COLUMBUS — It was a celebratory mood at the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau on Thursday members of the inaugural Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame gathered to celebrate the organization and their recognition. The 10 members will be inducted at a banquet ceremony on April 18.
“This is recognizing the people who have shaped the sports culture in this area,” organization vice president Trip Hairston said. “That’s a very important thing, we do a lot of recognition for schools, other activities, business leaders and our sports leaders, but this formalizes that recognition.”
Inductees present on the day included Sam Fletcher, Ronnie Richardson, Roosevelt Bridges and Frank Griffin.
“I think it’s the best time right now,” Bridges said of starting the hall of fame. “We have a lot of folks who have gone on to glory, but some are still here and it’s the right time to do this for the city of Columbus.”
Bridges coached basketball, baseball and football at Motley/West Lowndes High School, winning two state titles as baseball coach, and later served as principal of the school. He, like Griffin, mentored generations of young athletes in his time as a coach, and is looking forward to his former players following him into the hall of fame one day.
“During my tenure, I faced a lot of coaches, a lot of students, and I know a lot of them who would fit this criteria right now,” Bridges said. “I was surprised I was one of the first ones, but it’s a great time because there’s a lot of folks who would fit right in.”
Richardson, another baseball great from Columbus, shared his appreciation for the honor.
As a star shortstop, guard and quarterback, Richardson competed across the board for Lee High School, but rose above his peers most on the diamond as the most dominant pitcher in Mississippi high school baseball history.
“I am so elated, man. I’m grateful, I’m appreciative,” he said. “As an athlete coming up I was dedicated, ambitious and committed to the sport. I just wanted to win and do what it took to win.”
The weekend of the ceremony in April will be extra special for Richardson, who is set to be married the next day.
“When he called me, I told my fiance, this is on the 18th, we’re getting married on the 19th,” he said. “The day after, that Saturday, and it’s just two great opportunities to enjoy myself.”
The class will see several posthumous inductions as well, including Stan Black, Billy Brewer, Carl Butler, and Cary Shepherd.
Shepherd, the lone woman in the inaugural class, was represented by her children on the day, who remarked on her legacy of establishing a winning culture for New Hope softball shortly after the sport was introduced for girls to compete.
“It’s an honor that she’s being recognized,” said her son, Mike Shepherd. “She really enjoyed coaching the girls, worked really hard doing it and we’re honored that she is being recognized for what she accomplished.”
Shepherd is also known as the First Lady of Softball in Mississippi for her role in expanding the sport. She is a member of the Mississippi Association of Coaches’ Hall of Fame already and now will be recognized locally for establishing a dynasty in New Hope.
“When she started that program I think there were 11 girls on the team,” Mike added. “Over the 25 years she coached it got to the point where there was 50-60 girls out there. That being said, the competition level that she had pushed every other school around the state to get better. All of the state championships, the years on top, everyone wants to beat you and I’d say that pushed a lot of those young athletes.”
The announcement of the first class was the result of more than a year of work by the young organization, but will be the first of many classes as several of the first round of nominees are likely to follow the inaugural class. There is a long legacy created by the first class, and the organization sees that legacy joining them soon enough.
“Think about (Butler’s) legacy with the swim team…,” Hairston said. “There will be many inductees to the LCSHOF that were his athletes. That goes for all of you, people you inspired will be inducted in future years to this hall of fame. What a legacy you all are leaving as the inaugural class.”
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