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 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...
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 at...
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...
Aldridge, Cory
Cory Aldridge was a standout outfielder for the Abilene Cooper baseball team and a tight end on the Cougars’ state runner-up football team in 1996. Aldridge enjoyed a remarkable 18-year professional baseball career playing from 1997-2014 for the...
Hess, Jay
Jay Hess threw for a state record 3,154 yards and 37 touchdowns to lead the Eastland High School Mavericks to an unbeaten season and the Class 2A state title in 1982. He was voted the Texas High School Player of the Year for all classifications, a first-team all-state...
Biggers, Frank
Frank Biggers, a 6’3” forward, played basketball for the Wallace Wildcats, a small segregated African American school in Colorado City before integration. Wallace won five state championships from 1959 to 1966. Biggers was named all-state as a sophomore in 1962,...
McKinney, Jim
Jim McKinney was the Head Gymnastics Coach at Cooper for 25 years. His Cougars gymnastics teams won three state championships while McKinney was at the helm of the program. He was named the Texas High School Gymnastics Coach of the Year five times and was twice named...
Sanderson, Bob
Bob Sanderson was the Head Gymnastics Coach at Abilene High for 16 years (1983-99) and has amassed a coaching career that spans 24 years between Abilene and Lebanon, KY. His teams at Marion County High School (KY) qualified for the state meet 7 times and won state...
Hotel Information for Upcoming Induction Banquet
Our 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Banquet is less than one month away, and as we near closer to April 29, the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame would like to share partner hotel information for those traveling from outside the Abilene area for the event. We have...