The Brown and Brown Hall of Fame officially welcomed nine individuals and one team Saturday morning, bringing the number of Adair County athletes, coaches and teams honored since the Hall of Fame was established four years ago to 39.
The Friday night tailgating event was moved inside John Burr Gymnasium due to rain, but inductees, friends and family gathered to honor them. The inductees, or those accepting on their behalf, were recognized on the field during halftime.
The official induction ceremony was held Saturday morning. The Adair County Letterwinner’s Club, also known as the “A Club,” presented certificates to each of this year’s inductees, which included two who were inducted posthumously.
Past President Randy Burns introduced each of the inductees and President Craig Biggs presented them with their certificates.
Darren Ballou was the first inductee of the day. Ballou was a basketball standout who graduated in 2009.
“It is truly humbling and something that I will always be proud of,” said Ballou about his induction into the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame.
The next inductee was Greg Bardin, who was inducted both as a three-sport athlete and coach. Bardin thanked his former coaches for their guidance and contribution to his success as an athlete.
“What coaching attributes that I had, I couldn’t have done it without talented and dedicated athletes,” he said. “There was once a song that said, ‘there you go again making me look good’ and I had a lot of athletes that made me look good.”
Lianna Critz Pippen, a four-year starter for the Lady Indians, never missed a game during her career and finished with school records 1422 points and 1002 rebounds.
“This is dad’s day,” she said about her father, the late George Critz. “I just want to say thank you for this community that raised me up and supported me and gave me the opportunity to go forward and do good things.”
Van Giles was the first golfer to be inducted into the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame. He helped the team make their first state appearance.
“Probably my biggest supporter was my grandfather, who is no longer with us. Thank you all. It’s an honor and I appreciate it,” said Giles.
Ricky Groves, Class of 1980, excelled in four sports at Adair County High School, earning him a spot in the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame.
“I figured out what Greg Bardin done to me later in life. He became my friend and my track coach. I rode a bicycle and he would say ‘come on, let’s put our bikes on the back of someone’s truck and they’re going to take us to Campbellsville and we are going to ride back to Columbia. Well, I wasn’t smart enough as a kid back then to realize, he was conditioning me,” he said.
Glen “Red” Nixon was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame for his coaching career at Adair County and won more regional championships than any other coach in Adair County history regardless of sport. His son, Steve Nixon, accepted the award on behalf of his father.
“I know that he would be proud. He coached for one reason; it was his favorite thing to do,” said his son. “I am proud of him and I thank y’all.”
Coach John Peck earned his induction in the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame for his success as a football coach and role in creating a winning program for Adair County football. He coached a total of 24 years for Adair County.
“The love of the game came from my dad. The value of coaching came from my high school coach, Ron Finley,” he said.
He said that Finley introduced a concept to him that all his football players also know.
“The quality of a man’s life is a direct proportion to his commitment to excellence regardless of his chosen field of endeavor,” said Peck. “Commitment to excellence became the motto of my life and the motto that I coached by.”
The second posthumous induction into the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame was Cleo Shively, who coached cheerleading in Adair County for many years. She led the cheer squad to a Kentucky championship and placed sixth in national competition. Her children, Donald Shively, Douglas Shively and Terrilynn Marsh, accepted the honor on her behalf.
“If mom were here, she would do everything she could do to downplay this. Everything she could do. It wasn’t about her. It was about the kids, the children and the cheerleaders she served plus her family,” said Donald Shively.
The final individual inductee into the Hall of Fame was Yves White, Class of 1980. White was a top shooter and scorer for the Indians and helped lead the team to 22 wins his senior year.
White said that Coach Glen Nixon was a great motivator for the team.
“He [Nixon] let us know that small people could still play basketball. We changed the way basketball was played when we came into the room…We averaged about 84 points a game. We pressed the whole game. We ran up and down the court and if you weren’t in shape, you had a long night ahead,” he said.
The 1992 Adair County High School football team was inducted into the Brown and Brown Hall of Fame. Coached by John Peck, this team was part of a four-year stretch from 1989-92 where Adair County went 30-14 that remains the best four-year mark in program history. This team helped set a new standard for Adair County football.
“Guys, you did it and what I mean by that is you changed things for everyone. Set a new standard. You changed the program forever and set the bar for the program,” said Peck. “The fact that you all stuck together, you achieved that many wins in that period of time, it is something that will last forever.”
“Again, I will say what I always say, ‘love you’,” he said.
Although many were not present, each coach and team member’s name was read aloud. A senior member of the team was asked to speak.
“I think I speak for the entire team when I say, we are a very blessed group. We are a very appreciative group. We are appreciative to be inducted today through the efforts of our parents, the work of these coaches, the support of our community, and the relationships we developed; we are better people,” said Robbie Harmon. “Being a part of this team made us better football players, good men, excellent husbands, and great dads.”
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
