Caruthersville Athletics creates initial Hall of Fame class to honor

The Caruthersville High School football team takes the field for a game against Dexter in a recent season at Caruthersville High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

Note: This is a republication of a story that was first published in May regarding an event at Caruthersville High School on Friday.

The lore of athleticism flowing through the halls of Caruthersville High School over time has been a storied one.

There has been an endless stream of tremendous coaches, teams, and athletes, that move with the consistency of the Mississippi River just blocks from the school.

A group of those talented and revered individuals and teams will be recognized on Friday during the Tigers' home football game against Carlyle (Ill.) at Hopke Field, as the school has created its initial athletic Hall of Fame class.

“It was a very tough process,” Hall of Fame committee chair Lee Bethune said of narrowing the list of honorees for this first class. “There have been so many deserving candidates who have come through our school district.”

The initial class, which Bethune called “a slam dunk class,” will include individuals such as Joe Cagle (Class of 1973), Wiley Patterson (Class of 1961), Paula Rodgers Mcadory (Class of 1992), Matt Palmer (Class of 1997), Jimmy Jackson (Class of 2004), Tracie Driver (Class of 1990), former Tiger coach Lloyd Block, the 1992 Tiger boy’s track and field squad (MSHSAA Class 3A state champions), 1980 football team (MSHSAA Class 3A state runner-up), and Cleat Stanfill for his “distinguished service.”

“It was very easy to discuss (candidates),” Bethune explained. “A lot of athletes were under consideration because we have been blessed with a ton of great athletes in our history.”

The impetus for the creation of the Hall of Fame came from current Tiger football coach Dom Guglielmino, who had something similar at his high school in upstate New York.

“Dom has had a tremendous vision for this,” Bethune said. “When he told me about a lot of these (ideas), I said ‘Well, let’s do it.’”

The committee consisted of several Caruthersville graduates and administrators, from varying decades, some of whom were former Tiger athletes, such as Bethune, a 1996 graduate, who took the dreams of Guglielmino and ran with them.

“I know (Guglielmino) doesn’t want this to be about him,” Bethune said, “but he really has been the instrumental person behind this and has pushed this across the finish line.”

The school will conduct a ceremony in the early evening of September 13 prior to the Caruthersville home football game with the honorees being honored at halftime of the Tigers’ game. A hospitality room will be set up for people to gather and catch up on the multitude of stories and memories to be shared.

“It will be a little bit of a reunion,” Bethune said.

The high school is creating a space near the gymnasium to hold the Hall of Fame plaques, and on the night of Sept. 13, there will be memorabilia from the inductees to be viewed.

Bethune expects that an autumn date, centered around a home football game, will provide a consistent timeframe for future celebrations, which will take place annually.

“I could see this being every fall before one of our home football games,” Bethune said.

Bethune is a former Tiger athlete and longtime football coach, as well as serving on the Cartuthersville School Board and as the Tigers’ softball coach.

His father was a Tiger coach, and his mother was an educator at the school, as is his wife. Bethune beams with pride when he talks of the many fantastic Caruthersville stories that have filled the years.

“My affiliation in being a Caruthersville kid, an athlete, and then being involved with the School District,” Bethune said, “I’ve got a lot of pride. There are a lot of great things here, a lot of great people, and a lot of great people involved in our sports programs.

“There are a lot of great people in our community, so, I really like this (Hall of Fame idea).”