Brett Loftin moves into first place in local ESPN College Football contest

Wendell Hart

The 12^th week of our local ESPN College Football Pick ‘Em Contest wrapped up on Saturday night, and Brett Loftin found himself atop the local standings once the dust settled after Saturday’s slate of college games. Going into last Saturday, Loftin was locked in a four-way tie with three other players for third place, but he correctly picked the outcomes of all 10 games in the contest on Saturday to take sole possession of first place. He currently leads all other contestants with 88 total points.

Casey Grant, who was in first place for weeks and weeks, is now in second place with 87 total points. Clint Hyde, Drew Skipper and Mark Cotten were tied for third place with 86 total points each.

Jesse Jordan and Blake Stringer were tied for sixth place with 85 points each. Justin Chandler was in eighth place with 82 points. Austin Weaver and I were tied for ninth place with 80 points each. Arthur Ingram III was next, in 11^th place, with 79 points.

As you can see, less than 10 points separates those of us in the top 10 and with three weeks left to go, everyone’s still got a chance to win top honors. The top 10 has reshuffled itself a number of times in recent weeks, and there’s bound to be a few more changes in the weeks to come. Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: We’ve still got a lot of good football to look forward to.

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The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced on Saturday the names of 12 major contributors to prep athletics in Alabama who have been selected for induction into the 30^th class of the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame. This group, which includes an “old-timer,” will be enshrined at a banquet held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa Convention Center on March 16, 2020.

This year’s group includes coach and administrator Samuel “Hamp” Lyon, who was chosen in the old timer category. Lyon, who died in 1974, was born in 1911 and came to Alabama from Benjamin Bosse High School in Evansville, Tenn. in 1932 when he joined the University of Alabama athletic program. Upon graduation in 1937, he went straight to Alexander City High School where he served as head football coach from 1937-1941 – leaving to serve in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War II from 1941 to 1945.

He returned to Alex City in 1946 as head football coach remained as head coach through 1957 – compiling a 107-47-10 record. His 1953 team was the first in school history to go undefeated, compiling a 9-0-1 record. He served as athletic director from 1957-1972 until he retired. The football stadium in Alexander City was named in his honor in 1970. Lyon also founded the Alex City Quarterback Club and served in the Lions Club and Shriners Club and retired as a Colonel in the Army Reserve.

When it comes to Conecuh County and the “Old Timer” category, I think that former Evergreen High School coach Wendell Hart more than deserves a place in the AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame.

Hart’s sports life in Conecuh County spanned decades. Anyone who’s read The Courant’s regular Sports Flashback feature over the years will have seen that Hart was not only a successful football, basketball and baseball coach, but he also excelled in those sports as a player. Hart touched many lives, and there are still many of Hart’s former players and teammates in the community and elsewhere who have fond memories of Hart.

Hart passed away at the age of 60 on Nov. 26, 1977, well before the first class was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991. Known as “Coach Hart” to hundreds of former students and players, he served as a head coach at Evergreen High School for 20 years. He also coached at Luverne, Elba and Lyeffion. In his heyday, he was one of the state’s most successful coaches and the coach with the most senior years of service in the state.

He was also a graduate of Evergreen High School, where he was an outstanding athlete before going on to play at Sunflower Junior College in Moorehead, Miss. and Millsap College in Jackson, Miss. In both high school and in college, Hart lettered in football, baseball and basketball. He went on to graduate from Troy State University.

After serving in World War II, he was named the head coach at Evergreen in 1946 and successfully coached football, basketball and baseball. In 1949, he coached the only undefeated football team in Evergreen High School history, going 8-0-2. His teams in 1949 and 1950, had a combined record of 17-1-2.

Later, he left Evergreen to coach at Luverne and Elba and had success at both of those schools. He eventually returned to Evergreen as a head coach and teacher, and later coached at Lyeffion. His health eventually forced him to give up coaching.

When you take into account his entire career and the impact he had on so many young people, he more than deserves inclusion in the AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame in the “Old Timer” category.