Hall adds four and ‘76 team
By Jeff Reed / Sports Editor / pulaskisports@gmail.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009 11:07 AM CDT
One of the winningest coaches in Arkansas high school history will be among the inductees into the Jacksonville High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
The third class of inductees includes Little Rock Central coach Bernie Cox (JHS Class of 1962), football player Mike Dewey (’77), baseball standout Ray Harris (’84) and basketball star John Buckwalter (’86). The 1976 state championship football team also will be honored.
The induction and banquet will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Jacksonville Community Center. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under the age of 12. The honorees also will be recognized at halftime of the Jacksonville-Little Rock Parkview game Friday night.
Dewey was an All-State defensive end and captain on the 1976 Class AAA state title team. He played at the University of Arkansas from 1977-1981. He lettered for the Razorbacks in 1978 and 79.
Cox was quarterback and captain of the 1961 football team. He played at Harding College from 1962-1965. This is his final season of coaching at Central, where he has led the Tigers to seven state titles and 18 conference championships since 1975. He also has been inducted to the Arkansas and Harding sports halls of fame.
Harris, who pitched for the Red Devils, was the Arkansas Democrat Player of the Year in 1984. He pitched for the University of Arkansas from 1985-1988, helping the Hogs to the College World Series in 1985 and 1987. He was drafted by Oakland in 1988.
Buckwalter earned All-State basketball honors in 1986. He attended the University of Tulsa in 1987 and Centenary College from 1988-91. He received All-Conference honors his senior year and was named an Academic All-American. He received his doctorate of philosophy from Arkansas in 1995.
The 1976 AAA Championship team was captained by Mark Dewey, Tony Tademy and Rocky Mantooth. It was the school’s first state championship. The team finished 12-1 and shut out Hot Springs 3-0 in the title game.
For more information or for tickets, contact Gaylon Boshears at 525-0595 or gaylon@ecmgevents.com
