KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

It was game time at D.W. Wilson Community Center Saturday night as friends, family, teammates and other community members took to the court to celebrate the latest inductees in the Tullahoma Sports Hall of Fame class.

This year’s inductees were the 1980 THS Men’s State Champion Golf Team, which included Scott Copeland, Clay Usleton, Brent Richardson and Bill Zebick, Maurice Shaw, Milner Russell Carden, David Hess, Gary Barfield and Estelle Williams Duff.

After the Master of Ceremonies and Sports Hall of Fame alumni Scott Shasteen welcomed every to this year’s banquet, Mayor Lynn Sebourn took to the podium and welcomed all the out-of-town guests to Tullahoma and thanked both the Tullahoma Sports Council and Parks and Rec once again for putting together the night’s ceremony. He thanked the Tullahoma Sports Council for everything they do for the athletics in Tullahoma, which has become a staple in the local culture.

“We know that sports doesn’t keep young people occupied,” Sebourn said. “It teaches them lifelong lessons in discipline, leadership and self-confidence.”

Sebourn then shared a quick story about how during a recent visit to the gym, he had a lack of confidence when he was struggling while he was on the bench press. He said when he grabbed a small set of Olympic plates for his next set, he wondered what others would have said if they saw him put those small weights on the bar. He said he thought about what his response would have been, and said he would have told them that those plates on the bar were just a little more.

“That’s the secret in so much sports and athletics is to just do a little more,” Sebourn said. “These people are great because they got up every morning and did a little more. One more sit-up, one more lap, one more throw, one more swing and one more rep.”

Following Sebourn was Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Director J.P Kraft and said the parks and rec department has been working hand-in-hand with the Tullahoma Sports Council over the years to work on various projects, large and small, ranging from batting cages, field improvements, facility upgrades, infrastructure needs and everything in between.

“The ability to collaborate openly and problem-solve together has helped move ideas from the drawing board to reality. Resulting in meaningful improvements that benefit athletes, families and the residents across this city,” Kraft said.

Kraft praised the Tullahoma Sports Council for being an asset to both parks and rec and to the city of Tullahoma, emphasizing that the partnership has helped with responsible growth, helped with creating opportunities and enhanced the life of the citizens.

“We’re grateful for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this strong relationship in the years ahead,” Kraft said.

After recognizing outgoing and incoming board members, all inductees in attendance, and recognizing the sponsors for the event, Shasteen took a moment to talk about how much work the Tullahoma Sports Council does behind the scenes, as well as helping to bring in the visitors Tullahoma saw each year. He stated that for the first time since being created as part of the city government, the city government did not provide funding to the Tullahoma Sports Council.

“That hurts the Sports Council, and that hurts the sports effort in Tullahoma,” Shasteen said.

Shasteen stated that the last five years has been the most successful for athletics in the history of Tullahoma, where he highlighted the football team winning the state championship, the baseball team winning the state championship, the boys basketball team being the runners-up in the state tournament, the wrestling team not only being the runners-up in the state tournament but also returned to the state tournament for the fifth consecutive year, the girls soccer team competing in state and the bowling team competing in state this year.

“Tullahoma has had some tremendous success over the last five years,” Shasteen said. “Times are good, and we like to think that the Sports Council has played a role in that.”

While he said he wasn’t speaking for anyone else, Shasteen said he would use his platform to ask the city government to allocate a percentage of the hotel-motel tax to the Tullahoma Sports Council.

“It’s a sound investment, and it pays for itself over and over again. We literally bring in thousands of families every year to tournaments, to the banquet and to all kinds of things.”

Honorariums

This year’s recipient of the Honorary Award went to Price Harden, formerly of West Middle School and now a freshman at Tullahoma High School. Harden was recognized for not only becoming the 2025 TMSAA State Champion in the Shot Put, but also setting a record with a throw of 44 feet and 8.75 inches. During the State meet, Harden also placed third in the discus and was part of the record-breaking 4×200 relay team.

When Harden got up to the podium, he said he was honored to receive the award from the Tullahoma Sports Council. He first thanked God for giving him the gifts he was given. He then thanked his track coaches for believing in him, and thanked his family for all the support they have given him.

“As a multi-sport athlete, I take great pride in putting on any Tullahoma sports jersey,” Harden said.

Gary Barfield

The first inductee into the Sports Hall of Fame was former Motlow softball coach and current Tullahoma High School head coach Gary Barfield, who was also inducted into the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Barfield graduated from Tullahoma in 1987, where he was a three-year letterman in football, basketball and baseball. Following his time as a Wildcat, Barfield signed to Columbia State on a baseball and basketball scholarship. After one season in Columbia, he elected to transfer to Motlow to play baseball for then-head coach Don Rhoton. Following a year in Lynchburg and becoming a Motlow graduate, Barfield played his final two years of eligibility at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

As a team captain at UT-Martin, Barfield helped lead the Skyhawks to one of the most successful years in school history. In fact, Barfield is still in the UT-Martin record books for hitting the most home runs in a single game, three, in a win against Christian Brothers in 1991. After his playing days, Barfield came back to serve as an assistant coach for the Bucks’ baseball team, serving on Rhoton’s staff. In the fall of 1997, he was hired to take over the Lady Bucks’ softball program. In his time at Motlow, Barfield led the Lady Bucks to regular-season TCCAA softball championships in 2003 and 2006. In those same seasons, he was selected as the conference’s coach of the year. The Lady Bucks also finished as state runner-up in 10 other seasons and were consistently ranked in the NJCAA Top 20. The 2001 Motlow squad set a school record with 58 wins on the year. That same team also led the NJCAA in home runs, hitting 109 on the season. In 14 seasons at the helm of the Motlow softball program, Barfield compiled an overall record of 526-233. Included in those marks was the program’s lone TCCAA Championship in 2009. That same season also saw the Lady Bucks make it into the National Junior College Athletic Association, the program’s only appearance in the tournament. Barfield also served as athletic director at Motlow State Community College before stepping down from both positions in 2011. In 2012, Barfield took over as the head softball coach at Tullahoma High School, where over 13 seasons he led the Wildcats to 174 victories, District Championships in 2015 and 2024, and District Runner-Up finishes in both 2012 and 2016. In addition, the 2024 and 2025 seasons saw Tullahoma shatter multiple school records, including 28 team home runs in 2025.  

Barfield thanked the Tullahoma Sports Council, friends and family for the recognition. Barfield then reflected on his years as a coach, where he shared a few stories about other coaches and some of his players.

“It’s been a pleasure to come back to Tullahoma,” Barfield said, noting he had several offers from other places. “I wanted to stay in Tullahoma and work. It’s worked out perfect and once again I want to say thank y’all very much.”

Miler Russell Carden

The next inductee into the Class of 2026 was Miler Russell Carden, who passed away in 2015. Carden, known as Coach Carden, originally came to Tullahoma with his wife, Martha, after an honorable discharge from the Navy and graduating from MTSU in 1957. Carden served as the football coach, track coach, cross country coach and an educator at East Junior High School/Middle School and then at Tullahoma High School, where he taught economics and history. Carden was also influential in bringing Grider Stadium to Tullahoma and retired from the Tullahoma City School system in 1987.

Accepting the award on his behalf would be his granddaughter, Paris Watson, his niece Caren Gabriel and fellow Sports Hall of Fame alumni Larry Nee Jr. Watson spoke first and thanked everyone for honoring her grandfather and his lifelong dedication to the community. She recounted his life growing up in Coffee County, starting his career in the military, and returning to Tullahoma to begin his career as a coach.

“To so many, he wasn’t just Coach Carden, he was a mentor who believed deeply in the power of sports to change lives,” Watson said. “On behalf of our family, thank you for honoring my grandfather’s legacy and for allowing his story to continue to inspire this community.”

Gabriel spoke next and said her uncle was so deserving of the recognition for all he did for his students he taught and coached.

“We want to say on behalf of the entire Carden family, thank you for honoring Milner,” Gabriel said. “I know he and Martha, who passed away in December, are beaming with gratitude.”

She continued and said many words she thought of Carden, but the word “competitive” was at the top of the list.

“Whatever he did, he wanted to be the best and wanted to win,” Gabriel said.

She shared a few brief stories that represented his competitiveness. She said that though he loved to win, he also loved to develop young people into successful adults and had so much compassion for his own students.

Nee was the last to speak about Carden, where he got to speak from the perspective of being one of Carden’s players. He echoed that Carden was competitive, but added that he was also driven.

“He demanded the best out of his athletes, even if it was just in practice,” Nee said.

Nee then shared stories of Carden, including how Carden was a bit of a prankster, as well as giving a little more insight into some of Carden’s accomplishments as one of his athletes.

“I know we can sit here all night telling stories about Coach Carden,” Nee said. “What an incredible, great coach. There’s a lot of great people over the years who could say a lot of great things about Coach Carden, and I’m just glad to be up here to put in my two cents’ worth.”

Maurice Shaw 

Next up was Maurice Shaw, who is both the football and track coach for Tullahoma High School. Shaw is a 1986 graduate of Tullahoma High School, set and broke multiple rushing records as a running back for the Wildcats. Shaw surpassed the records set by his first coach, the late Frank Mullins, which had stood since 1956. Shaw went on to play football for and graduate from Ole Miss. After graduating from Ole Miss, Shaw chose to forego a possible professional career and return to Tullahoma, where he’s passing down his knowledge to today’s players as a coach. 

Shaw said he appreciated everyone for attending and said it was good to be thought of in good ways, jokingly adding that it was good for his kids to see it. He continued and said it was good that they were there with him. He thanked the Tullahoma Sports Council for the honor and said he put in the work to be where he was at, but noted that he had some more work to do to get the football team back to where they were in 2021.

He thanked his family and friends for being there for him and the support they provided, as well as thanking everyone else who has been a part of his life. He continued and said football, and athletics in general, were tough as they required athletes to set themselves apart from going out, hanging out with friends, and making some sacrifices.

“That’s the best thing about it,” Shaw said. “Once you sacrifice and take the time, it pays off.”

He once again thanked his family and friends, and also thanked his brother, whom he gave credit for inspiring him, and looked forward to his turn to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.

David Hess 

Following Coach Carden was David Hess. Hess is a 2015 graduate of Tullahoma High School and has previously played in the MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and Tampa Bay Rays. Hess played baseball at Tullahoma High School in Tullahoma. As a senior, he had an 8–1 win–loss record with a 1.91 earned run average (ERA), along with batting .393 with eight home runs. After high school, he enrolled at Tennessee Tech University and played college baseball for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. In 2014, his junior year, he pitched to a 9-3 record with a 3.24 ERA in 16 starts. Hess would announce in October 2021 that he would be undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his chest. In January 2022, Hess was “cured” and cleared for baseball activities; however, he would announce his cancer returned in May 2023, and he would once again undergo treatment. Fortunately, Hess would announce in February 2025 that he was cancer-free and would return to the mound later in September. David is currently a pitcher for the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and lives in Greenville, SC, with wife, Devin.

Hess said while he now lives in South Carolina, he said it was cool to be back and take pride in his hometown, noting that Tullahoma was producing more Major League Baseball players.

“It’s an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Hess said as he talked about seeing the memorabilia just outside the room. “The stories have been told that Tullahoma has to write, and I know a lot of people are watching it or seeing it are probably jealous of not being from here, because let’s be honest, (Tullahoma) is a pretty cool spot.”

Hess said he didn’t know what he would say that night, but what stood out to him was that he wasn’t the best player on the field when he played or the most talented, where he jokingly said that was due to being around the Sheffield brothers, which got a round of laughter from attendees.

For Hess, the lesson he learned from his journey growing up in Tullahoma to making it to the major leagues to his cancer battle was that it was not about the talent one may have or how good one was; it was about the willingness to never give up and to get better each day by going the extra mile.

“Unfortunately, I’m not unfamiliar with odds being stacked against me, but I feel like I can stand up here and say as much as anybody: keep going through those difficult times and don’t let any odds tell you what you can or can’t do,” Hess said.

Hess thanked his family for raising him and being there for him, and his wife for joining him as they “drove through the arctic tundra.” He again thanked everyone and said not only was he proud of being from Tullahoma, but he also bragged about Tullahoma across state lines.  

Estelle Williams Duff

The final inductee into the Class of 2026 Sports Hall of Fame was Estelle Williams Duff. Duff graduated Tullahoma High School in 1989 as the TSSAA Ladies State Champion in the 300 Meter Low Hurdles with a time of 45.50. She is a mother of four and lives and works in Nashville. Alongside her track career, Duff was also a standout on the basketball court. As a result of her athletic abilities, she received the elective of Most Athletic in her graduating class.

Due to not being able to attend in person, accepting on her behalf was her brother, Allen Williams. Allen thanked everyone and said Estelle apologized for not being able to be there in person.

The 1980 THS Men’s State Champion Golf Team 

Closing out the Sports Hall of Fame was the 1980 THS Men’s State Champion Golf Team, featuring Scott Copeland, Clay Usleton, Brent Richardson and Bill Zebick. The team won the tournament with a combined score of 615.

Accepting the award were Uselton, Richardson and Zebick, as Copeland was not able to attend. Uselton spoke for his teammates and said that while the 1980 team was not the most well-known, in comparison to the THS 1978 State Championship Golf Team, their team was the team in 1980.

Uselton talked about their coach, Coach Phelps, and shared stories about how he had knowledge about basketball; he did not have the same exact knowledge for golf, so he let the team be themselves. He talked about how the team grew from 1978 to 1980, where they were able to compete in more tournaments, and Tullahoma started getting more invites and making an impression. He recalled a banquet for Coach Phelps, and he said while there, that’s when he understood that while Phelps didn’t know as much about golf, he knew why Tullahoma had good golfers, which was due to Tullahoma having two golf courses, and parents who helped set up little leagues at the golf courses.

“Coach Phelps understood that we were lucky as a small town to have two golf courses,” Uselton said.

Uselton then shared a story about Coach Phelps, where one day he was in Coach Cardin’s class, where he was asked to step out into the hall to talk to Phelps. Per Uselton, Phelps told him that the TSSAA had asked him to speak at a conference. Uselton assumed it was about basketball, so he didn’t see the issue.

“So, what’s the problem?” Uselton asked Phelps.

“They want me to speak about golf,” Phelps answered him.

 “I said, ‘Oh, that is a problem,’” Uselton responded, which was met with laughter.

He continued and said he worked with Phelps to write a speech about why Tullahoma was doing well in golf.

Uselton, Richardson, and Zebick thanked everyone for the recognition. Shasteen closed out the ceremony by having the honorees return to the stage so everyone can get the chance to get a picture with everyone, as he said it was the one chance to have everyone in the room together.