AHSAA

Coach Randy Ragsdale Inducted into the AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame

Coach Randy Ragsdale Revised

The following is an excerpt from : There is Much More to ‘Coach Rags’ Than Wins and Losses can Measure by Bill Plott, AHSAA Historian. To view the entire article, click here.

To fully measure the impact of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018 inductee Randy Ragsdale, one needs to look past his 242 football coaching victories.

That’s the opinion of those who know him, including Trinity Presbyterian High School’s head of school Kerry Palmer. “There is so much more to ‘Coach Rags’ than metrics can measure,” Palmer said. “Randy Ragsdale is one of the finest human beings I have ever known. He truly loves and cares for all of the students at our school – not just ‘his boys’. He learns every name, knows every relationship and demonstrates real interest in each individual student. Randy’s positivity, enthusiasm and optimism are always present and are contagious.”

Ragsdale was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018 at the Hall of Fame banquet March 19 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

A native of Conyers, a suburban city near Atlanta, Ragsdale attended Rockdale County High School, graduating in 1975. After an outstanding high school career, he received a football scholarship to Jacksonville State University. At JSU he earned All-American honors starting at tackle for three years and played in the NCAA Division II National Championship game in 1978 as a senior.

Upon graduation the following spring, he accepted a position at north Clayton High School in Georgia where he was an assistant coach for three years. He then moved to Fayette County (GA) where he coached from 1982-85.

In 1985 he moved to Alabama and joined the Northview High School coaching staff as defensive coordinator at the Dothan school. His impact was felt immediately as Northview won the 1985 Class 6A state championship.

After four years at Northview, Ragsdale moved to Trinity Presbyterian as head football coach, a position he held through the 2016 season. Although he announced his retirement from coaching, he continues to serve in the Middle School Dean position he has held since 2006.
With his retirement from football, Ragsdale legacy includes:

· He compiled an overall head-coaching record of 242-86.

· His teams qualified for the state playoffs 25 times in 28 seasons.

· Trinity was 15-0 in 2003 and won the Class 4A state championship.

· The Wildcats compiled a 45-game regular-season win streak from 2000-05.

· His teams won 13 Region titles with an overall 116-23 region record.

· He served as a coach in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game, was head coach in the North-South All-Star Game in 2010 and assistant coach in 1997 and 2004; and also coached a team in the Down under Bowl in Australia.

· He was named 2003 State Coach of the Year and was selected three times Metro Coach of the Year.

· Received the prestigious Herman L. “Bubba” Scott Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 2017 for his positive impact as a coach and commitment to his faith.

Todd Parsons, president of the Trinity Presbyterian Board of Trustees, added, “Coach Ragsdale put the Trinity football program on the map and compiled a record on the field of play that may never again be matched by a coach at a single school in Montgomery. Several members of our Trustee Board played for Coach Ragsdale and admire and respect him greatly.”

Coach Randy Ragsdale is one of 11 inductees to the Alabama High School Hall of Fame, Class of 2018. For a complete list of other 2018 inductees, please click here.

Encore Rehabilitation is proud to provide Sports Medicine Coverage for the Trinity Presbyterian School Wildcats and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
We LOVE to see you move!

Find us on Facebook

encorerehab.com

Coach William Booth to be inducted into AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame

The following is an excerpt from: Math Teacher William Booth’s Baseball Coaching Career Adds Up to Hall of Fame, By Bill Plott, AHSAA Historian. To read the complete article, click here.

Coaching baseball was not William Booth’s first calling. A glance at his resume shows first choices as math teacher, assistant principal, advanced placement coordinator, transportation coordinator, and he also coaches baseball.

It can be said that he excelled in all of them. His baseball coaching has added up to an Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame selection for Booth, the state’s all-time prep baseball wins leader. The Class of 2018 will be inducted March 19 at the banquet to be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

“At the age of 42, he was called on to help out Hartselle High School’s baseball team. Without any previous experience in (high school) coaching, he walked on to the field and immediately started winning,” recalled his friend Don Logan, owner of the Birmingham Barons and B.A.S.S.
Despite his late start, Booth’s 30-year career as baseball coach at Hartselle has resulted in the following accomplishments for his storied program.

A won-lost record of 1,025-431 through 2017, making him the all-time winningest coach among Alabama high school baseball coaches.
Eight state championships (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999. 2000, 2009, 2013) and three runners-up (1993, 1998, 2010).
Seven AHSAA final-four finishes, two final eight and six final 16.
20 Area championships and nine runner-up finishes.
The 2009 team finished with a record of 50-9. Five other teams won 40 or more games while 15 won more than 30 games. There has only been one losing record (20-27) during his career.
101 players have received college baseball scholarships, including eight who went into professional baseball. Two of them, Steve Woodard and Chad Girodo, made it to the major leagues. Others have gone on to coaching careers.

He was also a Little League baseball coach for 10 years, winning two state championships and finishing second once. Booth was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004.

A native of Hartselle, Booth graduated from Morgan County High School in 1962. He attended Athens College and Alabama A&M, earning degrees in math and administration.

Don Logan pointed out that Booth’s accomplishments have not been limited to the baseball field. “He has also excelled in the important role of developing boys into men, and he has helped many earn college scholarships and quite a few more to sign contracts to play professional baseball,” Logan said. “Outside of baseball, he set what might be another record, teaching thousands of students subjects such as calculus and higher mathematics for 50 years. He recently retired from the classroom, but at age 73 he hasn’t quit working with young people, on and off the field.”

Dr. Dee Dee Jones, superintendent of Hartselle City Schools, calls Coach Booth “the finest example of how to coach students on all levels – mentally, academically, athletically and personally. “He continually goes beyond expectations to equip the students of Hartselle in whatever capacity he serves,” she stated in her nomination letter for his Hall of Fame selection. “During his 52 years in education – yes, I said 52 years – he has served as an advanced math teacher (49 years), Federal Programs Coordinator, Assistant Principal, Transportation Coordinator, Director of School Operations, and now as Assistant Superintendent. Over the past 30 years he has also served as the high school baseball coach. Mr. Booth has the distinct honor of being the winningest coach in Alabama.”

Coach William Booth is one of 11 inductees to the Alabama High School Hall of Fame, Class of 2018. For a complete list of other 2018 inductees, please click here.

Encore Rehabilitation is proud to provide Sports Medicine Coverage for the Hartselle High School Tigers and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
We LOVE to see you move!

encorerehab.com

Behind the Scenes at the AHSAA Basketball State Finals

There are many dedicated people who work behind the scenes at the AHSAA Basketball State Finals to make it a memorable experience for the High School Teams and Coaches who make the State Playoffs. Here are a few of these individuals.

Teams Pass Gate Crew: Sidney James, William Taylor, and Ed Daniels. When teams arrive at The BJCC Legacy Arena, the Pass Gate Crew assist the teams with checking in, getting to the locker rooms, answering questions, and any other assistance requested.

Cheer Team Coordinator Sandra Seals assists the cheer squads throughout their time at the AHSAA State Finals. She loves working with the different cheer teams to make the State Finals experience special.

Multiple persons assure the game runs smoothly by keeping stats, running the clock, announcing the games, and much more.

Larry Robinson has been helping at the High School State Basketball Finals since 1977. He assists in variety of ways, primarily coordinating the awards for presentation and managing the basketballs for the games and warms ups, but you can find Larry doing many other things as the need arises.

Janis Clements has been a Team Host for 25 years. As a host, she meets the team at the door on game day, escorts them to the locker room and basketball court, and then sits with the team throughout the game to help in any way needed. Janis is proud of her association with The Birmingham Tip-Off Club.

These are only a few of the many people who work behind the scenes to make the State Finals an experience of a lifetime!