The Statesboro Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed five outstanding individuals to the prestigious group with a ceremony at Statesboro High School on Thursday, September 19th.
In order to become a member of the Statesboro Athletic Hall of Fame, one must be a graduate of Statesboro High School, William James High School, or Marvin Pittman and be an alumnus from one of these institutions for at least fifteen years.
Considerations for induction to the Hall of Fame include high school athletic participation; high school athletic awards, records, and recognitions (championship teams, all region, all state, etc.); college athletic participation; college athletic awards, records, recognitions, and scholarships; high school and college non-athletic extracurricular activities; accomplishments after high school and/or college graduation (contributions to community, etc.; and leadership and character.
Families and friends came together to celebrate the accomplishments of their loved ones. There was a reception followed by a banquet and finally an induction ceremony in the Statesboro High auditorium to recognize these new inductees. They were also recognized during the pre-game ceremonies at the Statesboro High School vs. Bradwell football game on Friday, September 20th.
Monette "Mo" Bennett: Class of 2008
Bennett was a member of the Statesboro basketball team from 2004 to 2008. She was the ninth ranked guard in the country. Bennett was named region Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008. WTOC named her the Player of the Year in 2008. She helped lead the Lady Devils to a region championship during her senior year. The number 12 was retired as Statesboro to honor Bennett's contributions and achievements.
After Statesboro, Bennett would earn an athletic scholarship to Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She played for Georgia Tech from 2008-2012. As a member, she helped them to the best record in program history, their first trip to the ACC Championship and their first trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
After her graduation from Georgia Tech, Mo continued to stay around the game. She played for several national teams and coached as well. She currently plays in the Women's Premier Basketball Association. Mo also works for the Hayward Police Department as a district command/community officer.
Charlie Jackson: Class of 1972
Jackson transferred from William James High School to Statesboro in 1971. He only played for Statesboro for one year, but had the biggest impact. Jackson played on both sides of the ball as an inside linebacker and running back. His 14 touchdowns in his sole year as a Blue Devil helped lead them to a 9-1 record. His teammates described him as the best athlete and voted him as the Best Back.
Jackson earned an athletic scholarship to play football at Savannah State University. He was recognized as an All-Conference linebacker for the SIAC in both his junior and senior year.
After graduating from Savannah State, Jackson would enlist in the U.S. Army and serve for almost 8 years as a member of the Infantry 11th Bravo. He was stationed in Germany, Egypt and the Mojave Desert.
Andrew Middleton: Class of 1992
Middleton was a multi-sport student athlete. He participated in six sports at Statesboro: basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis and football. Middleton excelled in the classroom just as much as he did in competition. He received the Scholar Athlete award for having the best GPA in every sport he competed in during his senior year.
Middleton qualified for state every year that he ran cross country and was named the MVP for 3 years. He qualified for the state track meet in the 2 mile and was the Special Teams Player of the Week for his outstanding performance as the place kicker against Effingham County in 1991. He was the starting goalie for the soccer team during his freshman year and was the top singles player for the tennis team during his junior year.
Middleton currently works at IHG Hotels and Resorts as Director of Marketing Analytics.
Jamie Childs Purdy: Class of 1996
Purdy played softball and basketball and ran track and cross country during her time at Statesboro High. Purdy was a great floor general for the girl's basketball team. As a junior, she led her team to a 21-10 record and helped the team earn a sub-region championship and a region runner up trophy. She tallied 125 assists during the season. As a senior, she showed her defensive prowess as she led the team in steals with 35.
After graduating from Statesboro, Purdy played basketball and softball at Piedmont college. Purdy was inducted in the Piedmont Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. After her playing career was over, she went into coaching and became the head coach for the Middle Georgia College women's basketball team. In just her second season, she led the team to the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association championship game. She then returned to Piedmont College to become one of the winningest coaches in the South at the Division III level with a 347-161 record.
During her 20-year tenure at Piedmont College, she has 9 20-win seasons.
Robert Hodges: Honorary
Hodges competed in football, basketball, and track at Statesboro High School from 1934 to 1938. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Georgia where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in World War II. His dedication to the Navy earned him the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Hodges would return to Statesboro in 1967 as a math teacher, assistant basketball, football and track coach. Former players recall how dedicated and intentional Coach Hodges was with his players. He would meet them one on one to work on their form with hurdles.
He impacted hundreds of student athletes before retiring from SHS in 1976. His commitment to these athletes and to the Statesboro High School athletic program for nine years has earned him a place in the Statesboro Athletic Hall of Fame as an honorary member.
Coach Steve Brooks and Coach Clark Collins, who recently passed away, introduced the idea of a Statesboro Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985, to honor outstanding athletes and those in the school community who positively influenced them.
The first nine individuals were inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years later in 1988, and since then, 92 more have received this honor.
For more information on the Statesboro Athletic Hall of Fame, please contact Kathy Tucker at kathybtucker@gmail.com.