Alums from Tattnall, Southwest, FPD, Central, and Stratford make up the latest Macon Sports Hall of Fame class
Alums from Tattnall, Southwest, FPD, Central, Stratford covering baseball, basketball, tennis, football, and golf make up the latest class to be inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is next Tuesday, May 9, at 6 p.m. in the Macon Coliseum’s Monument Room. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased in advance by emailing Theron Ussery at Theron.ussery@hotmail.com or calling him at 478 747-8544. Tickets may be purchased at the door.
(Bios from the HOF, edited)
Durant Brooks
Durant’s strong leg and determination to succeed carried him far off the field as well as on. He excelled at pinning opponents deep in their territory while at Tattnall under legendary head coach Barney Hester. He was also used as a tight end, catching 14 touchdown passes for Tattnall, earned All-State honors and playing on a state title team. His college career started at GMC junior college, where he averaged nearly 40 yards a punt.
He then was a preferred walk-on at Georgia Tech. During his career on The Flats, Brooks earned All-ACC honors twice and All-America honors during his junior and senior seasons. Brooks averaged over 45 yards per punt, with 57 going at least 50 yards, including a career long of 77 yards. He won the 2007 Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 2008 NFL Draft, and also played with Green Bay, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville, retiring in 2011. He is a member of both the Tattnall and Georgia Tech halls of fame.
Greg Moore
Not many have embodied what it means to be an FPD Viking as much as Greg Moore. Including his time as a student, Moore has spent nearly 40 years proudly wearing the Viking colors. He was an All-Region performer in baseball at FPD before heading off to Alabama, where he was a student manager with the Crimson Tide football program. Then it was back to his high school alma mater to begin a legendary coaching career.
He has served as head coach in football, boys basketball, and baseball, while also serving as athletics director. He has led the Vikings to two state titles. He won nearly 200 games in football, with six region titles and three state runner-up finishes. Owner of several region and state coach of the year honors at FPD, he retired as the Vikings’ football coach after last season, and remains head baseball coach and athletics director.
Charlie Simmons
Simmons comes from a legendary line of family members who proudly competed for Southwest. He was a three-sport star at Southwest, excelling in football, basketball and baseball under legendary coaches Edgar Hatcher, Duck Richardson and Eddie Ashley. He was an All-Region and All-State performer in football as a top-flight receiver in the state. He was also an All-Region and All-State performer in basketball, helping the Patriots to a state championship, rounding out his high school career as an All-Region baseball player.
He parlayed his talents into a football scholarship at Georgia Tech, where he was a part of the Yellow Jackets’ 1990 national title team. He led the Jackets in catches and touchdowns his junior and senior years. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and also spent time with the Washington Redskins and played in the Canadian Football League.
Joey Cranford
One of the top overall athletes who called Macon home, Cranford’s jersey was retired at Stratford in football, basketball, and baseball. Unsurprising, considering he was also an All-Stater in all three sports. His football career was highlighted by a school record for interceptions in a single season, combined with 24 rushing touchdowns his senior year. He still is among the school leaders in points scored on the basketball court, averaging nearly 28 points per game as a senior. In the spring, he dominated, batting more than .400 for his career while racking up a 25-3 record as pitcher. As a senior, he batted better than .500 and went 11-0.
Winner of the Macon Telegraph’s Selby Buck Award to the area’s top all-around athlete, he went on to Georgia, earning two letters and freshman All-America honors in 1995. He was drafted twice, by the Cubs in 1994 and Twins in 1996. He spent four seasons in the minor leagues.
Cole Tidwell
A sweet swing and a calm but competitive demeanor added up to a long stretch of success on the golf course for Tidwell. The hardware started rolling in early in his career at FPD, where he was an All-Region performer, two-time team MVP, and Macon Telegraph golfer of the year. He also won the Georgia-Alabama Junior Championship while in high school. His golf game continued to take flight while on a golf scholarship at Augusta State. Tidwell won the first collegiate event he played in, and won the Golden Isles Invitational. He was a two-time team captain with the Jaguars, and a team MVP.
He has captured over 30 team and individual amateur titles, ranging from the Honors Four Ball Championship to the Peach Blossom Four Ball title at Idle Hour. He also is a two-time Middle Georgia champion, and a Senior PGA National Club Champion, and he was part of team that captured the Mizuno Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. He also served for many years on the Georgia State Golf Association Board of Directors.
Kelvin Middleton
Middleton made his mark on football fields from Central Georgia to the Midwest to the Northeast. Middleton was a two-year starter at defensive back for Southwest, where he was a team captain, a Golden Helmet winner and a first team All-City and All-Middle Georgia selection. He parlayed that success into a scholarship to Wichita State, starting at safety for four years, again being named captain, and making the Missouri Valley all-conference team.
He was a second-team All-USFL player with the Oklahoma Outlaws, getting him a shot at the NFL. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, carving out a role as a valuable special-teams member. After his playing days ended, he returned home and immersed himself in a variety of community organizations targeting young people in the community. He founded MGB Incorporated (Men Giving Back) which fosters relationships between fathers and their children.
Monquencio Hardnett
Hardnett found a home on the basketball court while growing up in Macon. He was a three-year letterman at Central, scoring more than 1,000 points while averaging more than 20 points a game as a senior. He blossomed while at Middle Georgia Junior College, taking his game to the next level. He led the team in scoring both seasons in Cochran, earning second-team All-America honors in 1995 and first-team All-America honors in 1996. He was a JC scoring machine and two-time state player of the year with the Warriors. That earned him a scholarship at Connecticut for two seasons. He returned to UConn in 2016 to complete his degree work, and is back home as head boys basketball coach at Southwest.
Jamie Myers Watkins
A sterling tennis career began early. Watkins climbed into the state and national rankings before she reaching her teen years, and that continued. She was ranked among the top 100 players in the country in the girls 16-under division, and won the Southeastern Junior Invitational in that age category. She earned five varsity letters at FPD, and was undefeated in regular-season matches, starting in the eighth grade and running up through her senior season at FPD. She was a two-time Macon Telegraph All-Middle Georgia player of the year, five-time All-Region performer and a four time All-State selection. She got a scholarship to Georgia Tech and played No. 1 singles, earning four letters as well as captain status. She went on to participate in the 1984 Olympic trials.