Class of 2024

James Monroe “Jimmy” Goodwin continued his successful school athletic activities into adulthood while serving as a teacher, coach, dedicated supporter, volunteer for youth activities, public servant, and business leader. 

A native of Forest, Goodwin was an outstanding athlete and 1955 Forest High School graduate. He was a three-sport letterman including football, baseball, and basketball. Goodwin’s best offensive performance in football came against Meridian, when as a 175-pound fullback rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries and scored the Bearcats’ lone touchdown in a 33-6 loss to the Big Eight Conference powerhouse Wildcats. Forest finished 7-4 that season under head coach Audis Gill.

Goodwin helped lead the Bearcat basketball team under the late Coach Durwood Smith, a 2016 Scott County Sports Hall of Fame inductee, to its first Scott County Tournament championship and the Pearl Invitational, during which Goodwin led Forest with 27 points. Goodwin was selected Most Athletic Boy, participated in several campus activities, and served as class reporter.

Goodwin attended Mississippi College on a football scholarship and was a starter for the Choctaws at fullback and guard. He served as co-captain of the 1958 team. He was a lettered athlete and member of the M Club. Goodwin was recognized as the Most Outstanding Senior Football Player at MC by the Jackson Touchdown Club. He graduated in 1959 with a degree in biology.

Goodwin became a teacher and junior high football coach at Biloxi Junior High School but returned to Forest in 1961 as an active supporter of youth and sports programs for more than 30 years as a local business owner who sponsored many teams.

Goodwin served as a volunteer baseball coach and later as a home plate umpire. He was known for his signature call for strikes - stretching it out to “Stuuuuhhh, strikeeee!” 

Goodwin served as the “Golden Voice” and “Mouth of the Bearcats” while broadcasting Forest football games for 14 years on WQST-FM. Some of the broadcasts were live and some were recorded for replay the following morning. Goodwin enjoyed a tremendous following as team members and their families turned on the radio at 9:15 a.m. - not only to hear the broadcast, but especially to hear Goodwin mention players’ names. 

Goodwin always “told it like he saw it,” but at times he would get too excited while providing play-by-play analysis. He stopped to say: “Hey, let’s back up and do that again!” His most famous “live” broadcast involved a Forest girls’ basketball game. The Bearkittens trailed most of the game until Pam Pryor (Wallace) rallied the team from a 12-point deficit in the final minutes. When she made the game-winning shot, Goodwin jumped up from his chair and exclaimed, “(expletive omitted) she made it!”

Goodwin participated in men’s fast-pitch softball, bowling, and golf. He was a member of the Gilbert Eggs Bowling Team and set a record for the Sun Bowl Lanes in Forest with a 278 score out of a perfect 300.

In golf, Goodwin finished runner-up to John Roby in a classic matchup for the 1964 Championship at Forest Country Club, where he was a longtime member and former club president. Goodwin won honors in various golf tournaments and was active on the Mississippi Seniors Golf Tour. He suffered a fatal heart attack at age 53 when teeing off on hole #13 while playing in the Magnolia Classic at Hattiesburg County Club. 

For 30 years, Goodwin owned and operated Forest Insurance Agency and won numerous sales awards. At the time of his death, Goodwin was serving his fourth term as alderman on the Forest City Council and his second term as Mayor Pro Tempore. He served consecutively as an alderman from 1973-81; then served from 1985 until his death.

He served in the Mississippi National Guard and was a volunteer fireman. Goodwin was honored twice by Forest Head Start for service to disadvantaged children.

Goodwin died in 1991 and his wife, Kathie, died in 2021. The couple had two daughters, Angela and Kay.

His athletic playing days ended after high school, but Erle E. Johnston’s dedication and passion for using all available resources to recognize young athletes and musicians was unmatched in the many ways he served communities in Scott County.

Johnston attended Grenada High School and was determined to excel in baseball. He was a pitcher for the baseball team and did quite well on the mound. He also played snare drums in the high school band, often commenting that while he couldn’t carry a tune, keeping the beat was not a problem. 

In adulthood, Johnston was active in state government activities, local government, economic development, and in the media. Johnston purchased The Scott County Times weekly newspaper after his arrival in Forest with his wife, Fay, and they owned the publication for more than 40 years. Johnston brought a passion for sports and music with him to Scott County and took pride in publicizing talented young people who found success in sports, music, and other areas. No one enjoyed promoting all the great things happening in Scott County more than Johnston. 

In local sports, Johnston appreciated the value in youth athletic activities and volunteered to coach a Little League baseball team including athletes ages 10 to 12. He quickly noticed, however, that many players on teams were eight- and nine-year olds, and most were not ready to play with older boys. Johnston started the Rooster League, designated specifically for those eight-and nine-year-old players. They played baseball, not T-Ball, and after two years the players were better prepared for Little League.

Johnston eventually left his coaching duties but stayed involved as an announcer and scorekeeper for Little League games for more than 25 years. Even while working at the state capitol in Jackson for approximately six years, he returned to Forest in time to announce games held Mondays and Thursdays. After announcing the Monday games, Johnston worked on that week’s newspaper edition. Johnston kept up with players’ batting averages and pitching statistics, publishing the information and standings for both leagues. 

Johnston attended as many Forest football games and other sporting events as he could. When he had to choose one sporting event over another, however, he regularly contacted area coaches to make sure information about their respective teams was included in the following issue. It was important to Johnston to have results of ballgames and other activities about all the local schools in the newspaper, and he depended on coaches and administrators for that information. Without this attention to recording statistics and successes in written articles, information about many outstanding student-athletes would not be preserved.

Outside the sports venues, Johnston was a public relations specialist promoting the best of Scott County in his newspaper and as Forest’s mayor. He promoted Scott County across the state through political connections, especially when a task involved community events and outstanding citizens of this area. He joined forces with fellow Grenada native, Gov. William Winter, along with the Mississippi Congressional delegation, that brought then Hughes Aircraft to the old Sunbeam facility, which had been vacated when the company left the area. Hughes Aircraft eventually became Raytheon.

Johnston and Fay had three children including daughters, Carol Lindley and Lynn Catalina; and son, Bubby Johnston. 

Johnston died on Sept. 26, 1995, with Fay following in 1999. 

It is with great honor that Erle Johnston Jr. is admitted as the 100th inductee in the 10th class of the Scott County Sports Hall of Fame.

He only played his senior season in Scott County, but Dr. James D. (Jim) Ashmore made his mark on Mississippi sports in a big way before taking his game to the professional level.

Ashmore was born in New Market, Missouri, and spent his early childhood in Winfield, Iowa, where he was a standout basketball player. Ashmore was selected to the All-County, All Southeastern Iowa, All Sectional Tournament, and All-District tournament teams. He was also an honorable mention on the All-State team.  

Ashmore moved to Scott County immediately prior to his senior year and claimed Forest as his hometown as he graduated from Forest High School in 1953. He was a straight-A student who lettered in basketball, baseball, and football and excelled at the guard position in basketball. He received the Babe Ruth Sportsman Award, was selected for the Scott County All-Star Basketball Team, and represented Mississippi in the North-South High School All-Star Game. At the time, his 35-point per game scoring average was the highest in the nation. Additionally at FHS, he was selected Mr. Forest High School, named Most Intelligent, Most Athletic, Most Versatile.  

Ashmore advanced to the collegiate level at Mississippi State University (1953-1957) before graduating summa cum laude with a pre-medicine degree. He played basketball for the Bulldogs where he made school history at the point guard position. He broke 11 school records and three Southeastern Conference (SEC) records. 

Ashmore was known for his jump shot and was one of the first jump shooters in the nation. He made 76.6 percent of his free throws in the 1955-56 season and scored 45 points in a single game in 1957. He broke Bob Pettit’s record by scoring 708 points in 25 games, an SEC record in 1957. He was the first basketball player in Mississippi State history to break the 1,000 point record in scoring 1,918 points during his college athletic career. He also played in the collegiate East-West games.

Ashmore was a three-time All-SEC team selection, was named SEC Most Valuable Player in a players’ poll and was named SEC player of the year in his senior year, finishing in the NCAA top ten in scoring. He was named a Converse and Helms Foundation All-American player in 1957 and an Associated Press All-American. He was named to the Mississippi State (M-Club) Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. He was named third team All-American by the Associated Press in 1957. 

Ashmore took his athletic talent to the professional ranks and in 1957, Ashmore was picked in the fourth round as the 37thoverall pick of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. However, he wound up playing for the Denver-Chicago Truckers of the National Industrial Basketball League 1957-1960. He was named AAU All-American in 1958.

While playing professional basketball, 1957-1963, Ashmore attended the University of Tennessee where he earned his medical degree and practiced family medicine in Muscle Shoals, Ala., for 61 years. 

Ashmore was married to the late Beverly Jo McKenzie Ashmore for 64 years until her death in 2022. Ashmore met his future bride after moving to Forest for his senior year and she was a junior. They married in 1957 and alternated living in Denver and Memphis during his medical school and professional basketball career before moving to Alabama following Ashmore’s graduation from medical school.

After his retirement from sports but before his professional career retirement in 2015, Ashmore had one more sports honor bestowed as he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 along with the SEC Sports Hall of Fame, NCAA Sports Hall of Fame, named to the NCAA Basketball Coaches’ 25th Anniversary Team, and was named an SEC Legend at the SEC Basketball Championship Tournament in 2000.

Ashmore, 88, resided in Leighton, Ala., until his death on Dec. 15, 2023.

James E. Johnston has served his home county through a variety of roles as a standout basketball player, teacher, coach, principal, and elected public servant.

Johnston started his athletic career as a four-year starter for Goodhope High School before county schools were consolidated. Johnston averaged about 22 points per game and was the team leader with 48 points in one game against Harperville. He earned All-District and All-State honors and was named first alternate on the All-Star team his senior year.

Johnston took his talents to East Central Junior College where he played for two years and then finished his playing days at Mississippi College. Johnston left the collegiate ranks with a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s in Education. 

Johnston started his professional career in education at Madison-Ridgeland High School where he coached junior high boys’ and girls’ basketball while assisting with football and girls’ track.

His education career was interrupted briefly when Johnston left to work in insurance sales for Prudential for five years. 

Johnston found his way back to education and his hometown of Lake where he coached junior high and high school boys’ basketball while assisting with football at the high school. In 1971, Johnston moved to the middle school to serve as principal for 17 and-a-half years. During his first year there, he coached the girls’ and boys’ basketball programs temporarily until a new coach was hired. He finished his education career with 22 years of service upon his first retirement.

Ken Gordon had served as Scott County Chancery Clerk during Johnston’s professional career after having coached Johnston in high school. Johnston then succeeded Gordon in 1987 to be elected Chancery Clerk where he served 12 years. During this period, Johnston also represented Scott County for 10 years on the East Central Planning and Development District Board. 

After his second retirement, Johnston returned to the education community this time as an elected member of the Scott Count Board of Education where he served 10 years.

Johnston and his wife, the late Louise Fortenberry Johnston of Harperville, have four children including Jimmy, Emily, Sally, and Johnny. Johnston’s family expanded to include 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.   

Johnston remains active in the community as a member of the Board of Directors for Lackey Hospital in Forest. He is also a deacon at First Baptist Church in Lake, a member of Gideons International, and a member of the Masonic Lodge in Lake. 

A standout basketball career in high school and in college paved the way for success in John Eichelberger’s business career and as a community servant.

Eichelberger was a two-sport athlete at Morton High School playing for the basketball and baseball programs 1969-1972 and much of his success came on the hardcourt. He was named to the Scott County All-Tournament Team all four seasons and twice to the Little Dixie Conference All-North Team and All-South Mississippi Tournament Teams. He was named three times to the All-District Six AA and A teams and was named most valuable player at the Morton-Pearl-Puckett tournament and the Forest Hill tournament.

After graduating from Morton, Eichelberger advanced to Belhaven University where he was a four-year letterman, 1972-1976, and earned leading rebounder and second in scoring recognition in 1976. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. Eichelberger was later named Alumnus of the Year by the Belhaven University School of Business.

After his athletic career was finished, Eichelberger took lessons learned in athletics and academics to the corporate business world. For Sysco Food Service, Eichelberger has served as a marketing associate district manager, and regional sales manager, as well as vice-president of sales. He was in the Torchbearer Club two years and the Pacesetter Club and increased company sales from $36 million to $250 million. For Merchant Food Service, Eichelberger served as vice-president of sales in Georgia.

As a member of the Mississippi Restaurant Association, Eichelberger served on the board of directors and received the outstanding service award. He has also served a board member of the Georgia Restaurant Association and received the City of Atlanta Community Service Award.  

A member of a large family in the Morton area, Eichelberger moved closer to home whereas he now lives in Madison, Miss. 

Using his own experience as a football player and coach, Mike Hendershot helped to guide the Scott Central Rebels to the greatest heights through their strength and conditioning program as the best in the state in their classification.

Hendershot graduated from Wingfield High School in 1985 and from Mississippi State University in 1991 where he was a four-year letterman in football. He also holds a master’s degree in sports administration from Arkansas State University. 

He coached at Opelousas Catholic School in Opelousas, Louisiana, from 1992-1998 where he served in coaching positions including offensive line, strength and conditioning, track (field events), baseball, assistant athletic director, and head football coach. 

Hendershot returned to Mississippi in 1998 where he continued his career at Scott Central Attendance Center in Forest until 2015. During this period, Hendershot served as offensive line and strength and conditioning coach. In 1999, he assisted in leading the Rebels to a state championship and state runner-up in 2003. He also assisted in coaching baseball and the girls’ fast-pitch softball program.

Part of the backbone of the Rebels’ athletic success was attributed to Hendershot’s development and guidance of a powerlifting team where he served as head powerlifting coach from 2000-2015. During his watch, Scott Central claimed seven state championship titles: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. 

Hendershot was named the NFHS South Sectional Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007. For 2007-08, he was selected as Coach of the Year for the Mississippi Association of Coaches. 

After leaving Scott Central in 2015, Hendershot is in his ninth year at Madison Central High School where he serves as offensive line coach with 32 years of teaching and coaching experience. He helped guide the Jaguars to a 6A football state championship in 2021 and North state championship appearances in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023. 

Hendershot and his wife, Pam, have three children including David (wife, Brooke), Holly (husband, Dillon), and Jack (wife, Rylan); and one granddaughter, Madi Blaire.

Although basketball was her focus at Scott Central Attendance Center, Rebel standout Britney Burks finished her high school career as one of the most well-rounded athletes with her jersey number later being retired into Rebel athletic history.

Burks’ athletic career started in the eighth grade playing basketball during the 1997-98 season when she earned recognition as best free throw shooter and best offensive player and earned the same recognition the following season.

In the 1999-2000 season, Burks contributed to the Lady Rebels to the Class 1A State Championship and was named to the all-state tournament team. She was named to the Division 6 all-district team after helping the team win the district championship, and she was named best offensive player. On two occasions, March 5 and March 6-12, 2000, she was named state tournament performer of the week. 

The following season, Burks was named best offensive player, all-tournament and all-division teams, most valuable player, and best free throw shooter. 

Burks’ senior year at Scott Central was highlighted with many honors in athletics and academics. She was named most valuable player, had the most assists, best offensive player, Scott County All-Tournament Team, all-division team, U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award, East Central Academic Scholarship Award for Basketball, East Central Athletic Scholarship for Basketball, received a basketball signed by coaches and players for scoring 2,323 points during her athletic career.

Off the court, Burks excelled in the classroom as an honor student graduating in 2002 in the top five of her class and was recognized in the Forest Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Academics. She held memberships in the Beta Club, Student Council, was elected homecoming queen, voted class favorite, voted most likely to succeed, and elected class secretary.

Burks advanced to East Central Community College and helped the Lady Warriors to a Region 23 State Championship and the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 National Tournament Final 8 round. She received the East Central Warrior Award twice during her time in college and graduated with an Associate in Arts Degree in 2004. She moved on to the next level to play for Belhaven University in Jackson. 

Burks now works for Sullivan’s, Inc., as a traveling pricing supervisor.

Chris Ficklin was a standout football player for the Scott Central Rebels and on the collegiate level as he contributed toward his teams’ success on the gridiron.

For the Rebels, Ficklin played both sides of the scrimmage line – at running back and linebacker - many times rarely coming off the field except during timeouts and halftime. He was selected as a team captain and MVP on multiple occasions among numerous honors throughout his high school days. Ficklin also dribbled on the basketball court for the Rebels, providing support for their victories.

Ficklin graduated Scott Central in 2010 and moved on to East Central Community College where he earned All-State, All-Region, and All-American honors during his two-season tenure. Ficklin let the Warriors in tackles overall including one game where he recorded 15 tackles, 180 yards, and two touchdowns. He was selected as a captain and defensive MVP in 2011. 

Ficklin kept his college career going at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he earned most improved player honors. 

After his own playing career ended, Ficklin remained active in athletics through serving as referee in various sports. He now works as a shipping supervisor in his professional activities.

Roquel Barber wore many hats in numerous roles for the Scott Central Attendance Center, and he is remembered as the “Voice of the Rebels” as much as for his service in the classrooms.

The first principal of Scott Central, J.B. Henderson, hired Barber in 1969 to teach junior high science and math. The public address announcer for the football games had resigned and Barber was asked to step in and announce the games that fall – sparking the beginning of a 40-year tenure behind the microphone. By his retirement from the press box in 2009, Barber had only missed five home football games. 

Barber served Rebel athletics in many ways including clock operator at basketball games, handled record books and compiled statistics sheets for the baseball program, and served as a bus driver for the band and hauled large instruments to the away games.

Barber felt strongly about Scott Central athletes having equal coverage in the local newspaper, so he spoke to then sports editor, Chris Allen Baker, about writing articles to cover all the sports that Scott Central offered and was welcomed to sports journalism. 

In addition to teaching school all day, driving a bus route, and being a parent, Barber traveled to all Scott Central games, took detailed notes, and filed articles with The Scott County Times. Covering Scott Central home games became a family affair as Barber’s wife and their daughter took notes on the game while he was announcing, and he used the information for his articles. 

Barber held many responsibilities and throughout the next several years, he held the titles of senior sponsor, annual co-sponsor, and Beta sponsor. In 1986, Barber left his teaching responsibilities to spend more time with his family, but he never left Rebel athletics behind and continued as The Voice of the Rebels. 

Barber returned to Scott Central in 1995 and taught the upper level science courses, some exceptional education classes, drove a school bus, resumed his position of running the clock for basketball games, and he often drove the band bus. 

In November of 1997, Barber had quadruple bypass surgery causing him to miss most of Scott Central’s post season play. His surgery took place early on a Friday morning. His first question upon awaking in recovery was “Did we win?” but the game had not even started. When he woke up later, his wife informed him that we did in fact win that night. Scott Central played in Veterans Memorial Stadium in December and Barber was in the stadium that day, as far as he could get, to watch his Rebels play for a championship. In 1999, the Rebels won the 1A championship and Barber was instrumental in fundraising for and presenting championship rings and pendants to the players, cheerleaders, coaches, and coaches’ wives. 

Barber retired from teaching in 2003, but remained The Voice of the Rebels through the 2009 football season. It was with a heavy heart that he said his signature opening line for the last time, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to L.E. Gomillian Sr. football field at Scott Central, Mississippi. It’s a beautiful night for football.”

Barber died on Jan. 3, 2019, and is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Cara; and son, Chris.

Fans depended on the talents of Guy McGarrity to describe the action on the gridiron as the “Voice of the Bobcats” and for 30 years, his contributions remained a popular tradition of the football experience in Sebastopol.

McGarrity is a native of Grenada County where he was the youngest of six siblings born to parents Minerva Jane and Ira Glenn McGarrity. Guy’s father died in 1955 when Guy was 11 years old and he was 13 when his mother married Prentis Gammill and relocated to Meadville.

McGarrity played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track at Franklin County High School. In football, McGarrity served on the scout team until his coach put him in for real game action. McGarrity ran the ball for a 65-yard score on his first touch of the ball, assuring him a role as a running back as well as punt and kickoff returns.

McGarrity had an athletic opportunity in college but chose instead to pursue studies for a career in ministry. His career led him to destinations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Mentoring to youth was also a part of his career including as the state youth director of New Mexico, 18 years at youth camps in Mississippi and 12 years on the Christian Youth Board in Mississippi. 

McGarrity found his way back to the football gridiron after his arrival in Sebastopol where he became the announcer for the Bobcats, a job he held for three decades accumulating wonderful memories. 

“I enjoyed my time announcing on Friday nights. [I appreciated] the patience of the coaches and fans when I first started out. I had played a little football in school, but I had so much to learn. I knew it was important to call people’s names correctly and I tried,” McGarrity said.

McGarrity began announcing in the 1980s under Coach Eiland and remained through multiple coaching changes. “I had such great support through the years, Coach Charlie Brown, and Jason Greene. They brought such joy to announcing the sport we love so much. The elders in the town would often tell me that they would just sit on the porch right outside of town and listen to me announcing the game. Mr. Gilbert Hamil and Mr. Nolen Sistrunk along with others around town said they could hear me as if they were sitting right there at the game,” McGarrity said. “The Bobcats have some of the best fans in the state.”

Announcing players’ names could be challenging at times, such as the case of Andy Sagona, whose family moved here from Louisiana. He was a productive running back for the Bobcats that drew attention, only McGarrity had trouble pronouncing his name and Sagona’s family called him on it.

“Since I struggled to say his name correctly, I decided to rename him “The Ragin Cajun” and the name fit him very well. He did an outstanding job on the football field, like others I enjoyed watching over the years.”

McGarrity saw a lot of football through three decades, called plenty of players’ names and numbers, and recorded many memories of wins and losses and the action within those contests. The game became a little more personal when McGarrity’s own son and three grandsons were among the Bobcats on the field and especially when they were in big plays. In 1990, his son Greg’s senior season, Sebastopol squared up against Lake which had dominated their series. Leading Lake 6-0 with just a few minutes left, Greg stopped Lake on fourth down and short by a foot or two, preventing the Hornets from getting the first down to keep their drive alive and allowing Sebastopol to run out the clock. 

“I tried to remain calm, but we had just beat Lake and my son had stopped the ball carrier short of a first down. What a great memory, I will cherish forever,” McGarrity said.

To many people in Sebastopol, Charles Wayne Brown was either their teacher, coach, principal, or co-worker but to all who know him, he is a much appreciated and beloved member of the community who has played an important role in many lives of the people he encountered.

Brown was born in Union as the middle son of three boys to Henry and Beatrice Wilkerson Brown. Brown developed a passion for sports early in his life through school activities including track, basketball, and football at Union High School. After graduation, Brown joined the Air Guard and later the National Guard before choosing college where he majored in education at Mississippi State University.

After earning his college degree, Brown moved to the Mississippi Delta as an assistant coach for football and junior high basketball at Indianola Academy for one year. Brown returned home to his roots as a coach at Union for seven years. He served as assistant football coach for the high school, head coach for junior varsity football, and coached the junior varsity girls’ basketball team and coached the high school track team. Brown briefly stepped back from coaching for one year before moving to coach junior high football and boys’ basketball at Hickory. He followed that stint with another break from education to focus on other goals.

Ten years later, Brown returned to education accepting a position at Lake High School as a chemistry teacher for a spring semester. He moved across Scott County and returned to coaching at Sebastopol Attendance Center where he would finish his career 22 years later as a member of the Bobcat family.

Brown taught, coached, and mentored countless athletes and students through involvement in baseball, football, and started a powerlifting program. He served as an assistant baseball coach for a few years before taking the helm as head coach for eight years and head football coach for 10 years. He was dedicated and involved in his teams, but his passion was always football. The Bobcats reached the football playoffs seven times during his head coaching tenure.

Brown can fondly recall his Bobcats playing in a bowl game in Maben and later against Enterprise for South State runner-up and lost. Enterprise played Weir which won the South State Championship. He remembers details from those games and recalls them with amazing clarity. He happily performed all the usual chores of a head coach, spending many hours around the field and taking care of facilities, uniforms, and equipment. During the off-season he led the weight program for the football team and sponsored the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program. He taught in the science department and was the sponsor for the science club. Brown capped his education career serving as assistant principal for five years followed by eight years as principal before his retirement from education in 2010.

Brown was often seen around town or at the school sporting a Bobcat team shirt and gym shorts with tall white socks and a straw hat. He was known for driving players home who needed a ride from a school event. It wasn’t rare for players to visit Brown’s home and family to watch game film or eat dinner. There were more than a few backyard football scrimmages at Brown’s home with his family and visitors. His family knew many weekends Brown was dedicated to watching game film to help his teams improve and there was nothing like watching him on the field in action and celebrating victories with coolers of ice being dumped on him, according to his family. 

Even after his own coaching days ended and he led the school as an administrator, the “coach” in him never quit as he stood behind a fence and suggested plays to current coaches to run. As many as 12 years after his retirement, former players and students check to ask about how Brown is doing and sometimes seeking advice, showing how well Brown is respected and loved. Brown followed many of his former players and students to the next level, traveling to Decatur to see them play for East Central Community College on Thursday nights. Even though he served in a number of non-athletic roles at Sebastopol, the fact that a coach never really loses the title is shown in the affection the community shows to Brown in how he is viewed and referred upon. 

Brown’s dedication to Sebastopol Attendance Center was not just through coaching, but it was his greatest honor and one of his highest personal achievements to have been the head football coach for 10 years.

Brown now resides in Walnut Grove.