HALL OF FAME
RONNIE WILSON
FOOTBALL
Ronnie Wilson, a Gainesville High School graduate lettered in three sports for the Red Elephants (football, basketball, and baseball). After becoming a GHS alum in 1968, Wilson played football at Wofford College where he was named a small college all-american at middle guard following his junior (1970) and senior (1971) seasons. A 1972 graduate of Wofford, Wilson was named a defensive lineman on the Terriers all-time football team in 1983 before being inducted into the Wofford Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
KATIE B. DAVIS
SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL, SOCCER
A four-sport athlete for Gainesville High School, Katie B. Davis earned all-state status in softball, basketball, and soccer. A four-year starter at shortstop and two-year captain for the Red Elephant softball program, Davis was named first-team all state as a junior (1995) and senior (1996) while helping lead the program to its only region title in history (the program finished second in region in 1994) and its only two state finals appearances. After helping the girls basketball program to its first state championship as a freshman in 1994 Davis, a three-year starter and two-year captain, earned first-team all-state status her junior (1996) and senior (1997) years. She tied or broke the single-game scoring record (32 points) for Gainesville girls basketball three times in her career including in a region tournament semifinal win against East Hall (36 points) her junior year, a Thanksgiving tournament victory over Tucker (36 points) and second-round-of-state win over Pickens (38) points her senior year. Davis finished her career fourth on the all-time scoring list for Gainesville girls basketball. As keeper for Gainesville girls soccer, a program that began Spring of her freshman year, Davis earned all-state honors in 1995. She was named to both the GACA North-South All-Star teams for basketball and softball following her senior seasons. After accepting a scholarship to play basketball at Division I Austin Peay State University, Davis started as a freshman for the Lady Governors before transferring her sophomore year and wrapping up her basketball career at Presbyterian College.
BO WREN
FOOTBALL AND WRESTLING
In his four years wrestling for Gainesville High School, 2007 graduate Bo Wren set a standard not yet seen. Prior to 2005 GHS wrestlers had earned just 29 podiums, the first in 1973, with six state championships. Of those 29 wrestlers to podium, only six won more than one medal in their tenure. It was in 2005, Wren’s sophomore year, that he began the process of setting that yet-unseen standard, earning his first podium by finishing third (171) in the state traditionals meet. In 2006 Wren won his first state championship wrestling in the 215-pound class, and followed that up with another gold medal his senior year, this one earned in the 275-pound class. In three years, Wren accomplished what no other wrestler in Gainesville program history had, and in the case of the latter listed below, has since: won three medals, won two state championships, and won those titles back to back. His 193 wins still stand as the most by a Gainesville wrestler. Also a three-year letterman and all-area performer on offensive and defensive line for Gainesville football, Wren attended Virginia Military Institute on a football scholarship after graduation and started all four years for the Keydets.
BRUCE MILLER
FOOTBALL COACH
Ronnie Wilson, a Gainesville High School graduate lettered in three sports for the Red Elephants (football, basketball, and baseball). After becoming a GHS alum in 1968, Wilson played football at Wofford College where he was named a small college all-american at middle guard following his junior (1970) and senior (1971) seasons. A 1972 graduate of Wofford, Wilson was named a defensive lineman on the Terriers all-time football team in 1983 before being inducted into the Wofford Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
2001, 2003, 2004 STATE TITLE GIRLS TEAMS
BASKETBALL
Over three seasons in the early 2000s Gainesville High School girls basketball, led by coach Manson Hill and multi-time Ms. Georgia Basketball and Gatorade State Player of the Year Tasha Humphrey, won three state championships, going 88-10 over the course of 2001, 2003, and 2004. In 2001, the Red Elephants beat Southside, Hart County, Madison County, Dodge County, and Northeast by an average of 19 points to earn the program’s first title since 1994. After falling to Northeast 44-42 in the state semifinals in 2002, Gainesville came back with a vengeance in 2003, beating its state tournament opponents by an average of 31 points en route to the Class AAA championship, which Big Red won 52-41 over Perry, the closest game played in the tournament for the Red Elephants. In 2004 Gainesville beat Carrollton, Elbert County, a two-year-old Flowery Branch program, and Westover by an average of 22 points to reach the Class AAA state championships game against Fannin County. Eleven years prior to the 2004 Class AAA state title game between Gainesville and Fannin County, the Red Elephants and Rebels met for the Class AA state championship in Gainesville’s first state title game appearance in 1993. Fannin beat GHS in that first title-game meeting, but didn’t come close in what would be the final championship of Hill’s career, and the final one won up to this point by the now-storied Gainesville girls basketball program: for their third championship in four years, the Red Elephants beat the Rebels 66-33. Seven members of that 2004 team went on to play college basketball.
1949 STATE TITLE TEAM
BASEBALL
After finishing as state runners-up in 1947 and 1948, the 1949 Gainesville High School baseball team led by future professional players Jack Roberts, Bobo Smith, and Larry Pardue, and coached by the legendary Drane Watson won the program its first state championship. The first championship was the perfect ending to a season of firsts as GHS played its first full season on a home field at City Park constructed by Watson and his players on those late-1940s teams. On that field in that first year that culminated with a first championship, GHS became the first team out of Hall County to play a game under the lights - a 6-1 win against Roberts High in which Gainesville’s Roberts threw a no-hitter - and the first school to host a state championship game. En route to the state title, Gainesville beat Athens 3-0 in region play to get to the state tournament. In the first round of state, GHS beat Albany 1-0 as Roberts threw a one-hit game and hit the game-deciding home run. In Round 2, the 1949 state semifinals, GHS beat Canton 6-5 in rally fashion as Canton held a 5-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the last only to have Big Red come back in big fashion and earn a trip to the title tilt. In the championship round against Fulton, Bobo Smith earned a 9-0 shutout win to give Gainesville its long-awaited state championship. Other members of the 1949 teams included Curt Moore, Harold Grigg, Bill Fortner, Doug Ledford, Jimmy Spencer, Gene Jones, John Hulsey, Ferris Wing, Fred Culberson, and Eddie Bird.
DAVID MARTIN
FOOTBALL
In 1966 Red Elephant football won big with a small senior leading the herd. Often described by his weight of 160 pounds in articles from the pen of legendary Gainesville sports writer Phil Jackson, David Martin, Big Red’s No. 22, ran for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead GHS to its first region title in five seasons, a Northeast Georgia championship, and the Class AA state semifinals. For his, as Jackson said, “as tough to tackle as smoke,” efforts, Martin was named Class AA Running Back of the Year and first-team all-state by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
DURWARD PENNINGTON
FOOTBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC SUPPORTER
Durward Pennington came to Gainesville High School in 1965. Pennington, known to the Red Elephant faithful as “Coach P,” served as a teacher and assistant football coach before leaving education in 1973 for the private sector. Despite the move in career, Pennington’s love and support of GHS athletics and the student-athletes therein remained in ardent fashion until his death in 2013.
VICTOR MENOCAL
BASEBALL
Victor Menocal was a four-year starter at shortstop for Gainesville High School baseball, helping the Red Elephants to an unprecedented three-straight state championships from 1996-1998. The 1998 Class AA Player of the Year, and GHS graduate, was named a second-team all-American by USA Today and Baseball America before being drafted in the sixth round by the Atlanta Braves. Menocal chose college over the pros and started for four years at Georgia Tech, leading the Yellow Jackets to the 2002 College World Series, where he was named shortstop for the All-College World Series team.
AJ JOHNSON
FOOTBALL
AJ (Alexander) Johnson was a three-sport athlete in high school who made his hall-of-fame marks as a four-year starter for Red Elephant football. Before graduating in 2011 and becoming four-year starter, freshman all-American, all-American, and All-Southeastern Conference performer at the University of Tennessee, the four-star (Rivals, Scout, ESPN) inside linebacker helped lead Gainesville to the 2009 state title game while earning Class AAA Defensive Player of the Year, all-state (2008, 2009, 2010) and Under Armour All-American honors.
LAUREN NILES
TRACK AND FIELD
Lauren Niles earned five state championships as a three-sport athlete at Gainesville High School. Niles, who graduated in 2004, helped GHS women’s basketball win three state titles in four years. As a discus thrower for Red Elephant track and field, Niles won state championships in 2003 and 2004, becoming just the fourth female track and field athlete in Gainesville's history, the second in field events, to earn top podium placement.
2001 AND 2002 STATE TITLE TEAMS
BASEBALL
The 2001-2002 back-to-back state championship Red Elephant baseball teams left an indelible mark, amassing a 64-4 record over the two seasons while sweeping each opponent faced in the playoffs. In 2001, GHS outscored playoff opponents Eastside, Pepperell, Screven County, Westminster, and Swainsboro 111-16. In 2002 the Red Elephants bested the previous years’ playoff dominance sweeping Riverwood, Westminster, Westside, Augusta, Madison County, and Loganville by a combined score of 105-16. In both championship series’ sweeps, between Swainsboro and Loganville respectively, Gainesville did not allow a run.
PRESTON RIDLEHUBER
FOOTBALL
A 1962 graduate of Gainesville High School, Ridlehuber earned all-state honors in football and baseball before choosing a football scholarship to the University of Georgia over a contract offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. A two-year starter at quarterback for the Bulldogs in coach Vince Dooley’s first two years as head coach, Ridlehuber went 13-7-1 earning Sun Bowl MVP honors after Georgia topped Texas Tech 7-0 in the 1964 Sun Bowl. He then had a short stint in the NFL and AFL, playing for the Falcons in their inaugural season (1966) followed by the Oakland Raiders (1968) and Buffalo Bills (1969).
JERRY DAVIS
BASKETBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
During Jerry Davis’ 28 years spent at the helm of the Gainesville boys basketball program, he amassed 701 wins. Included in those wins were 24 subregion and region titles, 11 Lanierland championships, and two state titles during a magical stretch in the early 80s where his teams won 35 straight games. At the time of his retirement in 2008, Davis was second in the state among active coaches in wins. He was named GACA state Coach of the Year twice and region coach of the year 10 times.
MANSON HILL
BASKETBALL, GOLF, AND TENNIS COACH
Manson Hill’s 39 years coaching at Gainesville High School including stints in tennis and golf, along with his heralded time as head girls basketball coach. Cultivating talent was the hallmark of his career, pulling the potential en route to historical success out of the likes of Mahogany Hudson, Tasha Humphrey, Lea and Mason Miller, and Kingsley Barrett. Hill wasn’t simply the standby beneficiary of generational talent, instead with his coaching, created environments for them to thrive and thus shine. All told, Hill won seven state championships for the Red Elephants (four in basketball), and 30 region titles (10 in basketball). In addition, Hill is a four-time GACA state Coach of the Year and 30-time region coach of the year.
SHELLY (GARNER) BLACK
FOOTBALL AND SOCCER
On Oct. 25, 1985, with an extra point that put Gainesville up 21-7 on Madison County, then Gainesville junior Shelly (Garner) Black made history as the first female to score in a Georgia High School Association football game. But that wasn’t the only history she made for an all-boys’ squad at GHS; Black scored the first soccer goal by a female in the Spring of her junior year while starting for the Red Elephants (the school didn’t have a girls’ program at the time). The goal came on a penalty kick. It should also be noted that Black started the girls soccer program at Gainesville High School in 1994.
LEA (MILLER) TOOLEY
TENNIS
Identical twins Lea Miller-Tooley and Mason Miller never lost a high school tennis match in their four years representing Gainesville High School. Members of the class of 1998, they helped the Red Elephant tennis program to four straight state finals and one state championship (1995) playing at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Both ranked in the Top 20 on the junior circuit, and as the No. 1 and No. 2 players in Georgia, Lea and Mason each received full tennis scholarships with Lea going to Wake Forest and then Georgia Tech while Mason went only to Georgia Tech
MASON MILLER
TENNIS
Identical twins Lea Miller-Tooley and Mason Miller never lost a high school tennis match in their four years representing Gainesville High School. Members of the class of 1998, they helped the Red Elephant tennis program to four straight state finals and one state championship (1995) playing at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Both ranked in the Top 20 on the junior circuit, and as the No. 1 and No. 2 players in Georgia, Lea and Mason each received full tennis scholarships with Lea going to Wake Forest and then Georgia Tech while Mason went only to Georgia Tech
1998 STATE TITLE BOYS TEAM
SOCCER
10 years exactly from its first appearance in the state playoffs, and a year removed from not making the postseason at all, the 1998 Gainesville boys soccer team made history by going where no team in the program had before. Led by seniors James Syfan, Alexander Branch, Ben Hause, Gainesville not only made the Class AAA state playoffs, but stomped its way through them. En route to the program’s first state championship, and under the leadership of head coach Jim O’Callaghan and assistant coach Chip Branch, Big Red gave up just two goals in the playoffs while scoring nine. The Red Elephants postseason romp started with a 1-0 win over Decatur. They then beat Lumpkin County 4-2 and Pacelli 1-0 before leaving no doubt in the season’s culminating match against Greater Atlanta Christian, beating the Spartans 3-0 and winning the state title.
JACK ROBERTS
FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, TRACK
Seen by many as one of the best all-around athletes in the school’s history, Jack Roberts earned all-state honors in four sports (football, basketball, baseball, track) before graduating from Gainesville High School in 1949. He helped the Red Elephants to state runner-up finishes in football (1947) and baseball (1947 and 1948) before leading Gainesville to its first state baseball championship in 1949. Roberts also won the state high jump title in 1949. Upon graduation, and after turning down an offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers, Roberts took his multi-sport ways to the University of Georgia where he became an All-Southeastern Conference pitcher and played running back for the Bulldogs. He is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in all four of his all-state sports, and Gainesville High retired his No. 2 football jersey in 2008.
BILLY MARTIN
FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL
Billy Martin, known as the “Jolly Giant,” for his towering frame and infectious personality, graduated from Gainesville High School in 1960. A three-sport star for the Red Elephants, Martin earned all-state honors in football and basketball while helping the former to a region title and state semifinal berth, and the latter to back-to-back state finals appearances his junior and senior years. As a star tight end for Georgia Tech, Martin played to All-SEC and All-American (1963) levels before being drafted by the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and NFL’s Chicago Bears in the second rounds of the leagues’ respective 1964 drafts. After a two-year stint with the Bears, Martin played for the Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. Martin was named to Georgia Tech’s All-Time Team in a 1991 fan vote, and to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Most recently, Martin was honored by his high school alma mater as the road leading into City Park, to the field where he first made his name, was named “Billy Martin Drive.”
MAHOGANY (HUDSON) CALDWELL
BASKETBALL
Mahogany (Hudson) Caldwell earned all-American, all-state, and Miss Georgia Basketball honors during her time leading the Gainesville Lady Red Elephants basketball program. A 1994 graduate, Caldwell led the 1992-1993 Gainesville girls basketball team to the program’s first state title game only to follow that up with captaining the 1993-1994 team to a 30-0 record and the program’s first Lanierland, sub-region, region, and state titles. Caldwell set the Lady Red Elephant season and career records for steals and assists. After playing in the Georgia-Tennessee All-Star Game and earning Street and Smith’s Honorable Mention All-American status to wrap up her high school career, Caldwell moved on to the University of Florida where she was a four-year starter and three-year captain at point guard.
KINGSLEY (BARRETT) PEEPLES
GOLF
Kingsley (Barrett) Peeples won four straight state golf championships for the Gainesville Red Elephants before graduating in 2001. When she shot a 68 as a senior to win her final title history was made as Peeples also earned the distinction of being the first golfer in the state’s history, male or female, to win four-straight state championships. Peeples play earned her a scholarship to Auburn where she was named Freshman of the Year and was an All-SEC performer for the then-nationally-ranked-and-renowned Tigers.
WAYNE VICKERY
BASEBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Whether in his role as a coach or an administrator, Wayne Vickery knew his way to a ring. From 1989-2008, Vickery coached the Gainesville High baseball program to five state titles (three straight from 1996-1998, and two straight in 2001 and 2002), 470 victories, and 13 region championships. For 15 years starting in 2000, Vickery also served as athletic director for the Red Elephants, overseeing programs that won state titles in girls basketball, girls golf, boys soccer, football, and boys golf.
1983 & 1984 STATE TITLE BOYS TEAMS
BASKETBALL
Gainesville High School’s back-to-back Class AAA state title-winning boys basketball teams of the early 80s didn’t just live up to the program’s already-existing tradition of excellence, they reset the bar to include utter domination. Over the course of two seasons, from 1982-1984 the Red Elephants amassed a 59-1 record while winning two Lanierland, region, and state championships. During the 1982-1983 season, Gainesville beat its opponents by an average margin of 20 points per game and finished the year ranked 3rd nationally by USA Today and 6th by ESPN. The following season, the Red Elephants finished 23rd in the USA Today poll. Gainesville coach Jerry Davis was twice named Class AAA coach of the year during Big Red’s run, while players Terence Bailey, Charles Earls, Cris Carpenter, and Patrick Hamilton earned all-state honors. Hamilton, who along with Carpenter are Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame members, was also named AAA Player of the Year following the 1983-1984 season.
BILLY LOTHERIDGE
FOOTBALL
Billy Lamar Lothridge, a 1960 graduate of Gainesville High School, was a multi-sport star who shined brightest on the gridiron. Lothridge began his heralded career for the Red Elephants the way he ended it in the NFL, as a kicker and punter. Playing for legendary coach Graham Hixon, Lothridge started the first game of his high school career as a sophomore on special teams only. By the second game of the 1957 season, however, the young man nicknamed “Mr Cool,” by former Times sports editor Phil Jackson was starting at the position that made him legendary: quarterback. After being named captain and earning his first of two all-state nods his junior year, Lothridge ended his football career at GHS by propelling Big Red to a 10-2 record, a subregion title, its first region title in eight years, and a state semifinals berth. He received honorable-mention honors on the Wigwam Wiseman Prep All-American team and played in the North-South All-America game where he kicked the winning field goal for the South. After high school, Lothridge played for Georgia Tech where he was not only quarterback from 1961-1963, but also the team’s punter and placekicker. Lothridge was a two-time All-SEC pick (1962-63), an All-American in 1963 and that same year, finished second to Navy’s Roger Staubach in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Gainesville great went on to have an eight-year NFL career before retiring from football in 1972. Lothridge, a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Georgia Tech Hall of Fame, passed away at age 54 in 1996.
TOMMY VALENTINE
FOOTBALL AND GOLF
A collegiate conference championship in golf and eight years playing on the PGA Tour are the kind of life accomplishments that make a person stand out from the crowd. Long before Tommy Valentine was earning accolades on the links, however, he stood out plenty as the only one of four brothers who didn’t play offensive line. A 1967 graduate of Gainesville High School, Valentine gained prominence as an honorable mention all-state selection at both quarterback and punter. He finished his time under the tutelage of Bobby Gruhn with the record for most touchdown passes in a season (10), and the record for highest average yards per punt. A starting point guard for the Red Elephants as well - he captained both the football and basketball teams - Valentine’s hardcourt career included a then-record for most points scored in a game (32). As a three-sport athlete for Big Red, Valentine found what would be his life’s work in that third sport finishing his high school golf career with a top-3 finish at the state finals. After signing a partial scholarship to play golf at Georgia, Valentine more than earned his keep winning a Southeastern Conference individual title in 1970 as well as being named a first-team NCAA All-American. The four-year letterman also helped Georgia win SEC team championships in 1969, 1970, and 1971. Valentine made his PGA Tour debut in 1974 at a Second Tour event in Columbus where he tied for 15th at the Fountain City Open. He joined the Tour full time in 1978, and in 1981 Valentine, in the midst of playing 33 Tour tournaments, had the single best outing of his career finishing second to Tom Watson in a three-hole, sudden death playoff in the Atlanta Classic. The following year, he had his best overall season playing a career-high 36 tournaments, making 16 cuts, and recording three top-10 finishes. All told in his professional career, Valentine made 261 Tour starts, posting 12 top-10 finishes. Tommy Valentine passed away in July 2014 at the age of 64 after a battle with kidney cancer.
DR. TIM FULENWIDER
GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS DOCTOR
Dedicated to his family, his community, and his work, Dr. Tim Fulenwider enters the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame as a life-long supporter of the Gainesville community and Red Elephant athletics. With his wife Pam, and three children; Carmen, Cindy, and Blake (all of whom graduated from GHS) by his side, the lives touched by the time Dr. Fulenwider dedicated to family, football, baseball, basketball, and softball is immeasurable, and he made an indelible mark as a mentor of and team doctor to Gainesville’s student-athletes. Whether fundraising or fund-providing, Dr. Fulenwider, a 1967 graduate of Gainesville High School and a board-certified vascular surgeon, rarely let a Red Elephant need go unmet, including in the weight room, where he provided so regularly for Red Elephant athletes that it’s named for him.
PATRICK HAMILTON
BASKETBALL
In the early 1980s, over a two-season span, Gainesville boys basketball went on a run that to date, remains the greatest in program history. During that same time, and over that same span, a player emerged that, to date, remains one of the greatest in program history. A 1984 graduate, Patrick Hamilton led the Red Elephants to their only state basketball championships, back-to-back affairs in 1983 and 1984. The teams from those two years finished a combined 59-1 with Hamilton, a four-year letterman, finishing with the GHS record for most points in a career with 1,542 (he currently sits third on that list). While his knack for scoring cemented his name in the GHS record book, it was Hamilton’s prowess on the other end of the floor that earned him the same at the University of Georgia. A guard for the Bulldogs from 1985-1989, Hamilton not only set the record for most steals in a season with 89 during the 1987-1988 session, but is also second on the list having earned 84 steals the following season. In that same span, from 1987-1989, Hamilton twice set the record for most steals in a game with seven against UNC-Asheville in 1987, and against Auburn in 1989. Currently, Hamilton sits second in career steals for the Bulldogs’ program with 216.
STEPHANIE (YAREM) RANSOM
BASKETBALL AND SOCCER
Stephanie (Yarem) Ransom was an integral part of a generation that ushered in a new era for girls’ athletics at Gainesville High School, and as such, set the tone for what can be accomplished collectively and individually. A 1995 graduate, Yarem started and starred for the first Lady Red Elephant basketball teams to make the state playoffs, play for and win a state championship, and have an undefeated season. She sits fifth in the GHS record book for most steals in a season (98) and second in highest field goal percentage for a season (54%). After moonlighting on the JV boys soccer team her first two years of high school, Yarem was the headliner for the first girls soccer team at GHS in the spring of 1994. She held the GHS girls’ record for most goals scored in a season (28) until 2007. A knack for doing what hasn’t been done yet continued after graduation as Yarem was the first female Red Elephant soccer player to earn a Division I scholarship, signing on to play for the University of Georgia in its first season. At Georgia Yarem scored 28 career goals, including 15 game-winners (still a program record), and had a national-best and school-record eight winning goals as a junior in 1997 before earning the program’s first All-SEC and All-American nods. Yarem’s precedent-setting athletic career culminated in fitting fashion as she became the first female athlete to have two jerseys retired at GHS (basketball and soccer), and in 2014 was honored as the first soccer player to be inducted into the University of Georgia’s Circle of Honor.
1996, 1997, 1998 STATE TITLE TEAMS
BASEBALL
Success is bred from failure; winning from losing: case in point, the 1996, ‘97, and ‘98 Gainesville High School state championship baseball teams. After losing in the state semifinal rounds to Pierce County in 1994 and Fitzgerald in 1995, the precedent set by head coach Wayne Vickery and generations of Red Elephant competitors moved from a tradition of winning, to a standard of excellence. Led by seniors John Simpson and Andy Dunagan, the 1996 Gainesville baseball team started the season on a 23-game win streak. The season ended with the program’s first state title since 1978 and a jump into Lake Lanier as host Gainesville scored 12 runs with two outs in the third inning of a decisive Game 3 to rally past top-ranked Lovett. The 1997 squad was led by 10 seniors including pitcher Andy Hussion who went 23-0 as a starter over his last two seasons, Hutch Evans who also had an undefeated season on the mound, and Bradley Chester who homered in both the ‘96 and ‘97 series-deciding games. The herd of Red Elephants that would give the school its second-straight state baseball title went wire-to-wire at No. 1 in the rankings before jumping in the Chattahoochee River after a sweep of host Lovett. With a whole new pitching staff and only one returning starter in shortstop Victor Menocal, the 1998 team had to rally just to get into the playoffs, and then relied on the program’s standard of excellence to sweep Cook County at home. With the 1998 team’s jump into Lake Lanier, Gainesville became the first program in Georgia to win three straight state titles since Harlem did it in the early 80s. Combined, the 1996, ‘97, and ‘98 Red Elephant baseball teams won 100 games.
BOBBY GRUHN
FOOTBALL, GOLF, AND BASKETBALL COACH; ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
For generations of Red Elephants, the first name that comes to mind when Gainesville High Football - and the tradition therein - is being discussed, is coach Bobby Gruhn. Before he took the helm of the Gainesville football program in 1963, coach Gruhn had already ingratiated himself in the school and community - and met his wife Jean - serving as a teacher and coach at GHS beginning 1954. From 1963-1992, coach Gruhn put Gainesville football on the proverbial map, amassing a 256-103-5 record with 23 consecutive winning seasons while winning four North Georgia Championships, 19 sub-region titles, and 17 region titles. It should be noted that with Gruhn as head coach, the Red Elephants also made nine trips to the state quarterfinals, 11 state semifinals, and four state finals. While a football state title eluded the legendary coach, golf was a different story as he led the Gainesville boys’ team to three state championships, and was named National Golf Coach of the Year in 1982. The assumption that Gruhn’s coaching prowess stopped on the gridiron and links is mistaken, the man whose name was forever linked to the field on which the Red Elephants play football in 1985, also took two boys’ basketball teams to the state finals. Gruhn’s love of Gainesville and Red Elephants’ athletics ran deep, so much so that building an entire athletics program was just as important to him as building his own good teams: he was named Athletic Director of the Year for the State of Georgia in 1993, one year after retiring as head coach of the football team. Along with his induction in the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame, coach Gruhn was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008, and is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
TOMMY WEST
FOOTBALL
Nationally, the name Tommy West resonates in the coaching world, but in Gainesville, where West played three sports for the Red Elephants from 1969-1972, he’s known as one of the greatest all-around athletes to ever don the red and white. West earned four letters in three different sports at GHS (football, basketball, and baseball), and thanks to his exploits on the football field, had his No. 12 jersey retired upon graduation. During his football career, the Red Elephants never lost a region game and twice finished as state runners-up, with West earning All-Southern and All-American honors. In basketball, West was a three-time defensive player of the year for Big Red, earning Lanierland MVP in 1972. And in baseball, West was a four-year starter, standout enough to be a fifth-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs out of high school. West had more than 50 colleges vying for his talents out of high school, he chose the University of Tennessee, where he played football and baseball. He made 32 consecutive starts for the Vols’ football team, and earned All-SEC honors in 1975, before being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the diamond, West was a two-year letterman and was named All-SEC in 1974. When his time in Knoxville was up, West turned his attention to coaching, where he became head football coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga, Clemson, and Memphis. Along with his induction into the Gainesville Athletic Sports Hall of Fame, West is also a member of the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
MICAH OWINGS
BASEBALL
Despite attending Gainesville High School for only two years (2000-2002), Micah Owings stomp as a Red Elephant athlete is indelible. Owings earned two letters in basketball and baseball, helping Gainesville to two state semifinals on the hardcourt while leading Big Red to back-to-back state titles on the diamond. Owings, who still holds the state home run record having hit 69 over his career (then just one shy of the national record), was named MVP for Gainesville’s baseball team in each of his two years. However, the accolades didn’t end at GHS as he also earned All-Region, All-District, All-State, Georgia State Player of the Year, and All-American honors in 2001 and 2002. As a senior, Owings hit .448 with 25 home runs while going 12-1 on the mound with a 1.03 ERA, 121 strikeouts, and just three walks in 75 innings. A second-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies out of high school, Owings opted for college where he was named to the Freshman All-American team and second-team All-American (2003) out of Georgia Tech. Owings also earned All-ACC honors in 2003 and 2004, was Player of the Year for the ACC in 2004, and an All-American. A transfer for the 2005 season to Tulane didn’t stop the dual-threat hitter and pitcher known for an unwavering work ethic, as Owings was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2005 while leading the Green Wave to the College World Series. Mirroring the aftermath of his illustrious high school career, Owings was a third-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks after three years in college. On Aug. 18, 2007, Owings became the only pitcher in Major League history to have four hits, four runs, and six RBI in the same game as he led his team to a win against the Atlanta Braves. He earned a Silver Slugger Award that same year. Along with his induction into the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame, Owings was inducted into the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Tulane University Baseball and Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
TASHA HUMPHREY
BASKETBALL
Greatest of all time is arguable and fleeting, but when it comes to girls’ basketball at Gainesville High School, Tasha Humphrey is simply the greatest to ever wear a Lady Red Elephants’ jersey. Humphrey played for Manson Hill and the girls’ basketball teams from 2001-2004, and spearheaded a run of dominance that included a 114-15 record, three state championships (2001, 2003, 2004), and one state runner-up finish (2002). The team achievements over her four years are staggering, but what Humphrey accomplished individually is what sets her apart: Three-time Miss Georgia basketball (2001, 2003, 2004), Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year (2003, 2004), three-time Parade All-American, 2004 McDonald’s All-American, 2004 WBCA All-American, and 2004 USA Pan-AM Games gold medalist with the 19-under team. When her basketball career at Gainesville was complete, Humphrey landed in the top-three in Lady Red Elephants’ history in scoring (2,663) and rebounding (1,228). Upon graduation, Humphrey attended the University of Georgia to play for legendary coach Andy Landers, and impacted that program much like she did Gainesville’s. In four years for the Lady Bulldogs, Humphrey earned National and SEC Freshman of the Year honors (2005), was a four-time Associated Press All-American and first-team All-SEC performer, and finished her career as the second-leading scorer (2,272) and fourth-leading rebounder (1,080) in Georgia women’s basketball history. Her four-time, first-team All-SEC honors made her one of only three players in league history to be named to the conference’s first team in each of her four seasons. Humphrey was drafted 11th overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock, playing for Washington and Minnesota as well before retiring from the game. Along with her induction into the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame, Humphrey is a member of the Northeast Georgia Hall of fame and in 2017, was named an SEC Legend.
CRIS CARPENTER
FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL
Gainesville High School has known its fair share of multi-sport athletes, but there aren’t many who can claim to have had the impact that Cris Carpenter had. A star in football, basketball, and baseball for the Red Elephants from 1980-1984, Carpenter led teams to unprecedented, and not-seen-again, heights. As starting quarterback for coach Bobby Gruhn, Carpenter led Gainesville to three state semifinals (1981, 1982, 1983), and one state runner-up finish (1983). He was named an All-State quarterback and punter his senior year. As a starting guard for Jerry Davis and the Gainesville boys’ basketball team, Carpenter was not only named first-team All-State, but helped Gainesville to a state runner-up finish in 1982, and the program’s only state titles in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, Carpenter was voted to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s football and basketball all-star teams and was Georgia State Athlete of the Year. For all he accomplished in football and basketball, it was baseball that was considered Carpenter’s “best sport,” and the one in which he would excel at the next level. A dual-sport athlete at Georgia, Carpenter earned two letters in football as UGA’s first scholarship punter, and earned an All-SEC honor as well (his punting average of 42.8 yards per punt still ranks second in school history). But in baseball, where Carpenter earned three letters, he was a two-time All-American (1986, 1987) led Georgia to its first-ever College World Series appearance in 1987. It was also in 1987 that Carpenter became just the third Bulldog chosen in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft when he was selected 14th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals. He still remains the fastest Cardinal in history to make his Major League debut after being drafted (346 days). Carpenter also played for the Florida Marlins and Texas Rangers before retiring. Along with his induction into the Gainesville Athletic Hall of Fame, Carpenter is a member of the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and in 2016, was named an SEC Baseball Legend.
THOMAS PARIS SR.
FOOTBALL AND TRACK & FIELD
It’s a rare feat, earning four letters in one sport, it’s unheard of to earn four letters in four sports, but that’s exactly what Thomas Paris Sr., did during his four years at Gainesville High School (1922-1926). Named the “16-Letter Man,” Paris played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track and field. He quarterbacked the now-known Red Elephants to a 29-0 record in his last three years of high school, serving as captain of the team for two years. Paris also captained the baseball team for two years and the basketball team for three years. It was in track and field, however, that he made his biggest mark, earning a district title in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and a state championship in the hurdles in 1924, running a time that stood as a state record for 25 years. When his illustrious high school career ended, Paris went to to play quarterback at the University of Georgia, starting for the Bulldogs in 1926. He played in the inaugural game at Sanford Stadium in 1929, where the Bulldogs upset Yale 15-0. After graduating from UGA, Paris went on to be actively involved in not only the community that gave him his athletic start, but the college that continued it. He was an integral part in the construction of the Chattahoochee Golf Course - the Red Elephants current home course - in 1958, serving as Greens Chairman. He also served on the University of Georgia’s Athletic Board for many years, starting in 1962, and had a heavy hand in the school hiring a then unknown assistant from Auburn, Vince Dooley. Along with his induction into the Gainesville Athletic Sports Hall of Fame, Paris was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1961.
TOMMY AARON
GOLF
From the humble beginnings of a red-clay, nine-hold pseudo golf course that now resides under Lake Lanier, to golf glory in 1973 at Augusta National, Tommy Aaron’s journey to greatness was self-inspired. A two-sport standout in football and basketball during his time at Gainesville High School (1952-1956), Aaron spent his downtime honing a craft that led to a green jacket by hitting tee shots at New Holland Mill, as Gainesville did not have a suitable golf course, much less a golf team. In 1954, Aaron advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. National Junior Championships and the following year (1955), won a Class A individual state title representing GHS and the first of his three Georgia Opens (1955, 1960, 1975). After high school, Aaron attended the University of Florida where he won the 1957 and 1958 Southeastern Conference individual titles and was runner-up in the 1958 U.S. Amateur. His amateur play, which also included wins in two Georgia Amateurs, two Southeastern Amateurs, and one Western Amateur, earned him the right to represent the United States in the 1959 Walker Cup Match, where the U.S. beat amateur teams from the British Isles. Aaron joined the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour in 1961, and from that time until 1973, he placed in the top-60 on the tour’s list of money earners. Aaron’s first professional victory came in the 1969 Canadian Open, where his eighteen-hole playoff win over Sam Snead earned him a place on his first Ryder Cup team, a team he would make for a second time following his win at The Masters in 1973. During his career, Aaron was the only player to win the Georgia Amateur and Georgia Open in two years, the only native Georgian to win The Masters, and both of his PGA victories (he finished second in 14 tournaments) came in Georgia (he won the 1970 Atlanta Classic). In 1987, Aaron joined the PGA Senior Tour, winning his only tournament at the 1992 Kaanapali Classic in Hawaii. In 2000, at age 63, he became the oldest player to make the 36-hold cut at The Masters. Along with his induction into the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame, Aaron is also a member of the University of Florida’s Athletic Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
FAIR STREET TIGERS STATE TITLE TEAMS
FOOTBALL
In the late 1950s, Thursday nights at City Park were reserved for the Fair Street Tigers, and the boys put on a show, amassing a 20-game win streak that ran from Oct. 11, 1956 to Nov. 21, 1958. Led by coach Elbert (E.L.) Cabbell, the 1956 and 1957 Tiger teams rose to rarefied air, serving as the only Gainesville football teams to win back-to-back state titles. The 1956 team beat Evans County 27-0 at City Park to capture the Class B crown, while the 1957 team beat Thomasville 13-7 for the Class A title, thanks in large part to a game-winning touchdown by star running back Eugene Carrithers. With captain Cecil Young at quarterback, fellow captain Carrithers, Clifford Stephens, and Ellis Cantrell anchoring the backfield, wide receivers Eddie Strickland and Arthur Moss, and a host of linemen that included Clarance “Big Hanes” Niles, John Keith, William Johnson, and Cluster Smith, the 1956 team outscored opponents 386-44, while the 1957 team outscored its opponents 271-33. The 1957 team went 12-0, avenging its only loss of the 1956 season by defeating Corry High of Greensboro 20-0. Along with being inducted into the Gainesville Athletics Hall of Fame, Fair Street football was honored by the Gainesville City Council in 2015 as they named the athletic field in front of Gainesville Middle School “Elbert L. Cabbell Field,” in honor of the Tigers legendary coach.
