Willie Hill.

TIFTON — Past met present at the Tift County High school Performing Arts Center Saturday, Feb. 11. Athletes, coaches and contributors from yesteryear were inducted into the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame, while two new honors went to current high school players.

Cameron Earls, Charlie Edwards, Aaron Gibbs, Shayon Green, Kim Griffin, Willie Hill and Ivey Vickers were inducted as players. Roy McWilliams went into the Hall as a coach, with the 2007 Lady Devils softball team and E.J. Litman for Meritorious Service.

The new categories, Male and Female Athlete of the Year, were awarded to Will Clark and Kylei Cutts, respectively.

McWilliams led off the ceremony, which was emceed by Chris Beckham.

A legend in Macon and Tifton, McWilliams coached football and baseball. Two of his football teams, 1975 Central (Macon) and 1983 Tift, won state championships.

McWilliams was presented his award by Emmett Bowers and Tommy Seward, two of his longtime colleagues. He said he was grateful for Tifton, his adopted hometown after moving with Gene Brodie and most of his staff from Macon in 1976. Both Macon and Tifton came to see him at the ceremony, filling up several rows. McWilliams said some had even come from as far as South Carolina.

He and every inductee thanked God for their abilities and accomplishments. “All of us need to realize we’re here because God wants us to be here,” he said. McWilliams brought extra entertainment to his speech, picking up his guitar and singing part of the Bobby Bare classic, “Dropkick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life).”

Past and future were on his mind. McWilliams asked everyone to get behind the Blue Devils on the gridiron. “Let’s get behind this team,” he said. “It’s got to take us all.”

Earls said he knew McWilliams would be a tough act to follow on stage, especially because he did not have a song to sing. His award was presented by Johnny Spurlin.

He is the youngest of those being inducted, having graduated in 2017. A soccer star at Tift County and Piedmont, Earls was a three-time 1st team All-Region selection for the Devils, additionally meriting Player of the Year. He still holds the school records for assists in a season and in his career. At Piedmont, Earls made multiple national All-Academic teams and scored 56 goals, 11 being game-winners.

“I’m very proud to be the first male soccer player selected,” said Earls.

Earls joined others in thanking the committee for the selection. He thanked his teammates, adding he had made lifelong friendships. Coaches Dusty Clark, Jake Chitty and Zac Martin have been like brothers to him. He thanked his family for their support. Earls wants to be a coach like his father, Bobby, describing his dad as “My best friend” who has inspired him “to be the best I could be.”

Beckham said Edwards was unable to be in attendance. He read Edwards’ accomplishments, which are numerous as a kicker and punter and also included a standout baseball career at Tift.

At Tift, Edwards booted 42 field goals, including 18 during his senior season. His long was 50 yards, then a school record, and he averaged 41.8 yards per punt as a senior. He merited All-State fand All-Region for his dominance. Moving on to UAB and Georgia Southern, Edwards started four years as punter.

“it’s an honor to be back in this building,” said Green. “This means the world to me.”

Travis Williams made the trip down from Atlanta to present Green with his award. Green and Edwards were teammates on Tift’s 2006 football team that reached the semifinals. Later, Green earned All-State and had a senior season where he recorded 125 tackles and two sacks. At the University of Miami, Green played four seasons, winning a Captain’s Award and the ACC’s 2012 Brian Piccolo Award. He now operates a gym.

Green thanked many of his coaches, focusing on Jay Walls.

Griffin was another multi-sport athlete as a Lady Devil, excelling in softball, basketball and soccer. All-State, GACA South All-Star and All-Region Player of the Year in softball at Tift, Griffin starred at Georgia Southern, where she set school marks in home runs (26) and RBIs (97). In basketball, Griffin starred for John O’Brien and in soccer for Nancy Anderson Mark. If the sporting achievements were not enough, Griffin was named Miss TCHS as a senior.

She commended her parents for their sacrifices. “I have the best, truly,” she said. Besides O’Brien and Anderson, Griffin thanked her teammates. “I would not be standing here without them and they are as much a part of this award as I am.” Bobby Simpson presented Griffin with her plaque.

Basketball is in Gibbs’ veins. A rare four-year letterman for Tommy Blackshear, he was on two teams that won region tournament championships. Two-time All-Region with the Blue Devils, he also made honorable mention All-State. Gibbs played collegiately at Georgia State College.

“I was blessed to have a father who was a basketball coach and loved the game,” said Gibbs and mom who also loved sports, though he also kidded that he is “happy to be inducted before my before my brother.” He also found humor in the film room sessions with Blackshear and staff, where he was critiqued for his shot selection.

“Everything we accomplish is a gift from God and the people around us,” said Gibbs. Thanking coaches and teammates, he had additional thanks for his wife, “For putting up with me.”

Hill stood out on offense and defense as a football player for Tift County. Beginning his career as a linebacker, he was switched over to running back, where he scored 25 career touchdowns, fourth in school Tift County High history. Hill was named All-State in 1981 and signed after the season with South Carolina.

Seward and Bowers presented Hill with his honor. His speech was short, Hill admitting he is not much of a talker. He thanked his mother for putting up with him and his coaches. Without them, he would not be where he was.

Vickers also made a short speech for her individual induction. She’d say more about the 2007 fastpitch softball team, which she also inducted. Mark presented both honors.

In her high school days, Vickers starred in softball — slow-pitch — and basketball. She was part of three state championship softball teams as a Lady Devil. During her senior season, winning All-Region all four years, Vickers led basketball in scoring and they advanced to their first state tournament in 14 years. It was also their first outright winning season in the same span. She is a longtime coach at Tift, guiding winning softball, tennis and swimming teams. She has also assisted football and basketball.

She thanked her family for being there Saturday. Vickers thanked Mark, O’Brien and Margie York for their guidance. “I got a chance in high school to play for three legends,” she said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.”

For softball, Vickers talked of how much she enjoyed the 2007 squad, which advanced to the final tournament in Columbus after a third place finish in the region. At state sectionals, they won three straight one-run games over Newnan, Union Grove and Houston County.

Vickers has fond memories of Houston, a team the Lady Devils feuded with. She remembers descriptively telling Jessie Brooks she had better touch first base on the game-winning hit against Houston. The team shared that enthusiasm. “I can still see the bus rocking,” Vickers said. They never quit, she said. “Unbelievable kids.”

“I’ll always have your back,” Vickers said. Besides herself, coaches on that team were Chuck Beale, Deborah Redlinger, Buster Segars and Taylor Wilkins.

Larry Mims presented Kristie Litman with the Meritorious Service Award, honoring her father Eldra James “E.J.” Litman.

Litman himself was an athlete, playing for Tift County Industrial and at Wiley College in Texas. An Army vet, he returned to Tifton, teaching, coaching and later principal at J.T. Reddick. He helped build up the Southside Gym, which is now partially named in his honor, Mott-Litman.

“i am very grateful for this honor,” said Kristie Litman. She spoke of her father’s devotion to his community. “My father was a man of great stature and a humble heart.” She said many people told her how much of an impact the Southside gym and E.J. Litman made on their lives. Besides opening and closing the gym every day, he taught swimming lessons. Litman made Southside “a safe haven” for the community.

Past met present at the ceremony. Beckham said Hall of Fame officials wanted to join together athletes of previous years with those currently excelling at Tift County High School. “Two outstanding representatives,” Beckham said, were selected in Cutts and Clark. Cutts has played volleyball and tennis, lettering four years in volleyball and three in tennis. Clark enrolled last year at TCHS and quickly made himself a home in cross country, basketball and track. He is on pace to be Tift’s leading scorer in basketball this season. Both are standouts in the classroom.

Clark said his time as a Blue Devils has been the “two best years of my life” He said he wished he had come over sooner. “It’s an honor to receive this award,” he said, thanking his coaches, teammates and God.

Cutts’ speech talked about all the things she had learned from sports. She said her parents have always been “my biggest cheerleaders.” She thanked her grandparents and coaches. She wants athletes to be known as more than athletes, but as people as well.

A nice crowd braved heavy rains to attend the ceremony, as well as the reception afterwards. The reception area in the commons had displays for every inductee, highlighting his or her careers.