Woolard to get inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame

Doug E. Fresh, doing some big things. Check out the article.

http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2006/04/20/sports/16068206.txt

Woolard, six other locals get nod into IBCA Hall of Fame

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern

Doug Woolard was going to be a dentist after his father, but instead led a life of basketball.

Earlier this month he got a call from a friend that said it was all worthwhile. Woolard, a former Carbondale coach who led Steve and Craig Bardo, among others, will join six other locals at the induction dinner later this summer for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Woolard will go in as a friend of basketball, and will make the trip to Bloomington from the University of South Florida, where he is the athletic director.

"The time that we spent at Carbondale, our family was certainly the fondest memories that we'll ever have, and I wouldn't trade those moments for anything," Woolard said. "I certainly have a lot of respect for the IBCA, and I'm very honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Five players and one lifetime coach will join Woolard as inductees. Robert Corn, the current coach of Missouri Southern's men's basketball team, starred at Benton and Memphis State. Gary Rafe played for Herrin the 1970s and St. Louis University.

Guy Lee Turner, a former Harrisburg standout, played at Alabama. Randy House, the former Johnston City boys coach who also starred at Southern Illinois University, will join Mount Vernon legend Kent Williams.

J. Mitch Haskins, the athletic director at Meridian High School, will go in as a lifetime coach. He led the Bobcats and coached at Rend Lake College.

Cairo stays for now: Cairo survived the blade from the Black Diamond Conference at the annual principals meeting in March and will continue to be a member.

The Pilots and Co-Pilots had come under scrutiny after the school cut football in February, forcing the other nine league teams to scramble for replacements.

Carterville High School Principal Donald Smith, the league president this year, said there was never a vote to axe Cairo, but that there could be in the future.

There are no scheduled meetings for the principals until the fall, but one could be set up.

"I haven't heard from any of the other schools at this point in time that we need to discuss this," Smith said. "I think the unique situation is that they're the only school in our conference that doesn't have football or actively participate."

Smith said the league wrote a letter to the Illinois High School Association asking for those schools who are not able to find a replacement game for Cairo's slot on this fall's football schedule to receive a forfeit. In a similar situation years ago, the IHSA did allow those schools a forfeit victory.

ETC: Carbondale boys basketball coach Jim Miller will serve as head coach at this year's Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class AA all-star game June 24 in Bloomington. Miller led the Terriers to a second-place finish in 2005. Harrisburg boys leader Randy Smithpeters will lead the Class A South on that same night. ... The Greater Egyptian Conference will use all wooden bats for its league tournament this week. The championship game is Thursday at 4 p.m. at Pope County High School. ... Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton's softball team lost its top pitcher and hitter, Amanda Beaver, to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament last week. She will miss the rest of the season.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com

(618) 351-5087

congrats to woolard

Congratulations Mr Woolard.  

this would be really cool if he was our basketball coach...  

oh brother