8 Officials Honored For Distinguished Service
Eight veteran officials were honored for distinguished service Sunday at the 2008 AHSAA Officials Awards Luncheon attended by more than 300 and held at Renaissance Center here.
The eight: Tom Amick of Semmes, Avon Bosarge of Enterprise, Carl Davis of Birmingham, Craig Kelley of Hoover, Pat Martin of Glencoe, Charles McKinney of Tuscaloosa, Johnny Robertson of Montgomery and William Sigler of Mobile, have a combined 293 years officiating experience.
Davis has been officiating for 42 years and Sigler, 40, putting the pair in an elite group of AHSAA officials. Since the Distinguished Service Awards were instituted by the AHSAA in 1990, a total of 19 have been recognized for 40 or more years of service. Two of that select group, Ed Balzi (1991) and Bill Henderson (1990) have 50 or more years experience.
Veteran AHSAA volleyball official Apple Kridacorn was named the Section 3 Volleyball Official of the Year by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFSH). She was recognized for her outstanding officiating skills as well as her ability to teach and lead others
In a special presentation made by AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese, longtime officials supervisor Sam Short of Birmingham was honored for his more than 55 years of service to officiating in Alabama. Short, who was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, announced plans to retire. Short’s service has included officiating state championship football and basketball games. He has served on NFHS National Rules Committees as well as aiding in training high school officials in Alabama.
Short’s years of service also include 39 as a high school coach and administrator.
The 2008 AHSAA State Officials of the year were also announced at Sunday’s luncheon along with 2008 AHSAA District Officials of the Year. That list included:
AHSAA State Officials of the Year: Craig Kelley (Baseball); Vincent McCaskey (Basketball); Mark Wehrwein (Football); Laureanne Bond (Soccer); Sonny Jackson (Softball); Houston Young (Track); Sybil Ingram (Volleyball); and Ryan Hagan (Wrestling).
AHSAA District Officials of the Year
Southwest District
Baseball: Joey Pilgrim; Basketball: Tim Porter; Football: Willie Crabtree; Soccer: Frank Cunningham; Softball: Aden Thomas; Track: Houston Young; Volleyball: Dale Vines.
Southeast District
Baseball: Brett Armstrong; Basketball: Levi Knight; Football: Doug Baxter; Soccer: Dale Thomas; Softball: Ray Hope; Volleyball: Melanie Davis.
South Central District
Baseball: Marlon Reynolds; Basketball: Joe Cameron; Football: Ron Jones; Soccer: Laureanne Bond; Softball: Sonny Jackson; Volleyball: Jennifer Treadwell; Wrestling: Doug Baxter.
West District
Baseball: Steve Foster; Basketball: Vincent McCaskey; Football: Burt Willis; Soccer: Patrick Murray; Softball: Larry Kirk; Volleyball: Kris Garrison.
East Central District
Baseball: Tim Scruggs; Basketball: Billy Williams; Football: Karl Nobles; Soccer: Gustavo Vargas; Softball: Casey Rager; Track: Mike Allison; Volleyball: Deb Lipscomb; Wrestling: Brad Bentley.
North Central District
Baseball: Craig Kelley; Basketball: Jason Hill; Football: John Moriarty; Soccer: Scott Bodolosky; Softball: Patsy Burke; Track: Bill Evans; Volleyball: Sybil Ingram; Wrestling: Ryan Hagan.
Northeast District
Baseball: Chuck Ellis; Basketball: Robert Chaney; Football: Mark Wehrwein; Softball: Mo Price; Volleyball: Margaret Helms; Wrestling: Willie Staggs.
Northwest District
Baseball: Lee Walker; Basketball: Willie Moore; Football: Roger Shireman; Soccer: Richard Robinson; Softball: Eddie Newell; Track: Dawn Guin; Volleyball: Ken Galloway.
CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIALS RECOGNIZED
More than 200 officials who officials who participated in AHSAA state championship games, tournaments matches or meets in the recently concluded 2007-08 school year were honored with plaques.
Those honored included:
BASEBALL
Kenneth Atkins; Chris Baxter; Mike Cassady; George Cavender; Bobby Cooper; Ray Crawford;
Chuck Ellis; Garrett Gibson; Craig Kelley; Ralph Muskett; Jeremy Pridgeon; Marlon Reynolds;
Sean Thibodeaux; Keith Turberville; Lee Walker; Mark Walter.
BASKETBALL
Ron Alexander; Bryan Bennett; Wes Brackett; David Brown; George Brown; Randall Bugg; Duane Burks; Karl Burns; Elliott Carr; Greg Childs; Melissa Clarke; Steve Clift;
Allen Cone; Ron Craddock; Stan Dixon; Rod Gillott; Sonja Hard; Lonnie Hayes;
Rickey Henderson; Jason Hill; Wanda Jordan; Bruce Kimbrell; Eunice Knight; Mike Latham; Dana Lewis; Vincent McCaskey; Vernell McKay; Alan McShan; Rip Nabors;
Brandon Oaks; Jeff Paige; Joe Pike; Tim Porter; Willie Prince; Jay Reyes; Kim Salter; Tom Scott; Ernest Shears; Stewart Stephenson; Bobby Stewart; Ed Teague; Scott Trimble.
FOOTBALL
Brett Armstrong; Doug Baxter; Kenny Brewer; Reig Brown; James Carter; Mike Clardy; Jeff
Cobb; Chris Conway; William Crabtree; Jerry Fredericks; Ronnie Garner; Jerry Gunter; William
Hogue; Jason Howell; Anthony Johnson; Steve Johnson; Rhonda Kirk; Sam Kitchens; Robert
Lowe; Joey Martin; Mark Martin; Mike Miller; Eddie Newell; Karl Nobles; Joe Parise; Vic
Platt; Garnett Ray; Earnest Rhodes; Orin Robinson; Johnny Scott; Roger Shireman; Larry Short; Dale Simmons; Larry Stubbs; Avery Young; Chuck Yow.
SOCCER
Scott Bodolosky; Laureanne Bond; Celeste Boydston; Miguel Caballero; Josh Carter; Hugh Griffis; James Hanson; Thai Huynh; Rickey Hyde; Bob Linner; Patrick Murray;
Richard Robinson; Chuck Spaniola; Dale Thomas; Bill Walker.
SOFTBALL
Steve Atkins; John Beech; Juan Colon; Matt Dial; Butch Dixon; Keith Durham;
Donny Finlayson; Karen Hackshaw; Kevin Hancock; Mike Heath; Sonny Jackson; Andy Latham; Alan Linn; Amanda Miller; Mike Miller; Chad Moses; Eddie Newell; Ricky Phillips; Tim Porter;
Nancy Price; Dale Simmons; Melvin Snow; Keith Thrasher; Jimmy Young.
TRACK
Mike Abercrombie; David Bahakel; John Bahakel; Tommy Barksdale; William Bedsole; Gini Bell; Richard Bell; Walter Bell; Dan Bond; Arthur Brown; Jim Carlo; Kay Carlo; David Cole; Lyle Coleman; John Decastra; Don Ethington; William Evans; Lyndell; Reid LaPorte; Morgan Looney; Tim McDonough; Russ Moore; Doug Moran; Martha Moran; Bob Pannone; Alice Parker; Dan Passen; Pam Passen; Kirby Perkins; Karl Peterson; Jim Pugh; Tami Rector; Lionel Rich; Ton Ritchie; Mirko Solujich; William Spear; Connie Tolbert-McClinton; Ben Vail IV; Bob Wheatley; Joe Williams; Chris Wisham; Randy Yarborough.
VOLLEYBALL
Patsy Burke; Melanie Davis; Lori Dueitt; Beverly Duncan; Cindy Dyess; Cynthia Ellis; Lessie Gaddis; Sonja Hard; Bob Harris; Linda Hatchett; Janice Jordan;
Harold Lockett; Pat Martin; Kathy Odom.
WRESTLING
Doug Baxter; Dwight Buzbee; Gary Erwin; Dan Featherston; Jason Freeman;
David Grant; Jeff Haase; Ryan Hagan; Don Hinds; Shannon King; David Relf; Jeff Saxon; Willie Staggs; Mike Swinson.