ROGERS -- Six former players and one former Rogers High coach will be inducted into the Rogers Mountaineer Athletic Hall of Fame in September.
This year's class includes former Rogers baseball coach Tom Woodruff, Dickie West (football/track), Mindy Wishon Brown (basketball/volleyball/track), current Rogers Heritage coach Tom Olsen (basketball), Rogers businessman Gary Jackson (distinguished service), Charlie Johnston (football/track) and Alan Davidson (football/track). The inductees will be recognized at the Mounties football game Sept. 26 and then honored at a reception Sept. 27 at the high school.
The Rogers Mountaineer Athletic Hall of Fame 2014 class of inductees:
Dickie West – Player: Football-Track
Mindy Wishon Brown – Player: Basketball-Volleyball-Track
Tom Olsen – Player: Basketball
Gary Jackson – Distinguished Service
Tom Woodruff – Coach: Baseball
Charlie Johnston – Player: Football-Track
Alan Davidson – Player: Football-Track
"We had 22 nominees, and all of these folks received at least two-thirds of the vote from the 12 board members," said Rick Stocker, Hall of Fame committee president. "They all reached that consensus. I'm sure there are people out there that are deserving, but they are just not in yet. The board has to find a way to get them in. But this is a good solid class."
Woodruff and Olsen have been a fixtures at Rogers since graduating. Woodruff graduated in 1972 and has been a teacher at the school for nearly 40 years. Olsen, a 1988 graduate, was a three-year starter for the basketball team and was then a Mounties assistant coach for eight season before becoming the head coach basketball coach at Heritage in 2008-09.
Rogers restarted its baseball program in 1990 and a year later Woodruff was named the Mounties coach, replacing Nick Nicholas. Woodruff coached the Mounties for 18 years, and his teams qualified for the state tournament 16 times over that span.
Current Mounties baseball coach Matt Melson played for Woodruff in Little League and then for three seasons on the Mounties baseball team. Melson, a 1993 graduate who succeeded Woodruff as the Rogers coach, then was a volunteer coach before becoming a full-time assistant.
"I remember how Coach Woodruff was committed to winning, and we spent a lot of long hours practicing," Melson said. "Coach Woodruff was demanding as a coach, and he is one of the smartest individuals I have been around. He taught me so much."
"I know Coach Woodruff was a mentor for a lot younger guys."
Olsen said being named to the Hall of Fame is a great honor. He guided Heritage to its first winning season this past season as the War Eagles qualified for the Class 7A State Tournament for the first time. He was also an assistant for three Mounties teams that advanced to the state tournament.
"This is a very humbling honor to be included," Olsen said.
Sports on 07/01/2014