Hopkinsville High School will induct its fifth class into the Planters Bank Athletic Hall of Fame on January 16 at Tiger Gym.
The latest class, which includes former state champions, All-State selections, contributors, and coaches, was announced on Monday.
FOOTBALL
David Randolph was an Associated Press Second Team All-State end in 1964 and a two-time All-WKC selection. He signed to play college football at Vanderbilt, choosing the Commodores over 23 other schools, including Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee.
Mike Lewis played for Hopkinsville from 1963-66 and was a member of the Tigers’ back-to-back Class 2A state championship teams. Lewis also coached the Tigers from 1981-85, compiling a 31-24 record that included a state runner-up finish in 1984.
Rusty Nunn played quarterback for the 1963 team and was a starter on defense at Memphis State, where he also received a partial golf scholarship.
Stuart Coleman was an All-Western Kentucky Conference running back and linebacker on the state champion teams of 1965-66.
Steve Koon was part of Hopkinsville’s “Fearsome Foursome” backfield in 1965, averaging 5.5 yards per carry his senior season. He signed to play college football at the University of Kentucky.
Bob Latham was a First-Team All-State selection in 1968 at quarterback, where he rushed for 837 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-WKC selection and a standout member of the basketball team. He went on to play defensive end at Vanderbilt.
Chuck Hughes was a two-way starter for Hopkinsville’s 1984 state runner-up team, where he earned All-State honors as a defensive tackle and was All-State honorable mention on the offensive line. He went on to play at Western Kentucky University.
Ray Cobb was named the school’s best all-around athlete on his graduation day in 1963. He was a co-captain on the 10-1 Hoptown football team of 1962 and was named the outstanding senior on the 1962-63 basketball team. He later served as an assistant football coach for the Tigers in the 1960s and 70s.
WRESTLING
Bruce Thomas was a multi-region champion in the heavyweight division for Hopkinsville, compiling a 33-1 record in his senior season. He wrestled in college at Southeast Missouri State, where he also played football and was offered a tryout for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1980 that never materialized after the U.S. opted to boycott the Moscow Olympics.
Eddie Person was a two-time state champion and finished his final two seasons 79-0, with 49 wins coming by pin.
Willie Ennels won three state titles and was the state tournament MVP in 1992. He began wrestling in middle school and racked up 187 overall wins. He was 39-1 as a senior and finished his high school career with a 135-5 record.
BASEBALL
Elliot ‘Chip’ Miles was Hopkinsville’s top pitcher during his time in the 1960s. He struck out 80 batters in 57 innings as a junior and fanned 54 in eight games his senior season, which saw Hopkinsville finish 16-3. He later went on to be one of Hopkinsville’s top senior golfers.
CONTRIBUTORS
Roy Keller began keeping stats for Hopkinsville football in 1979 during Mike Chadwell’s WHOP Radio broadcasts of Tiger games. He, in fact, wrote his own computer program. He helped Christian County historian William Turner write the book ‘100 Years of Hopkinsville Football’ and continues to keep Hopkinsville stats on the radio to this day.
Jeff Sisk just wrapped up his 25th season of calling Hopkinsville football on the radio for WHOP. He began his radio career 43 years ago and has covered all aspects of Tiger sports on the radio during that time.
Betsy Glover was Hopkinsville’s first female athletic director in 1994. She also kept the scorebook for basketball and baseball for many years and was involved in the cheer and football programs at Hoptown.
COACHES
Shelley Tribble coached the final slow-pitch Hopkinsville teams from 1989 to 94. Her Lady Tiger teams were 167-71 and reached the district championship game each season. Hoptown was the region runner-up twice, losing to Christian County by one run in both 1992 and 1994.
Greg Perry had two stints as Hopkinsville High baseball coach. His teams were 44-22 in 2008-09, including a 23-6 record in 2008, a school record at the time. He coached three more seasons from 2014-16, winning a region title in 2015. He was 111-61 in five seasons and never had a losing record.
BASKETBALL
Steve Tribble graduated from Hopkinsville High in 1965, where he averaged 21 points his senior season. He signed to play basketball at Vanderbilt after receiving offers from Florida, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech.
James Tandy was only the third Hoptown Tiger to pass 1,000 career points in 1981, averaging 23 points and seven rebounds his senior season. He went on to play for legendary coach Abe Lemons at Texas.
Rontreal Braxton scored over 1,000 career points in two seasons as a Tiger, helping Hoptown reach the semifinals of the Sweet 16 in 2003. He averaged 20 points and eight rebounds as a senior and signed to play at Northeast Mississippi College before finishing at Cumberland University.
SWIMMING
The 1985 400 Free Relay team of Steven Litchfield, Max Adams, Tom Chewning, and Peter Andersson won the state title in a school record time of 3:19.64. Dale Baggett coached them.
Class of 2025
Coach Craig Clayton – Football
Ricky Abren – Football
Rick Deason – Football
Kenny Lee – Football
Tommy Wade – Basketball
Lamonte Ware – Basketball
Coach Tim Haworth – Basketball
Jordan Majors- Basketball
Easton McGee – Baseball
Brian Dodd – Football
Coach Jeff Addison – Soccer
Lindsey Porter-Adele – Swim
Jessie Green – Football
Tony Ricks – Football
Mike Chadwell – Radio Analyst/Athletics Contributor
Coach Pete Rembert – Football & Track
Class of 2024
Susan Marquess – Swim
Jeff Merritt – Wrestling
Richard Graham – Football
Dale Polley – Football
Shannon Wood – Cross Country / Track
Tony Harris – Wrestling
George Atkins – Basketball
Steve Kelley – Football
Candace Johnson – Track
JaQualis Matlock – Basketball
1969 Swim Team – Swim
Ronnie Catlett – Football
Levar Weston – Football / Wrestling
Kent Parrent – Wrestling
Austin Bucko – Soccer
Hal King – Athletics Contributor/Radio Announcer
Class of 2023
Keith Tandy Sr. – Football
David Means – Football
Deontey Kenner – Football
Jeff Tull – Diving
Christy Soldo – Basketball
Lexie Bozell – Girls Soccer
Renikka Toliver Owens – Softball
Scott Peck – Baseball
Justin Hagman – Baseball
Coach Gary Satterfield – Baseball
Steve Bailey – Wrestling – Baseball
Derek Smith – Soccer
Edwin White – Golf
Russ Guffey – Soccer – Football
Kelly Vooris – Softball
The 1965 and 1966 State Football Championship Teams
The 1985 State Boys Basketball State Championship Team.
Class of 2022
Fleming Thorton
Jerry Claiborne
Jim Ploesser
Rick Cohn
Darryl Hallmark.
Curtis Pulley
Miguel Merritt
Livingston Merritt.
Pete Moore
Herb Covington
Lawrence Brame
John Fuqua.
Bird Averitt
Artose Pinner
Tommy Gray
