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T. MAX CHAMPION MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT T. Max Champion T. Max Champion's football coaching career spanned over five decades. Champion coached football at East Rutherford, Chase and R.S. Central. He also coach baseball at East Rutherford. Champion coached football for a total of 36 years and baseball for 12. Champion was a 1969 East Rutherford graduate and 1974 Appalachian State graduate. He began his career in education as the driver's education teacher at East Rutherford. Champion was a founding member of the Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. His guidance and leadership were an integral part in the success of RCSHOF. Champion served as a board member from 2017 until his death on April 19th, 2021. The Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame annual golf tournament is named in his memory. T. Max Champion will not be remembered as just a coach. He will also be remembered as a man of faith, son, husband, father, grandfather and mentor to the thousands of kids he came in contact with during his life. t. max Champion Memorial video T. Max Champion Memorial Golf Tournament 1 What is it? The Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame hosts an annual golf tournament to support their yearly operations including funding their scholarship recipients. We take pride in knowing that celebrating previous athletes can promote the success of rising Rutherford County athletes. We enjoy the sportsmanship of the game, raising funds for a good cause, and playing in honor of T. Max. 2 When is it ? July 25th, 2025 Teeing off at 9 AM View the Course 3 How to enter or sponsor? Our Board Member, Randy Page can give you more information about either playing in the tournament or sponsoring it. Phone: 828-429-7773 Email: info@rcshof.org Team Registration Form Sponsorship Form FROM 2023 TOURNAMENT - Don't Miss Out - SIGN UP FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS‭, ‬INFO AND UPDATES‭!‬ SUBSCRIBE Thanks for submitting!

- Welcome - Entering Rutherford County's Finest Athletics Territory ABOUT US In January of 2017, a committee was commissioned by local citizens of Rutherford County to establish a Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame (RCSHOF) for the purpose of recognizing the efforts and achievements of athletes, coaches, and contributors. Fourteen members make up the Board of Directors of RCSHOF and they created the guidelines and selection process. The inductees should embody the intent, spirit, and historical context or Rutherford County's finest. MEET THE BOARD MEMBERS GOLF TOURNAMENT UPCOMING EVENTS July 25th Ball in the air at 9 AM Click here to learn more! 2025 INDUCTION CEREMONY UPCOMING EVENTS April 24th at 6:00pm ICC Foundation Click here to buy your ticket! Our Mission The Rutherford County Sports Hall of Fame is established to provide a means to recognize the extraordinary efforts and achievements of athletes, coaches, teams and contributors throughout Rutherford County. Our Legacy Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info - Don't Miss Out - SIGN UP FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS‭, ‬INFO AND UPDATES‭!‬ SUBSCRIBE Thanks for submitting! SAY HI!

< Back Smokey Burgess 2017 from Caroleen, NC, was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1949-1967. Later in his career, he became known for his ability as a pinch hitter, setting the major league career record for career pinch-hits with 145. He became one of the best pinch hitters in major league history. In his playing days, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. "Smoky" made his major league debut as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs in April of 1949 at the age of 22. He went on to play with the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. While with the Pittsburgh Pirates, they became World Series champions in 1960. During an eighteen-year major league career, Burgess played in 1,691 games hitting for a 295 career batting average with 126 home runs, 673 RBI and a .362 on-base percentage. He accumulated 1,318 career hits with 230 doubles and 33 triples. His .295 career batting average ranked him 10th among Major League catchers as of 2006. A six-time All-Star, Burgess led National League catchers in fielding percentage three times, in 1953, 1960 and 1961. When his playing career ended, Burgess spent many years with the Atlanta Braves as a scout and minor league batting coach with the Pulaski Braves in Pulaski, VA. Burgess was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1975.

< Back Stacy Lail 2017 coached at his alma mater, RS Central. During high school, Lail was all conference in three sports: football, basketball and baseball. After graduating, he attended Isothermal Community College, where he played on the basketball team and graduated in 1971 with and Associates of Arts Degree from which he was selected to participate in the Junior College All Star Game in Ferrum, Virginia. Upon completion of his Associates, Lail went to Appalachian State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Physical Education. Through a series of events, Lail landed the position of the head men's varsity basketball coach for 11 years. He was also head baseball coach for two years and the cross-country coach for ten years. In basketball, they were conference champions for eight years. He was named Coach of the year for seven years and won two state championships and runner-up for one. Under his direction, two men's basketball teams made their way to NCHSAA AAA State Championships (1980 and 1986). In 1980, he led his team in an undefeated season, 32-0. When he retired from coaching in 1988, he held a remarkable record of 253 wins to 54 loses. At the time of his retirement, he was ranked 1st amongst all active coaches and 3rd in all time North Carolina Coaches. In 1980, he was named Spartanburg Herald's Coach of the Year. Also, during his coaching career from 1978-1988, Lail brought the cross-country program to RS Central. His efforts proved effective as they brought home conference championships in 1980 and the years 1982 through 1988. Lail ranked 29th on coach's roster in June 1980 edition of "Basketball Weekly", In 1988, Lail was selected to coach the NC High School East/West All Star game. He received the 1990 Outstanding Alumnus Award at Isothermal Community College, On January 15, 2010, RS Central High School named their gymnasium the Stacy L. Lail, Jr. Gymnasium. Lastly, a documentary film, simply named 32-0, was created and featured at the 2016 Tryon International Film festival which encapsulated Lail's achievement with his 1980 basketball team which achieved a winning season of 32-0. Coach Lail was inducted in Rutherford County Schools Education Hall of Fame in 2015. He also was nominated to both NCHSAA & NC Sports Hall of Fame the same year.

< Back Don Padgett 2017 from Caroleen, NC, was an American professional baseball player, catcher/outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals (1937-41), Brooklyn Dodgers (1946), Boston Braves (1946) and Philadelphia Phillies (1947-48). He attended Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. Padgett signed with the St. Louis Cardinals' organization in 1935. The left-handed hitting outfielder made his major league debut with the Cardinals in 1937, playing 123 regular season games and batting an impressive .314 with 74 RBIs. In 1938, his average dipped to 271 but he came back with an incredible 399 batting average in 92 games in 1939 while adjusting from being an outfielder to a catcher. On December 10, 1941, the Cardinals sold Padgett to the Dodgers for $25,000. On March 28, 1942, Padgett left Brooklyn's training camp to report to his home draft board for induction into the Army. On April 1, 1942, he chose instead to enlist in the Navy and was sworn in. On July 7, 1942, Padgett was selected for an All-Service team that played against an American League all-star squad at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Before 62,059 fans, the American League beat the servicemen, 5-0. Padgett's main contribution to the game was a screeching single to left field in the first inning but he was left stranded on base. By August 1944, Padgett was coaching a US Navy team in Australia. In January 1946, at the age of 34, Padgett was released from military service after missing four professional baseball seasons.

< Back Ray Rice 2022 Ray Rice kickboxing and Martial Arts career has taken him all over the world while earning him many accolades, but Rice still has deep roots in Rutherford County. Rice is a 1973 graduate of CHASE High School but began pursing karate in 1971. He opened the Ray Rice Martial Arts Center in 1976, which has operated in several locations in Rutherford County through the years but is currently located on West Main Street in Forest City. During the past 46 years, he has trained and inspired thousands of students. While teaching, Rice became active on the competition circuit in 1982, traveling to 18 different states and four countries, Russia, Canada, France and Italy, during his career. By the time he retired from competition in 1997, Rice had an overall record of 130-9, earning him a #1 World Ranking for Kickboxing in the Super Middleweight division (164-171 lbs.) in 1992. Of those nine losses, Rice rebounded to beat seven of those opponents in rematches. Rice also owns three kickboxing world titles and holds an overall eighth degree Black Belt and individual Black Belts in Japanese Shotokan, Korean Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. Along with Kickboxing, Rice has earned distinction in other competitions, as well. He has hundreds of wins in both Kurnite (weapons) and empty hands form. As a result of these accomplishments, along with several accolades in Self-Defense, Rice earned the National Competitor of the Year five consecutive times. The biggest indicator of Rice's success, however, is the number of students who have earned Black Belts under his tutelage. It takes a minimum of four years to earn this distinction and Rice says his students are, "Capable of contributing to society in a positive way". In addition to training others, Rice himself has trained with martial arts legends Chuck Norris (Walker Texas Ranger) and Jason David Frank from the original Power Rangers TV series. Rice has also been involved with Norris' Kick Drugs Out of America program, now known as KickStart Kids. Despite all his accomplishments, Rice says his most important achievement is lifting people up and helping them achieve their goals. Rice adds that, "The years teach much that the days never knew", and "You can't teach what you don't know. You can't lead where you have never been."

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BOARD MEMBERS History THE Board of directors of rcshof Held its first meeting in february of 2017 and meet monthly identifying the needs of the organization. A fundraising idea surfaced to host a golf tournament to fund the financial requirements and provide an induction ceremony for the inductees. the board of directors decided to move forward in a positive direction without hesitation to outline the process of nominations and selections with the purpose to the induct the first class in 2017. Nominations were made in the following categories: athlete, coach, and contributor. Rcshof board Co- Chairman Rodney Greene Co- Chairman Jody Wright Treasurer Linda smith Assistant Treasurer ulysses miller Secretary Lynnette Martin Members tony helton phil luckadoo David smith paul tim jones randy page malcolm watson tommy porter LaMonda Miller Davis Stacy lail ANGELA HAMILTON - Don't Miss Out - SIGN UP FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS‭, ‬INFO AND UPDATES‭!‬ SUBSCRIBE Thanks for submitting!

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< Back William "Bill" Keever 2018 Olympic athlete in the trap shoot category, was born in Rutherford County, graduating from R-S Central High School in 1994. He was a four-time All-American 1991-1994, winning 13 state trophies. He was a member of the 1995 Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs and as a part of the 2000 Olympic Team, finished 12* in a select field, earned a bronze in the 2007 World Cup in Korea and a gold in 2006. Keever served as a shooter/instructor in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit from 1996 to 2012. He earned an AA in General Studies from Isothermal Community College in 1996. He graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Applied Management Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services. Keever is currently the West Region President of Heavy Equipment Colleges of America in San Bernardino, CA. Keever is a volunteer with GameDay for Heroes, saying: "Working with Wounded Warriors is a passion intertwined in the fiber of my being."

SCHOLARSHIPS Chase Football Photo: Dustin's Way Info about Scholarships One of our goals when we began the RCSHOF was to start a scholarship program for student athletes. While the RCSHOF was founded in 2017 It was not until 2019 when we were able to make that goal a reality. We give one male and one female scholarship to each of the four county high schools that compete in the NCHSAA . The first class of Scholarship recipients were in 2019 and we awarded eight. Due to covid-19 we were unable to grant scholarships to the classes of 2020 and 2021. But in 2022 we were able to revive that program of work again and grant eight students with scholarships. 2023 Recipients FAQ about our Scholarship 1 Who is it for? One male student and one female student that is a senior and attends one of the four county high schools that compete in the NCHSAA. Those schools being: Chase High School East Rutherford High School R-S Central High School Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy 2 What does it take? Recipients are chosen based on: Having a good academic standing Participation in a sport Financial need 3 How do you get chosen? There is no formal application for students to complete. They are chosen by a group of coaches from each school. 2022 Recipients 2019 Recipients East Rutherford Quay Logan Abbey Ranta RS Central Daniel Luke Ferguson Caitlin Dailey Chase Thomas Jefferson Heath Waldrop Sidney McCranie Issac Roberson Lauren Bennett - Don't Miss Out - SIGN UP FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS‭, ‬INFO AND UPDATES‭!‬ SUBSCRIBE Thanks for submitting!

< Back Lewis Jolley 2017 native of Bostic, NC and graduate from East Rutherford High School 1967, played his collegiate football career at UNC Chapel Hill from 1969-1971 as a running back, wing back and kick-off return, after receiving a scholarship in spite of not being able to play his senior year due to injury. He was later drafted in 1972 by the Houston Oilers as the highest NFL draft pick in Rutherford County history (56). From 1972-1974, Jolly played with the Houston Oilers, the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Stars. Jolley, because of his superb performance as a running back for UNC Chapel Hill, was also selected as a key member of the 1971 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, which consisted of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1971 college football season. While playing collegiately, during warmups against Notre Dame, a former teammate recalled this exchange: "Lewis Jolley was catching punts, running them a short distance, and turning around to go catch another one. As I kicked a field goal, Lewis jogged by and yelled, "We're in some deep $--t." I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "I will be back." He caught another punt, jogged by, and said, "These guys are huge." I said, "Lewis we knew that before today." He said, "'Il be back." He came back again, this time with a bit of laughter and bigger than normal eyes peering from his helmet, Lewis said, "They do not have their shoulder pads on yet." I turned and looked, he was right, they did not have their shoulder pads on and they were already huge!!"