Big names highlight WM HOF event

Big names highlight WM HOF event

WM School District Blue Devil athletics stretch across seven decades or more if you go as far back as the old Hulbert days.

Before there was West Memphis High School there was Hulbert High School, which officials in West Memphis declare as the town's local school.

There aren't many surviving connections left with the Hulbert days, but last year's inaugural class of the West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame had perhaps the biggest name ever associated with Hulbert –Lewis Carpenter, who played football here, for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and in the NFL before a burgeoning coaching career in The League.

This year there's one more Hulbert guy.

Harry Clayton 'Foots' Wynne's name was dug up by West Memphis Athletic Director Lanny Dauksch and much of the research in finding survivors of this athletic dandy was done by our town's Bill Tennison.

Wynne will be inducted in the second class of Hall of Famers on Thursday night at Southland Gaming at 6 p.m. But Wynne's survivors will not be able to attend, so 'Foots' will not be part of the program.

Which leads us to the headliners in Thursday's big event.

Thursday's ceremony should have more of one quality that last year's first inductees didn't — emotion.

With the passing of one of the most prominent West Memphians in the city's history — Bill Kessinger — – last January, there will be a few tears shed by those in the audience.

And that's more than OK.

We all placed Kessinger on such a high pedestal that there's little doubt that his name and memory will go on for a long time.

Kessinger was an athlete, all right.

In fact, the Kessinger that American Baby Boomers remember most is Donnie, a six-time Major League Baseball all-star with the Chicago Cubs in the 1960s and '70s. Donnie played on some great Cub teams that should have won a few pennants and World Series titles.

But Donnie himself would tell you today that his athletic idol growing up was his own big brother Bill, who went on the play four sports (FOUR!!) at old Arkansas State Teachers College, now known as the University of Central Arkansas.

Bill had a few Major League scouts on his trail until a football knee injury derailed those plans.

'Yes, there should be some emotion involved Thursday night,' said Dauksch. 'But that's what nights like this one are all about. Our community will really enjoy this event.'

And Grafton Moore, who will forever be remembered as the man who enjoyed the greatest run of individual talent and talented teams in the 1980s and '90s.

Among Grafton's main attributes was, and still is, his ability to connect to youngsters. He could be demanding and tough when he had to be, but every one of his players knew without question that he truly loved and cared about them.

The evening will also be filled with several older football players, those of the 1963 Blue Devil squad that Kessinger himself coached.

The names are legendary.

Jimmy Whisenhunt, who moved back to West Memphis from Florida recently, will be one of the keynote speakers along with quarterback Eric Duncan, who took over as starter at the position in place of Moore sometime in the middle of the campaign.

This is a tight-knit group even today. And every one of them who will be in attendance are tickled and thrilled to be honored by their alma mater.

Lastly, but certainly not least, girls basketball star Jocelyn Love will be inducted. She is the alltime leading scorer in UALR history and she led the 2002-03 Lady Devils to the Class 5A state championship.

Love will be the youngest honoree in the event's twoyear history. Dauksch said there are still tickets left. Fans can still purchase them at the West Memphis School District's Administrative Office on South Avalon.

They are $25 apiece and $250 for a table of 10.

By Billy Woods