2024 INDUCTEES
2024 Inductee Highlights
Jere Adcock’s career highlights
Jere Adcock, 68, the Handley native came to Decatur High as an assistant football 1994 and was elevated to head coach in 1996. His teams won 187 games in 27 seasons with five 10-plus win seasons, seven region championships and 21 playoff appearances. The program had 40 All-State selections.
David Chairs’ career highlights
David Chairs, 92, was a star athlete at Decatur Negro High School. For over 50 years, Chairs was a highly respected official for baseball, softball and football.
Lorenzo Jackson Jr.’s career highlights
Lorenzo Jackson Jr., 68, was a championship swimmer at Austin in the 1970s. He was the first Black to ever place in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state swim meet.
Dewain Keel’s career highlights
Dewain Keel, deceased, graduated from what is now Hartselle High in 1969 and is still one of the leading all-time scorers in program history. The Tigers won the Morgan County Tournament in his junior season. He died in 2020.
Steve Meek’s career highlights
Steve Meek, 63, the Austin graduate retired from Decatur Heritage in 2022 after 11 seasons where he guided the football and baseball programs to statewide recognition. His football teams won 86 games in 11 season. The baseball program won a state championship in 2016.
Tim Morgan’s career highlights
Timmy John Morgan, 65, the Danville graduate followed up a stellar prep basketball career with a college career at North Alabama where he played on the 1979 NCAA Division II national championship team.
Randy Nelson’s career highlights
Randy Nelson, 67, the 1974 Falkville graduate averaged over 20 points a game in three years at Falkville while scoring 1,650 career points. After playing at Athens State, Nelson moved into a long high school coaching career.
Gary Orr’s career highlights
Gary Orr, 68, was a star point guard as a sophomore on Hartselle’s 1971 state championship team. After high school and college, Orr became a coaching career the eventually brought him back to Hartselle. He coached the 2016 Hartselle girls basketball team to the Final Four.
D.A. “Arnold” Russell’s career highlights
D. A. “Arnold” Russell, deceased, was a fixture in the Morgan County as a baseball and softball umpire in a career that spanned 60 years. The mentor too many young people in the Trinity area was also the long-time scoreboard operator for West Morgan. He died in 2018.
Lesley Westmoreland Smothers’ career highlights
Lesley Westmoreland Smothers, 49, starred in softball and basketball player at Austin. She continued her college career at North Alabama, Athens State and Calhoun Community College, where she was the national tournament MVP in 1999.