The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame hosted its 2nd annual Champions Celebration to commemorate the two Big Country high schools, Benjamin and Westbrook, that won football state championships during the 2022-23 season on Sunday, January 21. The reception, sponsored by BML Crude Oil Marketing, featured rousing games between the teams, a free museum tour, an awards presentation, limited edition back-to-back state championship shirts for sale and hall of fame coach CH Underwood speaking.
Players, coaches, school administration and staff, families and fans from both schools were present to celebrate both schools’ back-to-back state championships. Including the 2021 and 2022 Benjamin and Albany teams, there have only been 11 Big Country football teams win back-to-back state championships in the history of the UIL.
The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame has produced limited edition shirts to mark this historic occasion. Long sleeve shirts are available to purchase at the Museum, or you can call us at 325-704-1759 to place an order. We are able to ship shirts for an additional fee.
Class of 2025 Announced
The nation’s top wide receiver, the first volleyball inductee, a world champion barrel racer, an Olympian and several successful coaches in football, track and tennis are among the inductees in the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame’s 2025 Induction Class. ...
Class of 2024 Announced
Athletes and coaches who led their teams to 12 state championships in football, basketball, baseball, golf and gymnastics headline the 2024 list of inductees into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame. The 23rd annual Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame induction...
Scholarship Applications are Now Live!
It's the season of giving right? And here at the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame, we're feeling festive! Each year, the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame is proud to give 12 $1,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Big Country schools each year. To...
Successful Book Signing Event held on Saturday
The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame held a book signing event on August 24 for longtime Abilene Christian University Sports Information Director Garner Roberts' new book Bubba Ephriam: Black Texas Basketball Pioneer book that saw many people visit the museum to meet...
Museum to host Book Signing Event on Aug. 24
The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame is hosting a book signing event at the museum for the newly released book "Bubba Ephraim: Black Texas Basketball Trailblazer." Former Abilene Christian University sports information director Garner Roberts has written an...
PE Shotwell 65th Anniversary Event was a Walk Down Memory Lane
On Saturday, August 10, the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame hosted PE Shotwell Day at the museum to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Abilene's Shotwell Stadium. At the special event, Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame Chairman Al Pickett led a roundtable...
1st Annual PE Shotwell Day set for Sat., Aug. 10
Football season is just around the corner, and the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame is celebrating with PE Shotwell Day on Saturday, August 10 at the Museum located inside the Mall of Abilene. Admission will be free to the museum all day. There will be a special...
Estes, The Estes Family
This year’s Pat Gerald Memorial Legacy Award recipient is the ESTES FAMILY. Their legacy began with Bob, who was a star running back on Abilene High’s first football team to reach the state championship game in 1922. His son Tommy played football and basketball...
Carothers, Bob
Bob Carothers was the all-state starting shortstop for Abilene High’s baseball team that was state runner-up in 1955 and won back-to-back state championships in 1956 and 1957. He led the district in home runs as a junior and senior. Kansas City A’s scout Buster Mills,...
Garms, Debs
Debs Garms was born in Bangs in 1907. He made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Browns on August 10, 1932 and played 12 seasons for the Browns, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. Garms broke up Johnny Vander Meer’s streak of hitless innings in...
Decker (Little), Peyton
Peyton (Little) Decker was one of the top basketball prospects in the nation when she came out of Wylie High School. Little scored over 3,000 points in her high school career and led the Lady Bulldogs to the state tournament in 2010 and state championships in 2011 and...