10 Honored For Distinguished Service
Eight Honored As AHSAA Officials Of The Year
Banquet Pictures, Videos
Eight contest officials were recognized as 2011-12 Officials of the year Sunday during the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s annual Officials Luncheon at the Renaissance Montgomery Convention Center.
Ten officials with a combined 351 years of service were recipients of the AHSAA Distinguished Service Award and 54 others were presented District Official-of-the-Year awards.
Another 245 contest officials who worked at least one AHSAA state championship event in 2011-12 were recognized at the luncheon, which set a record with approximately 500 in attendance.
Lauretta Freeman-Horn of Mobile was selected the state’s Track Official of the Year. Horn, currently the girls basketball coach at St. Paul’s Episcopal School, is best remembered as the SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in 1993.
She was a two-time All-America selection at Auburn University and went on to play professional basketball with the Nashville Noise, the Atlanta Glory and also in Europe. Her 401 rebounds in 1993 set the Lady Tiger’s single season record. She ranked fourth all-time with 976 career rebounds. She was also an AHSAA high jump champion in 1989.
Joining Horn as state officials of the year were Bruce Mathews (baseball), Jesse Draper (basketball), Ray Henderson (football), Dale Vines (soccer), DeWayne Rhoden (softball), Eugenia Baldwin (volleyball) and Jeff Saxon (wrestling).
Birmingham basketball official Greg England and Montgomery football, baseball and basketball official Wilbur Terrell, both of whom have officiated for 41 years, headed the group of Distinguished Service Award winners. The award, which began in 1993, honors officials who have a minimum of 30 years officiating AHSAA events.
Also recognized were basketball and football official Stanley Dixon of Montgomery (37 years); football and basketball official Jethro Wilson of Montgomery (38 years); Birmingham baseball umpire Harold Miller (35 years); baseball, softball and football official Malon Wilson of Tuscaloosa (34 years); softball, baseball and football official Harry Shivers of Bay Minette (33 years); football official Jeff Hilyer of Opelika (32 years); football and basketball official Dana Wallace of Montgomery (30); and basketball official Dennis Larkins of Birmingham (30 years).
Former Louisiana Tech women’s basketball and softball standout Debbie Williamson, the current NCAA National Officiating Coordinator for women’s basketball, was the luncheon’s keynote speaker. Williamson, the wife of University of West Alabama athletic director Stan Williamson, also serves as the Secretary-Rules Editor and Rules Interpreter for the NCAA.
Other officials honored are listed below:
AHSAA District Winners
Southwest District
Baseball: Donnie Brown; Basketball: Jason McCutcheon; Football: Billy Boswell; Soccer: Dale Vines; Softball: Stewart Godwin; Track: Lauretta Horn; Volleyball; Faye Hussong; Wrestling: None.
Southeast District
Baseball: Bruce Mathews; Basketball: Harvey Brown; Football: Tracy Deal; Soccer: Garrett Franklin; Softball: Kevin Hancock; Track: James Ash; Volleyball: David Newell; Wrestling: None.
South Central District
Baseball: Eric Goshay; Basketball: Mike Welcher; Football: David Lott; Soccer: None; Softball: Kim Guy; Track: Alan Smith; Volleyball: Eugenia Baldwin; Wrestling: T.J. Coleman.
West Central District
Baseball: Brian Sharpe; Basketball: Anthony Gary; Football: Fred Hughes; Soccer: Thomas Holt; Softball: Marlon Murray; Track: Allen Robinson; Volleyball: Earl Woods; Wrestling: None.
East Central District
Baseball: Cecil Garrison; Basketball: Earl Lybrand; Football: Barry Ragsdale; Soccer: None; Softball: Donny Finlayson; Track: None; Volleyball: Mark Dobbs; Wrestling: Brent Helms.
North Central District
Baseball: Roderick Holloway; Basketball: Karl Burns; Football: Ray Henderson; Soccer: Eric Zimmer; Softball: William Kennedy; Track: None; Volleyball: Jonathan Holladay; Wrestling: Jeff Saxon.
Northeast District
Baseball: Marshall Young; Basketball: Jesse Draper; Football: Scott Andrews; Soccer: Richard Resler; Softball: Ron White; Track: None; Volleyball: Bob Harris; Wrestling: Joel Loudon.
Northwest District
Baseball: Ricky Bryan; Basketball: Ron Harris; Football: Rob Cook; Soccer: John Curran; Softball: DeWayne Roden; Track: None; Volleyball: Cherrie Whitlow; Wrestling: None.
2011-12 AHSAA State Finals Officials
BASEBALL – Doug Baxter, Metro-Montgomery; Larry Bradford, Northeast Alabama; Ricky Bryan, Colbert County; Charles Coachman, Southeast Alabama; Tony Combs, Metro-Mobile; Jessie Foster, Alex City; Mike Hammonds, Alabama; Tony Harris, Metro-Montgomery; Roderick Holloway, Alabama; Jason Holt, Limestone County; Gary Matherson, Druid City; Mike Norris, Marengo County; Joseph Quinn, Chattahoochee Valley; Barry Ragsdale, Etowah County; Jason Richards, Southeast Alabama; Wade Whitney, Metro-Mobile; Scott Wynn, Metro-Montgomery; Marshall Young, Greater Huntsville.
BASKETBALL – Kenith Booker, Capital City; Randall Bugg, Birmingham; Karl Burns, Metro-Birmingham; Elliott Carr, Jeffco; Melissa Clarke, Mobile County; Steve Clift, North Alabama; Felecia Cushenberry, Birmingham; Marius Dockery, North Alabama; Mark Freeman, Tri-Central County; Anthony Gary, Druid City; Eddie Gray, Birmingham; Sonja Hard, Northeast Alabama; Darrell Hargreaves, Druid City; Ron Harris, Quad-Cities; David Hill, Capital City; Carol Hughes, Mobile County; Sonny Jackson, Capital City; Sidney James, Central Alabama; Logan Janowski, Mobile County; Wanda Jordan, Birmingham; Joe Kyles, Southeast Alabama; Nick Madsen, Metro-Birmingham; Brian McCollum, Walker County; Jason McCutcheon, Mobile County; Thomas Owens, Decatur; Dorothy Perkins, Mobile County; Joe Pike, Jeffco; Charles Reed, Capital City; Jay Reyes, East Central; Scott Richards, Jeffco; Sonny Scyphers, Andalusia; Matthew Sharp, Tri-Central County; Bill Taylor, Central Alabama; Richard Taylor, Capital City; Eric Teague, Northeast Alabama; Ken Washington, Mount Cheaha.
FOOTBALL – Trey Arnold, East Alabama; Don Barranco, Central Alabama; Charlie Brooks, Mid-State; Steven Bryant, Decatur; Esau Carter, Central Alabama; Bill Cole, Northeast Alabama; Riley Copeland, Metro-Mobile; Tim Courington, Big West; Willie Crabtree, Metro-Mobile; Brian Davis, Decatur; Gene Dickinson, Decatur; Jason Elin, North Alabama; Allen Gilbert, East Alabama; Jeff Graham, East Alabama; Nick Grana, Southwest Alabama; Ryan Hagan, Shelby; Ray Henderson, Shelby; David Hill, Mid-State; Marvin Hinton, Metro-Tuscaloosa; Mark Hudmon, Georgia/Alabama; Anthony Jeffries, Birmingham; Anthony Johnson, Birmingham; Kevin Lakey, Alabama; Jay Logan, Metro-Tuscaloosa; David Lott, Georgia/Alabama; Richard Manley, Northeast Alabama; Brian McCollum, Big West; Zane Miles, Alabama; Ricky Morgan, Southeast Alabama; Joe Paul, Birmingham; Vic Platt, Bay Area; Jason Powers, Shelby; Mike Rembert, Metro-Mobile; Marlon Reynolds, Central Alabama; Ken Ruffin, Metro-Tuscaloosa; Tim Rutledge, Metro-Tuscaloosa; Tracy Sawyers, Southeast Alabama; Ernest Shears, Selma; Charles Smith, Big East; Craig Smith, Gadsden; Tony Snow, Gadsden; Pat Tate, Birmingham; Keith Tatum, Central Alabama; Ricky Tucker, Shelby; Tommy Watkins, North Central.
SOCCER – Dale Alidor, Gulf Coast; Samir Almatari, Northeast Alabama; Dino Andrianopoulos, Gulf Coast; Caleb Brown, North Alabama; John Curran, North Alabama; Sean Fernandes, East Central Alabama; Garrett Franklin, Wiregrass; Thai Huynh, Gulf ; Joe Kovacs, Greater Birmingham; Jeremy Massa, Coosa Valley; Pat Murray, West Alabama; Doug Nelson, Central Alabama; Nathan Nuffer, Central Alabama; David Richard, East Central Alabama; Kevin Rose, East Central Alabama; Joel Turk, Gulf Coast; Ted Wiggins, Greater Birmingham; Eric Zimmer, Greater Birmingham.
SOFTBALL – Ken Allen, Central Counties; Marice Armstrong, Southeast Alabama; Ron Avant, Gadsden; Nate Ayers, Cullman; Veronica Campbell, Central Alabama; Mark Carruth, Northwest Alabama; Rick Eberhardt, Central Alabama; Chuck Glanton, Southeast Alabama; Stewart Godwin, North Baldwin; Kim Guy, Central Counties; Kevin Hancock, South Central Alabama; Greg Hill, North Alabama; Willie Hunter, East Alabama; Sonny Jackson, Metro-Montgomery; Sam Kelley , Central Counties; Doug Kennedy, Walker County; Andy Latham, North Alabama; Harold Lockett, Metro-Montgomery; Amanda Miller, Marshall County; Michael Mullally, West Alabama; Jamie Naramore, Walker County, Steve Nelson, Gadsden; Eddie Newell, Colbert County; Ron White, North Alabama.
TRACK – Jacob Anderson, Port City; Meghan Austin, Port City; David Bahakel, Central Alabama; John Bahakel, Central Alabama, Ladonna Barcliff, Port City; Dick Bell, East Alabama; Gini Bell, Central Alabama; Walt Bell, Central Alabama, Carole Bentley, Port City; Stephen Bentley, Port City; Alice Biggs, Central Alabama; Idral Bowen, East Alabama; Jim Carlo, Northwest Alabama; Kay Carlo, Northwest Alabama; Rod Coleman, Central Alabama; Sheila Crenshaw, Port City; Tom Davis, Port City; Melissa Edwards, Central Alabama; Laura Ellis, Port City; Bill Evans, Central Alabama; Jamie Freeman, Port City; Terry Goldsby, Central Alabama; Dawn Guin, Northwest Alabama; Sharon Hamilton, Smith Lake; Robert Hanson, Central Alabama; Nick Harvey, Central Alabama; Shelly Holmes, Smith Lake; Lauretta Horn, Port City; Joey Kyle, Smith Lake; Teresa Kyle, Smith Lake; Bob Lambert, Southeast Alabama; Reid Laporte, Central Alabama; Thom Leinheiser, Central Alabama; Jeff Long, Port City; Bryon Lorge, North Alabama; Tim McDonough, Metro-Montgomery; Aaron Moore, Port City; Albert Moore, Port City; Doug Moran, Central Alabama; Martha Moran, Central Alabama; Jeanette Morgan, Port City; Karl Peterson, Central Alabama; Jim Pugh, Central Alabama; William Quina, Port City; Frank Ray, Southeast Alabama; Willie Ray, Central Alabama; Tony Reaves, Selma; Lemuel Rich, Port City; Phillip Richards, Central Alabama; Tom Ritchie, Port City; Allen Robinson, Selma; Jimmy Rudolph, Metro-Montgomery; Steve Schoenwald, Port City; Alan Smith, Metro-Montgomery; Patrick Smith, Port City; John Solomon, Selma; William Spear, Central Alabama; Brandon Spradley, Port City; Tommie Stinson, Central Alabama; Frances Tate, Port City; Gene Tomlin, Central Alabama; Erica Tripp, Port City, Marcia Westry, Port City; Bob Wheatley, Southeast Alabama; Willie Wiggins, Selma; Jace Wilemon, Smith Lake; Joe Williams, Port City; Chris Wisham, Southeast Alabama; Darryl Woods, Metro-Montgomery; Randy Yarbrough, Central Alabama; David York, Central Alabama; Debra York, Central Alabama; Houston Young, Port City.
VOLLEYBALL – Kenith Booker, Central Alabama; Patsy Burke, Birmingham; Nakesha Coleman, Tuscaloosa; Clyde Cross, Central Alabama; Lessie Gaddis, Birmingham; Anthony Gunn, Quad-Cities; Karen Hackshaw, Mobile; Sonja Hard, Tri-County; Bob Harris, Huntsville; Mindy Leftwich, Etowah County; Wanishea Leonard, Quad-Cities; Harold Lockett, Central Alabama; Athena Metcalf, Wiregrass; Kathy Odom, Tri-County; Wanda Weeks, South Alabama; Walter Young, Morgan County.
WRESTLING – Dwight Buzbee, Birmingham; Ryan Hagan, Birmingham; Brent Helms, Eastern; Joel Loudon, Northern; Scott Marbut, Birmingham; Brad Moran, Birmingham; Justin Miller, Southern; Ken Nixon, Southern; Erick Pratt, Northern; Toney Pugh, Birmingham; Jack Stallings, Northern; Jeff Saxon, Birmingham; Willie Staggs, Northern; Mike Swinson, Birmingham; Trent Williamson, Birmingham.