The Jackson County Athletic Hall of Fame’s first class in three decades will include nine inductees. Those set to be enshrined at a May 16 ceremony include the 1951 Braselton High School boys’ state champion basketball team, Arlen Berryman (supporter), D.L. Hitchcock (coach, administrator), James Brown (administrator), Cheryl Martin (athlete), Florine Griffeth (supporter), O’dell Collins (athlete), Jason Powers (athlete) and Nikki Sosebee (athlete).
“I think the committee was really excited about all the athletes and administrators and supporters of athletics in this class,” Jackson County athletic director Adam Lindsey said. “I feel like it’s a good representation of the long history of Braselton High and Jackson County High and Bryan High School. I feel like this is going to be a great foundation for the future of the hall of fame.”
The hall of fame opened in 1985 with two inductees — Jackson County’s 1964 boys’ state championship basketball team and Braselton High School’s 1930 boys’ state championship basketball team — but has been dormant until now.
Here’s a brief look at the individual accomplishments of this year’s class.
•1951 Braselton state champion basketball team: According to the Georgia High School Basketball Project website, Braselton won the 1950-1951 Class C title with a 57-49 victory over Rosemont.
•Arlen Berryman: Berryman, a player on Braselton High School’s 1945 district championship basketball team, served the Jackson County basketball program through his work as a scout, bus driver and through player development.
•D.L. “Red” Hitchcock (deceased): Hitchcock served as Jackson County High School principal from 1958-1963 and coached the basketball team during that span, going 124-17 with five sub-region titles, three region titles and a state runner-up finish in 1963.
•James Brown (deceased): Brown, who spent 36 years in the Jackson County School System, won four GIA boys’ district basketball championships at Bryan High School in the 1960s. He later coached basketball at Benton Middle School and Jackson County High School and became an assistant principal at the high school.
•Cheryl Martin: Martin starred for Jackson County High Schools’ girls’ basketball teams in the late 1970s — scoring over 1,500 career points — and even played two seasons on the baseball team.
•Florine Griffeth: A mainstay at Jackson County Comprehensive High School, Griffeth prepared pre-game meals for the school’s athletes and served as lead custodian for three decades. She never missed a home football or basketball game during that time.
•O’dell Collins (deceased): Perhaps the best football player Jackson County has ever produced, Collins led the Panthers to the playoffs in 1992 and then went on to break O.J. Simpson’s junior college records in California. Collins finished his collegiate career at the University of Georgia, playing two seasons (1995-1996).
•Jason Powers: Powers, who is the current head wresting coach for Jackson County, was a three-time state champion wrestler and an academic All-American as a Panther in the early 2000s.
•Nikki Sosebee: A two-sport star for Jackson County who hit .523 as a softball player and scored 1,511 points in basketball, Sosebee went on to success as a basketball player at Piedmont College.
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