RISON - A legendary coach, a two-sport All-State athlete, an All-Southwest Conference football player, twin brothers who left a legacy in Rison athletics, and Rison High School's first state championship football make up the inaugural class of the new Rison High School Sports Hall of Fame.
The inductees, selected by members of the Rison Booster Club from a list of 10 finalists, are Coach Jimmy "Red" Parker, All-State football and basketball player Havis Hyatt, former Arkansas Razorback All-Conference football player George Walker, long-time Rison High School athletic supports Ray and Roy Martin, and the 1950 state championship football team, the team that launched Rison as one of the state's small school football powers.
All will be inducted in a special ceremony and dinner to be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the White Hall Community Center, 9801 Dollarway Road in White Hall.
Advance tickets are $20 or $25 at the door. The meal is being catered by the Rison High School athletic department. Tickets are available at FBT Bank in Rison, through Cashapp at $risonbooster or checks can be mailed to Rison Booster Club, P.O. Box 675, Rison, AR 71665.
Rison Booster Club President Dustin Prescott and Rison Hall of Fame coordinator Brian Phillips, along with Rison High School athletics historian Stan Sadler, discussed the inaugural class with Free Range Conversation podcast hosts Britt Talent and Roy Phillips. The podcast can be streamed through Apple Podcast, Spotify and clevelandcountyherald.com
All four of the nominees from the 1950's decade were selected in this very first round of voting for the new hall of fame. Coach Jimmy "Red" Parker as submitted as a 1990's decade nominee since he coached the Wildcats to a state championship in 1995. Parker himself was a 1949 graduate of Rison.
Prescott said each inductee class can consist of six individuals, or four individuals and one team.
Many of those from the 1950's have passed on, but Brian Phillips said they have had some success reaching some of their descendants and many plan to be at the ceremony. Phillips mentioned that two surviving members of Rison High School's first state championship football team - Harold Baker McKinney of Fayetteville and Charles Hobson of Little Rock - have expressed interest in making the event.
Hyatt and Walker are being inducted as athletes while Ray and Roy Martin are being inducted as contributors. Sadler pointed out at the Martin brothers provided a game clock and public address system for the football field after World War II.
The 1950 football team is being inducted as a team while Parker as a coach.