County Hall picks 6
- Updated: February 21, 2016
Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame announces Class of 2016
The Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2016, a six-member class with connections to six county high schools that brings its membership to 70.
The six inductees, who will be enshrined at the 12th annual induction banquet June 18, are Bobby Fulton, Larry Gowens, Johnny Ingram, Bob Miller, Greg Robinson and Larry Skinner.
“This is an outstanding class that again truly represents the depth and quality of athletes and coaches in the history of Calhoun County,” said Jon Holder, a member of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors and spokesman for the board.
Fulton played baseball at Anniston High School for Billy Bancroft before graduating in 1954. He was one of the best left-handed pitchers to play in Calhoun County but was denied the opportunity to play professionally because he had lost sight in one eye.
After military service in the U.S. Army, where he continued to play baseball, Fulton played semi-pro baseball. He helped pitch three teams to the World Baseball Congress national tournament in Wichita, Kan.
A shoulder injury ended his pitching career and he turned to fast-pitch softball, playing first base for 20 years. Fulton coached successful youth baseball teams from park and recreation leagues through American Legion programs.
Gowens was a two-sport star at Piedmont High School where he graduated in 1955. In 1953, his junior football season, he rushed for over 1,000 yards – a rarity at the time – and accomplished the feat in just nine games.
When Gowens played, all-county teams came from every school in the county regardless of size and contained 11 players. He was first-team all-county as a senior; second team all-county as a junior and a sophomore and honorable mention all-county as a freshman.
Just 5-foot-9, he was chosen all-tournament at the county basketball tournament as a freshman, junior and senior. He led Piedmont in scoring in the county tournament all four years in which he played.
Ingram was a four-year starter in football for Wellborn High School before graduating in 1964. He was first team all-county at guard as a junior in 1962 and as a senior in 1963 and was first team all-state as a senior. He was a starter in North-South all-star football game following his senior year. He received a football scholarship to University of Georgia, lettering one year.
Ingram was head football coach at Wellborn for six seasons (1973-1978). As coach of the Panthers, he was Calhoun County big-school coach of the year in both 1976 and 1977 and coached in North-South all-star game. He then served as head football coach at Anniston for seven seasons (1979-1985).
Miller was an outstanding basketball player in high school at Piedmont High School and in college, first at Jacksonville State and later at Auburn.
In 1948, his senior year at Piedmont, he was one of five members of the Sixth District tournament’s first-team all-tournament team. As a sophomore at Jacksonville State in the 1949-50 season, he led a 23-6 team in scoring with 428 points, shooting 41 percent from the floor and 76 percent at the free throw line.
Miller missed the first four games of his junior season at Auburn because of transfer rules but was named Auburn’s most valuable player. As a senior on the Plains in 1953-54, he served as team captain and set nine single-season records. He also scored 31 points against Georgia to set an Auburn record for most points in one game.
Robinson was a standout in both football and basketball at Alexandria High School prior to his graduation in 1976. As the Valley Cubs’ quarterback in 1975, his senior season, he was named first-team all-county. Later in his senior year, he was a first-team all-county selection in basketball.
After receiving a football scholarship to Jacksonville State, Robinson concentrated on defense as a linebacker. He was a four-year letterman. As a senior, he earned All-Gulf South Conference recognition, Gulf South Conference defensive player of the year and UPI honorable mention All-American. At JSU as a senior, he was a team captain and the Gamecocks’ most valuable defensive player. In 2003, he was elected to JSU’s All-Centennial football team.
Skinner played basketball at Oxford High School before graduating in 1965. He continued his connection to basketball and his hometown as head basketball coach at Trinity Christian Academy for a total of 18 seasons in three separate stints.
His overall record at Trinity Christian of 344 wins and 122 losses includes seven Alabama Christian Education Association state championships (1977, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997). His career total is the most career wins in Trinity Christian school history.
Between stints at Trinity Christian, he coached the Anniston High School girls in the 1982-83 season and won Calhoun County tournament. Prior to Trinity Christian, he coached the Saks boys for three seasons from 1972 through 1975.
For more information on the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame, visit the Hall of Fame’s website at www.ccshof.com.
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