Festivities will honor 8 chosen for East Clarendon Hall of Fame

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TURBEVILLE - Shad Hall Field is the home of the East Clarendon Wolverines' football team; however, today, many of the athletes who are warming up on that field in preparation for the new football season have no idea who the legendary Shad Hall is.

The late Herman Eugene "Shad" Hall began his tenure at East Clarendon High School more than 60 years ago when many of the parents of the athletes on the football field today weren't born. In 1953, Hall became East Clarendon's athletic director as well as coach of the Wolverines' baseball, basketball, football and track teams. Under Hall's leadership, the Wolverines' varsity baseball team won state championships for three years in a row, 1958-1960. In 1965, Hall was named the Coach of the Year in South Carolina's Class B category after his Wolverine football team with 11 wins, one loss and one tie won the state championship.

In 1966, Hall, 35, was killed in a traffic accident when he was returning home from taking a few of his athletes to their homes after track practice. Hall is buried at Turbeville Southern Methodist Church, which is across the street from his beloved East Clarendon High School.

"One day I was out and about, and I decided to walk across the street and visit Coach Hall's grave," said EC athletic director Scott Cook. "That triggered the idea for an East Clarendon Hall of Fame. These kids don't know the history of their school. They don't know who Coach Shad Hall was. They don't know what he meant to this school or to their community."

"Coach Hall loved East Clarendon," Cook added. "I wanted our students and athletes to know who he was."

The festivities surrounding the school's inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony will kick off on Aug. 24 when the Wolverines will host the Fighting Eagles of Scott's Branch High School. The inductees have been invited to enjoy a meal with the football team before the game as well as introductions during the game. At noon on Aug. 25, the eight inductees and their families, the school's alumni, personnel and friends will gather at East Clarendon High School for a meet and greet as well as a luncheon to honor the East Clarendon Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

Those chosen for the Class of 2018 include Hall, Shelby Barrineau, Bennie Bennett, Donald Hardy, Reggie Kennedy, Duane Robinson, Maxie Knowlton and Mickey Moss.

Tickets for the induction ceremony are $10 each. For more information on tickets, call Roxanne Hardy at (843) 319-7121.

"It's important for me for our school to embrace our alumni," Cook said. "Each one of these individuals played a huge role at East Clarendon, and it's time for them to be recognized, and it's time for our students to know the roles each of them played in the history of our school."