The Walker County Sports Hall of Fame recently held an induction ceremony for its Class of 2023 at Jasper High School.
The two-hour event honored the 15 new inductees in the the WCSHOF.
The Class of 2023 included:
Vinny “Skip” Armistad Jr, Cordova, who was a three-sport athlete for the Blue Devils. He was the quarterback of the 1995 Cordova team that won the Class 3A state championship.
Saige Beaty, Dora, was a three-sport athlete for the Bulldogs. He was a point guard on Dora’s first team to ever make the Final Four. Beaty also had a successful coaching career at Curry, Cordova and Carbon Hill.
Jodie McGough Bice, Carbon Hill, was a three-sport star for the Lady Bulldogs. She was a four-year starter for the Carbon Hill softball team, which won a Class 4A state championship in 1991 with her named as the tournament’s most valuable player. She also helped lead the Lady Bulldogs’ volleyball team to a three-peat as Class 4A state championships in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Kevin Fowler, Walker, was a standout for the Vikings in baseball and football. He went on to pitch for the University of Montevallo before being drafted in the 1989 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. He played two years of minor league baseball. He is also a member of the Montevallo Sports Hall of Fame.
Donald Guthrie, Carbon Hill, was a standout basketball player for the Bulldogs. He went on to play basketball for the first ever team at Brewer State before transferring to Covenant College.
Terry Howell, Cordova, was a football star for the Blue Devils. He was a key member of the 1963 Cordova team that was named Class 2A state champions by The Birmingham Post Herald. He went on to play football at Livingston State University.
Daryl Johnson, Curry, was a football and basketball standout for the Yellow Jackets. He led the state in receiving touchdowns in his senior year while leading Curry to the third round of the playoffs. He also scored more than 1,000 points in his basketball career. Johnson went on to play four years of football at UAB.
David Johnson, Oakman, played football and basketball for the Wildcats. He didn’t start playing football until his junior season and became starting quarterback his senior year, even being named honorable mention All-State. During his senior basketball season, he averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds per game. Johnson went on to play basketball for Walker College.
Vincent Medlock Sr., Walker County Training School and Walker County High School, excelled in track, basketball, football and played trombone in the band. He went on to have a successful coaching career with 37 years of it spent at Walker County/Walker High School. He became Walker County’s first black men’s basketball coach in 1998. After retiring from coaching, Medlock became an official for many sports.
Clayton Mehearg, Walker, has been an official locally in softball. He is also one of the founders of the Walker County Sports Hall of Fame. Mehearg has also served as a coach and the director of Upward Football at Jasper First Nazarene Church.
Marcy Sartain Myers, Oakman, made her name playing softball, basketball and volleyball for the Wildcats. She led Oakman to its first softball state championship. She also won the Bryant-Jordan Award during her senior year. Myers also earned a softball scholarship to Troy University.
Eric Oliver, Walker, was a standout football player for the Vikings. He also played basketball and was on the track team. He went on to play in college for Coach David Cutcliffe at Ole Miss. Oliver led the team in tackles in two different seasons. He was also awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award in 2004.
Anthony “AMP” Parker, Dora, was a star running back for the Bulldogs in the early ‘80s. He went on to play at Jacksonville State University for a short stint before enrolling in the military. When his military career was over, Parker at California San Bernardino Valley College, where at 40-years-old he used his last two years of legibility to play defensive line on the school’s football team.
Chavis Williams, Dora, was a member of the Bulldogs’ football, basketball and track teams. He become a top recruit in football, first committing to Arkansas before changing that commitment to Alabama after the hiring of Nick Saban. Williams played four years at Alabama before reaching his ultimate goal of playing in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. After his playing days, Williams moved back to Walker County where he coached at Carbon Hill before becoming the head coach at Dora in 2021.
Isaac Freelon Woodley, Curry, played football and basketball for the Yellow Jackets. He was All-County and All-State in both sports in 1954 and 1955. He moved away from Walker County for a while, but moved back a few years later, living in Curry and always supporting the Yellow Jackets. He passed away in 2009.
Photos by Randy Fielding
