The Warren County Sports Hall of Fame has announced one of its biggest class inductions ever. Twelve individuals and one outstanding team will be introduced in August at a banquet before being honored at the Pioneer football game against White County Friday, Aug. 27.
This year’s inductions will be the first group added to the Hall of Fame since 2018, when seven people were all introduced as Hall of Famers. This year’s class features more members than recent past as the board hopes to make up on lost time, particularly due to last year’s 2020 induction cancellation due to COVID.
“We have a great class of inductees this year, some of which we’ve been considering for well over a year,” said Sports Hall of Fame board member Danny Martin. “We wanted to go a bit bigger this year because we were unable to induct a class last year. It’s a great group of successful athletes, coaches and supporters of Warren County athletics.”
The 2021 class
includes:
Barbara Biles – She was the leader of three straight state tournament Lady Pioneer basketball teams. Biles was named all-state, all-region, all-district and region tournament MVP during her senior season in 1973-74 before signing with Belmont.
Mike Chilcutt – He was the director of the Pioneer marching band from 1971-1995. Chilcutt helped elevate Warren County’s award-winning band to the national stage, including performances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and several bowl games across the country.
David Dunlap – Dunlap is a longtime tennis coach for Warren County, who led the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers to several district championships. The city tennis courts are named after him for all he has provided for the sport locally, which includes organizing both annual tennis tournaments.
Curtis Lusk – He is the No. 5 ranked rusher in Pioneer football history. Lusk led Warren County in rushing in 1974 and 1975, when the Pioneers won 17 games and he graduated with 2,707 career rushing yards.
Harold Lusk – He was the leading rusher in the inaugural 1969 Pioneer football season. Lusk finished with 1,012 yards and 16 TDs while leading the Pioneers to four wins.
Jerry “Gooby” Martin – One of the top pitchers for the Pioneers in the late 1980s who was recognized as all-district and all-region before signing with Southwest Community College. Martin was drafted by the Texas Rangers. Martin has also led the Lady Pioneer softball program to district and region titles in the last decade and the program’s first region tournament championship.
Keith Martin – Martin was a multi-sport athlete who earned all-region honors as a Pioneer running back. Martin had 1,992 career rushing yards, ranking eighth in school history.
Paige Northcutt – She is a longtime McMinnville Swim Team coach who was also a medal winner in the 1988 Summer Olympics. A fitness enthusiast, Northcutt is a tireless advocate for an indoor pool and gives swim lessons to children.
George Oleksik – He was a standout member of the 1992 state championship baseball team. Oleksik was an all-district and all-region honoree who went on to set school records at MTSU and was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Bill Rutledge – He is the all-time leader in single season receiving (1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1989) in Warren County football history. Rutledge went on to star for the University of Memphis and played two seasons in 1997 and 1998 for the Nashville Kats, a semi pro team. He caught 15 TDs with the Kats in those two seasons and finished with 798 receiving yards.
Russ Spivey – At 6-foot-2, Spivey is one of the top scorers in Warren County basketball history. Spivey’s jersey, No. 33, was retired and hangs from the rafters at Charlie Dalton Gym. Spivey was a three-time, all-district player who went on to play for the University of Tennessee.
Jay Walker – He is the longtime Voice of the Pioneers, who recently celebrated calling his 250th football game in 2019. Walker has been synonymous with Warren County sports broadcasts, serving as the play-by-play man for parts of four decades.
The Americans baseball program – This was a ground-breaking local travel baseball team which launched the career of several standout Pioneers. The team, formed in 1983, would win 181 games in four years.
NOTES:
The Americans baseball travel program is the first group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Mike Chilcutt and Jay Walker continue a trend of bringing in some of the top Pioneer supporters – people who have been integral parts of Pioneer athletics over the years.
“We always look over all nominations sent in by the community. This year, we had a lot of compelling cases – standout coaches, athletes, supporters and teams. We want to thank everybody for their submissions and want to encourage people to continue to make their nominations,” said Martin. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get back to bringing in classes yearly. There are still some great people out there who we’d like to recognize.”
The Warren County Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by Security Federal Saving Bank, plans to hold a banquet for the newest inductees Thursday, Aug. 26.
