Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame announces 2024 class & honorees

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – It is the largest inductee class in the history of the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. The class includes six former athletes and coaches for the 66th annual Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies.

These six inductees will be honored, alongside coaches and athletes of the year from 2023-2024 in 11 sports, and five special award winners at 2 p.m. June 9 at the Amarillo Civic Center’s Grand Plaza.

202nd member: Laura Switzer

• McLean native
• 3x All-American basketball player for the Flying Queens of Wayland Baptist in the early 1960s
• Helped lead the Queens to a 90-12 record, one national AAU championship & two national runner-ups
• Scored 798 points in three years at Wayland and won three consecutive national free-throw shooting titles, first Queen to earn MVP honors at the AAU national tournament
• On the 1963 Pan American team that won gold over Brazil, 59-43
• Became the women’s basketball coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State in 1965, spent 36 years with the university
• Inducted into both the Wayland Baptist Athletics Hall of Fame & the Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame
• She died on April 19, 2017, two days shy of her 76th birthday

203rd member: Don Rives

• Wheeler native
• Went on to play college football at Texas Tech University
• Named to the Southwest Conference All-Sophomore team in 1970, All-SWC in 1971 & 1972
• He was Tech’s 10th All-American on the 2nd team
• Named the Raider’s MVP his senior year
• Named by Texas Football Magazine to the SWC’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s
• Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 15th round
• He played six seasons & 74 games in the league
• He was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006

204th member: Tom Doughtie

• At 16, broke the local country club record in his hometown Bay City by shooting a 64
• Played golf at SMU, graduated in 1975
• Moved to Amarillo in 1980 where he began nearly 30 years of dominant competitive golf
• In 1985, won the Ross Rogers Partnership, the biggest tournament in the Texas Panhandle (won the tournament five times with three different partners)
• Won more than 40 local tournaments
• He was the Men’s West Texas champion three times, he won the Men’s West Texas Senior Open three times
• He was a U.S. Senior Open qualifier three times, finishing 59th in 2008
• Qualified for the U.S. senior amateur fives times

205th member: Sheryl Estes

• Mobeetie native
• Ran track one year at Texas Tech, then transferred to play basketball at West Texas State under Bob Schneider in the early 1980s
• Coached 2 years at Canyon High School under Joe Lombard
• At 28, she became the Wayland Baptist women’s basketball head coach
• From 1989-96 she coached Wayland to the NAIA national tournament six times & the national title game in 1992.
• As head coach, she comprised a record of 183-62
• For two years, she was NAIA president and on the USA Basketball Selection Committee
• Start-up coaching job at Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 1998, compiled a 46-35 record for a beginning program

206th member: Zach Thomas

• As a freshman, he was a linebacker for White Deer’s undefeated 1988 1A state championship team
• Transferred to Pampa, became a two-time all-state linebacker for the Harvesters
• Signed with Texas Tech in 1992
• Became the greatest defensive player in Tech history, 2x All-Southwest Conference, 2nd-team All-American as a junior, unanimous 1st-team All-American as a senior
• Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
• Drafted in the 5th round by the Miami Dolphins
• 12 seasons in the NFL; seven Pro Bowls, All-Pro five times, named to NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s
• Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023

207th member: Leslie Broadhurst

• Had been the only head boys basketball coach in the history of Randall High School
• 36 years believed to be the longest single tenure for a high school basketball coach
• 703 career wins– 3rd most ever by an area basketball coach
• Won nine district championships, 10 times advanced to the regional tournament, seven times to the regional tournament finals, twice to the state tournament
• Reached the Class 4A Final Four in 2023 and 2024
• In April, Canyon ISD honored Broadhurst by naming the Randall High School gymnasium after its only head boys coach

Coaches of the Year:

Baseball: John Doan, Canyon High School

Basketball: Jason Pillion, Amarillo High School

Cross Country (co): Wes Kirton, Canyon High School

Cross Country (co): Rebekah James, Randall High School

Football: Wes Boatmun, Sunray High School

Golf: Skyler Walden, Amarillo High School

Soccer: Hutton Sharp, Tascosa High School

Softball: Carlyn Tolleson, Dumas High School

Tennis: James Wells, San Jacinto Christian Academy

Track: Coby Maurer, Panhandle High School

Volleyball: Jason Culpepper, Bushland High School

Wrestling: David Quirino, Randall High School

Athletes of the Year:

Baseball: Christian McGuire, Canyon High School

Basketball: KJ Thomas, Randall High School

Cross Country: William Amponsah, West Texas A&M

Football (co): Camren Cavalier, Canadian High School

Football (co): Armando Lujan, Sunray High School

Golf: Carson Grawunder, Vega/Wayland Baptist

Soccer: Ricardo Mendez, Caprock High School

Softball: Danae Lopez, Amarillo High School

Tennis: Gabby Dishong/Kynlee Craddock, Randall High School

Track: Hannah Stuart, Canyon High School

Volleyball: Torrey Miller, West Texas A&M

Wrestling: Bronson Baxter, Dumas High School

Special Achievement Awards:

Kendra Potts, West Texas A&M Volleyball

Trevor Johnson, Randall High school Basketball

George Grover, longtime Borger sports radio broadcaster

West Texas A&M Track Teams

Wyatt Provence, West Texas A&M Golf

Super Team Award:

Bushland High School volleyball, 3A state champions

Big Game Award:

West Texas A&M volleyball’s fourth set win, 36-34, over No. 1 and unbeaten Tampa University in national semifinals

Dick Rishenhoover Award:

Shahada Wells, Tascosa/McNeese State basketball

Dee Henrey Inspiration Award:

Thalie Brandt, Randall High School

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