also through college,” Parrish said.
2007 Sports Hall of Fame inductions
Stacy Lamb - `93
Stacy Lamb is a 1993 graduate and is currently the head coach of the women’s soccer team at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Lamb was named All County, All Region, All Mid State, All State, and All Tournament athlete while playing soccer at BGA. Additionally, she was a two-time Wildcat MVP, team captain, and played on the United States Olympic Pool.
Lamb was also a standout in basketball, earning numerous awards. Upon graduating she received a soccer and basketball scholarship to Lees McRae College. In basketball she was named player of the week eight times and named to the All Tournament team in 1996, which was the same year the Bobcats made the NCAA tournament.
As head voach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe Lamb also holds a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ license, which is the highest-level coaching certification available in the country.
Charles Morton - `89
Charles Morton is a 1989 graduate and currently an attorney and partner in the firm Puryear, Newman and Morton located in Franklin. During his time at BGA, he was a four-time All American swimmer and an Olympic Festival Gold Medalist. He also was a four-time State Champion and named the USA Today Tennessee Athlete of the Year in 1989. Upon graduating he received a swimming scholarship to Stanford University. In 1992 he was a member of the NCAA National Championship team, which was considered to be one of the greatest of all time.
Morton ranks in the top 50 in Stanford school history for total points scored. He set over 40 national records — many which still stand.
Larry Brown - `61
Larry Brown, a 1961 graduate, was an outstanding athlete during his time
at BGA. As a football player, he played four years and was the star left half on the 1960 State Championship team that defeated Isaac Litton in the Clinic Bowl before 30,000 fans. He was known for his outstanding abilities as a tackler, runner and receiver.
Brown also excelled in the pole vault event, winning the 1960 State Championship, which was the first TSSAA State Championship for BGA. Upon graduating, he received a football scholarship to North Carolina State University where he started at cornerback his Junior and Senior years. Also during his senior year, the defense set a national record for interceptions in a year and in a single game, which Brown claim two of the total seven.
Darris McCord - `51
While at BGA, McCord excelled in both football and basketball, but was also a member of the 1950-51-basketball team, which was the mid-south champion runner up. After graduating he received a football scholarship to play at the University of Tennessee as a lineman for legendary Coach Robert Neyland. His excellent performance led him to be named team Captain his senior year.
McCord was drafted in the second round of the 1955 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions who he played with for 13 seasons as a defensive end. He became one of their legendary players and was part of the “Fearsome Foursome,” which included: Alex Karras,
Roger Brown, and Sam Williams. He was selected to the Pro-Bowl in 1958 and also had a career-high 23 sacks in 1963.
Sam Reeks - `45
Sam “Sonny” Reeks was an outstanding athlete while at BGA, lettering three years in basketball, baseball, and football. He was a star on the 1944 undefeated football team as a tackle and fullback, and was named second team All Mid South in basketball the same year.
After graduating from BGA, Reeks played football at the University of Alabama, Southern Mississippi and Austin Peay University as a fullback. After being named All SESAC Conference in 1948 and 1949, he was later recognized for his outstanding play by being named to the All SESAC Decade team.
Reeks passed away in 1981, but is survived by his wife Marion and his son Deck, who is a 1975 BGA graduate.
Miles O’Connor – Class of 1898
Miles was an outstanding football player and all around athlete while at BGA. He became one of the first in a long line of great football players from BGA during that time to go onto greatness at Vanderbilt. During the late 1890’s he led the Commodores to a 21-6 record in four seasons and was named captain his senior year.
The school will also honor distinguished alumnus Mike Keith, voice of the Tennessee Titans, class of 1986; Reese Smith III, Middle Tennessee homebuilder and businessman, class of 1966; and the late retired Lt. Col. Michael I. Mott, USMC, class of 1967. Eleanor Fleming, class of 1996, will be named distinguished young alumnus, and John B. Colmore, Jeanne B. Parham and John B. Sensing will be named to the Faculty Hall of Fame.
Information from the BGA Alumni Association contributed to this article.
Posted on: 6/7/2007
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