John Ladd joined Blaine Alexander, Jimmy Mathis, Margaret Hendrix, Jackie Sholar, and the 1986 boys’ state champion cross country team in the 11th class to be inducted into the Trigg County High School Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday.
John was a three-sport star for Trigg County during a time when the county’s schools were integrating for the first time.
He was a key member of Trigg County’s 1964-65 district championship team that tied a school record with 23 wins. John averaged nine points and five assists a game during his senior campaign. He scored 10 points in Trigg’s 57-56 upset win over North Marshall, the state’s No. 5 team that had won 23 straight games.
He was named to the All-District team following Trigg’s win over Hopkinsville Attucks in the championship game. He had 14 points in the winning effort.
John was also a halfback for the Wildcat football team and was among the team’s leading rushers for the 1964 team.
On the baseball diamond, John was the leading hitter for the 1965 Wildcats with a .344 average. He was named the outstanding hitter for a 1965 tournament that Trigg County hosted and had a double in Trigg County’s district tournament loss to Hopkinsville,
After high school, John served Trigg County as a youth coach for many years, helping shape future athletes in all three sports.
He served as an assistant coach for the Trigg County baseball team in the 1990s and 2000s.
When you ask Trigg County athletes of the early 1960s who they felt was the best athlete to come through the school system when they played, John’s name is almost always mentioned.
Here is some of John’s induction speech.
