GDW Analysis:
A pair of local events are set for the upcoming weekend.
The 25th Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be Saturday from Stone Bridge Farms.
Monday, the Cullman County schools will present the 8th annual fall sports media day at the CCBOE conference room.
Hall of Fame:
Saturday marks a quarter century for Cullman County honoring those that have been an impact to local sports in various ways.
The 2025 class includes former outstanding athletes, plus coaches and administrators.
This is the following in representing their respective community:
Cold Springs: Donna Freeman Calvert
Cullman: Jay Page, Bobby Noles, Rusty Walker
Fairview: Henry Lively
Good Hope: Mitch Witcher
Hanceville: April Brand, James Laminack
Holly Pond: Bryan Robertson
Vinemont: Billy Schaffer
West Point: Shanda Garner
Nine scholarships will be given to student athletes with the scholarships representing all schools in Cullman County.
The scholarships are valued to be at least $1,000 to the winners.
The Hall of Fame was created by a suggestion from late Cullman Times Sports Editor Bill Shelton. Shelton got with others that carried a lot of history and clout through the years with the first one being held in April 2000 at the Cullman Civic Center.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID outbreak.
Media Day:
Cullman County Schools began this format in 2018. It has grown as the school system has one for fall sports, winter and spring sports.
The schools will have head coaches in the sports of football, volleyball, cross country.
Also, cheerleaders and band members will be a part of the festivity.
Vinemont is scheduled to be the first up at 9:00 a.m. Monday. Cold Springs, Fairview, Good Hope, Hanceville, Holly Pond and West Point will follow.
Each school is given approximately 30 minutes to receive questions from local media including yours truly for Gameday Weekly and WKUL FM.
Media Day makes it official that the start of the 2025/26 AHSAA sports season begins on August 21 with football and volleyball to be in the spotlight on that Thursday evening.
Cross country will open up the new schedule on August 23 at various sites.
Photo of the 2009 Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame class:
Front row (left), Carole Brindley King, Shawn Crider, Randy Blackwood, Charles Hollis, Johnny "Flash" Thornton.
Back row (left), Doug Styles, Bobby Waters, Steve Johnson, Jim Boyd, Otis Green and Jimmy Michelfelder.
Photo courtesy of the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame.
