By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayette County High School has had a long and storied history.

Making up that history is a long line of students, teachers and administrators that have been dedicated to excellence. The second annual Fayette County High School Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet, which will honor both stellar athletes and distinguished alumni this year, will be this Saturday.

Among the eight athletic inductees this year are some former high school legends of the gridiron, the diamond and the basketball court. The inductees are Sarah Frances Burch Crumbley, Don Harp, Ed Oliver, Anna Dunn James, Sherry Stinchcomb, Phil Gray, Will Forts and Warren Gray.

Sarah Frances Burch was graduated from FCHS in 1956. During her three-year career on the Lady Tiger basketball team, the team went 56-25. The team went 23-4 in 1956, winning the Flint River Invitational Championship. She scored 1,545 points in her career and was captain of the team in her junior and senior years. She currently lives in Stockbridge.

Don Harp is being recognized for his accomplishments as a baseball and basketball player for the Tigers. Harp was the catcher for the Tiger baseball team from 1953-1956. He had a batting average of .338 and was named to the Atlanta Constitution State All-Star team, recognized for his outstanding defensive play and his ability to steal bases.

On the court, Harp was a guard who averaged 15 points per game in his senior season. Currently, Harp is senior pastor at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.

Ed Oliver attended FCHS from 1958-1962. He played on three baseball teams that won three region championships and earned berths into the state tournament. On the gridiron, Oliver scored 18 touchdowns in 1981 and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1962. He earned 10 athletic letters at FCHS as well as numerous individual and team honors. Currently, Oliver is the head softball and golf coach at Harris County High School. The softball team won its region and placed fourth in the state in 1998.

Anna Dunn was graduated from FCHS in 1975. She started for the Lady Tiger basketball team from her sophomore year on. As a junior, she led her team to its first winning season since 1957 and earned a spot on the All-Region Team. Dunn and the Lady Tigers really shined in her senior year, as the team was the first in school history to make the state tournament.

Dunn tied the school record for most career rebounds that year and was awarded the Lady Tiger of the Year Award. She was the first female in school history to be awarded a full athletic scholarship to college.

Sherry Stinchcomb was another star on the court. She averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior and was also named MVP of the Christmas Classic that year. She was the first person from Fayette County to make the North/South All Star game and earned an honorable mention to the All-State team.

She is in the top ten in the top five basketball categories (points, field goals, steals, rebounds and games played) at Georgia State University, where she also coached for a year. Stinchcomb currently lives in Jonesboro.

Phil Gray was a huge personality in Fayette County. He was a starting offensive and defensive lineman on the football team as well as a shotputter for the track team. During his senior year, Gray was named to the Georgia All-State team, was one of the top 10 recruits in the state and was named the Most Valuable FCHS Defensive Lineman. He also took first place in the shotput at the regional competition and went on to place second in the state.

Gray attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship and served as a student coach under Vince Dooley. He was hired as a coach in 1982, but died unexpectedly shortly there after. The Bulldogs wore small black hearts on their sleeves that season in honor of Gray.

Will Forts spent most of his time at FCHS pulling double duty on the football field. Forts was a wing back and a linebacker for the Tigers. In 1978, he was a member of the first playoff team and was named Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Lineman. He was the first Fayette County football player named to the All-American team, was voted Lineman of the Year of the AAAA All-State Team and was selected as the top prospect in the state. He then went to the University of Georgia where he lettered all four years and was a part of the 1980 National Championship team.

Warren Gray was Phil's younger brother and he followed in his brother's footsteps quite a bit. Warren participated in both football and track for the Tigers. His senior season was the best of his career as he was named both the Most Valuable Offensive and Defensive Lineman by the team, as well as receiving the team's Most Valuable Player award.

Warren also made it to the state track meet in the shotput. He placed third overall. He then went to the University of Georgia on a football scholarship. He lettered three times, was named to the All-SEC team three times, won three SEC Championships and was a part of the 1980 National Championship team.

The banquet and induction ceremony will be this Saturday, March 3, in the commons area of Fayette County High School. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at Fayette Sporting Goods and the main office of FCHS.

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