Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

17 Inducted Into New Hall Of Fame

It was inauguration day in Gurdon as the first batch of athletes were inducted into the new Gurdon Hall of Fame Saturday night.

A total of 17 athletes and coaches were given the distinction of being the first in the new hall. Each was introduced and given the chance to speak to the crowd of about 200 on hand at the Gurdon High School cafetorium.

The festivities began with GHS Principal Leonard Gills welcoming everyone on hand.

He said while athletics are considered extracurricular activities, they are important to schools and students.

"I'm glad you came to be part of the program," he said, "and recognize the ones (being honored) for what they've given to GHS, the community and helping others to make the world a better place."

Rick Pruitt acted as master of ceremonies for the evening. He told the audience those being honored helped mold athletic history in Gurdon, and this is a history which bears repeating.

Few schools, he said, can boast the rich athletic tradition Gurdon has.

Football Coach Jimmy Stiffler was the first inducted into the hall. He coached GHS from 1969-80, and again from 85-87.

His overall record as a coach was 131-89-14, with five district titles.

He said being selected for the GHS Hall of Fame was an honor for him and thanked everyone for remembering him.

Next came Coach Grady Cathey

who led the Devils for eight seasons, with the 58-59 campaigns his best with 8-2 records each year.

It was said Cathey was an outstanding game coach who knew how to get the ball in the endzone. His favorite play was a quick pass to the tight end.

Being back on the GHS campus, he said, brings back a lot of memories.

"I recall my first day on the job," he told the crowd. "I had two assistant coaches and neither one showed up."

He said while his teams may not have won as many games as everyone would have liked, his teams always competed and played hard.

Gurdon, he said, is also special because it's where he met his wife.

Being named to the hall, he said, is a special tribute.

Mrs. Ed Sherman accepted the honor for her late husband, who coached the Devils for nearly two decades.

She said he had many chances to move up to larger schools, but chose not to, and remained at Gurdon.

Sherman did leave Gurdon during World War II where he fought and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He got out of coaching entirely in 1953.

"I'm proud to accept this honor in Ed's name," she said. "He'd be so pleased. Thank you for honoring him, for his years of service and dedication to Gurdon schools."

Then came the first of the athletes honored, Ben Smith. Smith was on the 1982 Gurdon basketball team that won the overall state championship, beating a heavily favored Little Rock Hall.

Smith said when he got the news of being inducted into the GHS Hall of Fame, he told everyone he knew in St. Louis about it.

However, he said his greatest moment in sports came on the gridiron in 1979 when, under Stiffler's coaching, the Devils beat the Prescott Curley Wolves to go to the state playoffs. Smith caught the winning touchdown pass in the game.

Lita Gattis was the first female athlete inducted. She played on the first Lady Devil basketball team to win the state AA championship.

Gattis shared the accolades with the coaches who allowed her to play basketball, her teammates for being there and the fans who cheered them on. "Basketball," she said, "has been good to me. It's opened many doors."

Pete Prewett introduced Roy Karr, who was the butt of several jokes during the intro. He said Karr's wife is the one who should be inducted into the Hall for putting up with him.

According to Prewett, the Devils didn't throw much with Karr as quarterback because he couldn't throw the ball.

However, Karr went on to become the assistant superintendent of the Fayetteville School District.

He said a lot of people owe a great deal to Gurdon because of the way it treated its children.

Karr said it really does take a village to raise children, and this is lacking in Fayetteville.

The hall, he said, is something typical of what Gurdon would do to honor its own.

Gerald Hatley followed. As the youngest of 12 children, Hatley played football, basketball and ran track.

He was also a member of the '82 Devils to win the overall title on the hardwood.

"I followed the examples set by my mom and dad," he said. "I'll be eternally grateful for this honor."

Then came accolades for one of Gurdon's most famous athletes, Duke Wells, with his son, Duke Jr. accepting the honor.

Wells was named All State in 1931 as a sophomore. This was incredible as only 11 football players were chosen from the state for this honor at the time. He was also called one of the four immortals of Arkansas football.

His claim to fame, according to his son, wasn't the number of games he won or lost, but the number of lives he touched. "My dad never had much money," he said, "but he died one of the richest men in the world.

"I'm sure he's looking down smiling right now because Gurdon is honoring him. He loved his home folks."

He was followed by Nathan Gills, the current superintendent at Cotton Plant, La.

"It's an honor to be recognized by my alma mater," he said. "There are many people to thank, because without their help I wouldn't be here.

"I'm proud to be from Gurdon. The people here have a lot to be proud of, they're ideal people."

Chris Harper was next. During his senior year on the gridiron, Harper rushed for more than 1,400 yards. He also returned punts, kicked field goals and PATs.

Harper was fullback of the Devil team to beat hated Prescott 49-14, scoring three touchdowns in the game.

However, he credited his teammates, accepting the honor on behalf of the 1987 team. "They made this possible for me," he said. "I've always been a team player."

Harper, now a member of the Gurdon Police Department, said this event is a good incentive for children in the area, as it gives them something positive to work for.

Larry Smith was next. Along with being on the '82 roundball team, Smith was a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and FFA. He also played football and ran track.

He said there were 16 in his family, and he and his brother were involved in all those sports to avoid hoeing fields in the afternoons.

"Thank you for choosing me as an inductee," he said. "Hard work does pay off."

Lane Thomas accepted the honor for Joe Jester, who was killed while playing football against Mineral Springs in 1969. Thomas simply thanked everyone for honoring Jester's memory.

Next on the list was Sandra Hatley, current coach of the junior Lady Devils, and assistant to Donald Williams and the Lady Devils.

Hatley started on the seventh grade team and every team thereafter. She played at Henderson State University,