WS Chronicle

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE

FOR THE CHRONICLE

These are joyous times for seven former athletes and a retired athletics administrator who will soon be enshrined in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County High School Sports Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2016 will be honored at an induction banquet at the Benton Convention Center on May 6 at 7 p.m.

“This is always a very special occasion,” said Robert Wynn, president of the Winston-Salem Sportsmen Club, the organization that established the Hall of Fame in 1983. “I saw several of these athletes playing during their high school careers. So, I can attest to their athletic abilities and their dedication.

“What stands out most for me, is that during their careers, they didn’t play with the idea that one day they might be in a Hall of Fame. They played for the sheer joy of the sport.”

Here’s a summarized look at this year’s Hall of Fame class:

*Josh Henighan

During his basketball career at Parkland in the 1990s, Henighan started every game in three varsity seasons. He was a three-time pick for the Frank Spencer Classic All-Tournament team and was All-Northwest as a senior in ’95.

One of Henighan’s most memorable moments came in ’94. In a match-up against heavily-favored Concord in the NCHSAA 3-A West Regionals, he nailed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime. Henighan’s shot gave the Mustangs the momentum they needed to finish strong in a 100-94 upset win.

“I didn’t play well that night, but I persevered,” he recalled. “When I look at the people who are already in the Hall of Fame, it’s truly a huge honor for me to be selected. This is a team honor as much as it is an individual honor. On that team, we always shared, so I’m sharing this honor with the guys I played with.”

*Missy Barsz Carroll

In the mid-to-late ‘90s, Carroll, who played at Carver, ranked among the area’s softball elites. The four-year varsity starter was twice voted MVP of the North Piedmont Conference (1997-98). During that same stretch, she hit .667 as a junior and .540 as a senior. As a pitcher, she led the conference in strike-outs and ERA.

Carroll also excelled in ice hockey. After graduation, she accepted an invitation to tryout for the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team for the 2002 Winter Olympics. She continued her career as a walk-on at Boston College, who ended up being a four-year letterman and team captain (as a senior).

“One of my best high school memories is the year we won the conference [’98],” she said. “It was so gratifying to see how all the hard work we put in paid off in helping us win a championship.”

*Carolyn Beeson Roddy

At Kernersville High School in the 1950s, Roddy was dominant as a diminutive guard (4-foot-10).

Over her last three seasons, Roddy averaged close to 23 points per game. As a junior, she scored a career-high 44 points against Northwest High School (now North Forsyth). After graduation, she was selected to play pro basketball with the Virginia Beach Surf Queens.

Roddy has fond memories of Mary Garber, the trailblazing journalist who covered sports in Winston-Salem for over five decades. “Whenever she would come out to the school, we knew that somebody had accomplished something,” said Roddy. “She was always there to support high school athletics.”

*T.R. Richards

Athletic directors work behind the scenes and are not always recognized for what they do in making sure that a school’s athletic department runs smoothly.

Richards, who retired from West Forsyth less than two years ago, supervised 38 athletic teams and was in charge of fund-raising for every sport.

During his tenure, there were a number of substantial upgrades to facilities, which included a new track, digital scoreboards for football and baseball, along with field improvements for football, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse.

“The kids; that’s the main reason I stopped coaching and went into sports administration,” said Richards. “Being an athletic director put me in a position to help a lot more kids than I could as a coach. It was worth the while to see them grow in their development and self-esteem.”

*Anthony Levine

This Reynolds alumnus was a stand-out in football and track (sprints) in the early 2000s. He was All-State in both sports and a key factor when RJR won the team title at the Class 4-A state track and field championships in 2005.

Levine, a defensive back who played college football at Tennessee State, has two Super Bowl rings (Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens). Originally, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 2010. For the past five seasons, he’s played with the Ravens.

*Larry Rucker

Rucker, who played at North Forsyth, enjoyed a superb senior campaign in basketball (1975-76). Aside from being the top scorer in Forsyth County and District 8, he was voted the Player of the Year for Northwest NC as well as District 8. Two years ago, Rucker was named as a member of North Forsyth High School’s Half-Century Team.

*Jackie Jerome Mitchell

Mitchell was an all-conference pick in three sports (football, basketball, plus track and field) during the mid-1990s at Carver. In track, the versatile Mitchell competed in the 300-meter hurdles, 4×100 relay, long jump and high jump.

After high school, he played college football at Southern University (La.) and was an All-America in 1998. Mitchell played six seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was a CFL All-Star in 2003.

*James Burwell

Burwell was a dominant force on Griffith High School’s basketball teams in the mid-1960s. The two-time All-Northwest pick had a single-game, career-high of 43 points and he scored 30 points or more nine times during his high school playing days.

As a senior, Burwell averaged 27.1 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field. That same season, he was the runner-up in the voting for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Player of the Year.