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...

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...

Craft, Harry

HARRY CRAFT, a Throckmorton native, was a centerfielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937-42 and was on the Reds team that won the World Series in 1940. Craft began his managerial career in the New York Yankees farm system in 1949. That season, he was Mickey Mantle’s...
Tollison, David

Tollison, David

DAVID TOLLISON was perhaps the best all-around player on Abilene  Cooper 1987 state championship baseball team. He was 11-1 as a pitcher and batted .417 with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 19 stolen bases as a senior. He was the winning pitcher in the state championship...