MACJC Athletic Hall of Fame

2009-Former Lady Indians head coach honored by the MACJC Former Itawamba Community College tennis and softball coach Linda Partlow of Mobile, Ala. was inducted into the 2009 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Sports Hall of Fame at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson. Partlow will be ICC's inductee in the prestigious Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding athletes and coaches who have participated in intercollegiate sports or coached for at least five years at one of the 15 community/junior colleges in Mississippi. Partlow was inducted into ICC's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 after serving for 22 years as women's tennis coach. She led ICC's Lady Indians to 10 NJCAA national tennis tournaments, with the highest finish being eighth. Her teams won nine state championships, five regional championships and five regional runner-up titles. Partlow was chosen coach of the year four times by the Mississippi Association of Colleges and was elected to the NJCAA Women's Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001. When she started teaching mathematics at ICC in 1980, Partlow was offered the women's tennis coaching job. She coached softball for eight years simultaneously with tennis and taught 15 hours of mathematics every semester. A native of Plantersville, Partlow was a standout tennis player at Tupelo High School and Mississippi University for Women. After her retirement from coaching, she has continued to teach mathematics, both full-time and adjunct status, for ICC. 2008 - The Davis twins will represent ICC into MACJC Athletic Hall of Fame Itawamba Community College coaching legends Windle (Buster) Davis and Kindle (Bud) Davis were inducted into the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Sports Hall of Fame at 7 p.m., April 22, at the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson campus. Both were inducted into ICC's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 for a combined total of 21 winning years at the College. Originally from Cotton Springs, the Davis twins won state championships in high school, beginning at Belmont in 1943, and that trend continued at Itawamba Junior College. The 1947 Belmont season produced a 47-1 record. Both Davises, who were starters, were named All-State in the tournament at Belmont. They went on to play at Jones County Junior College and Northeast Mississippi Junior College and earned degrees from Mississippi State University. Bud's coaching career spanned Paden, Tishomingo and Kossuth, while Buster's included Thrasher, Kossuth and Belmont. Bud accepted the IJC coaching job for the 1954-55 season. Before he left to enter the automobile business seven years later, Bud had earned five North Half titles, two state championships, and his team had two undefeated seasons. Buster replaced his brother at IJC in 1962, and the winning continued. Buster won six North Half titles and went to the state finals eight times. Buster left coaching in 1975 to devote his time to his Fulton automobile dealership. Of the 21 years that the Davis brothers were at IJC, their teams made the playoffs 13 times. Bud Davis of Memphis, Tenn. has been an automobile dealer for the past 45 years and a Master Dealer for 27 years. For five consecutive years, he was selected for the Jack Smith Leadership award, which only goes to the top 100 General Motors dealers in the United States. In addition to being an active member of the White Station Church of Christ, he supports such organizations as the Memphis Symphony, Memphis Food Bank, Junior Achievement, United Way, NAACP, the Memphis Zoological Society and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Bud has provided scholarships for underprivileged students at the University of Memphis. Also, he has helped to promote the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic Golf Tournament. Each year, such organizations as Muscular Dystrophy and the American Cancer Society benefit from the generosity of his employees. Buster Davis of Fulton began his career as a successful automobile dealer (Davis Ford) in 1964. In the early 1950s, he left coaching temporarily for a health department post in Amory. From 1976-80, Buster served as director of the Appalachian Regional Commission and helped to direct more than $15 million into both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses of Itawamba Junior College. In addition, he has been involved in the leadership team of every major development in Itawamba County since 1962 including in 1968 the location of Mueller Copper Tube to Fulton, the preservation of the Mississippian Railway and the opening of the Fulton Port on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterways. His community involvement includes the management and production of 10 consecutive charity bluegrass and gospel events for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Regional Rehabilitation Center and a loyal member of the Fulton Church of Christ. The MACJC Sports Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding athletes and coaches who have participated in intercollegiate sports at one of the 15 community/junior colleges in Mississippi. 2007 - Trio of Former ICC Standouts Inducted into MACJC Athletic Hall of Fame A new organization that will recognize outstanding athletes and coaches who have participated in intercollegiate sports at one of the fifteen community and junior colleges in the state has recently been formed.  Three former Itawamba Community College standouts were inducted into the first ever Mississippi Community/Junior College Sports Hall of Fame at a banquet in Wesson. They include Okolona native Larry Gann, Fulton's Joe Ferguson and Houston's Mark Bray.   All three were thrilled to be a part of this first class of inductees.  Eligibility was based on the athlete must have played two seasons in one or more sports and must have been selected to that institution's Sports Hall of Fame.    Community/Junior College Association Sports Hall of Fame Mark Bray Mark Bray attended ICC from 1974-76, where he participated in football.  He was inducted into the Itawamba Community College Athletic Hall of Fame at in 2001.  His honors included All-State, Junior College All-Star Game, MJCA best offensive lineman for the north division and first-team All-American at center. Bray has 28 years of coaching experience including assistant coach at Clarksville (Tenn.) High School and Houston High School and head football coach at Vardaman High School since 1985.  His 21-year head coaching record is 174-88.  His teams have won the 1983 MHSAA golf state championship; football division championships in 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and football regional championships in 2000 and 2006. His individual coaching honors include Mississippi Association of Coaches Golf Coach of the Year (1984-85); assistant coach for the Mississippi All-Star Game in 1994 and for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game in 1999, and the Division-Region Coaching Staff of the Year (1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, & 2000). Bray earned both the B.S. and the master's degree from Mississippi State University. He and his wife, Robin, are the parents of two children, Megan and Alex. Mark's quote once he heard that he was going to be representing ICC in the first ever class of the Mississippi Community/Junior College Sports Hall of Fame…  "I was totally surprised.  This is a great honor but I'll be honest with you, it is a reflection of my teammates and coaching staff at Itawamba." Joe Ferguson Joe Ferguson attended Itawamba Community College from January 1967-1969 where he played basketball both seasons.   He was inducted into the ICC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. His honors included All-State and All-North Division during his sophomore season (1968-69).  Ferguson averaged 15.5 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 12.7 boards per game.   Ferguson also played basketball from 1969 to May 1971 at Mississippi Industrial College where his honors were Honorable Mention All-Conference in each season.  He is a 1971 graduate of Mississippi Industrial College with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education. The Fulton native was the girls basketball and track coach for 26 years at Nettleton.  His 1992 girls basketball team won the North Half Championship, and his 1993 squad finished third at the state tournament.  In addition, Ferguson was named Lee County Girls Basketball Coach of the Year from 1993-96. He and his wife, Velma, are the parents of one son, Jason, who now starts at nose tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. Joe's quote once he heard that he was going to be representing ICC in the first ever class of the Mississippi Community/Junior College Sports Hall of Fame…  "I couldn't believe it.  It was quite an honor when I was inducted into the Itawamba Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.  But to now represent a school that is so dear to me on this kind of stage is a little overwhelming." Larry Gann Larry Gann played football at ICC during the 1970 and '71 seasons.   He was inducted into the ICC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.  His honors included making the National Junior College All-Star team and the Outstanding College Athletes of American Hall of Fame.  During his sophomore season, the Okolona native set seven national junior college passing records, including throwing for seven touchdown passes and 496 yards against rival Northeast in a 74-22 victory. Gann was also selected Most Athletic, Mr. ICC and sophomore favorite in 1971.  He earned a master of education degree in physical education, health and secondary school administration from Mississippi State University.  Gann is a member of the Mississippi Professional Educators, Mississippi Association of Coaches and National Federation of Coaches. Gann has served as teacher-coach for 33 years.  Currently the athletic director at Horn Lake High School, he has coached football for 32 years. Gann has been nominated twice for Phi Delta Kappa Administrator of the Year and Coach of the Year twice in football.  He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of one child, Ginny Lynne. Larry's quote once he heard that he was going to be representing ICC in the first ever class of the Mississippi Community/Junior College Sports Hall of Fame…  "I read the letter and then said to myself, I better read this again.  I was shocked and then excited.  Looking back, I had a bunch of good teammates and a lot of support from my family and friends.  I loved my two years at then IJC and would have stayed all four years of my college career it the rules had allowed that."