ACHS seeking nominations for Hall of Fame’s second class
Anderson County High School is now seeking nominations for its 2025 Sports Hall of Fame class.
Nominations will be accepted throughout the summer, and should be submitted to ACHS Athletic Director Gary Terry at gterry@acs.ac.
The upcoming class will be the second group of inductees.
Former ACHS athletes, coaches and athletics administrators are eligible for nomination.
The inaugural class included longtime football coach Larry Kerr; volleyball coach Dail Cantrell; track and field coach Al Rodd; former athletic director Peggy Crabtree Stooksbury; and softball coach Gary Houck.
Kerr began his coaching career in Lake City as an assistant and defensive coordinator before becoming head coach in 1977. He led the Lakers to an undefeated regular season and playoff berth.
After guiding Halls High School to a state championship in 1986, he returned to Anderson County in 1992 and rebuilt the Mavericks’ football program.
Under Kerr’s leadership, Anderson County reached the TSSAA playoffs in 1995-97, 2000-03 and 2007-08.
Known for building tough, physical teams, Kerr led the 1996 Mavs to a win that ended Cleveland High School’s 54-game winning streak. He retired in 2008 with more than 270 career victories and numerous accolades, including District and Region Coach of the Year, Knoxville Journal Coach of the Year, and Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
He also served as head coach for the Tennessee-Kentucky All-Star Game and helped start the Fellowship of Christian Athletes programs at multiple schools.
Stooksbury, a 1965 graduate of Norris High School, was a trailblazer for women in athletics. Though girls’ sports were limited to intramurals during her time as a student, she served as president of the Intramural Association. Later, as athletic director at ACHS, she became the first woman to hold that role in Anderson County.
She oversaw 12 varsity, eight junior varsity and three ninth-grade teams, while also teaching physical education.
Stooksbury directed numerous district, region and sectional tournaments, and founded the school’s girls soccer program.
Cantrell, a lifelong resident of north Anderson County and member of ACHS’s first graduating class, began coaching volleyball at the school in 1983.
He is the longest-tenured volleyball coach in the state and in any sport within Anderson County Schools. His 1999 Lady Mavs team won the school system’s first state title.
His teams have qualified for more than 25 state tournaments, reached six state finals, and produced more than 70 All-State and 50 collegiate players.
Cantrell also launched the ACHS track program and coached basketball at several East Tennessee schools.
He has served on the board of the Tennessee High School Volleyball Coaching Association, and was recognized as a PrepXtra Coach of the Year. His teams have maintained an outstanding winning percentage throughout his four-decade career.
Rodd, a Bluffton College and UT-Knoxville graduate, began teaching at Clinton Junior High in 1979, and joined ACHS in 1987. After coaching football and basketball, he focused exclusively on track and field in 1992 following the completion of a new track facility—his longtime dream.
He led the program until 2019, helping it grow with support from administrators, parents and volunteers.
Rodd emphasized teamwork and athlete development, and credited the athletes’ success to the collective efforts behind the scenes.
Houck, a Lake City High School graduate, was a standout in basketball and baseball before playing baseball at Lincoln Memorial University. He taught, coached and served in administrative roles for more than 40 years, including more than two decades as head coach of the Lady Mavs softball program, winning several district titles.
He founded the girls softball program at Lake City High in 1981 and continued coaching at Anderson County. In 2016, the softball field was named in his honor.
Houck also led efforts to establish Clinch River Community School to better serve students with alternative-learning needs.
He was named both Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year during his career.
