Christian County High School Announces 10th Athletic Hall of Fame Class

Former softball coach Johnny Blane is part of a 14-member class that will be inducted into the Christian County High School Athletic Hall of Fame next month.

Christian County High School has announced its 10th athletic hall of fame class that will be inducted next month.

The latest class includes 14 people. The Hall of Fame was begun in 2004 and is sponsored by First Financial Bank. The ceremony will be held at Christian County Middle School PACS at 5:00 PM on December 10.  Tickets will be available for $10 each at the door.

The 2021 Hall of Fame inductees are James Akin, Johnny Blane, Raymond Burse, Evevetta Crawford, Dave Donley, Antonio Earthman, Mike Gates, Josh Hunt, Chase Joiner, Jarrell Long, Shaleea Petty, Marcus Turnley, Greg Walton, and Jim Ware.

James Akin – Baseball

James Akin graduated from Christian County High School in 2003. While at CCHS, James played baseball and golf. During his high school sports career, James was named 2002 and 2003 Kentucky East/West All-Star. He also received recognition as a 2002 Defensive Player and was named Most Valuable Player in 2003. After high school, he attended Murray State University and received a BS in Occupational Safety and Health with a MS in Industrial Hygiene. While in college, Akin was recognized for the 2007 All Conference OVC in baseball. James currently works as a Safety Consultant. He also serves as a Quality Technician at Stanley Black & Decker where he has worked for 24 years. He is married to Jill Akin, and they have two children.

Johnny Blane – Contributor/Patron

Johnny Blane graduated from Christian County High School in 1973. During his time in high school, Johnny played baseball all four years. He is being inducted for his many contributions to Christian County High School Athletics for the last 40 years. Blane has been a long-time business sponsor, a Football PA Announcer for 18 years, and Softball
Coach for 11 years. In 2018-2019, he was named Second Region Softball Coach of the Year. After high school, Johnny attended Hopkinsville Community College and the University of Kentucky. Johnny resides in Hopkinsville and is retired from Real Estate Business. He is married to Theresa Blane, and they have two children.

Raymond Burse – Football

Raymond Burse graduated from Christian County High School in 1969. While at CCHS, Burse played football and ran track. Raymond was Captain of the football team and received recognition for Best Running Back in 1967 and 1968. Raymond was also awarded All Western Kentucky AA Honorable Mention. He graduated 10th in his class.
Raymond attended Centre College as a Rhodes Scholar and received Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Kentucky State University along with an Honorary Doctor of Laws award from Centre College. Burse attended Harvard Law School from 1975-78. Burse resides in Prospect, Kentucky and is married to Kim M. Burse. They have three children.

Evevetta Crawford – Basketball

Evevetta Crawford graduated from CCHS in 1990. During her high school career, Evevetta excelled in basketball and cross country.  Some of her accomplishments include:

• Sweet 16 Tournament 1987
• Freshman Rookie of the Year
• All-District and All-Region, Junior year
• Most Valuable Player, Sophomore and Junior year
• Kentucky East/West All-Star
• Two-time Kentucky New Era All-Star
• 1,005 points in her career

After graduating, Evevetta went on to play basketball both in college and professionally. She attended Shelby State Community College, where she was named Junior College All-American. While at Arkansas State, she was part of the two-time All-Sun Belt Conference team, where she led her team in both scoring and rebounding (995 career points, 11th Best in All-time history). During 2000-2007 she played basketball for the All-Army Women’s Basketball Team. She also had the opportunity to play professional basketball overseas in Israel with an average of 31.5 points per game. In 2000, she won the All-Army team gold medal in 2000 and was named MVP and Female Athlete of the Year in 2007.
Today, Evevetta is an active-duty officer for the U.S. Army.

Dave Donley – Wrestling

Dave Donley graduated from Christian County High School in 1988 as a Top 10 Graduate. While at CCHS, Dave ran cross country and was part of the wrestling team. In 1986, he was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and State Champion. The following year he was Runner Up, and in 1988 Dave finished 4th in the State. He was awarded the 110% Award in 1988 for his wrestling achievements. After graduating, Dave attended Purdue University where he was awarded the Young Pharmacy Leadership Award in Indiana. Currently, Dave works as a Pharmacy Supervisor. He is married to Amy Donley and they have two sons.

Antonio Earthman – Wrestling

Antonio Earthman graduated from Christian County High School in 1986 and is being inducted for his achievements in wrestling. During his high school wrestling career, he was named State Runner Up for the 105-weight class in 1984 and 1986. In 1985, Antonio was the Regional and State Champion for the 105-weight class and named All-American.
After high school, Antonio served in the Navy for four years. He is survived by his children, Michael, Justin, Peyton, Chelsea, Kryslin and Nakesha.

Mike Gates – Football and Basketball

Mike Gates graduated from Christian County High School in 1973. During his high school career, he played football, basketball and baseball. Mike won All-WKC in football during his 10th and 11th grade years. In 1973, he won All-District and All-Region for basketball. He was also named Athlete of the Year in Optimist Club. Mike also excelled in basketball. In 1973, he averaged 16.6 points per game, and ranks in the Top 20 Points Per Game in CCHS history. Gates attended Western Kentucky University upon graduating from high school and is currently retired from Hopkinsville Water and Environment Authority. He now works for Christian County Water District. Mike is married to Waynette Gates and they have two twin boys.

Josh Hunt – Baseball, Football, and Baseball Coach

Josh Hunt graduated from Christian County High School in 1997. During high school, he played both baseball and football. He’s being inducted for his accomplishments as a player and coach. Some of Josh’s many accomplishments include:

• 1996 All-State Tournament Team (Baseball)
• 1995 and 1996 All-WKC (Football)
• Lettered in Baseball 1995, 1996 and 1997
• Lettered in Football 1994, 1995 and 1996
• Assistant Baseball Coach for 2004 State Championship team

Josh was awarded a baseball scholarship to Austin Peay State University. He attended APSU in 1997- 1998 and went on to play baseball at Brescia where he was named All KIAC Catcher (1999-2001), 1st Team All Region (2000-2001), Honorable Mention All-American in 2001, and was inducted into the Brescia Hall of Fame in 2005. Presently, Josh is Assistant Superintendent for Christian County Public Schools. He is married to Miranda Hunt and they have two children.

Chase Joiner – Baseball

Chase Joiner graduated from Christian County High School in 2007. While at CCHS, Chase played baseball and football. During high school athletic career, Chase was awarded many achievements in baseball. In 2004, his team won the State Baseball Championship. In 2005, he was State Runner Up. Some of his other achievements include:

• 3-time Semi-State Champions
• 4-time All-District Team
• 3-time All-Region Team
• 26 consecutive pitching wins over 3 seasons (state record)
• 3rd All-time CCHS Runs Batted In (128)
• 4th All-time CCHS Home Runs (14)

Chase attended the University of Memphis and John A. Logan Community College. In 2012, he was two-time C-USA Pitcher of the Week. Chase currently works for Southaven Police Department as a sergeant in the K-9 unit. He is married to Leigh Joiner and they have three children.

Jarrell Long – Basketball

Jarrell Long graduated from Christian County High School in 1965. During his high school career, Jarrell excelled in basketball. Some of Jarrell’s accomplishments include:

• Most Improved Player (1962, 1963 and 1964)
• Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Player (1964-1965)
• 405 points in 20 games (20.2 average, 1964-1965)
• 7th District Tournament Team (1965)

After high school, Jarrell attended Austin Peay State University. Jarrell is currently retired from South Central Bell and Farming. He’s married to Judy Long and they have two children.

Shaleea Petty – Basketball

Shaleea Petty graduated from Christian County High School in 2004. During her high school career, she excelled in basketball. She was a 4-Year Starter and made three
appearances at Sweet 16. Among her other achievements are:

• 4-Year District Champions
• 3-Year Regional Champions
• Baseball MVP in 1998 and 1999
• All-District, All-Region and Honorable Mention All-State
• 32-4 Record while being named to Sweet 16 All-Tournament team

Shaleea graduated from Murray State University with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Masters in Human Development and Leadership. While there, she won the 2007-08 OVC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. She was named Margaret Simmons Female Athlete of the Year, Ranked Top 10 in seven career categories, and was part of the All-Tournament Team in OVC. Her senior year, she averaged 10 points and 4.1 assists per game. From 2008-2010, Shaleea was a grad assistant for the MSU Women’s Basketball program from 2008-2010. Shaleea currently resides in Jonesboro, Georgia and works as a disability examiner for the Social Security Administration.

Marcus Turnley – Football and Wrestling

Marcus Turley graduated from Christian County High School in 1987. Marcus played football and was also a member of the wrestling team. During Marcus’s senior year at CCHS, he was named Wrestling State Champion for the 167- weight class. He was also a 4-Year State Qualifier. Marcus was also an exceptional football player. In 1984, he was a member of the State Championship team. In 1987, he was named All-WKC and Kentucky New Era All-Star. After high school, Marcus attended Western Kentucky University and West Virginia University before joining the U.S. Army as a Medical Laboratory Technician where he received the combat medical badge during the Persian Gulf War. After his service, Marcus graduated from the University of Kentucky’s Physician Assistant program. Today, he is a Physician Assistant in Paducah and Associate Minister at his church. He is married to Arveta Turnley. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Greg Walton – Basketball

Greg Walton graduated from Christian County High School in 1976 and is being inducted for his many achievements in basketball. In 1974, Greg was awarded Most Improved Player. His senior year, He received the Best Defensive Player Award, Guts Award, and won All-Region and All-District. Walton was a key member of the 1976 State Runner Up basketball team. Greg received a scholarship to Calhoun Jr. College and served in the U.S. Army for 8 years. Presently, Greg resides in Anderson, Indiana and is retired from the Indiana Department of Corrections. He has two children.

Jim Ware – Football

Jim Ware graduated from Christian County High School in 1993, where he earned many achievements playing football. Some of Jim’s awards include:

• No. 4 Career Rushing Leader (2850 yards)
• Top 10 Touchdown Leader and Punting Average
• Top 20 in Pass Receptions and Pass Reception Yardage
• All Western Kentucky Conference Team

After high school, Jim attended Iowa Lakes Junior College. He resides in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and works as a Truck Driver. Jim has one son.