Hall of Fame Inductees

The Panola College Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 2002 to honor persons who have made outstanding contributions to the College's baseball athletic program. This recognition perpetuates the memory of those former athletes and coaches who have brought distinction, honor, and excellence to the College. 

Bill Griffin 

  • 1956-1981 Ponies Baseball Coach compiling a Record of 637 wins/260 losses
  • 1969 NJCAA National Champions 
  • 1979 NJCAA Runner-up trips to the National Tournament
  • 17 NJCAA All-Americans
  • 19 Conference Champions
  • 1969 NJCAA "Coach of the Year"
  • 1983 Inductee to the NJCAA and American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
  • 19 times Conference "Coach of the Year"

Doug Ault

  • 1969-1970 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1969 Co-Most Valuable Player in the Conference
  • 1969 and 1970 1st Team All Conference
  • 1969 Most Valuable Player of the NJCAA World Series
  • 1970 Most Valuable Player in the Conference
  • 1969 & 1970 NJCAA All-American
  • 1969 & 1970 Conference Champions
  • 1969 & 1970 NJCAA Regional Champions
  • 1969 NJCAA National Champions
  • 1970 NJCAA World Series Participants

 

Jacke S. Davis

  • 1982-1996 Ponies Baseball Coach
  • 15 years compiling a record of 501 wins / 292 losses
  • 8 Conference Championships
  • 9 appearances in the NJCAA Regional Playoffs
  • 8 times Conference "Coach of the Year"
  • 38 players drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft
  • 118 players signed with Universities
  • 7 NJCAA All-Americans
  • 3 NJCAA Academic All-Americans
  • 5 Major League Baseball Players

 

 

Rudy Jaramillo

  • 1971-1972 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1971-1972 All Conference
  • 1972 NJCAA All American
  • 1972 Lead NJCAA in RBI's
  • 1971 Batting Average .402
  • 1972 Batting Average .398
  • 1973 NCAA College World Series
  • 1973 Drafted 19th by Texas Rangers
  • 2002 Texas Baseball Hall of Fame
  • 2005 Coach of the Year by Baseball America
  • 2007 South Texas Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 4 years as a minor league player with the Texas Rangers
  • 7 years as minor league coach with the Texas Rangers
  • 1990-1993 Houston Astros Hitting Coach
  • 1994- Present as the Texas Rangers Major League Hitting Coach

 

 

Ronnie Dwayne Gideon

  • 1983-1984 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1983-1984 Panola College MVP
  • 1983-1984 Texas Eastern Athletic Conference MVP
  • 1983-1984 Led Panola College in RBI's
  • 1983-1984 NJCAA All American
  • 1983 Texas Junior College Baseball Association All Star
  • 1984 Led the NJCAA in homeruns with 18
  • 1984 Signed with the University of Texas
  • 1984 Drafted and signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
  • 1984-1985 Played in the Philadelphia Phillies organization
  • 1986 Played in the New York Mets organization
  • 1990 Coached in the New York Mets organization
  • 1996-2004 Managed in the Colorado Rockies Organization
  • 2005-Present Colorado Rockies Field Coordinator

 

 

Bill Duckworth   

  • 1963-1964 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1963 Led Ponies in Batting Average and RBI’s
  • 1963 TEC All Conference Team
  • 1963 NJCAA Region XIV All Region Team
  • 1963 TEC Championship Team
  • 1963 Led Ponies to the NJCAA World Series
  • 1963 NJCAA All-American
  • 1964 TEC All Conference Team
  • 1964 NJCAA Region XIV All Region Team
  • 1964 NJCAA All-American
  • 1964-1966 Played baseball at Northwestern State University

 

 

 Don W. Bounds

  • 1960-1961 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1960 NJCAA All American
  • 1960 TJCAC All Conference
  • 1960 NJCAA All Region XIV
  • 1961 TJCAC Conference Champions
  • 1961 TJCAC All Conference
  • 1962 & 1963 Played baseball at Northwestern State University

 

 

Steve Winfield

  • 1976-1977 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1976 & 1977 TEAC All Conference
  • 1976 & 1977 NJCAA All Region XIV
  • 1976 & 1977 Conference Champions
  • 1976 & 1977 NJCAA All American
  • 1976 Selected to the USA Olympic World Games Team
  • 1978 & 1979 NCAA All American at Pan American University
  • Drafted in the MLB Amateur draft 5 times
  • 1979-1987 Played professionally with Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers

 

 

Todd Haney

  • 1984-1985 Ponies Baseball Player
  • 1984 & 1985 TEAC All Conference
  • 1984 & 1985 NJCAA All Region XIV
  • 1985 NJCAA All American
  • 1985 TEAC Conference Champions
  • 1986 & 1987 Played baseball at the University of Texas
  • 1986 & 1987 All Southwest Conference
  • 1987 NCAA College World Series
  • 1987-2000 Played professionally for 13 seasons
  • Selected to the MLB Triple A All Star Team 6 times
  • 1992 Played in the Major Leagues for Montreal Expos
  • 1994-1996 Played in the Major Leagues for Chicago Cubs
  • 1998 Played in the Major Leagues for New York Mets

 

 

Mary Ann Otwell

  • 1977 & 1978 NJCAA National Champions
  • 4 trips to the NJCAA National Tournament
  • 3 Conference Championships
  • 4 Regional Championships
  • 1977 & 1978 NJCAA "Coach of the Year"
  • 3 times Conference "Coach of the Year"
  • 4 NJCAA All-Americans

 

 

Gregory Procell

  • Ponies Basketball player 1971-72
  • 1971 & 1972 All Conference
  • 1971 & 1972 NJCAA All Region Team
  • 1971 & 1972 1st Team selection to Texas Sports Writers All Junior College Team
  • 1971 & 1972 NJCAA All-American
  • 1971 led NJCAA in scoring
  • 1971 led conference in scoring average with 33.8 points
  • 1972 was 3rd in NJCAA in scoring
  • Held Panola College single game scoring record with 57 points from 1971-2001

 

Rosie Walker Kellum

  •  Fillies Basketball player 1977-78;
  • 1977 & 1978 NJCAA National Champions
  • 1977 & 1978 Regional Champions
  • 1978 Conference Champions
  • 1977 & 1978 NJCAA All-American
  • 1977 & 1978 1st Team All Conference
  • 1977 & 1978 Most Valuable Player in the Conference
  • 1978 NJCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player
  • 2000 Inductee to the National Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
  • 2001 Inductee to the Stephen F. Austin State University Hall of Fame
  • School and NJCAA Record 60 points in one game

 

Peggy Pope Stapleton

  • 1977-1978 Fillies Basketball Player 
  • 1978 Region XIV Conference Champions
  • 1977-1978 NJCAA National Champions
  • 1977-1978 All Conference
  • 1978 NJCAA All American
  • 1979-1980 Texas A&M all time rebounder and most points scored in a season
  • 2003 Texas A&M Hall of Fame
  • Played professional basketball for the Nebraska Wranglers
  • Coached professional basketball for the WNBA Detroit Shock

 

Aroid Neal

  • 1978-1979 Ponies Basketball Player 
  • 1978-1979 Region XIV All Conference Team
  • 1978 - 339 Points; 207 Rebounds
  • 1979 Region XIV Conference Champions
  • 1979 Region XIV Conference MVP
  • 1979 NJCAA Texas All Star Team
  • 1979 NJCAA All American
  • 1979 San Antonio Express News Sport Profile Team
  • 1980-1981 Louisiana Tech University
  • 1980 Southland Conference Honorable Mention
  • 1980-1981 Team Leading Rebounder
  • 1981 SLC All Conference Team
  • 1981 SLC Louisiana All Star Team

 

Elvin “Buddy” Lowery

  • 1954-1956 Panola Ponies Basketball
  • 1954-1956 Panola Ponies Baseball 
  • 1956 TEC All Conference Basketball
  • 1956 Offered a professional baseball contract by  Pittsburgh Pirates
  • 1956-1959 Played basketball at Stephen F. Austin State University
  • 1959 All Lone Star Conference Team
  • 1959 Received the Todd Memorial Award at SFA
  • 1959-1960 Played 2 yrs. professional basketball in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons
  • 1981Established the Elvin “Buddy” Lowery Outstanding Athletic Award at Panola College
  • 1984 Inducted into the SFA Sports Hall of Fame

 

Debra Kay Thomas

  • 1974-1976 Panola Fillies Basketball 
  • 1975 All Conference Team
  • 1975 Regional All Tournament Team
  • 1975 Led Fillies to the AIAW National Tournament
  • 1976 Led Fillies to the first TEC Championship
  • 1976 TEC All Conference Team
  • 1976 NJCAA Region XIV All Region Team
  • 1976 Region XIV All Tournament Team
  • 1976 Region XIV Tournament Most Valuable Player
  • 1976 Panola’s first women’s basketball NJCAA All American
  • 1976 Led Fillies to the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Tournament
  • 1976-1978 Played basketball at Stephen F. Austin State University
  • 1978-1980 Played in the women’s first professional league for the Iowa Cornets

 

Mildred Hodge Griffith

  • 1976-1977 Panola Fillies Basketball
  • 1976 All Conference
  • 1976 NJCAA Second Team All National Tournament Team
  • 1976 NJCAA National Champion Runnerup
  • 1977 Panola College Most Valuable Player
  • 1977 All Conference
  • 1977 All NJCAA Region XIV
  • 1977 NJCAA  All American
  • 1977 NJCAA First Team All National Tournament Team
  • 1977 NJCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player
  • 1977 NJCAA National Championship Team
  • 1978-1979 Played basketball at Brooklyn University

 

 

Wendell Swan

  • Ponies Football player 1948-49
  • 1948 and 1949 All Texas Team
  • 1948 and 1949 All Conference
  • 1949 NJCAA All-American
  • 1948 and 1949 Conference Champions
  • 1949 Texas Junior College All Star Team
  • 1949 led the conference in receiving yards
  • 1949 State Champions
  • 1949 Gas Bowl Champions

 

William J. "Bill" Defee

  • Coached Football, Baseball and Basketball
  • 1948 Assistant Football Coach
  • 1948-50 First Basketball and Baseball Coach
  • 1949-50 Athletic Director and Football Coach
  • 1949-50 TJCAC Division Football Champions
  • 1949-50 TJCAC State Football Champions
  • 1949 TJCAC State Baseball Champions
  • 1949-50 TJCAC Coach of the Year
  • 1949 Gas Bowl Championship
  • 1949 Ponies Outscored Opponents 293-94
  • 1951-55 Amarillo High School Athletic Director and Football Coach
  • 1955-1980 School Services Company
  • 1986 A&M Commerce Hall of Fame

 

1949 Panola Ponies Football Team 

1949 TJCAC Eastern Division Champions

1949 Texas State Champions          1949 Gas Champions

11  Bobby Rogers        

14  Horace Horn         

15  Norman Bishop    

     George Bates          

     Glenn Laird           

21 Gilbert Desha        

     Max Whitley         

22  Nolan Suiter         

31  Bill Amburg  

32  Price Martin

33  Ted Miller 

41  Glyn Johnston      

42  James Gray

44  Robert Williams      

51  Guy Broussard              

52  Bobby Myers           

53  Jack Reeves              

61  Bobby Nissen           

62  Oneal Ingram          

63  Roy Anderson          

64  Doyle Armstrong   

65 Jimmy Jones           

71 Doyle Steele

72 Willie Sanders

73  Don Churchill          

74  Mart Crawford         

75  Chapple Dowell

Jesse McDonough

81  Wendel Swann

82  Carson Joines

83  Danny Cowart

84  Ran Holman

85  Buddy Terry

86  Madison Knight

Coaches:

Solon Holt

Bill Defee

Manager:

Eli Davis

1950 Panola Ponies Football Team

1950 TJCAC Eastern Division Champions

11  Leonard Arias        

12  Homer Young         

14 Lavelle Brewster     

15  Norman Bishop      

20  Peter Bolton                

21 Gilbert Desha          

22  Durwood Ross       

23  James Higgins        

31  Joe Teague              

32  Price Martin          

33  Ted Miller              

41  Glyn Johnston       

42  James Gray             

44  Robert Williams    

     Herman Fountain       

51  Guy Broussard      

52  Jerrell Terrell          

53  Bobby Myers          

55  Don Smith              

      R. Corley                 

61  Bobby Nissen         

62  Glen Laird              

63  Raul Mata             

64  Doyle Armstrong    

65  Larry Dickerson     

66  Edwin Nusko            

70  Marvin Briggs           

71  James Bogue

72  Willie Sanders       

73  Don Churchill  

74  Madison Knight

75  Jimmy Spruill

81  Jack Reeves

82  James Sanford

83  Danny Cowart

84  Max Whitley

85  Buddy Terry

86  J. Krysa

Coaches:

Solon Holt   

Bill Defee

Manager:

Eli Davis

James "Jim" Gray

  • 1948-1950 Panola Ponies Football
  • 1948-1950 Panola Ponies Basketball
  • 1948-1949 Panola Ponies Baseball
  • 1949 & 1950 TJCAC All Conference Football Team
  • 1950 TJCAC All State Football Team
  • 1948 & 1949 TJCAC Baseball Conference Champions
  • 1949 & 1950 TJCAC Eastern Division Football Champions
  • 1949 & 1950 TJCAC State Football Champions
  • 1951-1952 Played at East Texas State University
  • 1952 NCAA Football All American
  • 1978 Texas A&M Commerce (East Texas State University) Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee