Hall of Famer: Former state wrestling champion Lynn Goss (East Ridge) will be inducted into the Tenn. Chapter, National Wrestling Hall of Fame on March 2. He is the current McCallie Middle School prinicpal.
photo by McCallie School
A legendary wrestling official, a hall of fame sports writer and state champions are among the eight people who will be inducted into the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Friday, March 2 at the Doubletree Hotel in Chattanooga.
The dinner is at 7 p.m. with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50.
The state champions tandem of Lynn Goss (East Ridge, late 1960s) and the late Frank Bryant (Knox. Karns, Outstanding American award) go in with a pair of officials who have made a name for themselves calling state tournament finals – the late Bill “Doc” Hodges and Walt “Tater” Vineyard.
Chattanooga Times Free Press assistant sports editor Ward Gossett has covered most every sport across the state in more than four decades, especially high school and college wrestling.
Assistant coaches are an important factor in a team’s success and Soddy Daisy's Ashley Brooks is one of the best in the state. He headed the programs at City High School and Lookout Valley before joining Trojan head coach Steve Henry 14 years ago.
The Chattanooga wrestling community is blessed with some of the most knowledgeable and energetic volunteers in the nation. Two of the best are Roy and Marty Varner.
They have supported and worked with the UTC wrestling program since the early 1970s, as well being a major player in organizing the high school state tournaments and various national and international events.
Tickets: Hall of fame tickets are $50 … checks payable to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … mail to P.A. Bowler 109 Mansker Park Dr. Hendersonville, Tenn. 37075
Class of 2012 – Tenn. Chapter, National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Ashley Brooks
Has coached wrestling for 30 years … head coach at Chattanooga City (1983-86) and Lookout Valley (1987-1998) ... has been an assistant coach to Steve Henry at Soddy Daisy for the past 14 years (1999-present) … coached two-time state champion and five-time state qualifier, Tim Voiles (202 wins) at Lookout Valley … also coached Lookout Valley’s first state champion; Dusty Griffith (1990) …
... member of the Soddy Daisy coaching staff for state championship teams in the duals (2002, 2007) and traditional (2006, 2007) tournaments and for the inaugural girls state duals champions in 2008 …
Region 3Assisant Coach of the Year (2001-02) , awarded by the National Wrestling Coaches Assoc. Scholastic Division … USA Wrestling Bronze Level National Coaches Certification, 1988 … Region 4 Coach of the Year, five times while at Lookout Valley (1986-88-90-91-96) … USA Wrestling Team Tennessee Freestyle Coach, 1986-89
Lynn Goss
Two-time state champion at East Ridge, 1966-67… member of Pioneers state championship teams those same two years and served as co-captain as a senior kin 1967 … also coached East Ridge to a pair of state team titles, 1983-84 … first in Tennessee to win three titles (individual and team member and coach) … area and state coach of the year … coached Red Bank, East Ridge and McCallie to junior high/middle school championships … and coached several years on the elementary school level … a wrestling official in the 1970s …
Wrestled collegiately at Pembroke College (N.C.) and Tennessee at Chattanooga … had the highest grade point average (3.335) among all UTC varsity athletes in 1971 …
… East Ridge nominee for Fellowship Christian Athlete of the Year in 1967 … continues to work with FCA at McCallie … Currently, is the McCallie Middle School Principal nominee … sixth McCallie staff member and/or wrestler to be selected for the national wrestling hall of fame following Gordon Connell, Jim Morgan, Jim Glasser, Luther Killian and Col. David Spencer ... McCallie has nore inductees than any other school in the state ... Lynn's brother, Charlie, is also a member of the national wrestling hall of fame.
Halls of Fame: Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame (2010)
Ward Gossett
Hall of fame sports writer and assistant sports editor for the Chattanooga Times Press … has been a sports writer in Chattanooga for more than 40 years covering high school and college wrestling, high school, college and NFL football and various other sports ...
… has published a magazine (Big Orange Illustrated) and authored a book (The Volunteers Handbook) …
A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Gossett has received awards from the National Amateur Softball Association and the local Golden Gloves association ... 2011 A.F. Bridges “Contributor of the Year” presented by the TSSAA
Halls of Fame Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame (2005)
Bill “Doc” Hodges (posthumously)
Local wrestling official for nearly 50 years … also was a football official for 44 years … the Chattanooga area officials organization gives an annual college scholarship in his name – the William H. Hodges Jr. Memorial Scholarship – to a rising college freshman from this area … Hodges wrestled at Notre Dame and University of Chattanooga … City champion while at Notre Dame and was the UC team captain … teacher, coach and school principal in the Chattanooga area for 40 years … known for his expertise, fairness, gentleness and integrity in the classroom, on the mat and in life … passed away Aug. 6, 1998 .. earned a bachelor’s degree (physical education) and a master’s in education from the University of Chattanooga …
Halls of Fame: Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame (1995)
Roy and Marty Varner
Avid wrestling volunteers for nearly 40 years … Roy and Marty have been major players in the planning and set up of countless wrestling tournaments and camps on the high school, college and international levels ... this includes the TSSAA state tournaments, the Southern Conference championship, two World Cup events (1993, 1995) and USA Wrestling training camps prior to the 1995 World Championship and the 1996 Olympics … also involved with the 1996 South Regional Olympic Trials and Southeast Junior Regional Championship as well as the Men’s FILA Junior World and Women’s FILA Junior/Cadet National Championship (2002) and the Men’s FILA Junior National Championship and World Team Trials (2003) ...
they have served on UTC Wrestling Old Timers Committee founding committee … … member, Chattanooga Take Down Club board of directors …
Walt “Tater” Vineyard
Twenty-five years as a wrestling official … has officiated in 21 TSSAA state traditional championships (beginning in 1991), officiating in the finals 20 years … has officiated in nine TSSAA state duals championships, officiating in the finals eight years ... An NCAA official for 17 years; 1990-2006 ... officiated three Southern Conference championships (2001-02-03) ... also officiated dual meets involving schools from the SoCon, ACC, Big 10 and Big 12.
Wrestled at Bradley Central (1984-86) for coach Turner Jackson … district and region champion and state qualifier as a junior and senior … team captain and most valuable wrestlers as a senior … wrestled three years for Bradley Junior High and was team most valuable wrestler as a seventh and ninth grader ... won his first match as a seventh grader with only one day of wrestling experience ... an honors student, graduating 24th out of a senior class of 526 students with a 96.5 average… head coach of the Knox. Karns Takedown Club for three years while in college … earned an electrical engineering degree from the U. of Tennessee (Knoxville) in 1991
Awards: 2003 Official of the Year from the Chattanooga Wrestling Official’s Assoc. … A.F. Bridges Official of the Year award for 2009-10 from the TSSAA
Outstanding American Award
Lt. Col. Frank Bryant (posthumously)
A state champion at Knoxville Karns High School in 1991, Lt. Col. Frank Bryant Jr. died in a combat mission at the Kukul International Airport, April 27, 2011 … he was 37 …
… was deployed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands Program as an air advisor to the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisor Group … recipient of several military medals including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Force Combat Action Medal and Meritorious Service Medal ..
Two-time state medalist at Karns and member of the National Honor Society … wrestled for the Air Force Academy … 1995 team captain and team Outstanding Wrestler …
Was a decorated F-16 pilot with 3,047 flying hours, with 121 of which were in combat.
Earned his Jump Wings, Senior Pilot Wings and a Master’s Degree in business administration and management …
Recipient of the 2008 Air Force Air-to-Ground Fighter Pilot Instructor of the Year award … Top Fighter Pilot Instructor in the US Air Force, receiving the Gen. William R. Looney III Award.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net