Brett Hawkins
Seven members make up the Caldwell County Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
The group includes the late Brett Hawkins, who was a standout quarterback for the Tigers in the early 2000s.
Linemen John Boyd, Jason Asher and Matt Wilson, receiver Eric Faughn and kicker Dean Sears were also selected.
In addition, longtime supporter and loyal Tiger fan Ralph Sharp will be inducted.
Hawkins, a 2004 CCHS grad, died in a car crash in Owensboro on May 29.
“He was just a great athlete,” noted former Tiger head coach Pat Gates, who coached Hawkins early in his career at Caldwell.
Hawkins passed for 1,987 yards and 20 touchdowns in a Tiger uniform.
When he graduated he was fifth on Caldwell’s all-time passing list. He is now 13th.
Hawkins played his senior season in 2003 for coach Anthony Hatchell.
Meanwhile, Gates called Boyd, “one of the greatest linemen I ever coached. He was the center and a longsnapper and he played some linebacker for us. He was just an incredible center.”
Asher was a senior on some strong Tiger teams in the 1990s. His senior season was 1996.
“He was an offensive guard and he was a good lineman both ways,” said Gates. “That 1996 offensive line might have been the best offensive line I ever had. They were awfully good.”
Matt Wilson is another offensive lineman to be inducted.
“He was a great blocker. Very consistent,” said Gates, who coached Wilson his junior season.
Wilson was named honorable mention all-state by The Courier-Journal following his senior season in 2006.
Faughn graduated as Caldwell’s all-time leading receiver with 1,355 yards from 2006-08. He is now 10th on the career yardage list.
Faughn was also first on Caldwell’s all-time receptions list with 91. He is now tied for 12th in that category.
Sears was named first-team all-state by The Courier-Journal and second team all-state by the Associated Press following his senior season in 1996. The AP voted him second-team all-state kicker as a junior.
Sears is second in career field goals at Caldwell with 12 and third in extra-point kicks with 91.
Sharp is not a native Caldwell Countian, but his love for his adopted home was unrivaled.
Known county-wide for his community involvement, Sharp, who died in January 2019 after a bout with cancer, was a regular at football games for almost three decades.
The Class of 2021 will be recognized at the Sept. 17 home date against Union County.
CALDWELL COUNTY FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
2021—John Boyd, Brett Hawkins, Eric Faughn, Matt Wilson, Dean Sears, Jason Asher, Ralph Sharp
2020—Rodney Bell, Brandon Sigler, Kent Wells, Donovan Dame, Timmy Beshear, Ben VanHooser, Earl Hammond
2019—Will Barnes, Cameron Williams, Marc Kanipe, Bob Hudson, Chad Lane, Gary Goodaker
2018—Carl Copeland, Jason Faughn, Garrick Sigler, Chris Cochran, Mark Hooks, William Fralick, Dann Hughes
2017—Ken Barrett, Bradley Stallins, Stan Hudson, Mark Barnes, Ken Argo, Andy Davis, Kelly Tinsley, Todd Griffin
2010—Ronnie Ladd, Chris Childress, Philip Phelps, Rumsey Taylor Jr.
2009—Junior McGowan, Stewart Childress, Kelly Davis, Jerrold Fuqua
2008—1998 Class 2A state championship team
2007—Randy Bruce, Byron Copeland, David Stephens
2006—Trevor Aikins, Eddy Hawkins, Bryan Jaggers, Dexter Lander
2005—Bart Griffith, George “Bubs” Harralson, Cray Lewis, John H. Stevens
2004—Dimitri McGowan, Steve P’Pool, Dickie Thomas
2003—Don Reid, Dixie Jones, Johnny McCalister, Pat Gates
2002—Billy Joe Grooms, Ron Hunter, Norman Jackson, Johnny Stone
2001—Michael Brown, Trice Hughes, Steve Kukahiko, Waynee McGowan
2000—Mark Blackburn, Twyman Boren, William F. “Bill” Brown, Norman Carner, David Mallory
1999—Larry Curling, Bobby Franklin, Joby Loftus, Wayne Sweeney
1998—Everett Cherry, Gary Childress, Chip Hutcheson, Dickie McCalister, Sammy Newsom, Clarence Robinson
1997—Neal Cummins, Tony Franklin, Bill Giannini, Leslie “Moe” Mallory, Donnie Miller
1996—David Barnes, Carrell Boyd, Tommy Giannini, David Mitchell, Chris Lewis, Gid Shelby Pool, William “Chick” Walker
1995—Tommy Atwood, Craig Clayton, Jimmy Johnson, Pete Moore, Garnett Scott
1994—Bill Henry Cartwright, Randy Dorroh, John Hopper, Richie Hughes, Johnny Jaggers, Rayburn Pickering, Dennis Tomek
1993—Marvin Copeland, Charlie Davis, Hayden Kelly, Ronald “Duck” Lacey, David “Gut” Lewis, Charlie Mitchell, Oscar Mitchell, 1963 Class 2A state championship team
1992—Jackie Crider, Hollis Curling, Scotty Edwards, Al Giordano, Ray “Red Rider” Hammonds
1991—Dr. Ralph Cash Sr., Fred Clayton, Kerry Curling, Joe Jaggers, Wayne Kelly, Gladys Knott, Ed Settle, Irl Stevens, Rumsey Taylor Sr.
