Phillip Crosby and coaching legends headline Bessemer City 2022 Sports Hall of Fame class
The Bessemer City Sports Hall of Fame will induct its 2022 class as part of a banquet July 30 at the First Wesleyan Church of Bessemer City.
Retired NFL player and college football national champion Phillip Crosby is among the group of honorees, which also includes coaches Calvin Albright and Marty Hatchell, local baseball legend Chris Mason as well as the 1986 Bessemer City High baseball team.
Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with a meet-and-greet, followed by dinner at 6. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Bessemer City’s city hall annex and the Allan Farris Community Center.
Here’s more on this year’s inductees:
Calvin Albright
A 1974 Bessemer City graduate, Albright returned to hold several roles at his alma mater. He was most beloved as coach of the Yellow Jackets’ girls basketball and softball programs, at the helm of both for more than a decade. His 114 wins as Bessemer City girls hoops coach are most in program history, helping the Yellow Jackets to a league title in 2000-01. Albright won a school-record 130 games as Bessemer City softball coach. He passed away in January 2021 at age 64.
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Phillip Crosby
Despite little interest for football as a youth, Phillip Crosby became Bessemer City’s only representative to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, doing so in 1994. He went on to play three seasons at the University of Tennessee with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and future NFL player Tee Martin. In 1998, helped the Volunteers win a national championship. Crosby played three NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2001-03).
Marty Hatchell
Upon his retirement in 2009, Hatchell left as Gaston County’s all-time leader with 379 coaching victories. The early portion of those came at Bessemer City High, leading its boys hoops program from 1986-98. In that time, the Yellow Jackets went 186-45 with nine state playoff berths, four league championships and finishing as the 1991 2A state runner-up. Hatchell also served as an assistant for the Yellow Jackets’ baseball and football programs.
Chris Mason
Mason is the highest draft pick from Gaston County in the MLB Draft, taken in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005. Prior to that, he set the career strikeout record at Bessemer City High with 375. He dazzled on the American Legion circuit as well, finishing with 30 career wins and 426 strikeouts playing for Cherryville Post 100. Mason pitched in Triple-A for Tampa Bay and the New York Mets.
1986 Bessemer City baseball team
Coached by Mike Mahaffey, the Yellow Jackets completed an undefeated run through Southern District 2A on their way to a 25-2 season. The team featured 10 players who batted .300 or better, led by Russell King (.500). Rodney Jeffries, Mark Toney, Bruce Capps, Jody Kiser, Todd Landers, Brian Swift, Bobby Mantooth, Joey Cox and Billy James also contributed to a team that hit 40 home runs. Toney was also the team’s ace that season, going 15-1 with 160 strikeouts.
You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Phillip Crosby headlines Bessemer City 2022 Sports Hall of Fame class
