Foley High honors 11 former athletes for 2016 induction class

2016 Foley High HOF Class honored

Submitted by Russ Moore
Posted 9/13/16

Foley High School honored 11 former athletes during its annual Hall of Fame ceremony August 26

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Foley High honors 11 former athletes for 2016 induction class

2016 Foley High HOF Class honored

Posted

FOLEY Ala. — Foley High School honored 11 former athletes during its annual Hall of Fame ceremony August 26 before the Foley Lions’ game vs. the Fairhope Pirates at Ivan Jones Stadium in Foley. A reception was hosted by the FHS Alumni Association before the game.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2016 was introduced to the crowd before kickoff. The 2015 inductees include the following:

• Dr. Dodson Creighton was a standout athlete on the great Ivan Jones teams of the early 1960s.

• Mr. Thurston Lauder also excelled in football and track in the early 1960s.

• Mr. Richard Pickens starred for Coach Lester Smith in the early 1980s.

• Ms. Charlene Dinish led the Lions in basketball under Coach Tommy Catlin in the early 1980s.

• The late Mr. Johnny Goodwin was a standout running back for Coach Lester Smith in the early 1980s.

• Mr. Ben Todd led teams in the 1980s in tackles under coaches Lester Smith and Barry Pennington.

• Mr. Erick Crosby played defensive line for Coach Barry Pennington in the 1980s.

• Mr. J.T. Hall was a standout football and soccer player in the late 1980s and early 1990s for coaches Teddy Suttle, Jimmy Nazary, and Bryan Edwards.

• Mr. Ryan Gill was an excellent offensive lineman for Coach Jimmy Nazary in the 1990s.

• Mrs. Krystal Dawson Korhonen starred at goalkeeper under Coach Al Borchardt in the late 1990s.

• Ms. Paige Huff was a standout in basketball, softball and weightlifting in the early 2000s.

EXTENDED BIOS

Charlene Dinish, FHS Class of 1984

Ms. Charlene Dinish is a 1984 graduate of Foley High School where she starred for Coach Tommy Catlin in basketball and also excelled in volleyball and track & field. Ms. Dinish was All-County, Most Valuable Player and high scorer for the basketball team during her career, and she went on to Pensacola State to play college ball. She and her sister Yolanda were known as the twin towers for Coach Catlin. She is currently the General Manager of McDonald’s of Gulf Shores. Ms. Dinish’s family includes one daughter and one granddaughter.

Dr. Dodson Creighton, FHS Class of 1964

Dr. Dodson Creighton is a 1964 graduate of Foley High School where he lettered in football two years and was recognized as a standout lineman on those teams by Coach Ivan Jones. Coach Jones can recall several games where Dodson did not leave the field at all. After graduation, Dr. Creighton earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and then studied medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. A California resident, Dr. Creighton is a member of numerous professional societies; he has worked all over the United States in the field of Immunology and is a recognized speaker and author in his field. He has two children and four grandchildren.

Erick Crosby, FHS Class of 1988

Erick Crosby moved to Foley in 1981 from North Carolina and entered the sixth grade. He was a standout athlete in youth sports including football and soccer. He joined the varsity football team in the 10th grade and lettered for three years helping the Foley Lions reach the state playoffs each year. He was an outstanding defensive tackle leading the team in total tackles his senior year and helped the Lions achieve a No. 3 ranking in the state which they held for several weeks. Coach Pennington had high praise for Crosby stating, “He’s tenacious and hard to block. You have to double team him”. One reason for this was his strength. He worked hard in the weight room and was able to bench press nearly 400 lbs which was believed to be a school record for many years. Coach Pennington further stated, “Erick has had unusually high tackle totals for a defensive tackle practically every game. You could write just about anything positive you wanted to about Erick and it would apply”. By the end of the season, Crosby had been credited with 109 total tackles. Pennington stated, “This is even more incredible considering the position Erick played."

For a defensive tackle, this ranks as one of the best defensive performances in Foley Lion history. He was also voted one of the team captains and was a member of the Football Honor Council. For his efforts, Crosby was awarded the Outstanding Defensive player of the year, Optimist Player of the year and selected to the All-County Football Team. He was also an outstanding soccer player and received the “Defender” award his senior year for exceptional play.

Crosby graduated from Foley in 1988 where he earned, “Excellence in extra-curricular activities.” His activities included serving as senior class vice president, secretary of the Key Club, a Big Brother in the Foley High Interact Club and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also participated in “Arm Wrestle Mania” held in Foley to raise money for the American Cancer Society and was champion of his age group. His many honors included being selected for Boys State and Mu Alpha Theta, receiving a DAR Good Citizenship award and during his senior year, being voted “Mr. Foley High School” and “Best All Around” by his senior class.

For his football play, he had the interest of several colleges including Auburn and the United States Military Academy at West Point which offered him an appointment to play for the Cadets. Crosby ultimately decided to pursue an engineering career and enrolled at Auburn University in the fall of 1988. He graduated from Auburn in 1992 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After working in private industry a few years, he decided to start his own engineering/construction company which he operates out of Magnolia Springs. His company has built a subdivision, houses, apartments and is currently involved in installing underground utilities in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.

Like his brother Scott, Erick is a third generation Foley Lion coming from a proud tradition. His father and two uncles played on the early 1960’s Foley state championship teams and his grandfather, J.W. Crosby played on the 1938 football team. J.W. went on to become the voice of the Foley Lions announcing Foley football games for 50 years. The tradition did not stop with Erick. He has two sons who are fourth generation Lions. His son Will is currently a junior on the Foley Lions team and his son Davis was an offensive lineman for Foley last year. Davis was offered a football scholarship by Delta State University where he is currently playing.

Erick has been a long time active supporter of youth sports in Foley and coached several youth baseball and football teams. He had the privilege of coaching what would become many of the future Foley Lion greats. One team he is especially proud of was the 11-12 year old football team of 2010 which won the county championship by going undefeated and allowing only one touchdown. Many players on that team went on to become future Foley Lion greats.

Erick and his family have been active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Foley for many years. He also serves the City of Foley on the Board of Adjustments. Erick is married to the former Kelly McCollum who also graduated from Foley in 1988 and went on to graduate from Huntingdon College in 1992. They reside in Magnolia Springs with their four children Davis, Will, Sam and Emily.

Ryan Gill, FHS Class of 1997

Mr. Ryan Gill is a 1997 graduate of Foley High School where he starred as an offensive lineman for Coach Jimmy Nazary. He was a standout guard and long snapper for two outstanding teams and was selected a team captain as a senior. The 1995 team was 11-1 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, and the 1996 team made it to the first round. He also earned the respect of his teammates as the Challenger Award winner for his junior and senior years. Tom Lemming named him a top recruit, and Ryan signed a football scholarship to Jacksonville State University. Mr. Gill currently lives in Louisiana with his wife Darla and their three children where he is a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers and works across the country in the oil and gas industry.

Johnny Goodwin, FHS Class of 1982

The late Mr. Johnny Goodwin was a 1982 graduate of Foley High School where he starred in football, baseball, basketball, and track & field. He was All-County in both football and baseball for three years for Coach Lester Smith and staff and was one of the Lions’ statistical leaders throughout his career. He accumulated over 2500 yards of offense during his career and led defenses from his middle linebacker spot that posted eleven shutouts. After high school, Mr. Goodwin became a successful businessman in the construction industry, where he eventually owned and operated his own concrete finishing company. Mr. Goodwin leaves six children and seven grandchildren after his passing in 2013.

J.T. Hall, FHS Class of 1992

Mr. J.T. Hall is a 1992 graduate of Foley High School where he lettered in both football and soccer and led the soccer team to a final four appearance at the state tournament. He played varsity soccer for four years and never lost a game to a county opponent. After graduation, Mr. Hall played soccer at Lambeth University in Tennessee earning All-Conference honors and leading the team to a Conference Championship before transferring to Auburn University and earning his degree in Civil Engineering in 1997. J.T. currently provides engineering consulting services to the City of Houston’s Dept. of Public Works and Engineering to assist their efforts to solve flooding issues. He and his wife Mary-Jo live in Katy, Texas with their four children where Mr. Hall is a Professional Engineer in the state of Texas and also holds a law degree from Houston Law Center, earned in 2004.

Paige Huff, FHS Class of 2004

Ms. Paige Huff is a 2004 graduate of Foley High School where she starred in basketball four years, softball five years, and weightlifting two years for the Lions. During this time Ms. Huff was All-County and All-Area tournament in basketball, helped the softball team to a 9th place finish at state, and won two individual and two team state championships in weightlifting. Ms. Huff went on to earn a basketball scholarship to Faulkner State Community College where she was twice team captain and earned numerous awards. She finished her career at Huntingdon College where she was again team captain and earned a bachelor’s degree in coaching education. Ms. Huff earned a master’s degree in physical education from Alabama State. She had an excellent high school coaching experience, being chosen as a coach for AISA all-star games in both softball and basketball and coaching the basketball player of the year before returning to Huntingdon where she is currently the assistant basketball coach in a successful program. At Huntingdon, she has helped them to playoff appearances and has coached the player of the year. Ms. Huff is the daughter of Jack Huff and Dorothy McGreevy and has one brother Jesse.

Krystal Dawson Korhonen, FHS Class of 1997

Mrs. Krystal Dawson Korhonen is a 1997 graduate of Foley High School where she starred in goal for soccer coach Al Borchardt. Mrs. Korhonen recorded 25 shutouts as goalkeeper over three seasons and helped lead the Lions to a 43-1 regular season and tournament record. She received numerous individual awards for her athletics and her academics at Foley High School including DAR Good Citizen Award and Red Ribbon Spokesperson, Miss Foley High School Pride, Triple A Award 3 times, Academic Letter Award 3 times, and the Ivan Jones Extra Effort award in 1997. After graduating from Auburn University in 2002, Mrs. Korhonen first taught and coached at Fairhope Middle School, where she was the MS Soccer Coach of the Year twice. After transferring to Foley HS, Mrs. Korhonen coached soccer from 2008-2010 and was inducted into the FHS Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009. She is also a long-time teacher and senior class sponsor, powder puff game coordinator, director of operations for Lady Lions basketball, and graduation coordinator at Foley High School. She and her husband Chris live in the community with their three daughters.

Thurston Lauder, FHS Class of 1963

Mr. Thurston Lauder is a 1963 graduate of Foley High School where he lettered in football and track & field for four years for Coach Ivan Jones. During these years he played offensive end and defensive cornerback and also returned punts and kickoffs on two state championship teams. Coach Jones in particular remembers him having a great game versus Bay Minette, hardly leaving the field. In track & field, Mr. Lauder excelled in the 100 yard dash, the 220 yard dash, and the 440 yard relay despite a knee injury suffered during the 1961 football season. He was one of three brothers to play and excel in athletics for the Lions. Mr. Lauder has lived all his adult life in Mobile with his wife of 51 years, Margaret and is now retired.

Richard Pickens, FHS Class of 1982

Mr. Richard Pickens is a 1982 graduate of Foley High School where he lettered in football three years for Coach Lester Smith, was named All-County as a senior, and helped his teams to a 36-6 record during those years. His dominating defensive teammates and he held 11 teams scoreless during that time. Mr. Pickens then enlisted in the U.S. Army and earned two Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Army Accommodation Medals, 6 Army Achievement Medals, 5 Good Conduct Medals, 2 National Defense Service Medals, the Army Forces Expeditionary Medal, and a Combat Infantryman Badge. He retired after twenty years of service as a Staff Sergeant and returned to Foley. He currently works as a civilian contractor with the U.S. Army Seventh Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base.

Ben Todd, FHS Class of 1987

Mr. Ben Todd is a 1987 graduate of Foley High School where he led the Lions in tackles his junior and senior seasons for coaches Bud Pigott and Lester Smith, accumulating 200 tackles. He was named All-Region both seasons, earned the Head Hunter Award for most tackles both seasons, and was a team captain his senior year. Mr. Todd attended Faulkner State Community College after graduation and served in the U.S. Navy from 1990 until 1996. He is currently the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Beier Integrated Systems and lives in Mandeville, Louisiana with his wife of 25 years Cheryl; they have two grown daughters and a grandchild.