Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame inducts six new members

Jun. 19—OXFORD — Steve Christopher, Larry Davidson, Mike Henley, Brenard Howard, Randy Law and Orlando Watters were inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2022 Saturday night at the Oxford Civic Center.

Christopher was a two-year starter at quarterback for Anniston High School in 1988 and 1989. The Bulldogs won the 1989 Class 6A state championship, finishing with a perfect 15-0 record. When the season ended, Christopher held six Alabama High School Athletic Association records. He set state records for touchdown passes completed in a season with 42, passing yards in a season with 3, 586, passes attempted in a season with 392 and passes completed in a season with 246. He also rushed for 741 yards, earning him AHSAA records for total offense in a season and all-purpose yards in a season with 4,327.

Christopher was the Alabama Sports Writers Association 6A player of the year and the Gatorade player of the year for Alabama. He was one of five Alabama players named a first-team all-Southern selection by the Orlando Sentinel.

Christopher said in his induction speech that he reached those lofty goals through practice and the support of his coaches and teammates.

"I didn't do it by myself," Christopher said. "This is a team sport."

Christopher, the youngest of eight children, also thanked his mother.

"I had to fight for everything I got," he said. "And you wonder why I was able to throw a football. It's because I was throwing stuff at my sisters and brothers."

Davidson began a career of more than 40 years as an educator in the 1976-77 school year at Wellborn High School, where he was an assistant coach in football and basketball.

After three years at Wellborn, Davidson became the head boys varsity basketball coach at Oxford High School in the fall of 1980. He remained in that position for 26 years. During that time his teams won six Calhoun County tournament championships, won six area tournament titles, appeared in the playoffs 18 times, reached five regional tournaments and won 20 or more games seven times. His career record was 415-256.

"We talk to our players about surrounding themselves with good people," Davidson said during his induction speech. "A thing that we used to say — and it's not an Anniston thing — we'd say, 'If you run with dogs, you start barking, and if you run with cats, you start meowing.'

"So you better be sure that you surround yourself with good people. Nobody has been more blessed than me to be surrounded by the good people and the great coaches, many of whom are in this hall of fame."

Davidson also coached defensive backs and receivers for Oxford football teams that won AHSAA state titles in 1988, 1989 and 1993. He also served as Oxford's tennis coach for more than 20 years.

Davidson stepped down as head basketball coach at Oxford following the 2005-06 season to become head of athletic operations then athletic director. He still serves in that capacity.

Henley, who played football at Oxford, was an all-state selection in 1971 and 1972. As a junior, he rushed for 1,181 yards in head coach Bill Burgess' wishbone offense. As a senior, he rushed 88 times for 1,088 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was named the Class 3A back of the year by the Birmingham Post-Herald.

"I want to thank Bill Burgess for allowing me to run the football and play the greatest game ever invented," Henley said Saturday during his induction speech.

Henley also credited his mother with helping him become a better athlete.

"Raising three boys by herself is not easy, but she managed somehow," Henley said. "She made us tough and also helped increase my speed as I ran from her while she had a switch after us."

Henley received a football scholarship from Auburn University where he became a three-year letter winner for the Tigers. During his senior season at Auburn, Henley averaged 4.5 yards per carry and rushed for two touchdowns.

Howard was the head boys basketball coach at Anniston for 11 seasons from 1986-87 through 1996-97. The Bulldogs won five Calhoun County basketball tournament championships under his leadership. His teams were regular-season area champions five times and area tournament champions five times.

Howard was also an assistant football coach at Anniston from 1981 through 1998. He returned to Alexandria, his high school alma mater, in the fall of 1999. From then until he retired in 2013, he coached junior high boys basketball, varsity football and boys and girls golf for the Valley Cubs. His girls golf team won the AHSAA state 1A-5A tournament in 2008.

Howard's induction speech was given by his son, Brenard Howard Jr.

Law started his coaching career in the fall of 1979 at Trinity Christian in Oxford, coaching boys varsity basketball. In two seasons under Law, Trinity went 41-13. Law then gave up coaching for five years before becoming varsity volleyball coach at Saks High School in the fall of 1986. Saks went 48-10 in 1995 and finished as Class 5A state champions. After the 1997 season, Law stepped aside as volleyball coach to spend more time with his family. In 2002, he returned as volleyball coach for one more season. His Wildcats went 55-7 and claimed both the Calhoun County tournament championship and the Class 4A state volleyball championship. He did not coach volleyball again until 2012 when he returned to guide the Wildcats for six more seasons. In 19 years as head volleyball coach at Saks, Law's teams were 576-204.

Law also coached softball at Saks. His teams won Calhoun County tournament championships in 1988 and 1992. He was named Calhoun County softball coach of the year in 1988, 1992, 1995 and 1998. He elected to give up his position as softball coach after the 1998 season but returned for six seasons from 2006 through 2011 and for one final season in 2018. His career record in 18 softball seasons, all at Saks, was 555-287.

"The first thing I want to say is, wow, what an honor," Law said during his induction speech. "When I first found out I was in shock. I couldn't believe it."

Watters was a three-sport star at Anniston High School. He was a two-way starter for Anniston's undefeated 1989 Class 6A state championship football team, coached by Berry Halladay and quarterbacked by Christopher. He set AHSAA records for pass receptions in a game and in a season. Against Cedartown, Watters caught 18 passes to set the single-game receptions mark. He caught 14 passes in the state championship game, giving him a then state-record 102 for the season.

Watters thanked family members, former coaches and teammates during his induction speech.

"I'd like to thank Coach Halladay for giving me the opportunity to do the things I did on the football field," he said. "I'd like to thank my teammates, like Steve, for being able to get me the ball. My line, because I never made not one single block on none of my runs."

In the spring, Watters starred in track and baseball. As a junior, he won three events as Anniston claimed the 1989 boys Calhoun County championship. At the Class 6A state track meet in 1990, Watters won the long jump with a leap of 24 feets, 10 inches. That jump remains the longest ever recorded at an AHSAA state track meet in any class. As a senior, Watters' pitching and hitting helped Anniston win the 1990 Calhoun County baseball tournament title.

Watters went on to play college football at Arkansas. In three seasons there, he intercepted 12 passes and returned three for touchdowns. As a senior in 1993, he led the nation in interception return yards with 185 on six interceptions.

Watters spent one season in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. Playing cornerback, he intercepted three passes and had 47 tackles with 41 solo stops.

Assistant Sports Editor Jared Gravette: 256-235-3572. On Twitter: @Jared_Gravette.