Davidson High School inducts five more into Athletic Hall of Fame

By JOEY WARNER

   

     Davidson High School honored the newest members of the school's athletic hall of fame before the Warriors’ 34-15 win over Blount in its Class 6A Region 1 opener at Oscar Lipscomb Stadium on September 5.

    Ervin Thompson, Gordon Denniston, Bill Cherry, Lloyd Moore and Rick Sharpe were inducted in to the hall of fame while Vernon Chapman, Richmond Brown and John Martin were presented with distinguished service awards.

    Thompson is a 1964 Davidson graduate that earned 10 letters in high school — three each in football, basketball and baseball and one in track. He went to college at Yale and earned a medical degree from Vanderbilt.   “After I went on to college at Yale, I sadly neglected athletic pursuits, thinking I would be better off focusing on academics,” Thompson said. “I went on to medical school at Vanderbilt and residency in psychiatry at Duke and ended up playing basketball and tennis for recreation.” 

    Denniston is a 1963 Davidson graduate that played football and earned all-conference and all-state honors as a guard.   He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and later graduated from Alabama.  “I attended Azalea Road Junior High where I started my organized football career on Coach Eugene Redell’s junior high football team,” Denniston said.  “Several Davidson players grew up together playing for Azalea Road where we learned to play as a team and later for W. P. Davidson until we graduated.” 

    Cherry was voted Mr. DHS in 1964, was a member of the National Honor Society, served as a Student Council Representative, and was the President of the D Club.  Cherry was named Optimist Club Player of the Week for his contributions in a 17-7 win over No. 1 ranked Murphy in his final game at Davidson.  He signed to play football at Alabama and served as defensive captain of the freshman team. Later, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

     Moore served as head basketball and assistant football coach from 1962 to 1973, leading his hoops team to the state tournament in 1963 and 1973. He earned the regional Coach of the Year award in 1973.  “The basketball teams each year consisted of players who were willing to work as hard as any coach could ask,” Moore said.  “Success cannot be measured by making it to the state tournament which was an honorable goal.”

    Sharpe is a 1965 Davidson graduate. He is best known as the owner of Rick's Sporting Goods on Old Shell Road.  Earlier in his business career, he was affiliated with Thoss Sporting Goods in Mobile for 22 years.  Sharpe was a three-year starter in baseball as a catcher and outfielder and was the point guard for the basketball team at Davidson. He went to Southern Miss and played one year of baseball and later transferred to South Alabama and played golf for three years, before turning professional in 1970.   Sharpe married Phyllis Freeland Sharpe, who he met at Azalea Road School in the ninth grade.  Phyllis finally lost a lengthy battle with cancer last month. “I was just a normal average student that made a 21 on my ACT and I am proud of it,” Sharpe said.  “It is honor to be the first inductee from the 1965 class.”

    

     Fred Riley, head football coach for the 6A No. 3 ranked Warriors, and Jody Daniels, a Davidson alumnus and former baseball standout, have been instrumental in the organization and growth of the Davidson Athletic Hall of Fame since its foundation in 2008.

 

PHOTO (left to right): Jack Thompson brother of Dr. Ervin Thompson. Jack received the award in his brother’s absence; Gordon Denniston, Bill Cherry, Lloyd Moore, Rick Sharpe, Vernon Chapman, Richmond Brown and John Martin.