Class of 2026

Billy Frank Alford played with distinction on the gridiron and courts before continuing his service to his community in civic capacities and elected public office. 

Alford played football and basketball for the Morton High School Panthers in the late 1950s when he was a member of one of the school’s best football teams. Alford played as a senior starting at the guard position in football in 1957 when the Panthers won the North Little Dixie Conference Championship. In the same season, Alford played in the Forest-Morton game when the Golden Chicken was first awarded to the winner in the storied rivalry.

A three-year letterman in basketball, Alford was one of the leading scorers in the Little Dixie Conference during his senior season. He was also the first basketball player from MHS to be named to the Little Dixie All-Star team and was named most valuable player for the team. 

After graduating in 1958, Alford took his talents to the hardwood for the East Central Junior College Warriors where he became a starter midway through his freshman year and full-time starter during his sophomore season. He averaged 14 points per game and contributed to East Central winning the North Half of the Mississippi Junior College League.

Alford finished his collegiate basketball participation at Mississippi College where he played on one of the highest scoring teams in the nation at the time and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1963.

Alford enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and upon discharge, worked for Farm Bureau where he retired after 36 years in 1999. Along the way, he and his wife opened a real estate firm in 1980. He entered local politics and was elected to the Forest Board of Aldermen, serving two terms until 1999. He was then elected as Scott County Chancery Clerk, where he served three terms until 2011.

Alford was a member of the Forest Rotary Club 15 years; the Lions Club for 20 years and served a term as president; and served in Gideons International. Athletics was still a passion for him as Alford also served as a high school basketball referee and coached tee ball and little league basketball. He is also a past president of the Forest Country Club.

Alford and his wife, Linda Jo Brown of Bruce, reside in Forest and attend Forest Baptist Church. They have two sons, Matt Alford and the late Jason Alford. Their grandson, Logan, is engaged to be married to Valerie Soto in April.

Billy Frank and Linda Jo were also named Citizens of the Year in 2019 by the Forest Area Chamber of Commerce.     

Will Boswell left a legacy for athletic programs at Scott Central Attendance Center, guiding two to state championship levels of success and was the founding coach of a third program.

A native of Noxapater, Boswell graduated from Noxapater High School in 1986 and earned an Associate’s degree at East Central Community College in education in 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Mississippi in 1991.

Boswell served in the U.S. Army Reserves, finishing his tenure with the rank of Specialist 4. He was called for one deployment participating in the Desert Storm Operation.  

Following military service, Boswell came to Scott Central Attendance Center in 1992 where he proudly served as a biology teacher and led the district in state testing results for several years.

“Teaching biology was very important to me, and I enjoyed seeing my students excel in the classroom,” Boswell said.  

He contributed to significant success for the Rebels’ athletic department, highlighted by 25 years as an assistant football coach. The Rebels’ record on Boswell’s watch extended to 181-109 including a state championship in 1999. The Rebels won three South State titles and 10 district titles. Over Boswell’s 25 years with the football program, the Rebels recorded 23 playoff appearances. 

As an assistant coach for the powerlifting program, Boswell helped guide seven state championship teams between 2003 and 2011.

Boswell’s legacy on the baseball diamond extends all the way back to the Rebels’ beginning participation in the sport when he started the program in 1993 as its first coach. Scott Central won the Scott County Baseball Tournament in 2000 and took the Rebels to the program’s first two playoff appearances in 2004 and 2005.

Boswell and his wife, Joni, have four children including Nic, Taylor (Abby), Megan McDaniel (Seth), and Zach (Hannah). Grandchildren include Nate and Georgia Boswell, Jax and Luke McDaniel. Boswell loves following Ole Miss sports and previously operated a fireworks sale business. 

Brian Goodman guided the Lake Hornets baseball program to consistent success while mentoring his players in preparation for college athletics. 

Goodman graduated from Clarkdale High School where he played baseball and basketball. He spent a year at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba before earning a Bachelor’s degree in education at Mississippi College in 1999 and played collegiate baseball at both schools. He earned a Master’s degree in sports administration at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2009. He finished his own education with a specialist degree in education through Arkansas State University in 2018. 

Goodman spent 12 years on the diamond as Lake High School’s baseball coach where his program missed the playoffs only once during his tenure. He had 10 players to sign college athletic scholarships after playing for the Hornets. Goodman was also responsible for significant improvements to the baseball facilities having organized and supervised renovations to the dugouts; improvements to the backstop; installation of a new scoreboard; and creation of an indoor practice facility. 

Goodman’s program earned 215 wins and dropped only 147 losses during his coaching career at Lake. The Hornets won two district championships while finishing as district runners-up twice. He led the Hornets to one South State Championship and finished as state runners-up once.

His work at Lake was not confined to baseball. He also coached junior high basketball, served as assistant football coach, and coached the softball program. He was also instrumental in construction of a new softball facility.

Goodman coached baseball an additional 10 years after leaving Lake and now serves as the athletic director for Quitman High School. He was recently nominated for the Crossroads Diamond Club Hall of Fame and will be inducted during an all-star game to be played at William Carey University in May.  

David Hollingsworth was a star on the basketball court as well as with his fellow classmates.

He served as chairman of the Beta Club, was elected senior class president, and selected Mr. Morton High School. Much of the remainder of his high school activity was on the court where he scored 1,444 points during his junior and senior seasons.

As a junior, Hollingsworth scored 18 points per game and finished with 594 points. He was named to the all-tournament teams for the Morton Classic, North Little Dixie, and District Six.

During his senior campaign, Hollingsworth scored 850 points including 25 points per game and recorded 14 rebounds per game. He had a 60 percent field goal percentage and shot 71 percent from the free throw line. He scored 33 points against 42-1 and eventually state champion Gulfport High School which at the time was the most points scored against Gulfport.

Hollingsworth was named to the Pearl All-Tournament team, All-Little Dixie Tournament team, All South Mississippi All-Star team. He was also named an honorable mention All-American during his senior season.

After graduating high school in 1970, Hollingsworth attended Mississippi College where he also played basketball for the Choctaws and earned his degree. He has worked as a salesman in the tire supply industry for more than 40 years and currently is the purchaser for Southern Tire Mart.

Hollingsworth and his wife, Patsy, are residents of Morton and have a son, Scott, and three grandchildren. He serves as a deacon and teaches Sunday School at First Baptist Church.  

Donald H. Pennington was an outstanding athlete and public servant in the education community as a teacher, coach, and administrator throughout his professional career. 

At Morton High School, Pennington played junior varsity and varsity football and was a member of the junior varsity and varsity track team through his early school years. He earned All-District Honorable Mention during junior and senior seasons and received the Best Back Award during his junior season. He was a four-year letterman in football and track.

As a halfback/linebacker, Pennington helped lead the Panthers to two North Little Dixie Championships. During his senior year, the Panthers recorded an 8-3 record with 216 points scored and only allowing 58 points by opponents. The defense posted five shutouts en route to a North District Championship. During his four years, with three years as a two-way starter, the Panthers posted an overall record of 26-14-1.    

After graduating in 1964, Pennington enrolled at Jones County Junior College where he continued in football and track. In football, he was a two-year starter at linebacker for the Bobcats and a key player on the 1964 team that finished 9-1 and won a state championship. The team was also recognized for having the top defensive unit in the state. He also played as a fullback on offense and never missed starting a game as a linebacker. He was named as a first team All-State linebacker and Junior College Gridwire All-American Team and an honorable mention. 

Also, while at Jones, he was selected as Class Favorite, Student of the Month, and first runner-up Mr. JCJC. He was inducted into the Jones County Junior College Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

After earning his Associate of Arts degree in 1966, Pennington advanced to Mississippi College where he continued football for two years and track for one year. Coaches informed him when he signed that he would be the first athlete to ever receive a full athletic scholarship to the college. He was a two-year starter at linebacker for the Choctaws and never missed starting a game at the position. He was a recipient of the Head Hunter Award multiple times, two-year letterman, and an “M” Club member. As a member of the track team, he participated in the shotput among his activities in the sport.

While completing his senior year at Mississippi College, he was offered a job at Hinds Junior College teaching physical education classes in the evenings. He was later offered an assistant coaching position. 

Pennington earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education at Mississippi College (1969) and returned later to earn a Master’s degree in school administration (1976). He also holds a Master’s degree +30 from Northeast Louisiana University (1983).

Pennington headed to Louisiana to work at Tallulah High School, Newellton High School, and Tallulah Academy. His positions included teacher/coach, assistant principal, and principal. He also served as superintendent at Tensas Parish School Board for 19 years. He retired in 2003, but left retirement in 2006 to serve as headmaster of Tallulah Academy for 10 years. In all, he spent 43 years in education including 36 years in administration.

Pennington served as assistant football coach at Hinds Junior College in 1968 before heading to Tallulah High School where he initially served as assistant football coach and junior varsity head coach. Taking the reins as head football coach, Pennington recorded a 56-39 record with one tie. His teams made the state playoffs consecutively 1975-1978. In 1976, his team win their district and reached the semi-final round with a 10-3 record. He served as head baseball coach for one year and made the playoffs. He served as head varsity boys track coach 1973-1982.

At Tensas Academy, Pennington served as assistant football coach and assistant track coach 2014-2018. He ascended to head track and junior varsity for the boys’ and girls’ teams in 2019 where he remains as coach. In 2021 and 2025, his boys’ team finished as MAIS state runner-up. 

Also at Tensas, Pennington spearheaded and supervised the renovation of the athletic program’s weight room, built a track facility, established a youth fishing tournament, was a founding committee member for Tensas Sportsman Festival, and head of the Christmas lighting committee.

Pennington has served as a member of multiple professional organizations in education including Mississippi Association of Independent Schools’ Academy Activities Commission and School Accreditation Commission. He is also a lifetime member of the Jones County Junior College Alumni Association and Bobcat Club. He held multiple memberships in associations for school superintendents, principal, and executives in Louisiana. 

Pennington has served as a member of numerous civic organizations including the St. Joseph Rotary Club and other organizations in Louisiana.

He is married to Karen Eubanks Pennington and they have three daughters including Candice, Kelly, and Kasey and 10 grandchildren. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Newellton, La., where he is on the Usher Committee, Finance Committee, Grounds Committee, and has served as a deacon since 2023. Recent honors have included Madison High School which organized a football classic in his name in 2022.

Katie Phillips was a pioneering player in the early years of softball programs in her hometown of Sebastopol where she excelled and advanced to collegiate athletics before pursuing a career in physical therapy where she continued to care for athletes’ health.

Phillips participated in the first summer softball league in Sebastopol, and possibly Scott County. She was among the Sebastopol 12U all-star team that played all over the state and beyond, including Louisiana for a regional tournament and the World Series.

Phillips was also a member of Sebastopol High School’s first softball team during her junior year and played in her senior year as well where she received numerous athletic awards. She also participated in a number of academic clubs including Math and Science and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) where she won first place at both the state and national levels. She also served as one of Mississippi’s state DECA officers.

After graduation, Phillips played softball at East Central Community College on a scholarship where she earned an All-Academic Team award and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. 

She continued her college education with Meridian Community College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program. She participated in state and national physical therapy competitions through Health Organization Students of America (HOSA) winning second and third place awards in state and national divisions. She also won the John Marshall First Year Student Award and later received the Circle of Excellence Award while graduating first in her class.

She studied multiple areas of physical therapy in different locations including Florida where she specialized in sport injury rehabilitation. She did extended studying of myofascial release techniques, in New Orleans; and shoulder and knee specialty rehabilitation in Dallas, Texas. Having numerous hours of study in all areas of physical therapy, she holds a certification as a strength and conditioning specialist.

Phillips brought her physical therapy experience to Scott County in 2002 working with many student athletes who played at the college level at the University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Ole Miss, and Louisiana State University, to name a few. Some of her patients have played at the professional level. Additional sports involvement includes coaching for numerous recreation league softball and soccer teams in Scott County.

She is married to Shane Phillips and they reside in Conehatta. They are parents to two daughters, Brelie and Lanie, both of whom played softball at the collegiate level. Last year, Brelie actually played on the national championship team at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.  

Phillips is an active member of Sebastopol Baptist Church and serves on several committees as well as teaches Sunday School to young adults. She continues to serve Scott County in several different capacities and can often be found at sporting events and on Friday night sidelines. “I consider it a great honor to serve our community from which I grew up,” she said.

Luke Reynolds lived a baseball experience where many other athletes only dream of having a chance with strong high school achievement in Forest propelling him through college and into the professional ranks. 

A native of Forest, Reynolds was a multi-sport athlete at Forest High School where he lettered in baseball, football, soccer, and tennis. On the gridiron, he was a member of the 2010 state champion Bearcat football team and was named second team all-state in 2012. 

His primary achievements came on the baseball diamond that ushered him into an athletic career. Reynolds was named second team All-State in 2011, first team All-State in 2012 and 2013. As a freshman, he held a .333 batting average with 10 runs batted in and scored 33 runs. As a sophomore, he batted .415 with 21 RBIs and scored 33 runs. During his junior year, he batted .535 with 33 RBIs and scored 31 runs, including two home runs. 

In his senior campaign, he batted .615 with 41 RBIs, 38 runs scored including eight homers and a .670 on base percentage. 

After graduating FHS in 2013, Reynolds carried his talents to Hinds Community College where he was named Most Valuable Player and was selected for the first team All-State in 2014. He batted .376 with 82 hits, scored 63 runs including five triples, 14 doubles, and five homers. He led the team with 14 stolen bases. He also played in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship game in the World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.

Reynolds’ collegiate career continued in Starkville for Mississippi State University in 2015 where he played third base and served as a designated hitter, ending the regular season with a 10-game hitting streak. He batted .304 in 35 games with 28 hits with six doubles, drew 21 walks, scored 15 runs, recorded 12 RBIs. 

Reynolds traded the Bulldogs’ maroon and white for the Golden Eagles’ black and gold in Hattiesburg for the University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. He was named Conference USA Player of the Year with a performance that included a .387 batting average including 84 hits. He scored 70 runs with 20 doubles, one triple, and scored 15 home runs. He also sent 61 RBIs across the plate. He was also named first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 NCAA Division 1; second team Perfect Game/Rawlings College; and third team Baseball America.

Reynolds moved to the next level when he was drafted in 2018 by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round. He played two seasons for the Cubs’ minor league affiliates with participation in 151 games and 521 at-bats. He recorded 126 hits, scored 65 runs including nine homers. With 32 doubles and three triples thrown in, his professional career batting average settled at .242.

Reynolds currently serves as the manager of D-Bat in Hattiesburg, and he is the area director of the Knights Baseball Organization for the Pine Belt area. 

He and his wife, Raeanna, have one son, Ripken. 

Roxana Rogers-Sullivan excelled on the court as well as the classroom during her years with the Lake athletic programs.

Rogers-Sullivan was a four-year starter for the Lady Hornets basketball team and her tenure included winning the state championship in 2001. Rogers-Sullivan was named to the All District, All Scott County, and Scott County All Tournament teams three times each. She also won the Most Valuable Player award twice and other recognition including the Back 40 Award, Best Offensive Player, All-State, and team captain.

Non-athletic achievements include regular inclusion on the honor roll, Beta Club membership, National Honor Society, Class President, Homecoming Queen, Scholastic Athletic Award, Spanish Award, the 3.0 Club, The A.F. Hollingsworth Award, and Best All Around Class Favorite Award.

After graduating from Lake High School, Rogers-Sullivan played two years for the East Central Community College Basketball Team (Lady Warriors) which won state and regional championships in 2003-2004; and she was named team captain. She received Who’s Who Among College Students, Zeta Phi Beta Award, Leadership Award, and she was an Honor Graduate.

Rogers-Sullivan carried her talents to the next level at Belhaven University where she continued on the basketball court as the team captain. She won the Lady Blazer Iron Award, Most Improved Player award, and Gulf Coast All-American Team (2006-2007).

Rogers-Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in social services from Belhaven University, a Master’s degree in Rehabilitative Counseling from Jackson State University, and a Master’s degree in Arts and Teaching in education from Belhaven University.

She served as a graduate assistant for Belhaven University, coordinator for Weems Community Mental Health Center, as program specialist for Mississippi Department of Human Services (state office), as a counselor for Mississippi Department of Rehabilitative Services, as Workforce Placement Coordinator with East Central Community College.

Rogers-Sullivan has experience as a teacher/girls’ basketball coach with Newton Municipal School District where she was also named Teacher of the Month in January 2021. She moved McLaurin High School in Rankin County where she previously coached girls’ track and field for two years. She is currently in her fifth season as the girls’ head basketball coach at McLaurin where she has worked diligently on rebuilding the program and teaches sociology and psychology.  

Rogers-Sullivan is a member of St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church (Lake) where she has served faithfully since a young age. 

She is married to Rev. David Sullivan, and they have two beautiful daughters, Rakiya and Katelyn. 

Rogers-Sullivan is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., 2016; and also the following organizations at Jackson State University: Sigma Tau Delta/Kappa Omicron Chapter, 2019; Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society, 2019; Alpha Chi National Honor Society, 2018; Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society, 2018; and Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, 2017.

For 10 years of a stellar coaching career, Gina Skelton provided her talent and skills in guiding Forest High School athletes with quality guidance and mentorship while coaching multiple sports.

A native of Waynesboro, Skelton lettered four years in basketball and track at Waynesboro Central High School. In basketball, she won All-District and All-Sam Dale honors for three years, was named captain and Most Valuable Player, and selected to the Mississippi Association of Coaches South All-Star team. She was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lettermen’s Club, and Beta Club. She was also elected by her classmates as Miss WCHS, Most Athletic, Class Favorite, and served as a cheerleader.

After graduation in 1977 in the top 10 of her class, Skelton advanced to the Mississippi University for Women on a basketball scholarship. In addition to being on the President’s list academically, her memberships included Student National Education Association; Mississippi Association of Health; Physical Education and Recreation Club; D’Belle Social Club- pledge trainer, parliamentarian, assistant treasurer, and Women’s Recreation Association Representative.

Skelton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education, recreation, and dance with emphasis on athletic administration. She later returned to college where she earned a Master’s degree in education in 1986 at Mississippi State University.

In 1981, Skelton entered the coaching ranks at Pickens County High School in Reform, Ala., where she served as head girls’ varsity and junior high basketball coach and assistant high school softball coach. Two years later, Skelton moved to Carthage High School where she served as head coach for girls’ varsity, ninth, eighth and seventh grades for seven years. 

In 1990, Skelton arrived in Forest where she began a 10 year stint in the following coaching positions: head girls’ basketball, varsity and ninth grade, all 10 years; head girls’ basketball, eighth and seventh grades, four years; head boys’ basketball, one year; head softball, one year; head girls’ cross country, eight years; head boys’ cross country, two years; head girls’ track, varsity, nine years; head girls’ track, junior high, four years.

During her time in Scott County, Skelton was named Coach of the Year in boys’ and girls’ sports. She also started and coached the softball team and girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams at Forest. She was also named Teacher of the Year at Forest. During her one year as boys’ basketball coach at Forest, the team earned a final four berth in playoffs. She was the first female coach in Mississippi to take a boys’ basketball team to state while at Forest.

Skelton returned to her hometown in 2000 at Wayne County High School where she served as assistant athletic director, six years; head girls’ varsity basketball coach, 12 years; and head girls’ cross-country coach for seven years. She left for a brief time in 2012 for Quitman High School where she served as athletic academic advisor/Title IX coordinator for four years while also head coaching girls’ basketball for four years.

She returned to Waynesboro in 2016 where she remains at Wayne County High School having served as district athletic director, eighth year, after serving as assistant athletic director two years; and she is in her tenth year as head girls’ varsity basketball coach.         

Skelton is in her 45th year as a head basketball coach and holds a 1,015-383 overall record. She is the first female coach in Mississippi public schools to win over 1,000 games. She took teams from every school she coached to the final four in playoffs - the first female coach in Mississippi to do so. Her teams ranked in the top 10 overall in the state 16 times and twice in the top 12 in the nation. Other overall coaching achievements in basketball include:

· multiple Dandy Dozen, all-stars, and All-American players

· advanced to playoffs 35 times

· state championships – 4

· state runners-up - 4

· Final Four appearances – 16

· Elite Eight appearances – 24

· Sweet 16s – 36

· North/South State Championships – 11 (later discontinued)

· North/South State Runners-up – 3

· Division Championships – 23

· Division Runners-up – 13

· Seasons with 20+ wins – 25

· Seasons with 30+ wins – 8

· Numerous invitational tournament championships

· MHSAA Scholar Athlete Team Award every year since inception where teams must have overall 3.0 GPA or higher.

In her 15 years as a cross-country head coach, Skelton’s record includes two team state championships, three individual state champions, two state runners-up, 13 division championships, and four division runners-up. 

In her eight years as a track head coach, Skelton recorded five individual state champions; one state runner up team, one south state champion team, one south state runner up team, five division championship teams, three team division runners-up, and numerous invitational championship teams.

Skelton’s record also includes numerous Coach of the Year honors and awards at the local, state, and national levels in basketball. She has also served as an instructor and guest speaker at numerous events, clinics, and camps. She has held memberships in numerous professional coaching organizations and served as an officer and other leadership roles in many of them, such as president and other positions within the Mississippi Association of Coaches. She has served as a color analyst for the state basketball championships for NFHS Network for 11 years. 

Don C. (Pete) Stokes has a strong record as a player and coach of many different sports on the high school and college levels. 

Stokes played football, basketball, baseball and ran track for Pelahatchie High School. He was named Best Running Back and All-Conference player in football. He was named Best Defensive Player, All-Conference, and All State Tournament in basketball. 

After graduation in 1983, Stokes advanced to Jackson State University where he played football and was named Scholar Athlete of the Year and received the Walter Payton Award. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1988.

Stokes came to Forest High School where has coached multiple sports including football, basketball, baseball, and track. He has been part of four state championships and one state runner up in football. He also won Coaching Staff of the Year honors in Scott County. In track, three of his athletes won individual state championships. 

Under Stokes, girls’ track teams have won 12 consecutive divisional championships and 15 overall. The boys’ track team has won four divisional championships.

Stokes has served as an official in basketball and softball where he earned Umpire of the Year honors.

In addition to serving as a basketball official and training athletes, Stokes has 37 years of experience with the Forest Municipal School District and one year with Pearl city schools. 

He has three children including two daughters, Lateshia Pearson and Sonydrea Moore, and a son, Dontavie Body.

Sidney L. "Sid" Salter provided coverage of local high school athletics bringing attention to the achievements of students across Scott County. After that tenure, he served Mississippi in many ways through journalism and mass media before taking his current position at his collegiate alma mater.

A native of Philadelphia, Salter began a journalism career at the age of 14 in 1973 at radio station WHOC-AM. After graduating high school, he was a John C. Stennis Scholar in Political Science at Mississippi State University where he earned his college degree. 

At age 24, he became publisher and editor of The Scott County Times weekly newspaper in Forest in 1982. He served in that role until leaving in 2001 to become the Sunday opinion editorial section editor at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. He was also a commentator on WTOK-TV in Meridian for ten years and hosted the afternoon drive-time show on the Supertalk Mississippi radio network for three years.

Salter has been a syndicated political columnist for over 45 years. Besides teaching and writing at MSU as the first journalist in residence in 2011-12, he was the first journalist to hold the Kelly Gene Cook Chair in Journalism at the University of Mississippi in the 1990s. Salter also served there as an associate professor.

Since 1997, he has served on the board of directors of Community Bancshares of Mississippi, a multi-bank holding company operating as Community Bank in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He is chairman of the company's Audit Committee.

Salter was honored in 2004 as MSU’s National Alumnus of the Year and received the Agriculture Ambassador Award from the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation in 2006.

After a successful career as an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Salter joined MSU in 2011 as the university’s journalist-in-residence at the MSU Libraries, teaching courses in Political Science and Communication. He authored a biography honoring longtime MSU radio broadcaster Jack Cristil, which funded the Jack Cristil Scholarship in MSU’s Department of Communication. This scholarship annually supports students pursuing careers in broadcast journalism.

Salter currently serves as Vice President for Strategic Communications and Director of Public Affairs at Mississippi State University. The Office of Public Affairs functions as MSU's print, broadcast, and digital newsroom, social media platform, strategic marketing and advertising agency, photography and videography studio, and graphic design operation. 

Under Salter’s leadership, Public Affairs is also responsible for managing and updating MSU's website, responding quickly to media inquiries, and handling crisis information during emergencies. He also oversees MSU's campus radio station, WMSV-FM, and the University Television Center.

At MSU, Salter represents the university on the board of the University Press of Mississippi, the state’s academic press. He serves on the President’s Cabinet, the President’s Master Planning Committee, the Crisis Action Team, the Executive Council, the Athletics Council, the Data Security Council, and chairs the Special Events and Game Day Committee and the Symbols, Licensing, and Trademarks Committee.

A past president of the Starkville and Forest Rotary Clubs and a Paul Harris Fellow, Salter has served on the boards of the MSU Alumni Association, the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation, the Mississippi Economic Council, the Mississippi Press Association, and the Mississippi chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is president of the Natchez Trace Council of the Boy Scouts of America, serving 22 counties in northern Mississippi, and is a recipient of BSA’s Silver Beaver Award.

In 2018 and 2023, he was named to the “Mississippi Top 50” list honoring the state’s most influential leaders. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi University for Women, as well as print and broadcast journalism awards from the Associated Press. Salter is a member of the Mississippi Press Association’s Hall of Fame. 

He and his wife, Leilani, are the parents of four grown children and have nine grandchildren. They are members of Starkville Global Methodist Church in Starkville.

Chris Allen Baker is known by many athletes across Scott County as constantly present at numerous games and related sports events, always ready to cover their action and achievements for local media for nearly 14 years.

Baker, first a resident of Lake and later Forest, served as sports editor and later added managing editor to his duties at The Scott County Times from October 2003 until June 2017. He rotated among five high schools each week, sometimes visiting multiple campuses on the same night. In all the major sports, he followed local teams to away games as well as home games; covered tournaments and all-star events; and local, regional, and state championship playoff games.  

“It was my duty and desire to provide the best publicity possible to showcase our student athletes’ achievements on the playing fields, courts, and other venues. I enjoyed traveling to state championships in a variety of sports and producing special sections of the newspaper spotlighting the student-athletes’ participation,” Baker said.

“I also enjoyed getting to know many players and coaches who came through the athletic programs during my tenure and working with them to getting their actions into the newspaper. I proudly watched student athletes grow, and I covered some of them again when they returned to Scott County as coaches and have families of their own.”

A native of Winona, Miss., Baker played peewee football and little league baseball during his early childhood and later served as a baseball manager and statistician during his senior year. He also wrote a weekly news column in his hometown newspaper for three years and attended a collegiate journalism summer workshop before graduating from Winona High School in 1989. 

Baker attended the University of Mississippi where he frequently covered the Ole Miss Rebels athletic programs and other news, working for The Daily Mississippian student newspaper. In addition to winning writing and service awards, Baker represented the university as a member of the National Board of Directors for the Society of Professional Journalists, and was the president of the organization’s student chapter at Ole Miss. He was also named to the university’s Who’s Who student recognition program.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in political science in 1995, Baker worked for weekly newspapers across North Mississippi covering news, sports, and features in Winona and Batesville. He moved to a weekly newspaper in Flowood in Central Mississippi before landing as a copy editor at The Clarion-Ledger daily newspaper in Jackson. 

Baker took a break in 2000 to work for the Mississippi Department of Transportation and later the Institutions of Higher Learning in public relations before returning to a daily newspaper in 2002 at The Meridian Star in Meridian. He returned to weekly newspapers at Philadelphia to work for The Neshoba Democrat and The Kemper Messenger before his arrival in Scott County in 2003. 

Baker returned to state service in 2017 in communications as a Public Relations II/Special Projects Officer IV with the Mississippi Department of Corrections in Jackson where he has served for almost nine years.

Baker’s journalism career includes receiving numerous awards in news and sports writing and photography through the Society of Professional Journalists in college and the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Investigative Reporting and the Freedom of Information awards among others while in Scott County. 

In 2014, Baker accepted an invitation to join the Scott County Sports Hall of Fame committee where he continues to serve as secretary/treasurer. 

Baker loves playing and promoting chess and directing tournaments. He is the founder and coordinator of the Scott County Chess Club, member of the Madison County and Capital City Chess clubs, and vice-president of the Mississippi Chess Association. He enjoys attending orchestra concerts and serves as the president of the Forest High School Band Booster Club. He won four medals in the Wing Dang Doodle (5K walk) Dash in Forest including a first place, two second places, and a third place.

Baker is also a former member of the Forest Rotary Club where he served as president in 2010-2011

He is married almost 20 years to Emily Stromberg Baker, a music teacher at Forest Elementary School and a cellist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Their son, Aaron, 15, is a sophomore at Forest High School and is active with the band and tennis programs. The Bakers are members of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, past members of the former St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Forest and past associate members of the former Forest United Methodist Church. 

Forest football fans may remember a special feature of Friday night gridiron games decades ago when “The Bag and Jack Show” narrated the action and provided insightful commentary and spotlighting the students’ achievements to the community. 

This time the spotlight will be on Freddie Bagley and Jackie Calhoun when the Scott County Sports Hall of Fame honors the men behind the microphones later this month.  

For approximately 15 years, Bagley and Calhoun volunteered their time and effort producing the “The Bag and Jack Show” in support of the Forest football and band programs. The show covered all games, not live but recorded. With support from Wayne Robinson, the show was broadcast on Saturday mornings on Northland Cable TV following the games.

The show began in the early 1980s, although Calhoun said he is unsure of the exact first date which they started on the local cable television provider.

“The broadcasts were the brainchild of Bert Atkison and former Bearcat announcer Jimmy Goodwin,” Calhoun said. “My first experience was when Forest was playing a football game at West Lauderdale. Steve Driggers was the play-by-play guy, and I filled in as a camera man, standing on top of West Lauderdale’s press box. I kind of liked it and when Steve moved to Alabama the next year, I brought in Freddie Bagley. We continued until the late 1990s.”

From there, Bagley, a former Bearcat quarterback and coach, handled the play-by-play calling and Calhoun, a former Bearcat lineman, provided the “color” commentary. Bagley said he and Calhoun complemented each other during the broadcast.
“Jackie and I had a natural repartee, and it showed on the broadcast,” Bagley said. “I generally was the straight man, and Jack would come up with some outlandish remarks, etc. One could tell that we genuinely enjoyed each other and Bearcat football. It didn’t hurt that we had three state championships in the 1990s and our band was still all-superior. What a product we had!”

Calhoun said the neatest thing about the experience was knowing the football players could watch and record their games using the show. “It was always about the players, the band members and their time on the ‘stage,’” Bagley added. “We tried to broadcast as many names of the players as we could. Everyone likes to hear their names called out and we made it a point to do so.”

The broadcast team also included other volunteers. Bo Bounds operated the camera, and Sunay Patel kept the statistics. Sometimes, Patel could not help himself and he would blast, “Can I get a witness” when a Bearcat broke loose for long score. After Bounds moved to Laurel, Dr. Ken Strong became a reliable camera man. Paul Bridges filled in for a couple of years when Bagley moved to the coast.

Bagley and Calhoun became local celebrities after about a year on the air, and when kids saw one or both on the streets, they would say, “There’s Bag and Jack.” Calhoun saw the opportunity for marketing the telecast and ordered pullover shirts for the crew branded with the show’s name.

Bagley said he has “many great memories” of their times together, including broadcasting from the press box of Mississippi Memorial Stadium to roaming the stands in search of stories. On a personal note, Calhoun’s biggest thrill was broadcasting his son’s teams winning two state championships. “It was a blast to go on road trips; we had a great time and were like family,” Calhoun said. 

A major part of the “Bag and Jack Show” was the financial support that Bagley and Calhoun mustered for the football and band programs through fundraising projects.

Bagley said Calhoun deserves all the credit for the fundraising side. “He saw the revenue potential and what it could do to help the football team and then later the band,” Bagley said. “He worked tirelessly to get the new field house built, which he accomplished.”

Calhoun said that Tommy Lee, longtime “Voice of the Bearcats” on the public address system during football games, told school principals to buy the football players whatever they needed, and the Athletic Boosters Club would buy whatever else they wanted. “If I had to guess,” Calhoun noted, “over about a 15-year period, ‘The Bag and Jack Show’ raised more than $250,000 for the Bearcat Athletic and Band Boosters.”

Calhoun wasted little time seeing the needs and finding opportunities to meet them.  “The first thing I noticed when we started, there were only 15 sponsors. Realizing that they were leaving money on the table, I was soon able to increase it to 86 sponsors each year,” Calhoun said. “We had so much money that after a couple of years Coach Jack French suggested we give half of the funds raised to the Forest Band Boosters.”

Bagley added,” We made a practice of announcing the sponsors at least two times every broadcast, and I think it became a point of pride in the community to be included.” 

Calhoun said their most successful fundraising project resulted in a new football field house.

“When Coach (Jack) French mentioned that we needed a new field house, we went to work. I embarrassed Bag a little bit when I had KFC buckets passed around the stadium during home games collecting $1 to $5 donations,” Calhoun said. “I knew that we would not get much money, but I achieved my goal of public awareness. We even had a $5,000 raffle.”

After about a year of fundraising Calhoun had achieved his goal of $35,000 for the field house project. This effort, combined with public support largely from the promotion of Sid Salter and The Scott County Times, caught the attention of Forest’s top school administrator. Superintendent Richard Hill postponed plans for a new administrative office and instead funded the rest of the field house, Calhoun said. 

“The field house is named after Richard Hill, and the weight room was dedicated to the memory of Jimmy Goodwin. My goal was to have the project completed in time that my son, Paul, could enjoy using it in his senior year,” Calhoun said.

By Johnny Loper, FHS Class of 1970

The 1969 Bearcats football team was one of the best in Forest High School history and they will have another opportunity for recognition and to reminisce their gridiron success later this month. 

The 1969 Bearcats finished their season 10-0-1 and the only blemish was a 6-6 tie with Warren Central in the season opener. They brought Forest the first of two consecutive Little Dixie Conference Championships, which remain a source of pride almost 57 years later. 

Some of the players and most of the coaches are gone and the Little Dixie Conference passed into history two generations ago. However, some players have kept memories of that storied season alive by a regular stroll down memory lane. Having dubbed themselves “The Lunch Bunch,” seven 1969 FHS seniors meet monthly for lunch for reminiscing. They include Freddie Bagley (QB), Bill Blossom (center), Ralph Brown and Steve Clark (backs), Drew Hunt (tackle), Jimmy May (guard), Bill Pace (tight end), along with former Bearcat mascot Shot Risher. 

The lunch tradition began when Clark, the group’s “social chairman,” and Risher took Brown to lunch for his birthday on September 18, 2020, and the remaining four regular members joined later. Other teammates have attended, including Malon Reid, who did not play in 1969, but attended every practice and every game. Some players from earlier Bearcat teams also occasionally attend the lunches.

Success for the 1969 Bearcats was not certain. Head Coach Ken Bramlett’s 1968 squad finished 8-3, including a Crystal Bowl win. A preseason coaches’ poll projected the Bearcats to win the Northern Division of the conference. Big pieces from the 1968 team — among them 1,000-yard rusher Ronny Jones and defensive leader Henry Risher — graduated and signed scholarships with Mississippi State. 

No one admitted to predicting a championship season in 1969, although the seniors certainly believed they could be something special. Most of them had played football together since the seventh grade. Jimmy May said junior high Coach Ken Gordon taught that group to believe in themselves and that belief carried over to high school. The seniors believed they had a chance to be really good when preseason practice began.

Coach Bramlett and assistant coaches Warren Crain and Gary Risher felt the same way, according to Crain, the only surviving member of the staff. Crain recalls “They had a good year when they were juniors, all of them were coming back. They knew the drill and already had our offense and defense down.”

Preseason practice, also known as August when all the running and hitting happened, was dreaded largely because of the heat and humidity. Hunt remembers many of the players worked outside summer jobs like hauling hay specifically to help prepare them for August. But August 1969 was worse than most. 

Pace’s description is pointed: August practice in 1969 was “hot, humid, and brutal.” Bagley recalls the humidity left over from Hurricane Camille was “almost unbearable.” Clark can still recite the onerous practice schedule - be dressed and on the field by 7 a.m.; 2 ½ hours of practice; go home and rest until 1:30 p.m.; back at the gym to watch game films from the previous year; back on the field at 2:30 or 3 for another 2 ½ hours of practice; then run wind sprints. Hydration was not deemed as important in 1969 as it is today, and persistent “cotton mouth” was a common condition after a just few minutes of practice.

Clark said “Bramlett ran practice like a drill sergeant.” Hunt said Bramlett was “strict but fair.” May said “we knew he [Bramlett] was in charge and that we had to answer to him if we messed up on or off the field.” Bagley describes Bramlett as the CEO who delegated assignments, but the players “knew who the ‘head man’ was.” While Clark said, “we had no trick plays other than an occasional split end around; Bramlett didn’t believe in trick plays.” Bagley said he came to realize “how sophisticated our offense was in terms of formations: slot, wing-T, power I, two tight ends, wishbone, double slot, and pro.” Bramlett believed in hard-nosed football. 

When asked to identify the leaders of that team, Coach Crain and some members of the Lunch Bunch cover the waterfront, naming individually all the members of the Lunch Bunch plus others like seniors Richard Austin and John David Calhoun, who have died. Other Lunch Bunchers nominate “the whole senior class.” 

Lunch Bunchers’ opinions of which games stand out to them are near-unanimous. The Warren Central game was the toughest, and the championship game against Magee the most memorable. The Lunch Bunchers said a turning point in the Warren Central game was when defensive leader Calhoun was injured and had to leave the game. Crain admits that “Warren Central was very prepared for us and caught us off guard” with what Bagley recalls was a gap-8 defense that made blocking tough. Crain credits defensive back and Lunch Bunchers member Ralph Brown with an interception that “saved us” and kept the game at a 6-6 tie.

The Bearcats dominated with 10 straight wins after the tie, outscoring those opponents 373-71. The Bearcats’ smallest margin of victory during that stretch, 17 points; and the most points allowed in a game, 14, with four shutouts. 

The championship game was close at first, but the Bearcats wore Magee down and won 46-13. While the Lunch Bunchers remember the joy of the on-field post-game celebration, Bagley recalls, rather than a lot of yelling and celebrating, “there was quiet on the bus [going home]. We realized we had attained our goal, and it was over. We realized it was the journey, the hardships, and the brotherhood of the players that were more important than the actual victory.” 

Years later, after leaving coaching and while working as a district manager for a pharmaceutical company, Crain often visited clients and potential clients. He happened to call on a doctor in Magee who opposed Forest in that 1969 championship game. Crain said the doctor confessed “the Magee team kind of ignored us. Big mistake. We kicked their butts, and the doctor admitted it.” 

Crain also noted that the 1969 team considered his wife, Susan, their lucky charm. The team wanted her to attend the championship game, but she was pregnant and didn’t need to travel. The team wanted to rent an ambulance to get Susan to the game, but Dr. Bill Austin said “No.” Thankfully, Susan’s absence had no adverse effect on the Bearcats that night. 

Memories remain alive for the Lunch Bunch. The August training and the championship season that followed created a fellowship and a bond that survived time and distance. They were the elders and the core leadership of a team that achieved a historic first for their school. The Lunch Bunch evolved to keep those memories alive and observe and renew the special brotherhood that began on a hot August morning in 1969.

“The coaches walked out of the field house on a humid early morning on August 10, 1969, with the task of molding 46 boys into Little Dixie competitors. They structured the game plan; we listened, learned, and repeated that plan until we became a well-polished machine. What the coaches didn’t know is the legacy of brotherhood they left among us all,” Pace said. “We won the Little Dixie championship and in addition have succeeded in life in our own ways due to those three coaches who instilled in all of us principles, hard work, and being able to depend on each other.” 

Scott Engle served as the keynote speaker for the Class of 2026 induction ceremony

Engle was raised in Blount County, Alabama, and graduated as

valedictorian in 1987. A standout athlete at Appalachian High School, he earned

All-State honors as a linebacker and received both the United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award and the prestigious Bear Bryant/Shug Jordan Scholar-Athlete Award in 1987.

He continued his football career at East Central Community College, where he played fullback for two seasons and was the team’s leading scorer in 1988. Scott graduated from ECCC in 1989 with an Associate’s Degree in Drafting.

In 1993, Scott and his father-in-law founded G&E Construction, building a successful business that they later sold in 2019. That same year Scott surrendered to the call to preach and began pastoring churches in Neshoba and Newton Counties, faithfully serving local congregations for many years.

In 2019, Scott transitioned into full-time ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as an

Area Director serving East Central Mississippi. His area of responsibility includes five counties, 18 high schools, hundreds of coaches, and thousands of student-athletes. He also currently serves

on the coaching staff at East Central Community College football as Character Coach and Team

Chaplain.

In 2021 Scott was inducted into the Blount County Sports Hall of Fame.

Scott has been married to his wife, Michele Gregory Engle, since 1989. Together they have two

children and five grandchildren.