The fifth class of Wildcat athletes was inducted into Oxford’s Hall of Fame, at ceremony held Sept. 6 at the Fine Arts Center.
The class of inductees included Ted Freymiller, Coach and Contributor, Terry Geliske (?82), Elijah Jones (1900), Lisa Starr (?82), and Danny VanVleet (?64).?
The ceremony included pre-interviews and live stage interviews by the moderator of the night, Emmy Lucas. Lucas is a sports anchor for ABC 12 news and former Oakland Press sports reporter.
‘Emmy Lucas does a wonderful job. She really is kind of a budding journalist that has really done a good job,? Watson said. ‘It’s difficult when you’re not a part of our school or our community, you don’t really know the people or know the culture, but she does a great job interviewing.?
He also noted there were some great stories and messages given from the inductees. Because Freymiller was unable to attend, former Hall of Fame inductee Mike Lantry stood in for Freymiller’s place. Lantry was a player for Freymiller.
‘Mike did a wonderful job. We heard some pretty interesting stories about Coach Freymiller (and) just a lot of things that indicate how things have changed,? Watson said. ‘How it was such a small town mentality before and how we still have some of those small town charms, but we have so many opportunities and resources for kids now. I think that was one of the biggest things that came through in the on-stage interviews.?
Watson said the event couldn’t have happened without the dedicated folks who are on the Hall of Fame committee.
‘I appreciate the help of our committee,? Watson added. ‘We would not have found a representative for ‘Bumpus? Jones if it weren’t for feelers we got out there.?
Watson said they received the opportunity to talk with Jones? son Albert from Texas, but standing in for Jones at the ceremony was his half-sister Gail Kilbourne.
‘Gail did a wonderful job and really represented the words of her brother well,? he said. ‘I think it’s really great for Albert’s children and grandchildren, who would have been Bumpus’s grandchildren and great grandchildren, that they get a chance to know a relative who pitched for the Detroit Tigers.?
However, Watson noted that he’s not sure they’ll go back that far in history again for an inductee.
‘It’s really super difficult, but our committee did a great job gathering information and helping make info available so I could write the bios.?
More than 100 students and coaches attended the induction ceremony.
‘You know in (an) audience (that size) there (are) some future hall of famers, whether they be coaches or kids,? said.
When given the chance to meet the inductees and ask them questions, Watson said three or four students raced to the stage.
‘To me, that matters more than anything, that they were moved by what was said and were moved to go up and talk to those hall of famers. That’s fantastic and (that) is the whole purpose (why we do this). I don’t know what we would be doing if that’s not what we wanted to get out of it.?