Henry, Whatley, Fisher Enter Hall of Fame

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Soddy Daisy head coach Steve Henry, former Notre Dame state champion Pez Whatley and former McCallie wrestler Ed Fisher will be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 28 at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center.

 

Twenty four men and women comprise the class of 2011 and will be inducted at the 46th annual banquet. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets ($35) may be purchased by calling Hall of Fame president and former Red Bank wrestling coach Dr. John Farr at (423) 875-9282.

 

Ed Fisher: McCallie’s first great wrestler … first three-time Mid-South wrestling champion (1949-50-51) from any school … lettered six years in wrestling … captained McCallie’s wrestling and tennis teams and two-year starter in football … member of Mid South championship teams in tennis and wrestling … school’ Best Athlete Award winner as a senior in 1951 … recipient of McCallie’s highest award – the Grayson Medal – as a senior …wrestled collegiately at Vanderbilt and played tennis at Tennessee ... three-time Tennessee State Junior skeet shooting champion. Served as chair of Jaycees U.S. Olympic team vs. Russians wrestling match.

 

Steve Henry: 1989 National Coach of the Year … Member of the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame ... career dual record at Soddy Daisy is 515-170-3 in 29 years (1983-present) … has coached Soddy-Daisy to five state championships … State Duals titles (3; 1989, 2002, 2007) and State Traditional title (2, 2006, 2007) …10 state runner-up finishes … has coached four high school All-Americans, 27 state champions ... Coached the first girls state championship team in 2008 ... Four-time Coach of the Year ... lettered in football, wrestling and track in high school at Red Bank ... Competed in track at Middle Tennessee State ... current president of the Tennessee Wrestling Coaches Association.

 

Pez Whatley: The first African-American to win a Tennessee High School state wrestling championship (1967) … State champ for Notre Dame (1967, 1969) and state runner-up in 1968 …epic battles with Bill Emendorfer (Cleveland) in three straight finals … Pez won state finals in 1967, 1969 and Emendorfer won in 1968 … Pez was 1969 state tournament Outstanding Wrester … also an outstanding fullback for the Irish ... first African-American to wrestle for UTC … Wrestled professionally from 1975 to the mid-1990s under pro names of Pistol Pez, Willie B. Hert and Shaska Whatley.

[clintabbott]

Congratulations to three great guys. I officiated several of Pez's and Bill's great matches and Steve Henry has always been a gentleman, He is what all coaches should strive to be. Clint Abbott

Edited February 14, 2011 by clintabbott

[takedown3]

The stories I could tell about Pez (Actually Pezavant - named after an aunt!) but the statutes will never run. I don't believe there was more than a cumulative one point differential in the three state championship matches. I was at everyone but the only points I recall were escapes. Bill was the larger heavyweight but neither was that heavy. I doubt if Pez was over 210 at his heaviest. He was about 5'9" and built like a brick dodo house. The amazing thing was to see John Hannah throw Pez around like a rag doll before John's departure to Albertville after his junior year. Major Worsham would let ND practice with Baylor prior to the regional and state tournaments since Baylor didn't participate and headed to the National Prep tournament.

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The stories I could tell about Pez (Actually Pezavant - named after an aunt!) but the statutes will never run. I don't believe there was more than a cumulative one point differential in the three state championship matches. I was at everyone but the only points I recall were escapes. Bill was the larger heavyweight but neither was that heavy. I doubt if Pez was over 210 at his heaviest. He was about 5'9" and built like a brick dodo house. The amazing thing was to see John Hannah throw Pez around like a rag doll before John's departure to Albertville after his junior year. Major Worsham would let ND practice with Baylor prior to the regional and state tournaments since Baylor didn't participate and headed to the National Prep tournament.

 

 

and there was the big football player from TMI who beat John Hannah (a soph) in the Mid South finals in '67 .. not sure if they wrestled during the season ...

 

b.b.b.

[reftn]

Congratulations to three great guys. I officiated several of Pez's and Bill's great matches and Steve Henry has always been a gentleman, He is what all coaches should strive to be. Clint Abbott

 

Clint,

 

Email me so I can get that online stuff finished!

 

Either through arbiter or here: ten_uh_seee@yahoo.com

 

Thanks

 

Rick

[Raider76]

Soddy Daisy head coach Steve Henry, former Notre Dame state champion Pez Whatley and former McCallie wrestler Ed Fisher will be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 28 at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center.

 

Twenty four men and women comprise the class of 2011 and will be inducted at the 46th annual banquet. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets ($35) may be purchased by calling Hall of Fame president and former Red Bank wrestling coach Dr. John Farr at (423) 875-9282.

 

Ed Fisher: McCallie’s first great wrestler … first three-time Mid-South wrestling champion (1949-50-51) from any school … lettered six years in wrestling … captained McCallie’s wrestling and tennis teams and two-year starter in football … member of Mid South championship teams in tennis and wrestling … school’ Best Athlete Award winner as a senior in 1951 … recipient of McCallie’s highest award – the Grayson Medal – as a senior …wrestled collegiately at Vanderbilt and played tennis at Tennessee ... three-time Tennessee State Junior skeet shooting champion. Served as chair of Jaycees U.S. Olympic team vs. Russians wrestling match.

 

Steve Henry: 1989 National Coach of the Year … Member of the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame ... career dual record at Soddy Daisy is 515-170-3 in 29 years (1983-present) … has coached Soddy-Daisy to five state championships … State Duals titles (3; 1989, 2002, 2007) and State Traditional title (2, 2006, 2007) …10 state runner-up finishes … has coached four high school All-Americans, 27 state champions ... Coached the first girls state championship team in 2008 ... Four-time Coach of the Year ... lettered in football, wrestling and track in high school at Red Bank ... Competed in track at Middle Tennessee State ... current president of the Tennessee Wrestling Coaches Association.

 

Pez Whatley: The first African-American to win a Tennessee High School state wrestling championship (1967) … State champ for Notre Dame (1967, 1969) and state runner-up in 1968 …epic battles with Bill Emendorfer (Cleveland) in three straight finals … Pez won state finals in 1967, 1969 and Emendorfer won in 1968 … Pez was 1969 state tournament Outstanding Wrester … also an outstanding fullback for the Irish ... first African-American to wrestle for UTC … Wrestled professionally from 1975 to the mid-1990s under pro names of Pistol Pez, Willie B. Hert and Shaska Whatley.

Steve Henry is so deserving of this Honor. He has been great for the sport and to Hundreds of kids both on Soddys team and other local teams

[takedown3]

and there was the big football player from TMI who beat John Hannah (a soph) in the Mid South finals in '67 .. not sure if they wrestled during the season ...

 

b.b.b.

 

I believe he was a PG. So you have 19 year old wreslting the corpulent (kind of a big baby!) 16 year John Hannah.