The Porter-Gaud School – Porter Military Academy Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 2004 to honor and perpetuate through the Athletic Hall of Fame the memory of those individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions to Porter-Gaud School, Porter Military Academy and Gaud School athletics and have brought recognition, honors, distinctions and excellence to the School and its interscholastic athletic program.

Members of the Hall of Fame represent over a century of athletic success and are memorialized on the Hall of Fame display in the Wendell Center.

Up to five inductees can be added every three years. The most recent class was inducted in 2022. Nominations for future classes can be sent to the Director of Alumni Relations at any time for future consideration, but candidates must be at least five years removed from graduation from Porter-Gaud School.

Athletes, coaches and teams from all Varsity sports, including sports that may have been discontinued, may be considered. Examples include but are not limited to football, golf, equestrian, volleyball, cheerleading, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, swimming, track & field, tennis, lacrosse, cross country, baseball and sailing.

Inductees

Elizabeth Anderson (2006 Honorary) - Fan
Elizabeth Anderson has attended more than one thousand Porter-Gaud games. She often attended four games in one day so she could cheer on the JV girls and boys and then the Varsity girls and boys. Although she was never formally enrolled at Porter-Gaud, she was named an honorary member of the class of 2006 and was included with the seniors in the 2006 yearbook. She also received an honorary varsity letter and was recognized as the 2006 Porter-Gaud “Fan of the Year.” In addition to being a terrific fan, Elizabeth supports the School each year through the Elizabeth Tarrant Anderson Endowment for Children Fund of Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
Thomas Anderson (2003) - Football, Basketball
Thomas Anderson excelled in football and basketball while he was a student at Porter-Gaud. Thomas lettered in football for three consecutive years. As a sophomore, he was named Team Rookie of the Year. SCISA recognized him as an All Region and All State player during his junior and senior year. When he was a senior, he filled the position of Team Captain and was recognized as High School Sports Report SCISA – AAA “Player of the Year,” High School Sports Report – SC Top 100 College Prospects (#96), Post & Courier Honorable Mention All SC Low Country Team, and received the Porter-Gaud Coaches Cup Award. He helped Porter-Gaud win two SCISA AAA State Championships in 2000 and 2002. In addition to his many accomplishments on the football field, Thomas was also an outstanding basketball player. He lettered for four consecutive years, and in his senior year Porter-Gaud won its first ever AAA SCISA State Championship. As a sophomore and junior, he was recognized as SCISA All Region, All State, and All Tournament Team and received the Post & Courier’s Honorable Mention All SC Low Country Team. In his junior year season, he was named Porter-Gaud Holiday Tournament MVP, Porter-Gaud’s MVP, and was named to the Rotary Red Cross Round Ball Invitational All Tournament Team. Porter-Gaud went to the Round Ball tournament and defeated North Charleston before eventually losing to New York’s Archbishop Molloy and AAAA Hartsville. Thomas served the team as captain during his junior and senior years. He scored 1068 points in his career and averaged 14.4 points. He received the 2003 Faculty Award in honor of his many accomplishments both on and off the fields of play. After graduating from Porter-Gaud, Thomas attended Sewanee where he continued his basketball career. He received his BA in 2007.
Emily Applegate (2003) - Tennis
As a Porter-Gaud Senior, Emily Applegate was named 2002’s Miss Tennis of South Carolina. She was also a two-time USTA State Champion and the recipient of the 2001 USTA Southern Region Sportsmanship Award. She was named the SCISA Conference Player of the Year, and in 2002’s USTA rankings she was 70th in the nation and 5th in the South. Emily went on to excel in tennis at Washington and Lee University, scoring the second most singles victories in a season in the School’s history. Emily helped her team earn second place in the NCAA Division III in 2005 and 2006, and in 2007 Washington and Lee was the National Team Champion. From 2004 to 2007 Emily was an NCAA All-American and an Academic All-American. Her other honors include 2006 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Singles Champion, 2006 Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd, 2006 Nominee for the Honda Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award, 2006 and 2007 W. C. Washburn Women’s Tennis Award, 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Singles Second Place, 2007 President Brown’s Most Valuable Female Athlete, and Old Dominion Conference Player of the Year. Emily graduated from Washington and Lee in 2007.
Connor Atkinson (2002) – Golf
Connor Atkinson was the only female member of the 2002 Golf State Championship team. She currently attends Furman University on a full athletic and academic scholarship. Her honors while at Porter-Gaud include: Runner-up, 2001 and 2002 SCISA Girls Golf Individual Championship; Medalist, 2001 CGA South Carolina Junior Match Play Championship; Third Place, 2001 South Carolina Junior Golf Association; Champion, Junior Azalea Tournament; Fourth Place, American Junior Golf Association Henry-Griffits Rome Georgia Junior Classic; Champion, 2001 SCJGA Four-Ball Tournament; and Wendy’s High School Heisman Nominee. Upon graduating from Porter-Gaud Connor entered Furman University on an athletic and academic scholarship where she is currently a sophomore. As a freshman she played in 7 of the 10 tournaments, to include the Southern Conference Championships, for the nationally-ranked Lady Paladin Golf Team and finished with a 78.8 stroke average.. Connor’s academic honors include: 2001 American Junior Golf Association Compaq Scholastic All-American, National Merit Commended Scholar, Advanced Placement Scholar, and French National Honor Society.
John Barnwell (2001) - Football, Tennis
John Barnwell’s career as a Cyclone was not only high-quality, but also unparalleled in championship quantity, as he was a member of eight state championship teams. John played on six consecutive state championship teams in tennis between 1996 and 2001, earning all-conference honors four times and winning an individual title in both singles and doubles as a senior. He was team MVP and SCISA player of the year in 2001. On the football field, he started at quarterback for three years, calling the signals for Cyclone state championship teams in 1998 and 2000. John continued his gridiron career at Washington and Lee University, playing four years and serving as team captain as a senior.
Peter Bassett (1987) – Football
Cyclone quarterback Pete Bassett played varsity football, basketball, tennis, track and golf at Porter-Gaud, earning him17 varsity letters in five sports. His career and season football statistics include a number of incredible records: most career touchdown passes (88), most single-season touchdown passes (38), most single-game touchdown passes (7), most pass completions (403), and most total passing yards (6,476), He was named to the All Low-Country Football Team both his junior and senior years, was named “Player of the Week” by the Post and Courier Newspaper on multiple occasions, was named to the All-Conference Football Team three times, and the All-State Football Team his senior year. Peter was a featured scholastic/athlete on ESPN Sports and a winner of the McDonald’s Football Award. This versatile athlete was the tennis team MVP his senior year and ran on two State Championship track teams. Peter graduated from Harvard University where he was a varsity football letterman.
James Boyd (1970) – Track
While at Porter-Gaud, Jim lettered 5 years in track, 3 years in football, and 2 years in basketball. In track Jim was undefeated in dual meets his junior and senior years in the mile and half-mile. He ran school records, a 4:26 mile and a 2:00 flat half-mile (Ortmann Cup winner); those records have stood for 33 years. During his senior year at Porter-Gaud Jim was co-captain of the basketball team and tri-captain of the football team. He quarterbacked the football team and was named team MVP. Jim attended The Citadel on a full track scholarship where he also competed in cross-country. While at The Citadel he garnered All-State and All-Southern Conference honors; running personal best times of 1:56 in the 880 yard run, and 4:16 in the mile run. Still an active runner, Jim participates in many community events and does an occasional marathon.
Langdon Brockinton (1975) – Tennis
Langdon Brockinton was P-G’s number one singles and doubles player from 1973 - 1975, who led the team to a 12-0 record and the AAA State Championship in 1975. A close observer of P-G tennis said that the teams Langdon led, “… set the stage for the later success of the P-G tennis program.” Another called him, “Porter-Gaud’s greatest tennis player and an outstanding student.” He was a three-time Southern Conference singles champion and doubles champion at Furman University from 1977-1979, leading the team to Southern Conference Championships in 1976 and 1977. A few years later, among many other tennis accomplishments, Langdon won the Charleston City Men’s Singles Championship two years running. Earning a Phi Beta Kappa at Furman, Langdon earned a masters degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina in 1983.
A.A. Lonnie Burris, Jr. (1945) – Football, Basketball, Baseball
Lonnie Burris lettered in both basketball and football for 3 years (1942-1945) and served as captain of the Cyclone Football Team in 1944. This Porter Military Academy (PMA) Cadet Officer also played semi-pro baseball for Savannah Machine Tool in 1943 – 1944. His senior year of 1944 at PMA he was one of only 11 players named to the very first Charleston County All-Star Football Team. That same year because of his outstanding football and overall athletic ability and leadership, Lonnie was selected to the South Carolina Shrine Bowl Football Team and received the prestigious PMA Kinloch Cup. After graduation from PMA he continued to excel in athletics at The Citadel where he was a multi-year baseball letterman and captain of the 1950 baseball team as a Veteran Student. Lonnie again played semi-pro baseball with Garco that same year. He is currently Chairman/CEO of Burris Chemical and has served on the Board of the Chemical Manufacturers Association, and the Board of Porter-Gaud School.
Barre Butler (1977) – Soccer, Football
Barre Butler excelled at both soccer and football at Porter-Gaud. In soccer, he was named All-State Center Forward in 1976 and 1977, scoring 63 goals with 12 assists, and was recognized as the State Tournament Offensive MVP in 1976. Barre was also a Porter-Gaud football standout, scoring 131 points (70% of the team’s total) via receiving, rushing, punt returns, kicking, and kick-off returns his senior season. That same season he had 11 interceptions with three for touchdowns. He was recognized as both an All-State receiver and kicker who averaged 32 yards per catch receiving. Local media and the Palmetto Touchdown Club, including TV-Channel 2, TV-Channel 5, and the Post and Courier spotlighted Barre’s talents as “Player of the Week” and “Athlete of the Month” on numerous occasions. He went on to an outstanding soccer career at The Citadel, racking up more honors as the first “soccer inductee” into The Citadel’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Barre was selected to the All-Southern Conference Soccer Team and was a two-time Citadel Team Captain and MVP with 49 career goals and 14 assists.
Eddie Buxton (1985) - Football, Track
Eddie Buxton was a multiyear letterman both in football and track when Porter-Gaud was a part of the public school league. As a football player and captain, Eddie played Varsity football all four years in high school. At 6-0, 225 pounds he ran a 4.8 in the 40 and served as a very versatile, strong, and quick lineman. He was the first player to ever make the All-Low Country team for three consecutive years. His versatility in football did not go unrecognized. Eddie won numerous Palmetto Touchdown Awards for his strengths as both an offensive and defensive player. Porter-Gaud also named him Most Valuable Offensive and Most Valuable Defensive Player in football. He was selected as center to the All State team in football three years in a row. Eddie went on to play football for Sewanee before an injury prevented him from ever playing college football again. Not only did Eddie excel in football, but he also served as a member of the track team for four years. He assisted the team to the three State Championships by winning the State Title in shot putt his sophomore, junior and senior years. Not only did he win the state title for three consecutive years in shot putt, but he also set the Porter-Gaud school record which has yet to be broken. Eddie placed fourth in the State in discus. Porter-Gaud recognized Eddie’s accomplishments in track by voting him Most Valuable Player on the team. In recognition of his abilities in football and track, his classmates voted him “Most Athletic” in his senior year. Eddie’s love for Porter-Gaud did not end as a student. He went back to Porter-Gaud and served as an assistant coach for JV Football and then spent ten years as Defensive Coach for the Varsity Football team providing leadership to the last six State Championship games. Four of those teams won the State Title. Eddie is married with three children. He is a Commercial Realtor with Palmetto Commercial Properties holding both his Broker and CCIM designations. Eddie has served as President of the Porter-Gaud Alumni Association Board, the Executive Board of the Carolina Yacht Club, the Rotary Club of Charleston, and the Vestry for Grace Episcopal Church.
Rhonda Chanson (1980) – Volleyball, Basketball
Rhonda Chanson was the first recipient of the Ted Richardson Award as Porter-Gaud’s most outstanding athlete for 1979-1980. She was named the basketball MVP two years running and was selected for the 1979, 8AA All-Conference Basketball Team. Rhonda scored a record 36 points in a single game. She was also the Volleyball MVP her junior and senior years, and was selected to the 1979, 8AA All-Conference Volleyball Team. She was awarded a scholarship to Furman University for both volleyball and basketball. During her 4 year playing career at Furman, she set a career point record of 1001 points with over 800 career rebounds. In 1984, Rhonda received Furman’s Academic Achievement Award as the top female-athlete academician. She graduated from Furman with a BS in Chemistry, and earned a PhD in Biochemistry and an MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. Rhonda served in the United States Navy Medical Corp from 1993-2000.
Phillip “Flip” Chevrier (1950) Football, Basketball
Flip Chevrier was an “all-around athlete” and leader, serving as captain of the basketball team and as co-captain of the football team, while also a main-stay on the PMA baseball diamond. During his athletic career at PMA, he was selected to the Charleston All-Star Football Team, the South Carolina Lower State Basketball Team, and was listed in the 1950 Polygon superlatives as “Best Athlete.” While serving in the United States Air Force in 1951, Flip played on the Maxwell AFB Baseball Team (Champs of the Texas State Military League) and the following year kicked for the U. S. Air Force Far East Football Team. For the next 20 years, Flip played for several different basketball and softball teams in City and Church Leagues and won several Westvaco Corporation Golf Tournaments. Following his retirement after 43 years with Westvaco, Flip devoted a great deal of time to his alma mater as a member of the Porter Military Academy Board of Directors.
Randy Clark (1976-2013) - Coach
Randy Clark has coached basketball for thirty two years and twenty six of those years have been at Porter-Gaud. He led the Cyclones to three State Championships and three State Runner’s Up. While he served as Head Basketball Coach, Hoops ranked the 2005 Porter-Gaud Varsity Boys’ team number twenty third in the nation. Randy has been named SCISA State Coach of the Year five times and Region Coach of the Year six times. He served as Porter-Gaud’s Athletic Director for five and a half years, and under his leadership the School was recognized as having SCISA’s most outstanding Athletic Program in 1997 and 1998. In addition to coaching the Cyclones, Randy spent three years working as the Assistant Basketball Coach for the College of Charleston and two years as Head Basketball Coach for Bishop England High School. He served Porter-Gaud for thirty-eight years as coach and Middle School Principal. The Basketball Court in Wendell Center is now named "Randy Clark Court" in his memory.
Jarred Cochran (1999) - Basketball, Track
Jarred Cochran lettered in Football, Basketball, Soccer, and Track while he attended high school at Porter-Gaud. During the years he played basketball, he was a three year starter at point guard and was named to the SCISA All-State team for two years. His various accolades for his performance in Basketball include: Rookie of the Year in 1995, Most Valuable Player in 1996, Best Defensive Player in 1997, member of the season and holiday All Tournament Teams, member of the SCISA All Stars Team, and member of the All Conference 2nd Team. Jarred was also a two year starter on the School’s Varsity Soccer team that won eight consecutive SCISA Championships by 1998. Jarred lettered in Track as a freshman and then returned to the team as a senior to compete in the 400, 200, and 100 meter relay and the high jump. In his senior year, he set School records and won State Championships in the 400 and 100 meter relay. In addition to athletics, Jarred was on the Honor Council for all four years of high school and served as the Chairman in his senior year. In 1997, the faculty selected Jarred to receive the South Carolina Society’s scholarship award. In 1998, he received an Honorable Mention in the Sports Illustrated “Got Milk” ad after being nominated by the School counselor. As a junior, he received the Frank C. Ford, Jr. Leadership Award and at graduation, he received the Berkeley Grimball Trustee Award from the Board of Trustees, the Ted R. Richardson Award for outstanding qualities of sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic ability, and the Randall G. Heffron, DMD, scholarship. Jarred was awarded one of the first Missy and John Kuykendall scholarships to attend Davidson College and was named a Davidson Scholar. While at Davidson, he played Basketball and Football for two years. He graduated with a degree in Economics in 2003.
Chip Corts (1973) – Soccer
Chip Corts was an outstanding, 4-year soccer letterman who led the Cyclones to consecutive State Championships in 1972 and 1973. During the 3-year run of his sophomore through senior seasons the Cyclones won 28 matches and lost only six. His 1973 senior season was the first undefeated soccer season in school history. Chip and his brother Don led the team to 10 victories with no defeats against some large, AAAA public high schools. Chip was Team MVP in soccer for 3 years and was also the MVP in the inaugural Frank Howard Invitational Soccer Tournament at Clemson where the team took second place. Chip quarterbacked the Cyclone football team from 1971-1973; and, as teammate Alfred Marshall said: “Chip was the top athlete in our class. I co-captained with him.”
Pascal Crosby (1963-1974) – Coach, Athletic Director
Pascal Crosby; former P-G football coach, track coach, and athletic director, led the Cyclones to a 51-24-3 football record, playing against 2A, 3A and 4A competition such as Summerville and Walterboro High Schools. In 1963, The Post and Courier named him Football Coach of the Year. His 1970 squad was one victory from a perfect record going 10 and 1. As alumnus Perry Trouche wrote: “They (Head Coach Crosby and Assistant Coach Lowe) did what all great coaches do – force players to play better than they think they can, to work as a team and strive towards no mistakes. They were P-G football for many years.” Another nominator, Ernest Passailaigue, Jr. said, “He (Crosby) taught me values that are important in my life – hard work, tenacity, teamwork, leadership and loyalty. He influenced hundreds of lives – in a most positive manner.” Following his tenure at P-G, Coach Crosby coached a number of years at James Island High School. His success beyond P-G extended state-wide. He served as a coach in the State’s North-South All-Star game in Columbia and the South Carolina-North Carolina Shrine Bowl game in Charlotte. He racked-up five Conference Championships, three Lower State Championships, and one State Championship during his coaching career. Lieutenant Colonel J. Hugh Donnan, USMC and P-G ‘71, stated succinctly: ”He (Coach Crosby) taught life lessons on the football field….and gave me the foundation to build a career as a U. S. Marine Corps officer.”
Fred “Pete” Daniels (1979) – Basketball
Pete Daniels is called by Coach Randy Clark as “one of Porter-Gaud’s truly outstanding players.” While at Porter-Gaud, Pete was honored as a first-team All-Conference selection his senior year. Terrific performances in the College of Charleston Invitational Tournament and the Spartanburg Day School Invitational Tournament in1978 garnered All-Tournament selection for him. He set the School single-game scoring record of 42 points against Lockhart in 1978 and led the team to victory over state- ranked (#2) Howard High School that same year. Following graduation from P-G, Pete continued his basketball career at the College of Charleston. He graduated from MUSC in 1987.
Charles Darby IV (2001) – Football, Basketball, Baseball
Charles Darby made his mark at PG as a “multi-sport” athlete who excelled in football, baseball, and basketball. His football honors included 4-year letterman, two years as Best Defensive Player, All-Conference, All-State, and selection to the SCISA All-Star Football Team. His senior year he captained and led the Cyclones to the Football State Championship with a 12-1 record. Charles also was significantly productive on the baseball diamond. He was an All-Conference performer his junior season and stands in the top five all-time in several offensive categories to include: most hits in a season and most home runs in a season. He hit .353 his senior season as the team finished as Region Co-Champs. Charles earned 3 varsity basketball letters and was selected to the All-State Team his senior year while leading the team to a 20-win season as the MVP. Charles is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
Brent Demarest (2014) - Cross Country, Track & Field
Brent Demarest is the most decorated high school athlete in Porter-Gaud history. He was a 3-sport athlete (cross-country, swimming, and track), and in his 4 years of high school, he led his team to state titles in all three, every year. Unsurprisingly, he won the 2014 Ted R. Richardson Award, given to the most valuable multi-sport athlete in the graduating class. Brent was individual state runner-up in cross-country in his 8th grade year, which was the last time a SCISA athlete beat him. Brentís talent was exceeded only by his focus and drive in trainingñCoach Knight is fond of saying that ìsome of the most impressive feats ever performed on PGís track took place when Brent worked out alone.î He won 26 state championship medals in individual and relay events, and set both the school and state records in every event he raced. He was named to the SCISA all-state team and the Post & Courier All-Lowcountry Team every year in multiple sports, and additionally was named their overall Athlete of the Year for 2014. Brent qualified twice for the Foot Locker Cross-Country Nationals, the only true national championship in HS sports; even among elite athletes, to qualify twice is rare. He also was South Carolinaís Gatorade Player of the Year for cross-country in both his junior and senior years. He went on to run for the University of Virginia, where he was the top cross-country runner for the Cavaliers and earned 3 first-team All-American certificates in cross-country and track. During high school, Brent took up multi-event competition, winning a junior world championship in duathlon (swimming and running) and a US junior title in triathlon (which adds cycling). He is now a professional triathlete.
Jimmy Demetre (1954) - Football, Baseball
Jimmy Demetre participated in Varsity football and baseball while he was a PMA Cadet. Jimmy lettered in football all four years of high school, and in his junior year he served as the team’s co-captain. He lettered in baseball during his freshman and sophomore years in high school. In recognition of his abilities on the football and baseball fields, his classmates voted him “Most Athletic.” After graduating from PMA, Jimmy went to the Citadel and participated in company organized football and softball as a Cadet from 1954 to 1958. Jimmy went on from his days as a Cadet to become president of Carolina Adjusting Company from 1961 until 1968. He later worked as a State Training Coordinator for the United INS Company. Since retiring in 1998, Jimmy has been an active member of the PMA Alumni Association. He has served as the board’s president, currently holds the position of treasurer, and works with the archives committee. He resides in Charleston, SC.
Billy Dennis (1971) – Football
Billy Dennis was a multi-year football letterman and stalwart on Coach Pascal Crosby’s 1970 football team that posted a 10-1 season, playing against powerful 2A, 3A, and 4A public school-league competition. Billy’s superb play on both sides of the ball led the Cyclones to victories over 12th ranked Walterboro High, Chicora, and Berkeley. By season’s end the Cyclones had cranked the state-wide rankings themselves. Billy’s terrific football ability and outstanding play earned him a grant-in-aid to the University of Virginia where he lettered three-years for the Cavaliers. After graduation from UVA he enrolled at the MUSC where earned his MD in 1982. He later served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine from 1992-1999.
Ben Dixon (1985) – Track, Cross Country
As teammate and current PG Track & Field Coach, Larry Salley, says: “Ben Dixon is the best track athlete in P-G history.” Ben served as captain of both the track and cross- country teams and was All-State in track for three years and cross-country for two years at a time when the Cyclones competed in the AAA state, public league. He led the Cyclones to three Track State Championships. Ben won individual state titles in the 110 meter and 300 meter hurdles, setting records in both events. Ben still holds the school record in all three hurdle events, as well as both the 4 x 100m and the 4 x 400m relay events on teams which he anchored. In 1985 Ben set a Carolina Relays meet and high- school state record in the 400m intermediate hurdles. He was named to the All-Southeast Track Team and the High School All-American Track Teams. In 1984-85 Ben was The Post and Courier’s Athlete of the Year as he led the undefeated Cyclones to the State Championship and set school and state records. Ben continued a successful track and cross-country career at the Citadel where he set a freshman record in the 400m intermediate hurdles and was named All Southern Conference. After graduation and commissioning from The Citadel, Ben served 8 years of active duty in the Army to include Operation Desert Storm.
Chris Dodds (2001) Football, Baseball, Track
Chris Dodds posted honors in three sports – football, baseball and track. His football awards included Most Valuable Offensive Back, WCSC Academic Athlete of the Week, Post and Courier All-Lowcountry Second Team, All-Conference, All-State, plus SCISA “AAA” Conference Player and South Carolina Player of the Year, leading the Cyclones to the 2000 State Football Championship. Chris rushed for a total of 2,427 yards and scored 39 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. In his career he racked-up 3,600 all-purpose yards and scored 43 touchdowns. In baseball, he was SCISAA All-Conference and All-State for three consecutive years. He stands in the top-two in several baseball career offensive categories with 14 home runs, 102 hits, 40 extra base hits, 87 runs scored, and a .402 batting average. This highly versatile athlete also set a school record at the 2001 SCISAA State Track Meet when he ran an 11.2 second 100 meters. Chris continued his football career at Dartmouth College where he received the Kenneth T. Young award as the team’s most outstanding underclassman defensive player. He led the Big Green in tackles and was named Honorable Mention All-Ivy League.
Hutson Dodds (2006) - Baseball, Track
Hutson Dodds began his career as a Cyclone on the baseball diamond, but has made a huge impact in many areas of school life. Recognized 4 times by the High School Sports Report and three times by SCISA as an All-State outfielder, he compiled a career .448 batting average, including 28 doubles, 10 triples, and 11 home runs. He was Gatorade’s SC rookie of the year as a freshman, and was ranked the 6th best outfielder in SC coming out of high school. He was also a Top 15 Diamond Prospect in 2006. Hutson only ran two track meets for Porter-Gaud, stepping in as a senior to sub for an injured classmate to lead off the 4x100 relay. His first race resulted in a new school record, and his second re-set that record, won the state championship, and established a SCISA state record which still stands. After graduation, he played four years of baseball for the College of Charleston, where he was a team captain in 2010 and led the Cougars to the NCAA Regional Tournament. He hit .600 with 2 RBI in the tournament. Hutson served as Porter-Gaud’s middle school chaplain and then stepped into the Director of Alumni Relations role. He now works for The Ideal Life.
Michelle Donnelly (2007) Softball
Michelle Donnelly was, and always will be, the best softball player in Cyclone history. She took the field for the first time as a pitcher in seventh grade, and one year after she graduated, capping four consecutive MVP seasons, the softball program dissolved. In her time on the mound, Michelle pitched over 700 innings, threw over 10,000 pitches, and struck out over 500 batters, while also setting the Cyclone record for career hits. As a senior, she struck out 125 batters while only giving up 11 walks. A Krawcheck Scholar at Porter-Gaud, Michelle graduated with the prestigious “highly distinguished diploma.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in English, cum laude, from Furman University, followed by a masters’ degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Carolina.
Clay Evatt (1949) - Football, Basketball, Baseball
Clay Evatt was a talented three sport athlete during his days as a cadet. He lettered in football, basketball and baseball and served as the football team’s Captain during his junior and senior years. Clay also led his classmates off the field as Porter Honor Court President and President of the Senior Class. In 1949, he received the Robert A. Kinloch Memorial Cup for Loyalty to Duty. After graduating from Porter Military Academy, he attended Davidson College and continued to participate on the football team and serve as a class leader. He began his football career at Davidson as a defensive halfback and later lettered as the fullback. As a freshman and sophomore, he was a Beaver Club member, an organization which recognizes leadership in underclassmen and promotes good sportsmanship. When he was a junior, he served as President of the “D” Club, an athletic organization at Davidson. His classmates described him as “small but speedy” and a “defensive stalwart.” He returned to Charleston to attend the Medical College of South Carolina and completed his residency at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. In 1973 and 1974, he served as Vice President of the Tri-State Medical Association. Throughout his career, he was active with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, the John Birch Society, the Rotary Club, and the South Carolina Eyebank.
Frank C. Ford III (1970) – Golf
Frank Ford had a most impressive athletic career at P-G including six varsity golf letters and three as well as three varsity football letters. Frank played #1 in golf from the 9th through 12th grades and posted an incredible run in which he was medalist in 20 of 28 matches his junior and senior years. During that span the team was 27 and 1. As a senior, he was undefeated in head to head matches. His career highlights include: six-time Azalea Amateur Champion, 1992 Carolinas Amateur Champion, 1996 South Carolina Amateur Champion, five time Charleston Amateur Champion, All-State and All-Southern Conference Teams during his playing career at Furman University, and two-time captain of the Furman golf team. Frank was inducted in to the SC Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, was a medalist six times in USGA qualifiers, participated in 16 USGA events, two British Amateurs, and 14 Palmetto and Carolinas/Virginia teams. The name Frank Ford is synonymous with golf. Frank is now a senior VP for investments for Wachovia Securities. As a golf administrator, Frank has served as a board member, assistant director and president of the Carolinas Golf Association; as executive director of the Georgia State Golf Association; and as a member of the Sectional Affairs Committee for the United States Golf Association.
Charles Furlow - Coach, Chaplain, Soccer
The Rev. Charles Furlow got his first exposure to the Cyclones in 1947 when his father, a faculty member at Porter Military Academy, had him substitute teach an eighth-grade class. After one day, he informed his father that he should find a new substitute. He went on to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and entered the ministry as an Episcopal Priest. He soon returned to Charleston and became an assistant rector at Grace Church. In 1959, Father Furlow was instrumental in introducing soccer to the lowcountry and shortly after, began working with the new soccer programs at Porter Military Academy and Gaud School. He continued in that role through the merger, becoming the chaplain at Porter-Gaud in 1970. From then until his departure in 1984, to become Chaplain at Christ School, Father Furlow remained an inspirational and motivational figure for Cyclone soccer. A generation of Cyclones, including the state championship teams of 1981 and 1983, heard every game punctuated by his bellowed two-word mantra: “DO IT!” Father Furlow additionally strengthened the weekly chapel services at Porter-Gaud, established the Jewish Chapel program in 1972, and led Porter-Gaud’s annual student leadership conference. He passed away on July 30, 2011, at the age of 83.
Francis Cordes Ford IV (1994) – Golf
Francis Cordes Ford followed in his father’s footsteps as another outstanding PG golfer. Cordes was a six-year letterman, a member of the Palmetto Athletic Conference Championship Golf Team as a freshman, and was the PAC individual champion his junior and senior years. He was named P-G’s MVP three years in a row, and in 1994 was the Post and Courier and The State newspapers High School Golfer of the Year (public and private schools) for the state of South Carolina. Cordes was also a four-year letterman at Furman University where in 1998 he was the team MVP. During his collegiate career he twice won the Carolinas Amateur Championship, led Furman to the Southern Conference Golf Championship, and was named to the All-Southern Conference Golf Team. He won the Charleston City Amateur Championship in 2000. At the University of South Carolina School of Law, Cordes was editor of the South Carolina Law Review, and as of September, 2003, was named an associate with Buist Moore Smythe McGee, PA, and is currently an attorney with Womble Carlyle. He served as President of the Alumni Board at Porter-Gaud, and remains active in the Alumni Association.
Berkeley Grimball (1940) – Tennis, Administrator
Berkeley Grimball, who served as Headmaster of The Gaud School for Boys from 1948 to 1964, and Porter-Gaud School from 1964 to 1988, led the Porter Military Academy (PMA) tennis team as an outstanding player during his cadet days. His love of athletics and competition also called him to the PMA football team, but his first love was always tennis. As his widow Emily writes: “Tennis was his sport. He taught tennis and promoted it when he returned from WW II. In his tennis career, he was City of Charleston Junior Champion and was runner-up in Men’s Singles in 1940. He played on the Sewanee Tennis Team.” As Headmaster of The Gaud School he started the School’s first tennis program, and as Headmaster of Porter-Gaud School he directed the expansion of the overall sports program into a comprehensive one including volleyball and golf, and set the foundation for the success that today’s athletic program enjoys. He served over a 40-year period at The Gaud School for Boys and Porter-Gaud School.
Mary Neill Hagood (2001) – Tennis
During the 4-year period 1997 to 2000, Mary Neill played #1 and was PG’s Most Valuable Girls Tennis Player and Singles Champion. She was the SCISA Player of the Year her junior and senior years and attained a #22 singles ranking in the South. Mary Neill received an athletic scholarship to Furman University where she currently plays #1 singles for the NCAA Division I Lady Paladins. Her outstanding play has garnered her All-Southern Conference honors on both the singles and doubles teams in both her freshman and sophomore years. This terrifically talented athlete is considered by many to be the best female tennis player to ever wear the garnet and grey.
Davy Hairston (1982) – Tennis
Davy Hairston was captain of the PG Tennis Team, Team MVP, and twice Tennis State Singles Champion in 1981 and 1982. Davy first picked-up a racket at age six, and by age 10 in 1974, he ruled his age classes in the State until departing for college. For six consecutive years he was ranked #1 in the State in his age classification, a feat very rarely achieved. He was also ranked both in the South and nationally at various times during those years. Davy led the Cyclone netters to second-place in the AAA State Championship his junior year, and led them to the State Crown his senior year. Coach Blackburn Hughes said his 1982 State Championship team led by Davy Hairston was the best team he had coached in 30 years.
Matthew Hane (2000) – Tennis
Matthew Hane was a three-time P-G Tennis Team MVP from 1996 – 2000, playing #1 for the Cyclones all 4 years. His additional honors included All-Conference five times, two-time winner of the SCISAA Open Tennis Championship, and SCISA Tennis Player of the Year in 2000. He led the P-G tennis team to six straight SCISA Tennis State Championships. In junior tennis Matt was consistently ranked in the top four in the State, top 15 in the South, and top 50 in the Nation. Matthew played NCAA Division I Tennis for George Washington University (GWU) where he has played #1 singles and doubles every match with the GWU team. He was named “Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year” his freshman year, and “A-10 Conference Player of the Year” his sophomore year. In 3 years he compiled a 54 and 16 singles record and a 45 and 19 doubles record. He has also been thrice-recognized as the MVP and twice-named captain of the GWU team. Matt started this season ranked #16 in the Northeast Region in singles and #11 in doubles. Matt graduated from GWU in the spring of 2004.
Justin Hare (2005) - Golf
Justin Hare was the most distinguished Cyclone golfer in the SCISA era. He won four consecutive individual SCISA titles and led his team to three state titles. His 12-shot victory in the 2005 SCISA state championship established a state record. He was named four times to the Post & Courier All-Lowcountry team, and in 2005 was named the lowcountry player of the year for all schools, public and private. In 2004, he was honored by the Carolinas Junior Golf team with the David Parrott Award for sportsmanship, ability, and academic excellence. Justin went on to play three years of golf for Duke University, placing fifth at the 2008 Barton College Two-Target Intercollegiate, sixth at the 2008 Pine Needles Intercollegiate, and second in the 2008 Charleston City Amateur. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2015 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship. Since graduation from Duke, he has served as youth minister at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, and is also currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary.
Tom Higgins - Coach, Tennis
It is hard to pinpoint exactly how many SCISA state championships Tom Higgins won as Porter-Gaud’s tennis coach. Even he doesn’t quite remember how many of the Cyclone teams he served listed him as “head coach” and for how many he chose to work as an assistant coach or volunteer (“just so I wouldn’t have to drive the bus,” he said). What is indisputable is that he has been a key figure in both boys’ and girls’ tennis for 11 years, during a period when the boys won seven state championships and the girls two more, and that he was awarded SCISA’s Tennis Coach of the Year award four times. He also has run an after-school tennis program for lower schoolers that has both instilled a love of the game in hundreds of children and also provided a steady pipeline of talent to the varsity Cyclones. Coach Higgins is a Vietnam veteran and a former FBI agent who, before coming to Porter-Gaud, spent twenty-nine years as the head men’s tennis coach at Eastern Kentucky University, along with eight years as head women’s coach. When he retired from that post, he was ranked among the top fifteen NCAA coaches in career victories. The tennis courts at Eastern Kentucky are named in his honor. Coach Higgins, now “mostly” retired, is an elder and Sunday School teacher at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and continues to run his lower-school tennis program at Porter-Gaud.
Travis Howell (1995) – Baseball, Basketball
Travis Howell was PG’s MVP in baseball for four years in a row. His honors included Ace Award, Slugger Award, All-Conference (3 years), All State (2 years), Post and Courier Lowcountry Baseball Team (2 years), and the Sports Report SCISAA Challenge All-Star in 1995. He holds both the single season and career batting average titles at .600 and .478, respectively; and ranks in the top five or higher in eight other offensive categories. His outstanding pitching ability put him in first place for most wins in a single season (8), and most career wins (19). In Basketball, Travis was named MVP for three years and served as team captain for two. His basketball honors included Conference All-Star Team (3 years), Sports Report All State Team (2 years), The State Newspaper South Carolina Independent School Player of the Year, SCISAA Region 1-AAA All-Tournament Team, and Team MVP. He also was awarded the prestigious Ted R. Richardson Athletic Award for outstanding scholarship, sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic achievement. His baseball career continued at the College of Charleston where he was team captain, TAAC Player of the Week, GTE Academic All-American, All Southern Conference, and College of Charleston All Time Home Run Leader.
Walter Hundley (1971) - Football, Track
Walter Hundley was a multi-year football and track letterman and stalwart on Coach Pascal Crosby’s 1970 football and track teams. As running back and linebacker, Walter was instrumental in the 1970 football team’s record of 10-1, which scored 394 points while holding the opponents to 68 points. The football team ended the year with a statewide ranking. He was also a force on the 1970 track team which had a 22-0 record. Walter holds several Porter-Gaud track records. He was a member of the 440-yard relay, the medley relay, and the 880-yard relay record holders. He also is a co-holder of the 10.01 seconds 100-yard dash record. The class of 1971’s performance on the athletic fields is widely regarded as one of the best in Porter-Gaud history. Following graduation, he ran track for one year at Clemson and subsequently played football for one year at the Citadel. He played rugby for over ten years and started for most of the major teams in the state. Upon graduating from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law, Walter went on to be the Chairman of the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission for a number of years and currently practices law in Charleston, South Carolina.
John C. Hunter (1943) – Football, Baseball
Although there were no PMA athletic awards in the 1940’s, John lettered in football for five years, baseball for three years, and basketball for two. Though the School gave no special athletic awards or recognition in John’s years, his versatile athletic performance by those who know him is always described in superlatives. His outstanding leadership ability earned him Senior Captain of the Cadet Corps. John’s athletic achievements, leadership ability, and sterling character drew the highest of praise from the Porter Military Academy Board of Directors when considering him for induction into the Hall of Fame. Following graduation from P-G in June 1943, John immediately entered the Army. After WW II John majored in political science at the University of Miami (FL). He ended up in the field of radio and television, working 33 years for the Scripps Howard Station in Cincinnati, and retired in 1992 at the age of 68. John writes: “Some of my most cherished memories are those shared with fellow cadets from ’38 to ’43 at Porter Military Academy.”
Tommy Hutto (1971) – Football, Track
Tommy Hutto was one of the most outstanding football and track athletes to ever come through Porter-Gaud School. As a running back, defensive back, and punt/kick-off return man, Tommy led the football team to 16 total victories his junior and senior years. The ’69 team finished 6 and 3 with wins over Moultrie, Berkeley, and North Charleston. Tommy captained the football team his senior year to a 10 and 1 season, one of the best in Cyclone history. That team defeated 14th ranked Walterboro High, Chicora, and Berkeley Highs. By season’s end the Cyclones had cracked the State rankings themselves. Tommy holds several Porter-Gaud track records. In 1970, he won the 200m and broad jump at State and was on the team that posted an 880-yard relay record. He shares the school record for the 100- yard dash at 10.01 seconds and the 220-yard dash record of 22.09 seconds. A fellow track teammate said that Tommy was the “central figure” on the both the track and football teams. His selection as “Most Athletic” his senior year attests to that. This gifted pianist played one year of football at Sewanee, and today practices veterinary medicine in Charleston.
Derek Feussner (2004) - Basketball
Derek Feussner lettered in both basketball and track while he was a student at Porter-Gaud. Over the two years Derek was enrolled, Porter-Gaud became the first SCISA AAA school to win “Back-to-Back” State Championships in basketball. He received several accolades for his performance on the court. He was recognized as the Porter-Gaud Team MVP, the SCISA All-Conference Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team, SC AAA All-Star Team, SC Home Team Sports Player of the Year and HTS All-State Basketball Team. Amazingly, he received all these awards for two consecutive years. As a senior, the Post and Courier named him All-Low Country Player of the Year and All-State Basketball First Team. Derek also participated in Varsity Track at Porter-Gaud, and in 2004 he earned 3rd place in shot putt in the SC State Track Tournament. After graduating from Porter-Gaud, Derek studied at Vanderbilt University and MUSC.
Susan Gaillard (2002) - Volleyball
Susan Gaillard served as a leader on the Porter-Gaud volleyball and track teams as a high school student. Susan lettered in volleyball as a sophomore, junior, and senior. As a sophomore, she was named Rookie of the Year, and as a senior, she was recognized as the Offensive MVP, an All-Conference Player, and a North-South All Star. She lettered in track for four consecutive years and was named Field MVP as a sophomore and a senior. From Porter-Gaud, Susan went to Washington and Lee where she participated on the varsity volleyball team from 2002 to 2005. She is the School’s record holder for season and career hitting percentage. In 2002, she was recognized as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year. She earned several accolades for her volleyball performance including: All American Honorable Mention in 2003 and 2005, All-Region First Team in 2003 and 2005 and Honorable Mention in 2002 and 2004, All-State First Team in 2003, 2004, and 2005 and Second Team in 2002. Susan graduated from Washington and Lee in 2006 with a BS in Mathematics and began working for the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, DC. She later moved to Fort Worth, Texas to work for the AAMC as a full-time telecommuter. Susan attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Paul Herring (1982) - Swimming
Paul Herring was one of the best swimmers Porter-Gaud has ever seen. In 1980 he was named SCISA All-American in the 100 yard butterfly and was voted Most Outstanding Male Swimmer in the 26th Annual Atlanta Seaboard Interscholastic Swimming Championship. He was named South Carolina All-State for eight consecutive years, set thirty one South Carolina State Records, and won twenty four South Carolina titles. His talents were also recognized on the national level; he was nationally ranked four out of five years, participated in three Junior National Championships, and finished first in six events at the YMCA National Championships. Paul was recruited by over thirty colleges and elected to attend the University of Florida where he continued his swimming career. He was a four year Varsity Letterman for the University, and his team won four SEC titles, two NCAA titles, and two US Swimming titles. In 1984, he qualified for the US Olympic Swimming Trials and participated in three individual events. In addition to his outstanding swimming career, Paul graduated from the University of Florida with high honors in Microbiology and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He was awarded the 1986 NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship which is given for outstanding athletics, academics, and citizenship.
Laura Johnson (2004) - Basketball
Laura Johnson goes down in Cyclone history as the player who had the biggest game on the biggest stage in program history, as well as a state champion in three sports and also a team captain of all three. A four-year basketball letter winner and a two-time all-star and team captain, Laura poured in 32 points in the 2004 state championship game to lead the Lady Cyclones to their first-ever state title over arch-rival and nemesis Northwood Academy. She was named SCISA class AAA player of the year for her accomplishments that season. She also was a four-year letter-winner in varsity tennis and soccer. In tennis, she was a part of four straight state championship teams and served as a team captain in her senior season. In soccer, she was also a member of a state championship team in 2002, and team captain as a senior in 2004. Laura graduated cum laude from Sewanee, the University of the South, with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She is currently vice president, Institutional Equity Sales, at Renaissance Macro Research.
David Kennedy (1969) - Football
David Kennedy earned four varsity letters in track and three in football while a student at Porter-Gaud. However, it was football where David earned his notoriety by terrorizing opposing defenses as a 140 lb. scatback. He led the Cyclones in total yards in 1967 and 1968 while setting the single game rushing record of 283 yards and becoming one of the leading scorers in the state. He earned the Best Running Back award in his junior and senior years while leading Porter-Gaud to a 14-4-2 won-lost record. He was elected co-captain his senior year at 16 years of age, and his gridiron exploits were recognized by being named to the Post and Courier's 1968 All Star Team. David continued to play football and ran indoor and outdoor track as a freshman at the Citadel. He earned his BS in Biology at The Citadel in 1973 and graduated from MUSC's School of Pharmacy in 1977. He worked in pharmaceutical sales for twenty-two years and is currently a practicing Hospital Pharmacist. He is married to the former Lisa Ballard of Cheraw, SC and has two daughters, Lauren and Bailey. He lives in Meggett, SC where he serves as a lay reader at Christ St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He is an avid sportsman and is a life member of The Citadel Alumni Association and is a member of the Hibernian Society.
Kirk Kessler (1976) – Soccer
Kirk Kessler began his Porter-Gaud sports career by playing in the Saturday Morning Lower School Basketball League. He played JV football until he broke his arm and switched to soccer. This turned out to be HIS game, and he returned Porter-Gaud soccer to dominance. After playing center forward for PG, he was offered a number of college soccer scholarships, including the College of Charleston. While there, he was the first soccer player in the state to make All District and All State in his freshman year. He was selected to try out for the 1980 Olympic Soccer Team, but was not able to due to injury. He was the first soccer player to be inducted into the College of Charleston Athletic Hall of Fame. Following graduation from P-G in 1976, Kirk was with the R. J. Reynolds Company in Ormond Beach, Florida, where he tragically died in a house fire. There is a memorial fund at Porter-Gaud in memory of Kirk, plus a soccer scholarship in his name at the College of Charleston.
Alden Knowlton (2004) - Volleyball, Basketball
Alden Knowlton was an outstanding multi-sport athlete as a Cyclone, earning 14 varsity letters in four sports. She was awarded the Ted R. Richardson award as the most outstanding athlete in her graduating class. She competed in varsity track for four seasons, contributing to the Cyclones’ 2001 state championship, and then played two years of varsity soccer in spring of her junior and senior years. But it was in the Wendell Center where she earned the most acclaim. In volleyball, Alden played four years on the varsity team, earning all-conference honors three times and making two appearances in the north-south all-star game. She was honored as SCISA’s class AAA player of the year as a senior. In basketball, she also played four years on the varsity squad, scoring over 1000 points and hauling in over 500 rebounds. She was all-conference every year of her PG career, from her freshman year when she was PG’s rookie of the year, to her junior and senior years when she was twice named team MVP. Her senior year, she led the Lady Cyclones to their first-ever state championship in girls’ basketball. Alden played three years of varsity basketball at Sewanee, the University of the South. Alden has worked in political lobbying, fundraising, and consulting. She currently coordinates political action committee outreach and coordinated advocacy efforts for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
John Kresse (2005) - Basketball
John Kresse achieved one of the greatest accomplishments possible in high school sports, winning his final basketball game all four years of his high school career. As a freshman, he started on a JV team that ended the season 24-0. Moving up to the varsity squad as a sophomore, he scored 15 points in three overtime periods to seal Porter-Gaud’s first-ever state championship and win the first of three All-State awards. He led the Cyclones to two more state titles in his junior and senior years, and as a senior was recognized as a member of the All-Lowcountry First Team by The Post & Courier and also as SCISA player of the year. He played a year of basketball at Brown University, winning the Woody Grimshaw Memorial Award for his dedication as a teammate. He then transferred to Emory University, where he was a 2-year starter, a co-captain, and an ESPN Division III Academic All-American.
Frank Lamson-Scribner (1978) – Basketball
Frank Lamson-Scribner played varsity basketball for Porter-Gaud in 1976-77 and 1977-78, scoring more than 700 points in two years, and was named Team MVP both years. His outstanding play also earned him honorable mention on the News and Courier All-Lowcountry Basketball Team. He played varsity golf for four years and was named MVP in his senior year when the team won the High School AAA Lower State Championship. In addition, Frank also participated in varsity track. Following graduation, he has continued playing intramural and recreation league basketball and has maintained a five handicap in golf. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from Clemson University.
Robert Masters (2000) – Basketball
Rob Masters was captain and MVP of the 2000 Cyclone Basketball Team. That same year he was SCISA Region I-AAA Player of the Year, All-State, SCISA North/South All-Star, and on the Post and Courier All-Lowcountry First Team. During his playing career Rob made the All-Tournament Team in a number of prestigious tournaments, and holds the single game scoring record of 41 points in the annual Roundball Tournament which has become a tournament of national prominence. Rob played basketball for the College of Charleston, where he was named a Southern Conference Scholar Athlete in 2001 and 2002. An untimely injury ended his very promising basketball career at the College of Charleston, where he graduated in 2004 with a political science degree.
Julia McAvoy (2013) - Volleyball
Julia McAvoy rewrote the record books in her four years of Cyclone volleyball. She led the Cyclones to four straight state championship games, winning three from 2010-12, which was the start of the 8-year win streak and ìdecade of dominanceî that has defined the program ever since. When she graduated, she held the program record for total kills (1431), but was additionally an incredible server (231 aces) and defender (1060 digs). She was an all-state player and team MVP all four of her years on the team, and was also recognized three times as the best player in SCISA. She was recognized four times as a member of The Post and Courierís all-lowcountry team, and twice was named by prepvolleyball.com as one of the top 26 players in the nation. Julia also started on the soccer team for four seasons, and was the 2013 winner of the Ted R. Richardson Award. She currently works as marketing manager at American Express, and the past few seasons has returned to Charleston during the volleyball season to work as an assistant coach.
Khris Middleton (2009) - Basketball
Khris Middleton’s basketball career has been all about exceeding expectations. When he first made the Cyclones’ varsity basketball team as a sophomore, he was already a hard worker, fundamentally sound, and possessor of a beautifully smooth jump shot. His 12 points per game made him a key contributor on a team that reached the SCISA state finals, and gave a hint of things to come. But no one could have predicted then how much he would improve. Khris grew almost five inches between his sophomore and junior seasons, and over the next two years averaged over 21 points and 8 rebounds while leading the Cyclones to two more state championship games. He was All-State three times, named twice to the SCISA all-star game, and twice was named first-team All-Lowcountry by The Post & Courier. In his senior year, he was named SCISA player of the year, and recognized by ESPN.com as the 64th best player in the class of 2009 and the #1 shooter at his position nationwide. He earned a scholarship to play at Texas A&M University, where he led the team in scoring as a sophomore and began to be mentioned as a potential NBA prospect. However, a knee injury in his junior year drove down his draft stock. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and averaged 6.1 points per game while appearing in only 27 games as a rookie. The next season, Khris was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as what appeared to be a minor piece of a multi-player deal. However, Khris was primed to exceed expectations again. He appeared in all 82 games that season, starting 64, and established himself as a key component of the Bucks’ rebuilding process. In his first season with the Bucks, he emerged as a “Three and D” specialist, leading the Bucks in scoring and leading the team to the first round of the NBA playoffs. He gained notoriety for ranking in the top ten in the whole NBA in “Real Plus-Minus,” a combination of a player’s offensive and defensive contributions to team wins, and was hailed by both Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated as one of the most underrated stars in all of basketball. The Bucks just re-signed Khris to a five-year contract extension in June of 2019 after he became a fist-time All-Star and led the Bucks to the 2019 Division Finals. He continues to make Charleston an off-season home, and can be found many days of the summer in the Wendell Center, where he also annually hosts the Khris Middleton Skills Academy.
Theodore “Teddy” Miller (1967) – Football, Soccer
While at Porter-Gaud, Teddy Miller lettered in football, track, soccer and golf. His football honors included Best Back in Football (3 years) and All Post and Courier Second Team as a quarterback. He was among the top five football players in the area for total points scored in 1966, and was voted Most Athletic his senior year,1966-67. Teddy rushed for over 1,000 yards his senior year, and was the first back in Porter-Gaud football history to rush for over 200 yards in a game. His track prowess and sprinting ability gained him an invitation to run in sprint races at The Citadel Invitational Track Meet his senior year. After graduating from P-G, Teddy played one year of football at Newberry College where a neck injury ended his career. Teddy graduated from Charleston Southern University and went on to earn an M.A.T. in History at The Citadel. Teddy coached soccer for 26 years at Porter-Gaud, The College of Charleston, Middleton High, and West Ashley High. He racked up 397 victories in that span. During his soccer coaching career, Teddy won 11 Region Championships, nine Lower State Championships, and three State Championships. On 18 different occasions he was named either Region, Lowcountry, or State Soccer Coach of the Year. He served as president of the South Carolina Soccer Coaches Association from 1988-1991.
Neil Mishoe (1951) - Football, Basketball, Baseball
Neil Mishoe excelled in football, basketball and baseball while he was a cadet at Porter Military Academy. He was in the Charleston All-Stars in 1950 and was an MVP in Charleston vs. Columbia All-Stars game at Johnson-Hagood Stadium in 1950. He went on to play football as a freshman at Clemson in 1951. Neil later served in the United States Army and worked as a fertilizer merchant and farmer.
Jennifer Zile Mock (1998) – Track, Volleyball
Jennifer was a terrific two-sport athlete during her Cyclone playing days. She lettered 4 years each in both track & field and volleyball. She still holds the school record in the 400 meter hurdles (68.99 seconds) and the high jump (5’ 2.5”). She was named P-G Track MVP four consecutive years, and was recognized as the State’s Outstanding Individual Track Performer running a 4 minute, 26 second 1600 meters, and with teammates broke the 4 X 400 meter relay record by 4 seconds. She scored 200 points in track her senior year and was named MVP at the State Meet. For both her sophomore and senior years she was the State’s top point achiever in girls track. In volleyball Jennifer’s play earned her top awards and wide recognition. She won the coveted Bess Rosen Award given to the most outstanding volleyball player. The Athletic Department recognized her rare combination of athletic ability, scholarship, and leadership with the 1998 Kessler Sportsmanship Award. After graduating from Porter-Gaud with a 4.0 GPA, she went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology. While there, she was a member of the Wake Forest University Varsity Track Team.
Lisa Robinson Moss (1988) – Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis
Lisa was one of the most versatile athletes to go through Porter-Gaud School, excelling in volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Her volleyball honors included MVP her junior and senior years, two-time All-Conference, All-State and a member of the South Carolina All-Star squad. Likewise, she was the Basketball Team MVP her junior and senior seasons and achieved All-Conference honors both years. The fact that she was the only female on the Varsity Boys Tennis Team is a great testimony to both her outstanding ability and competitiveness. She co-captained the Boys Team for three years. Lisa was the recipient of the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete Award for 1988. To quote one who remembers her well: ”Lisa was the quintessential student athlete who exhibited excellent conduct on and off the field/court.” She graduated Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University in 1992, and later earned an M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of South Carolina.
Kess Mughelli (1997) – Basketball, Track
Kess Mughelli was a terrific basketball and track & field athlete for the Cyclones in the mid 1990s having lettered 3 years in basketball and 4 years in track. She was the basketball team MVP both her junior and senior years. She was named to the All-Conference and the All-State Teams her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Her 17.4 points per game and 13.5 rebounds per game averages gained her recognition as the AAA SCISA Player of the Year her senior season. She was named to the SCISA All-Star Basketball team three consecutive years. In track & field Kess was named MVP both her junior and senior years. She starred with many first place finishes in the discus, shot put, and sprints. The School recognized her with its most prestigious athletic award in 1997, the Ted R. Richardson Athletic Award for outstanding qualities of athletic ability, leadership, and sportsmanship. While attending the University of Richmond, Kess was named a Scholar Athlete her junior and senior years as a member of Richmond’s track and field team.
Ovie Mughelli (1998) – Football
Ovie Mughelli is Porter-Gaud’s first athlete in the School’s history to be drafted by the NFL, by the Baltimore Ravens and he is currently the starting fullback with the Atlanta Falcons. While at Porter-Gaud, Ovie received the prestigious Ted R. Richardson Athletic Award for outstanding football and basketball ability, leadership, and sportsmanship. He was named to the All-Lowcountry Football Team, three-times to the All-Conference Football Team, the All-State Football Team, and was recognized as SCISA’s 1997 Football Player of the Year. He was the Palmetto Touchdown Club’s Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions. Ovie led the Cyclones to the 1996 SCISA AAA State Football Championship while rushing for over 4,500 yards in his three varsity seasons; 1,033 in his sophomore season and an incredible 2,167 yards in his senior year alone. He scored 65 career touchdowns as a Cyclone and went on to Wake Forest University where he was a four-year starter at fullback. While at Wake Forest he participated in two post-season bowl wins (first class in Wake history to do so) and was the major cog in Wake Forest’s Atlantic Coast Conference-leading rushing offense both his junior and senior years.
Ryan Neff (2003) - Football, Basketball
Ryan Neff’s contributions to Cyclone athletics were both deep and wide. He played in his first varsity baseball game as an eighth grader, started on the varsity football team as a freshman, and made the varsity basketball team as a sophomore en route to earning 12 varsity letters and contributing to three state championships. In five years of varsity baseball, he hit .330 for his career, won the “golden glove” award, and two “Coaches’ Cup” awards, and earned all-conference honors. On the hardwood, Ryan played a key role on the Cyclones’ first-ever state championship team in his senior year, playing ferocious defense and winning recognition as the team’s most improved player. But his greatest athletic feats took place on the grass of John Singleton field, where he emerged as a starting wide receiver as a freshman, also playing defensive back and special teams. In four years of football, he caught over 100 passes, averaging over 18 yards per catch and scoring 23 touchdowns. He was a part of two state championship teams (2000 and 2002), serving as a captain and winning MVP honors in 2002. He was named All-State twice and also honorable mention All-Lowcountry twice. Ryan was honored his senior year as the winner of the Kirk Kessler Sportsmanship Award. He continued his football career at Washington and Lee University, where he played four years and was part of the 2006 ODAC Division III championship team. He earned honorable-mention all-conference and academic all-conference status in 2006-07, and graduated cum laude.
Tahirih Nesmith (2013) - Soccer
Tahirih Nesmith is described by her coach, Daniel Jordan, as both ìthe heart and soul of the Cyclone womenís soccer program,î and also as a player of ìunmatched passion, grit, raw athleticism, and unflinching loyalty.î She was a four-year varsity player, a three-time team MVP, and twice led the Cyclones to the SCISA state championship game. She earned all-region, all-state, and all-lowcountry honors, and graduated as the leading scorer in program history. Tahirih continued her playing career at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a starting role as a freshman and was named honorable mention All-Ivy League. While a dominant scorer in high school, Tahirih showed her versatility by anchoring a stifling defense at the college level.
Fred Norchi (1975-1986) - Coach
Fred Norchi began his coaching career at Porter-Gaud in 1975 and served as the School’s Head Cross Country Coach, Head Soccer Coach, and Assistant Track Coach for over a decade. Under his direction, the Cross Country team placed second in the State in 1981 and 1982. Coach Norchi took the Boys Soccer team to a second place finish in the State Championship game in 1976, and the team won the AAA State Championship twice (1981 and 1983). He finished coaching the Porter-Gaud soccer team in 1986 with an incredible record of 136 wins, 52 losses and one tie. In 1989, he continued his coaching career by recruiting and leading the inaugural men’s soccer team at Queen’s University of Charlotte. After one year of recruiting athletes, the Queen’s soccer program was born. The inaugural season was a major success – 10-5 for a first year team. Since entering the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) in 1995, Norchi’s teams have either been regular season conference champions or CVAC Tournament champions every year with the exception of 1998. He coached seven NCAA All-Americans, 16 All South and 23 All Conference award winners. Norchi has been named CVAC Coach of the Year seven times, NCAA South Region Coach of the Year five times, and was one of four finalists for the NCAA II National Coach of the Year in 1994. He also ranks sixth in NCAA Division II for all time winning percentage. Coach Norchi also started a women’s soccer program at Queen’s and coached women from 1990-1994. The highlight of the program was winning the CVAC conference regular season championship and CVAC conference tournament in 1994, the first year Queen’s was a member of the conference.
Frederick W. “Gunner” Ohlandt (1946) – Football, Boxing
“Gunner” Ohlandt was a truly exceptional athlete in both football and boxing during his years at Porter Military Academy (PMA). The consensus among most who knew him is that no better athlete ever came through Porter Military Academy or Porter-Gaud School. Though PMA had no boxing team, Gunner fought Golden Gloves as a heavyweight and never lost a fight. There is no question that Gunner Ohlandt was the best boxer Charleston ever produced. He was equally ferocious on the football field and continued both his boxing and football careers at The Citadel. He was the Bulldogs’ #1 light-heavyweight all four years and a two-time Southern Conference Boxing Champion. At The Citadel Gunner started as a two-way player at end for 4 years on the football team, and is considered to be among the “best-ever athletes” to attend The Citadel. The Citadel named Gunner to its inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 1977. He was later enshrined in the State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame. Gunner died at age 69 while attending a South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame meeting in Columbia.
Caroline O'Neill (2007) - Basketball, Volleyball
Caroline O’Neill was a two-sport standout, playing four years of varsity volleyball and three of varsity basketball. In basketball, she was rookie of the year as a sophomore, and then MVP in her junior and senior years, earning All-State honors twice. In volleyball, she was rookie of the year as a freshman, earned all-conference honors in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and was All-State as both a junior and a senior. As a senior, she was team MVP and SCISA player of the year, leading the Cyclones to the 2006 state championship. She was honored at graduation with the Ted R. Richardson Award as the most outstanding student-athlete of the class of 2007. Caroline graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia with bachelor of business administration degree in international business.
Chris Osborne (1995) - Football, Soccer
Chris Osborne was a terrific two-sport athlete while he was a student at Porter-Gaud. Chris was a four time All-Conference player in football and a three time All-Conference player in soccer. He helped the soccer team secure three State Championships in 1992, 1993, and 1994. He was named Porter-Gaud Football MVP for four consecutive years, and was recognized as the Conference Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994. He was a member of the All-State Football team during his junior and senior years and helped his team win the State Championship in 1993. During his football career at Porter-Gaud, he scored over sixty touchdowns and rushed for over 5,000 yards. He lettered in football as a freshman at Sewanee. Chris earned his BS from Sewanee.
Jerry Overfield (1948) - Football, Basketball, Baseball
Jerry Overfield lettered in football, basketball, and baseball for three consecutive years as a PMA Cadet. As a senior, Jerry served the football team as quarterback and Team Captain and was selected to be a member of the All-Star Football Team. In recognition of his abilities on the field and the court, his classmates voted him “Most Athletic.” After graduating from PMA, Jerry earned a Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He served as an Army Captain and was later employed by General Electric in the Small Jet Engine Division. He went on to become the Department Manager of the Research Division of the Western Company, Group Manager in the Fairchild Aircraft Company, Aircraft Systems Manager for the Jet Engine Division of Honeywell, and finally President of the Pollution Abatement Research Company.
Mark Owens (2003) - Soccer, Basketball
Mark Owens earned honors in soccer and basketball while he was a student at Porter-Gaud. He lettered in soccer for five consecutive years and held the position as goalkeeper. During the five years he played for the Cyclones, the school secured two State Championships and a combined Conference Record of 51-10. As a senior, he was named Team MVP and State Super 18th Goalkeeper and received the Safe Hands Award for Goalkeepers in the Palmetto Cup Tournament. Mark lettered in basketball for three years. He earned several awards for his performance on the court including: Best Defensive Player Award (2000-2001, 2001-2002), SCISA All Conference (2001-2002, 2002-2003), Porter-Gaud Thanksgiving All Tournament Team 2001, Porter-Gaud Thanksgiving Tournament MVP 2002, SCISA All Tournament Team 2002, SCISA All Star State Team 2002-2003, and Coaches Cup Award 2002-2003. He served as Team Captain during his junior and senior years, and as a senior he helped his team secure the School’s first SCISA State Championship in Basketball. Before graduating from Porter-Gaud, Mark was recognized with the Ted R. Richardson Award for leadership, sportsmanship, and athletic ability. Mark went on to attend Presbyterian College where he held the position of goalkeeper on the Varsity soccer team for four years. He was three time Team Captain, 2005, 2006, 2007, three time Team MVP 2005, 2006, 2007, two time All Region Goalkeeper 2005, 2006, All SAC Conference Goalkeeper, and on the SAC Conference Academic Honor Roll 2005, 2006. In the 2006 season, he only allowed eight goals securing the School’s record of fewest goals allowed in a season. During the same season he was ranked third in the NCAA Division II with a save percentage of .879 and ranked eighth nationally in goals against average with .547. Mark was a member of the first Division I season at PC in 2007. He graduated cum laude with a degree in Business Administration.
John Perry (PMA 1951) - Football, Basketball
John Perry entered Porter Military Academy as a fourth-grader in 1943, and was a standout in multiple sports from lower school through graduation. In high school, he earned letters in varsity football, basketball, baseball, and track. As a senior, he was selected to the Charleston All-Star Football Team, but a knee injury kept him from being able to play. Following graduation, John remained an active athlete, participating in basketball and softball for many years. He went on to the MUSC School of Pharmacy, and ran his own pharmacy until retiring.
Ben Pittard (2001) - Football, Basketball, Baseball
Ben Pittard earned honors in three sports as a Porter-Gaud student – football, basketball, and baseball. His football awards include All-Conference in 1998 and 1999, and MVP in 1999. In basketball, he was awarded the Floor General Award for the 1999-2000 season. Ben was a member of the varsity baseball team from 8th grade through his senior year. His honors include the Slugger Award in 1998 and 1999, All-Conference in 1998, 1999, and 2001, MVP in 1999 and 2001, SCISA Conference Player of the Year in 2001, and All State All Star in 1999. Overall, he was awarded the Kessler Sportsmanship Award in 2001. After graduating from Porter-Gaud, Ben went on to play Rugby for the United States Naval Academy from 2002-2005. He served as the team’s co-captain in 2004 and 2005, and his team reached the Final Four during those years. Twice, he was named a 1st Team All-American in Rugby. Ben graduated with his BA in English in 2005 from the United States Naval Academy. Following his graduation, he completed Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL Training and graduated in Class 259.
John Bishop Ravenel (1997) – Basketball
Bishop was a 4-year Varsity Basketball Letterman for the Cyclones and is considered by many to be the best to ever wear the garnet and grey. He achieved All-Conference honors his sophomore, junior, and senior years; and was the Team MVP and an All-State performer his junior and senior seasons. A vivid recollection of Cyclone fans is the 30 points he poured in against Bishop England in 1996. His tremendous play his senior year garnered the honors of both Region and SCISA Basketball Player of the Year, and the Round Ball Classic “Most Outstanding Player.” Bishop went on to a superb career at Wofford College where he started for 4 years and captained the 2000-2001 Team. His other college honors included Phi Beta Kappa, the Computer Science Departmental Award, and membership in the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity. He attended law school at the University of Richmond where he was a John Marshall Scholar.
Frederick Renken (1987) – Football, Basketball
Freddy Renken started and lettered as a freshman in Varsity Football, Basketball, and Track. His athletic achievements while at Porter-Gaud are astounding: Football All-Conference 4 years, Basketball All-Conference 3 years, and All-Conference in track 2 years. He was selected to the All-State Football and the All-State Basketball Teams his sophomore, junior, and senior years; most probably an unparalleled feat in the history of this State. This South Carolina Shrine Bowl selection was also named to both the Adidas and the Street and Smith High School Football All-American Teams. In 1986 Freddy was the state and national record holder in career pass receptions with 208 and total yards of 3,794. Freddy scored 58 touchdowns his final 3 years in a Cyclone uniform. This terrifically talented athlete also was the Cyclone Basketball Team MVP for 4 consecutive years. Upon graduation he accepted a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he played two years as a Tar Heel Letterman. He earned a BS in Business Administration from the College of Charleston and is currently president and owner of Sea Fox Boat Company of Charleston.
Ted Richardson (1954-1992) – Administrator
Though he writes, “I never scored a TD, nor a three-pointer, stole a base, made a corner kick, or hit a grand slam,” Ted “The Maje” Richardson was a backbone of Porter Military Academy (PMA) and Porter-Gaud School (P-GS) athletics for four decades. During his years of service the Maje did it all in his duties as an administrator, teacher, mentor, coach, counselor, fund-raiser, and all-around encourager of students. Ted came to Porter Military Academy in 1954 when the School had just discontinued the high school. He taught math and geography, coached basketball, headed the Middle School, and helped rebuild the School to graduate a class again in 1961. Major Ted Richardson later served as the President of PMA for the 1963 – 1964 school-year. During his many years as Middle School Principal, he compiled enough mileage for a trip to the moon and back traveling to PMA and P-GS athletic events. His great spirit infected the entire campus and caused many to over-achieve and all to understand that, in Ted’s words: “defeat is only for those who are willing to accept it.” It is only fitting that today the School’s Middle School, Richardson Hall, bears his name because of the terrifically dynamic leadership he rendered as the Middle School Principal. Everything from school year-books, school musicals, the Baptismal Font, and a basketball yearbook were dedicated to “The Maje”, because he was so well loved. His powerful, positive personality so permeated everything that was Porter-Gaud athletics that the School’s most prestigious athletic award bears his name, the Ted R. Richardson Athletic Award. It recognizes that one graduating senior who best exemplifies those great qualities that Ted himself possesses: leadership, athletic ability, scholarship, and sportsmanship. “The Maje” retired in 1992 after 38 years of noble, courageous leadership to PMA and P-G.
Jonathan Ross (1981) – Football, Basketball, Track
Jonathan was an outstandingly versatile, three-sport athlete for the Cyclones. He was the Offensive Football MVP, Track MVP, and Basketball MVP in 1980 - 1981. He was All-State in both football and basketball his senior year, leading the football team to the State playoffs and averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds per game in basketball. He ranked #1 in the state in the Triple Jump and tied the School’s Long Jump record of 22’3” which still stands today. His outstanding track & field performance captured the State Track Championship for the Cyclones. Jonathan’s combined qualities of athletic ability, leadership, and sportsmanship earned him the coveted Ted Richardson Athletic Award, the most prestigious athletic award that Porter-Gaud School bestows. In the words of Randy Clark; long-time P-G coach, athletic director, and administrator: “Jonathan Ross was a complete athlete; absolutely one of the best to come through the School.” Jonathan went on to play basketball at the College of Charleston.
Wilson Rumble (1979) - Cross Country, Track & Field
Wilson Rumble was one of the most outstanding distance runners in Cyclone history. He was a three-time MVP in cross-country and a two-time MVP in track, excelling in an era in which the Cyclone runners competed in the SC High School League in a combined class A-AA-AAA championship. He was lower-state champion in cross-country and class AAA state champion in the two-mile run. In 1979 he set a school record for two miles that stood for 35 years. Following graduation from the University of Virginia in 1983, Wilson continued to run competitively, qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 1984 and 1985 and placing in the top ten in the US Marine Corps Marathon in 1985. After turning 40, he became a nationally-ranked masters’ swimmer, and won 5 medals at the 2006 Out Games.
Molly Sanders (1997) – Tennis
Molly Sanders was MVP on the tennis team for three years and played in the State Tournament four years. She played collegiate tennis at the University of Montana for five years and for three years played in the Rolex National Tournament in both singles and doubles. Molly was an All-Conference tennis performer during her playing days at the University of Montana. While at Montana, Molly was selected three times as a Robert Lindsey Academic/Athletic Awardee for athletes with a 3.5 or better GPA. Also, she represented the women’s varsity tennis team on the College’s NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Board. As a student at PG, Molly worked with inner city children, teaching them to play tennis. All who know her describe her as a superb athlete of impeccable character.
Stanton Seckinger (2011) - Football, Track & Field
Stanton Seckinger was a three-sport star for the Cyclones, earning all-state and MVP honors in football, basketball, and track, and the winner of the 2011 Ted R. Richardson Award. In basketball, he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds, and on the track, he set three state records (high jump, long jump, and 4x400 relay), leading the Cyclones to the 2011 state championship that began an 8-year winning streak. But it was in football where he made his biggest mark. Stanton set school records for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, eclipsing the marks set by fellow Hall of Famer and All-American Freddy Renken, and earning Stanton second-team All-American status from Rivals.com. Stanton went on to play at Clemson University, where his hard work and dedication moved him from a gray-shirt recruit to a starter at tight end. His diving touchdown against UGA in 2014 was featured in a fold-out spread in Sports Illustrated, and he additionally scored the winning touchdown for the Tigers in the 2013 Orange Bowl. He was selected by his teammates to represent the Tigers as team captain in the 2015 National Championship game. A knee injury ended his playing career, but also led to a career in medical device sales, working on the other side of the operating table. He returned briefly to PG as an assistant football coach from 2017-18.
William Shivar (1938) – Tennis
William Shivar was a tennis stand-out in the late 1930’s on outstanding PMA tennis teams. That tennis foundation took William far and wide in the tennis world. After interrupting his formal education as an aviator in WWII flying in Burma with the “Burma Bridge Busters”, William entered Presbyterian College (PC) where he led the nationally ranked Blue Hose Tennis Team to the State Championship. Along the way William received a commission into the U.S Air Force and attended the California Institute of Technology where he played #1 on the tennis team and received an MS degree. His 26-year military record includes service and decorations as a navigator and unit commander in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. After retirement from the United States Air Force in 1972, William became even more actively involved in state, sectional and national tennis tournaments. His state championships as a winner or finalist include Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, California and New Mexico. He was also a winner or finalist in two USTA National Championships, and a finalist in seven other events. His most notable win was defeating Bobby Riggs in 1971. The Peninsula Sports Club in the Newport News/Hampton, Virginia, area recognized William as its “Man of the Year” in 1974 for his tremendous support and promotion of the sport of tennis. The Baltimore Sun newspaper has called Colonel William Shivar “a living legend,” and The Mid-Atlantic Tennis Foundation installed the Colonel in its Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jack Simmons, Sr. (1918) – Football
Jack Simmons quarterbacked the PMA football team in the fall of 19l7 after transferring from Charleston High School when Charleston High discontinued its team. Jack brought outstanding football and baseball experience to PMA and expertly quarterbacked the 1917 PMA Football Team; considered one of the greatest in school history. From PMA Jack went to The Citadel where he earned 13 varsity letters: four in football, four in baseball, four in track, and one in tennis. In 1980 he was inducted into The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame. This highly revered “bulldog quarterback’s” helmet and shoes are in the Mark Clark Museum at The Citadel. Jack later played football at the University of Pennsylvania when he attended the Wharton School of Business. Standing 5’4” tall and weighing 128 pounds with incredible agility, he was called the “Human Mosquito” by sportswriters in Pennsylvania. Jack coached football at The Citadel and later at St. Andrews Parish High School in 1941 where he gave the school its nickname, “The Rocks”. Jack partnered in a sporting goods business in Charleston from 1945 until his retirement in 1982, and also helped his father develop the Windermere neighborhood in the city. This extraordinary athlete, businessman, and family man passed away in 1990 at the age of 89.
Randy (R.J.) Smith, II (2006) - Basketball
Randy “R.J.” Smith was the most decorated point guard to wear Garnet and Grey. A four-year starter and member of the 1000-point club, he led the Cyclones to four state championship games, winning three. He was team MVP as a junior and senior, earning All-State recognition three times and twice being recognized as SCISA player of the year. He also played varsity football for the Cyclones as a sophomore and junior, earning All-State honors both years. R.J. continued his basketball career at Greensboro College, where he was again a four-year starter at point guard. There, he was named to the USA South All-Tournament Team and the All-Academic team. He graduated with a bachelor of science in accounting, and is currently finishing his MBA while working as a personal banker for Wells Fargo.
Travis Smith (2009) - Basketball
Travis Smith made the Cyclone varsity basketball team as an 8th grader and was the first man off the bench for Coach Randy Clark on the 2005 state championship team. He became a starter as a freshman on the 2006 team which played for a state title and was the point guard and unquestioned best player on the team in his sophomore year. When his friend and teammate Khris Middleton grew five inches during their junior year, he took on a new role, with Travis, as point guard and a relentless defender, dishing out the assists which helped Khris on his path to superstardom. The Cyclones played for state titles in 2008 and 2009, and Travis became a member of the Cyclone 1500 point club. He went on to play Division 1 basketball at Mercer University and then played professionally overseas in Germany. When Travis returned to Charleston, he joined the faculty of Porter-Gaud as head strength and conditioning coach and joined JP as an assistant basketball coach. He has continued in that role, and now is also the Cyclonesí head JV boysí coach, as well. He has become the main on-court mentor and off-season workout partner to Khris Middleton and Aaron Nesmith (both NBA) and Josiah James (University of Tennessee). During the pandemic of 2020, when the weight room was closed, Travis began working part-time with the PG Foundation, where his impact was such that he was hired away from the athletic department as the schoolís Director of Special Initiatives. Additionally, Travis is the founder of The 2020 League, a local non-profit that aims to use basketball as a tool for impacting the lives of middle school youth. He is currently the Head Basketball Coach at James Island Charter High School.
William Stack (1939) – Baseball
Bill Stack was voted the Most Valuable PMA Athlete and was named to the South Carolina Prep Baseball Team of the Year in his senior year of 1939. Bill’s extraordinary baseball ability not only took him to the University of Georgia on a baseball scholarship, but also marked him as the man who had hit the longest home-run in PMA baseball history. Soon after Bill’s arriving at Georgia, the professional baseball scouts were knocking at his door. In 1940 he signed with the Cincinnati Reds of the National League. After leaving major league baseball Bill returned to Charleston and served as president of both the National Association of Housing Authorities and the Carolinas Council of Housing and Rehab Authorities. He retired in 1979 as Executive Director of the Charleston Housing Authority. Bill was the 2003 recipient of the Porter Military Academy Alumni Association’s Buell Cup which annually recognizes one outstanding alumni of Porter Military Academy. He was an active member of the Porter Military Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees.
Todd Thompson (1983) – Golf
While at Porter-Gaud, Todd Thompson lettered 4 years in golf, and a year each in basketball and football. He was a two-time golf MVP and was selected as a High School All-American. He qualified for the National High School Championship where he placed 23rd in the nation. He won the State Champion Golf Award his senior year for AAA & AAAA schools. Following high school, Todd lettered 4 years at the University of Georgia and won two matches as a member of UGA‘s Golf Team. Todd was selected to the All-SEC Golf Team his senior year as the team won the SEC Championship. He also was named to the NCAA Regional Golf Team in 1988.
Winn Tutterow (1977) - Football, Basketball
Winn Tutterow was a leader on the Varsity football, basketball, and track teams while he was a high school student at Porter-Gaud. He lettered in football for three consecutive years and helped the team secure five fourth quarter comebacks. As a senior, he held the positions of quarterback and Team Captain. He lettered in basketball for three consecutive years and track for four consecutive years. He was a member of the school record relay team and competed in the 440 meter dash and the mile relay. After graduating from Porter-Gaud, Winn attended Presbyterian College and participated on the school’s varsity football team. He played, and continues to play amateur golf. Winn has also used his athletic abilities in a coaching capacity. He served as an assistant coach on the Cyclone Varsity Football team and spent ten years helping to organize and implement a Saturday morning basketball program for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Porter-Gaud. He coached basketball at bantam level with sixth and seventh graders for three years. In addition to serving his alma mater as a coach, Winn remains active with the Porter-Gaud Alumni Association. From 2006 to 2008 he served as the board’s president.
Gene Walpole (2003) - Football, Baseball
Gene Walpole came to Porter-Gaud as a junior and excelled in varsity sports in every season of his short career as a Cyclone, earning six varsity letters. In two seasons at quarterback for the Cyclones, he passed for 3,250 yards and 44 touchdowns, leading the team to a 12-1 record and the 2002 SCISA state championship his senior year. An All-State selection, Gene led all of SCISA in touchdowns and passing yards as a senior captain and was recognized as the region player of the year. He was twice selected all-region and honorable mention All-Lowcountry, and was named the team’s most valuable offensive back his junior and senior seasons. Gene was also a force on the baseball diamond, leading the team in batting in both of his years on the varsity team. He compiled a career batting average of .426 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 19 extra-base hits, earning him all-region, All-State, and “Slugger’s Award” honors as a junior and senior. Additionally, Gene was a two-year letterman on the varsity basketball team and winner of the “Coaches’ Cup” award in 2003 as a member of PG’s first-ever state championship team. Upon graduation, Gene played four seasons of varsity football at Presbyterian College, and was a member of the South Atlantic Conference championship team that finished in the top ten nationally. He was selected three times to the academic all-conference team, graduating cum laude in 2007 with a bachelor of science in business administration. He went on to earn a masters’ degree from the University of South Carolina.
David Walsh (1985) – Track, Cross Country
David Walsh lettered in track and cross country for 4 years and captained both sports for 2 years. He also lettered in soccer for three years. In 1985, he was the State Champion in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters, was named Best Cross Country Runner in the State AAA Invitational Meet, and was named to the Cross Country All-State Team. He still holds Porter-Gaud School records at 1600 meters of 4 minutes 31.0 seconds; and at 3200 meters of 10 minutes 31.0 seconds. As nominator, Porter-Gaud Head Track & Field Coach, Larry Salley, says: “David is the best distance runner in the P-G modern era.” David participated on the cross-country team at Duke University until a knee injury ended his career.
Stephen Wendell (2002) – Baseball
Stephen is only one of two Porter-Gaud School baseball players to ever play baseball at the NCAA Division I level. Highlights of his baseball career at Porter-Gaud include two selections on the All-State Baseball Team, three-time selection to the All- Conference Team, Team Most Valuable Player, and a five-year player for the Charleston American Legion Team. He holds an incredible eight career offensive baseball records for the Cyclones to include most hits (135), most extra base hits (49), runs (90), and runs batted in (100). Both Stephen’s single-season and career batting averages stand third highest in school history at the superb marks .453 and .401, respectively. He also holds the single-season records for most singles (28), doubles (12), and extra base hits (19). His academic accomplishments include graduating from P-G, highly distinguished, with a 4.0 GPA with memberships in the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, and the Spanish National Honor Society. He was a member of the Princeton University Baseball Team who went to the NCAA Division I Regional Playoffs in 2003.
Ormond Wild (PMA 1951) - Football, Baseball
For those of us accustomed to watching 200-pound tailbacks on hi-definition screens, it may be tough to imagine a four-year lineman for a major college football team who weighs 190 pounds. But Ormond Wild did just that. A two-way starter in every game of his Porter Military Academy football career, Ormond is remembered as the “best of the best” lineman of his day. He was also named to the Charleston All-Star Team. In baseball, he was an outfielder and power hitter who batted cleanup and led the Cyclones in home runs as a senior. He attended Clemson University on an athletic scholarship. He played as a guard for the Tigers for four seasons and then became a teacher and coach in Lake City, where he won two state titles. He later earned a Master’s degree and became a high school principal and coach in Colorado Springs.
Freddy Yensen (PMA 1951) - Football, Basketball, Baseball
Freddy Yensen has the distinction of being one of the only cadets born on the Porter Military Academy campus. His father was the quartermaster of PMA, and Freddy was born there in 1933. He joined the corps of cadets as a fourth-grader in 1943, and was active in Cyclone sports from that day forward. He excelled in multiple sports throughout his Porter career, most notably football, in which he made the Charleston All-Star team along with fellow Hall of Fame inductees Ormond Wild and Flip Chevrier. Freddy was also active in ROTC and cadet leadership, serving as commandant of the Yensen Guard, named for his father, and rising to become a platoon leader. He worked for Westvaco from 1962-73 before starting his own business, North Charleston Mobile Homes. Freddy continued to give back to the community through sports by coaching youth football and baseball for 37 years.

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Inductees

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