Sports HOF picks inductees

The inaugural class of the Clarendon County Athletic Hall of Fame has a new home and will be adored for many generations.

Talk of a countywide Hall of Fame had been in the working phases for several months dating back to the early summer of 2010.

The Hall of Fame did not get going until Committee Chairman Bill Brewer felt that it was time to begin the process.

“We decided if we didn’t go ahead and get started, it wasn’t going to ever get started,” he said. “We got started this year and said ‘we’ve got to do it’.”

The committee received approximately 30 nominations for the Hall consisting of former coaches and players.

They spent a lot of time researching and developing the first class of inductees.

“We kept narrowing down until we got to 11,” said Brewer.

Despite any attributes an inductee may have over another, the biggest element Brewer sees is equality.

He wants everyone inducted to be just as important as the other; he does not see the last selection more important or bigger than the first or later classes as inferior to this one.

“That’s our main focus,” he said. “If we’re not going to do it like that, then I don’t want anything to do with it. Everybody who is on the committee feels the same way.”

The inaugural class for the Clarendon County Hall of Fame consists of 11 former athletic individuals.

The 11 selections to open the Hall of Fame are Ed Brogdon, Clarence Epps “Butch” Coker Jr., Herman Eugene “Shad” Hall, Will Harvin, Scott Jackson, Max Knowlton, Gilbert William Elliott Martin, Toy McCord, Glenn Murray, Earnest SpannandJohn Franklin Thames.

Ed Brogdon

Brogdon graduated from East Clarendon High School in 1985 where he was a standout football player.

As a three-year starter for the Wolverines, he had a 35-4 record and as a senior, threw for 3000 yards with 38 touchdowns and rushed for 800 yards with 17 touchdowns.

Following high school, he was a four-year starter at East Carolina University where he was a captain his senior year and an honorable mention All-American at quarterback.

He came back and coached at ECHS and Kingstree High School.

Clarence Epps Coker Jr.

Coker graduated from East Clarendon High School in 1955 where he was a three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball and football.

He was the MVP of all sports his senior year.

He attended Clemson College in 1959 and played football and baseball.

Coker was a catcher and was part of the ACC Championship teams in 1958 and 1959 and caught for Clemson in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Herman Eugene Hall

Hall was a coach at East Clarendon where he coached four sports and compiled five state championships.

He won two in football and three in baseball.

William Burgess Harvin

Harvin graduated from Manning High School in 1941 and was a three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball and football.

After graduation, he attended Presbyterian College for two years before joining the Navy.

After the Navy, he attended the University of South Carolina where he walked on and earned a scholarship.

He coached at Manning, Salem Academy and is responsible for bringing men and women’s tennis to Clarendon County.

Scott Jackson

Jackson played every sport at Manning High School and excelled at baseball, basketball and football.

He graduated in 1951 and attended Clemson College where he played under legendary football coach Frank Howard.

Jackson was an All-ACC player on offense and defense and was a co-captain of the team in 1954.

He coached Little League baseball at Laurence Manning Academy following his collegiate career.

Max Knowlton

Knowlton graduated from East Clarendon High School in 1959 and played baseball, basketball and football.

He graduated from Newberry College in 1963 where he played baseball and football for four years.

He coached football, baseball, basketball, track and field and also served as athletic director at East Clarendon.

William Elliott Martin

Martin graduated from Summerton High School in 1967 where he played football and was selected to play in the North/South All Star Game.

He attended Lees McRae Junior College where he was an All-American lineman in 1969.

He went to Mars Hill College in 1971 and was the last player to play as a two-way lineman.

Martin coached at Clarendon Hall and LMA and brought the Saints a state championship in football.

Gilbert Toy McCord

McCord graduated from Manning High School in 1965 where he excelled at and was captain of baseball, basketball, football and track and was the first four-year starter for all four sports at MHS.

He attended the University of South Carolina and graduated in 1971 and played baseball and football.

He played professional baseball for the California Angels, Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox.

McCord came back to coach football at MHS, Christian Academy and Laurence Manning Academy.

At LMA, his overall record was 22-0 with two state championships.

Glenn Murray

Murray graduated from Manning High School in 1989 and was a three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball and football.

He was an all-state selection in football and baseball and was a center fielder, shortstop and catcher on the diamond.

He played in the AAA Atlantic League and was the all-time leader in homeruns with 163.

He played one year of major league baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies and 17 years in the minor leagues.

In his 18-year career, he hit 372 homeruns.

Earnest Spann

Spann was a coach at Scott’s Branch High School for 46 years.

Before coaching at SBHS, he graduated from and played football at South Carolina State University.

He coached at Mount Pleasant High School before moving to Summerton.

John Franklin Thames

Thames is currently the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Manning High School but has a very extensive sports background including a place in the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

He graduated from Manning High School in 1953 and Presbyterian College in 1958.

Thames was a tank platoon commander in Korea but returned to his alma mater and taught U.S. History for over 40 years.

He also coached football 36 years, baseball for 14 years and basketball for 41 years.

A banquet to honor the inductees is scheduled for March 12. The Clarendon Citizenwill provide more details when they become available and will publish more in-depth features on the nominees over the next six weeks.