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< Back Billy Ray Vickers 2022 Forest City native Billy Ray Vickers was a force on the football field for the CHASE Trojans on both sides of the ball during his high school playing career from 1972-76. He went on to have a productive four seasons at NC State before an injury cut a promising NFL career short. Vickers, who grew up working on his grandparents' cotton farm, played at CHASE under fellow RCSHOF member Coach John Keeter. In 1974 asa junior, Vickers rushed for 632 yards and two touchdowns, as the Trojans finished at 4-4-1 in the Southwestern Conference. Vickers came into his own during his senior season of 1975. He and teammate Ray Harris formed a fearsome backfield tandem with each crossing the 1,000-yard mark, the first pair of teammates to reach that milestone during the same season in CHASE history. In all, Vickers rushed for 1,241 yards and 19 touchdowns in 1975, helping CHASE to an undefeated regular season and a conference title. In CHASE'S first round playoff win versus Watauga, held at Gardner-Webb's Spangler Stadium, Vickers rushed for four touchdowns in the Trojans' 45-0 victory. He was also the team's leading tackler that day. As a result of his outstanding senior season, Vickers was selected to play in the 1975 Shrine Bowl where he was named Defensive Player of the Game. Vickers was recruited to NC State (where he majored in Animal Science) by legendary coach Lou Holtz and played for Bo Rein. As a sophomore, Vickers rushed for a career-best 726 yards, helping NCSU earn a 24-14 Peach Bowl victory over lowa State. Vickers was featured in a Sports Illustrated preview of that game. As a junior, he scored eight touchdowns, and even though he was hampered by injuries in 1979 as a senior, Vickers averaged 4.6 yards per carry for a Wolfpack team that won the ACC Title. In all, Vickers garnered 2,375 All-Purpose yards and 12 touchdowns during his college career. Vickers was drafted by the Washington Redskins and later signed by the Baltimore Colts, but a knee injury cut his NFL career short. Vickers turned his efforts to other endeavors, mainly the manufacturing industry. Through the years, he has built several successful businesses and now he is the founder, owner and CEO of seven companies. One of those companies is Modular Assembly Innovations (MAI), a $1.2 billion automotive component manufacturing enterprise based in Dublin, Ohio. It employs more than 350 workers in four states and is ranked in the top five on the Black Enterprise List of 100 Top Black-owned companies in the nation as of 2019.

< Back John Keeter 2022 Even though he was born in Gaston County, John Keeter's impact on the Rutherford County sports landscape is undeniable. He was a standout athlete at Gardner- Webb, before becoming the longtime head coach of the CHASE High School football team. Keeter began his football career as a player at Stanley High School in Gaston County. He was a top offensive lineman that paved the way for the Blue Devils' perfect 10-0 record and a Little 6 Conference Title as a junior in 1955. After graduating from Stanley in 1957, Keeter began his college football career at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, before transferring to Gardner-Webb when it was a Jr. College in 1958. He played two seasons for the Runnin' Bulldogs on the offensive line. In 1959, Keeter earned Gardner-Webb's "Best Lineman" Award, to go with All-American honors for his performance on the field that season. Keeter, who was also a catcher for the Gardner-Webb baseball team, was inducted in the Gardner-Webb University Hall-of-Fame in 2015. After Gardner-Webb, Keeter joined the United States Army where he served from 1960-62. He was a member of the prestigious Honor Guard Company that is tasked with guarding The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. After leaving the Army, Keeter finished his playing career at Western Carolina, where he was elected as a team captain in 1964. He then began a long and successful coaching career, starting at Newton Conover from 1966-70, coaching football, wrestling and Track. After spending two seasons in the college ranks as head coach of WCU's freshman football team, Keeter became the head coach at St. Stephens High School in Hickory for football, wrestling and Track from 1971-72. In the Fall of '72, Keeter came to Rutherford County as CHASE'S head football coach, leading the Trojans for nearly two decades, from 1972-1991. He was also the head coach for the wrestling and Track teams during his Trojan tenure, along with serving as the school's Athletic Director. Keeter is most well-known for his success on the gridiron, however. He garnered a school-record 72 wins at CHASE and coached three future NFL players, Chuck McSwain,Rodney McSwain, and Billy Ray Vickers, all of whom are also members of the RCSHOF. Keeter's best seasons with CHASE came in 1975 and 1976, where he led the Trojans to an undefeated season in '75 and to back- to-back Southwestern Conference Titles. As a result, Keeter earned consecutive Conference Coach of the Year honors and was selected The Spartanburg Herald Coach of the Year in 1976. Keeter also coached in the 1979 East/West All-Star Game. In addition to the RCSHOF, Keeter is a member of the CHASE High School Hall of Fame. After leaving CHASE, Keeter returned to coaching in 1993 at R-S Middle School and led the Knights to an undefeated football season in 1995. He has also spent time as an assistant coach at North Brunswick High School during his career. "No words can say how much this honor means to me." Keeter said of his induction into the RCSHOF. "It represents all of the players, coaches and people who have had an impact on my life. I would not be here if it were not for them."

Induction Year Sort by Name Sort by Class Year Induction Year: Belus Smawley Basketball Induction Year: 2017 Bobby Reynolds Coach Induction Year: 2022 Chad Flack Baseball Induction Year: 2024 Angela Hamilton-Jones Basketball Induction Year: 2018 Billy Ray Haynes Jr Football Induction Year: 2023 Carl Bartles Football Induction Year: 2024 Charles "Dean" Huffstickler Boxing Induction Year: 2023 Anthony "Chuck" McSwain Football Induction Year: 2017 Billy Ray Vickers Football Induction Year: 2022 Carolyn Dewberry Bratton Basketball Induction Year: 2019 Chris Michael Basketball Induction Year: 2023 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4 **No Class of 2020 or 2021 Members due to COVID-19 Pandemic.**