An overflow crowd attended the 2025 Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony November 22 at Okefenokee Country Club.
This year’s inductees included basketball standouts Ardis Pickett, Joshua Murfree, and the late Otha Lee Fuller, all of whom competed at Patterson High School. Edwin Pope, who coached football at Patterson High as well as Pierce County High School, also joined the HOF ranks.
The Turner brothers of Blackshear High School Tommy G., Swails, and Yancy - were all inducted in a nod to their individual football talents. Additionally, the Turner brothers were inducted as a family along with their siblings and parents, Tommy and Mamie Turner.
Five men’s and two women’s state championship basketball teams from Lee Street High School were also inducted.
Diann Strickland (second from right) presents an induction plaque to the family of the late Otha Lee Fuller, a football and basketball star at Patterson High. Fuller’s representatives included wife Kathy (wearing #80 jersey) and daughter Danyell (holding plaque).The family of Tommy and Mamie Turner were inducted for their contributions to the sports culture of Pierce County. Above (l-r) are Maureen Brown, Mamie Turner, Yancy Turner, Elnora Turner Clark, Tommy G. Turner, Swails Turner, and Foster Turner. The late Mr. Turner immortalized his transfer trailer in tribute to the success of the 1980 Blackshear Tigers football team. Other family members not shown include Tabitha Turner Benboe and Charis Turner Riddick.Laron Walker (left) surprised the crowd by arriving from Buckhead with his father (center), Julius Myers, and uncle (right), Horace Myers - both members of the 1958 Lee Street High state championship basketball team.Pictured above are Swails Turner (above left), Tommy G. Turner (above center) and Yancy Turner (above right) with their Hall of Fame induction plaques.Ardis Pickett (left) with his high school coach, Wayne Sasser. Pickett played basketball at Brewton Parker College and later for the U.S. Army.Dr. Joshua Murfree, who once scored 57 points in a basketball game for Patterson High, chose Ft. Valley State out of 53 scholarship offers en route to his hall of fame induction.HOF director John DuPont (left) inducts Edwin Pope, former Patterson High and Pierce County High coach, and later the Pierce County Superintendent.
