WCSHoF banquet honors inductees

HALEYVILLE - The Winston County Sports Hall of Fame banquet recognized deserving honorees Saturday, May 20, at the Haleyville Elementary School cafetorium.
Bob Masdon, executive director of the WCSHoF, welcome everyone and introduced Tony Giles.
Giles, University of Alabama sports announcer, was master of ceremonies for the event. He has served in this capacity for 19 of the 22 years the banquet has been held. He then introduced the keynote speaker.
Tyler Watts, former quarterback for the University of Alabama, talked about the importance of teamwork and being prepared.
He noted this was the 20th anniversary of the 1999 Southeastern Conference championship for the University of Alabama, with the Crimson Tide winning 34-7.
“We defeated Florida that year, but I don’t remember the score,” he said. “It was a rough stretch for Alabama with the change over from Coach (Gene) Stallings to Coach (Mike) Dubose. We had a 3-8 season in 1997. My freshman year, we played the Music City Bowl and got our brains beat out by Virginia Tech. It was the coldest day I have ever experienced in my life.
“We turned things around by 1999 and had things going in the right direction. We were able to win that SEC championship. That was a lot of fun.
“People always ask me what was mine and Andrew Zow’s relationship. We actually had a good relationship. Believe it or not, you can believe everything Paul Finebaum says. Andrew is a great guy.
“We had a lot of fun that year in 1999. It was a back-and-forth competition all season long. To this day, I will tell you that if it were someone else besides Andrew and myself, we could have torn that team apart. But it takes teamwork.
“I also learned about being prepared. You never know when your opportunity is going to get there. I was playing  Tennessee my freshman year. I had not played the previous two weeks. I was mad, frustrated and upset that I hadn’t got the opportunity to play.
“Andrew sprains his ankle and I get thrown in to play. All week long, I had been fiddling my thumbs, not been playing attention to the game plan. I wasn’t anticipating getting to play, therefore my mind was not in it.
“Well I get thrust into the ball game and I hand off right, hand off left. Now it is third down and five and we throw a little screen pass.
“A linebacker for Tennessee came up the middle. By the time I take the snap from the shotgun and take one step, I get chinned. That is when you get hit really hard right here,” he said pointing to his chin.
“There is no manner of padding that is  going to keep that from hurting. I knew right then, I was not ready to play this game.
“I got pulled when my opportunity was there. I just didn’t take advantage of it. I made a vow right then that I was never going to allow another missed opportunity.
The next two weeks, I was able to start because Andrew’s ankle wasn’t ready. I got my first reception vs. Southern Miss. They were ranked 24th or 25th in the nation. We beat them. We played LSU the next weekend and beat them. Now we play Mississippi State and I didn’t get to play one snap. We go down to Auburn, things are struggling at halftime and I get my chance.
“Because of that experience at Tennessee and making up my mind to be prepared, I was able to go in and get the win and then win the SEC championship.
“Being part of a team is such a joy and to have those experiences. God definitely knew what he was doing when he made the human mind to not  necessarily dwell on the hard times you go through.
“He allows you dwell and remember all the good times you have. I sometimes think the high school programs have outgrown what the game is really about. It is about community and supporting those who participate; it may be third and fourth generations. It is about what you are really getting out of  the team support. It is not about the money, like so many programs are today. In small communities, it is still like what it should be - communities supporting communities and those you know.
“My brother-in-law actually spent his senior year at Meek High School. He went to Chelsea and then transferred to Meek High School to play there.
“So many times now, kids are being forced to play one or maybe two sports if they are really good. While at Meek, he got the opportunity to letter in three or four sports. I think that is a missed opportunity that a lot of kids don’t get to have at a lot of bigger schools. Having that teammate experience and to experience it with your family and friends is something that lasts forever.
“My mother-in-law always told be about this man Billy (Wadsworth) at Meek.  She told me that he would sit next to her and repeat what she would say in support of the team. He was someone who knew what was going on in this county. He made a huge impact on my family and my in=laws. I’m sure he did the same with y’all.
“That is the purest form of sports right there. It is everyone being involved and having a part of that. However big or small it may be, it is important for everyone to be involved.
“I congratulate everyone who is being inducted tonight. This is a huge honor for all of you. I know your family and these board members are extremely proud of your accomplishments and the impact you have made on your community.”
The first inductees introduced by Giles were Gage Gilliland and Destiny Walker, 2019 graduates of Addison High School. They were honored with the 2019 Academic/Athlete of the Year - Ed Deason Awards.
Allen Long was then introduced from Addison, followed by Ronnie Robinson, Winston County; Vaughn Hendon, Meek; Will Romine, Haleyville; Demicca Cleghorn Baker, Addison; Jennifer Tittle, Lynn; Shawn Blanton, Winston County; Robert Phillips, Meek; Thomas Lester, Winston County; Steve Cagle, Lynn; Britney Howton Williams, Meek; Jonathan Lowe, Haleyville; Kayla Woodard, Addison; special categories - Billy Wadsworth, Meek; Will Gunnin, Addison; Dan Nelson, Lynn; Jerry Jackson, Haleyville.
WCSHoF board members include: Randy Lee and Randy White-Addison; Aubrey Haynes and Bob Masdon-Haleyville; Brad Alsup and Todd Tittle-Lynn;  Dr. Terry James and Becky Wilson-Meek; Dan Hogan and Joe Morrow-Winston County High School.