CULLMAN, Ala. – A crowd of friends, family, former teammates, coaches, fans and more gathered at Stonebridge Farms Saturday night for this year’s Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet and induction ceremony. After recognizing this year’s scholarship recipients, Hall of Fame Chairman Jackie Satterfield introduced each of this year’s inductees, sharing stories about their lives and careers before welcoming them into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame.
Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Regina Jones
Graduated from West Point High School in 1989. County and Area Basketball champions 1987, 88 & 89. State Final Four and All-County 1989. 1989 Bill Shelton Award winner. All-State honorable mention 1989. West Point Girls Basketball Coach from 1993-2014. Cullman County champions 1994, 1995, 1999 & 2006. Area champions 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005 & 2010. Final Four in 2000 & 2001. West Point volleyball coach from 1997-2021. Cullman County champions 2019 & 2020. Area champions 2004 & 2005. Regional tournament in 2002-05, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019 & 2020. 5A Region Tournament Champions 2020. 5A state runner up in 2020.
Taft Dillashaw
Graduated from Good Hope High School in 1985. Played football, baseball & basketball. All-county and All-area in football senior year. All-county and All-star team in baseball senior year. Coached middle school football for 10 years. Has coached high school football for 25 years. Coached baseball for 20 years. Between playing and coaching, has appeared in two semifinal games and five quarterfinal games. Played and coached for Hall of Fame coaches Billy Joe Pugh and Wayne Weissand. Has attended, played in or coached 94% of all Good Hope football games. Good Hope Parks & Recreation director for 10 years. Played college baseball at Shelton State and Wallace State Community College.
Robin Conn
Graduated from Cullman High School in 1972. Four-year letterman in baseball & three-year letterman in basketball. Played Independent Baseball in 1972 & 1973. Played softball for Southern Feed 1974-79, winning 65 league games in a row. Seven straight city championships, qualified for seven straight state tournaments. Played Independent League Basketball 1971-80, winning three city championships. Award winning sports photographer for multiple outlets in Alabama. Covered thousands of high school games, including playoffs and state championships. Covered 400 college football games including three national championship games, 20 SEC championship football games and 15 SEC championship basketball games, over 250 college basketball games, 2005 NCAA Regionals, four Alabama Jr. College basketball championships. Covered 1996-98 division 2 hockey national championships, 1990 PGA championship, 1997 U.S. Open & 15 Bruno’s memorial championships. Winner of over 60 photo awards from the Alabama Press Association and Associated Press, including Photo of the Year in 2000.
Joey Graves (deceased)
Graduated from Cold Springs High School in 1974. Two-year letterman in baseball, two-year letterman in football, five-year letterman in basketball. All-county in 1973 & 1974. Cullman County Tournament MVP in 1974. Prep All-American in 1974. Four straight 20-win seasons 1970-74. 2A Area 13 champions in 1973. 2A Region 7 champions in 1973. 2A Area 12 champions in 1974. 2A Region 6 runner up in 1974. Longtime clock operator for Cold Springs High School basketball.
Amanda Patrick
Graduated from Cullman High School in 1994. Four-year letterman in track & field, cross country, basketball and volleyball. Track events were 400m, 800m, 1600m, high jump, 4x800m relay and 4x400m relay. 11 individual and seven relay state championships. 18 total state gold medals, six state records. 1993 5A state track meet MVP. 1994 MVP (indoor). All-state cross country 1990-93. 1993-94 5A state “triple crown” team championships – cross country, indoor track & outdoor track in the same school year. Six total team state championships in cross country & track. All-area basketball and volleyball in 1992-94. Summer softball team state champions. Auburn University 1994-99 B.S. in education/English M.S. educational administration 2004. Four-year letterman at Auburn in outdoor track, indoor track and cross country. All-SEC performer (800m), 1997 NCAA provisional qualifier, three-time academic all-American, Auburn school-record holder and top 10 all-time in 800m and distance medley relay.
Ray Dyer
Graduated from Hanceville High School in 1975. Three-year letterman in football, baseball, basketball and track. All-county football in 1973 & 1974. All-area football in 1973 & 1974. All-state football in 1974. Best of the best in Alabama Football Team 2nd team. Selected to play in Cullman County all-star baseball game in 1975. Selected to play in AHSAA all-star game in Tuscaloosa. Signed football scholarship to UNA. Inducted into Hanceville Bulldog Wall of Fame in 2022.
Perry Hicks
Graduated from Hanceville High School in 1971. Three-year letterman in football, basketball and track. Four-year letterman in baseball. All-county football in 1970. Most valuable back in 1970. Had 632 yards rushing and 276 yards receiving in seven games. Led Alabama in field goal efficiency junior and senior year. Co-captain of football team. All-area in basketball. Started all four years in high school baseball. Member of the Alabama Field Trial Association, serving as President for two years. Most assists in basketball 1970 & 1971. All-area in basketball. President of H Club in 1971. Basketball official in Birmingham Basketball Officials Association for 10 years.
Dewayne Hill
Graduated from Holly Pond High School in 1981. All-county junior high basketball 1977-78. Three-year letterman in basketball and football. Two-year letterman in baseball. All-county basketball junior and senior year. Team captain senior year. All-area basketball junior and senior year. 2A Area 12 basketball champions, finishing with a 21-8 record. Averaged 19.5 points, five steals and eight rebounds per game senior season. All-area football in 1980. All-county baseball in 1981. Played in the Lions Club East-West All Star baseball game. Played in Lions Club Regional East-West All Star baseball game. Signed a basketball scholarship at Wallace State. Started and earned letter freshman year at Wallace State. Played super major division slow-pitch softball with Taylor Brothers (Rhode Island) and Moulton Furniture (Alabama). Won ASA Men’s Class “C” state championship in 1989. Coached youth football for six years and various youth sports.
Hilary Stiefelmeyer
Graduated from Cullman High School in 1994. Four-year letterman in track & field, cross country, basketball and volleyball. Track events were the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, long jump, triple jump, 60m hurdles, 60m dash, heptathlon. Nine individual and six relay state championships, 15 total state gold medals, seven state records. 1994 5A state track and field meet MVP, all-state cross country 1991-93. 5A 1993-94 state triple crown team championships – cross country, indoor track, outdoor track in the same school year. Six total team state championships in cross country and track. University of Alabama 1994-97 – lettered in track, indoor track and cross country four years. 1997 All-SEC performer in 800m/400m hurdles, NCAA provisional qualifier 400m hurdles. SEC all academic honor roll, six years travel softball 2nd in state, 25th in nation. Post Collegiate – two years professional women’s football – Atlanta Leopards, Atlanta Xplosion. Six-time crossfit Regionals Competitor, crossfit games team, masters quarterfinals.
Todd Lindsey
Graduated from Vinemont High School in 1980. Four-year letterman in baseball, basketball and football. Selected Cullman County All-Star baseball game 1980. Played golf at Wallace State for two years. High School football official for 13 years. Winner of 45 North Alabama individual stroke play golf tournaments. 12-time Cullman County Championship winner. 8-time Buck Shear Memorial Tournament winner. 8-time Terri Pines invitational winner. 3-time Chesley Oaks Open winner. 3-time Terri Pines Club Championship winner. 3-time Tennessee Valley Open winner.
Donnie Rice
Graduated from Cold Springs High School in 1971. Bachelor’s degree from Auburn University 1975. Master’s degree from Alabama A&M 1992. Teacher and head football coach at Cold Springs High School 1977-79. Teacher and head football coach at Fairview High School 1980-83. Teacher and assistant coach at Good Hope High School 1983-84. Member of the 1970-71 Cold Springs basketball team that won the First of Five. Consecutive County basketball championships under Coach Jesse George. Member of the 1970-71 Cold Springs basketball team that earned a trip to the state tournament. All-area basketball in 1971. Member of the first football team at Cold Springs under Coach Bruce Abbott. Co-captain of the football team with Max Graves. All-county on offense in football. Named Player of the Week in the Birmingham Post-Herald in football. Finished with the second most rushing yards in Cullman County behind Stan Leeth.
Jospeh W. Smith (deceased)
Graduated from Fairview High School in 1947. Left Fairview High at age 15 to work in Michigan where he worked until 1942. Joined the Navy in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Served as Signalman 1st Class in the pacific theater; was involved in Okinawa and Iwo Jima. After his discharge in 1946, returned to high school in Fairview and graduated in 1947. Entered Florence State Teachers College (UNA), was a starter and four-year letterman in basketball. Served in the ROTC. After graduation in 1951 he enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. While stationed in Germany he discovered the sport of bobsledding. Won a gold medal in the 4-man bobsled at the 1953 world championship in Garmisch, West Germany. His team placed in many competitions in the 50s. They were set to represent the U.S. in the 1956 Olympics but his team finished 8th due to an injury in the 1955 Olympic trials. Lt. Col. Jospeh Smith went on to work with the USO as Chief of the Armed Forces Entertainment Office from 1968-72. Traveled with Bob Hope and saw many celebrities perform like Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Nabor, Raquel Welch and many others.
2024 Cullman County Hall of Fame Scholarship recipients
Coach Randy Jones Memorial Scholarship: Omar Segundo, West Point High School
Victoria Rouse Memorial Scholarship: Malaya Taylor, Cold Springs High School
Peoples Bank Scholarship: Lexie Anderson, Cullman High School
Charlotte Cummings Foundation for Girls Athletic Scholarship: Kabri Redding, Fairview High School
Gussie Shabel Memorial Scholarship: Ivey Maddox, Good Hope High School
Bill Lay Memorial Scholarship: Dakota Overton, Good Hope High School
Jimmy Dale Burgess Scholarship: Kamryn Tankersley, Holly Pond High School
Coach Charlie Richard Memorial Scholarship: Amelia Tafazoli, St. Bernard Prep School
James and Gussie Shabel Memorial Scholarship: Katelyn LeeAnn Evans, Vinemont High School
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