4 Clover Hall of Fame inductees recognized

Four new members have been inducted into the Clover School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

The newest members were recognized during halftime of the Aug. 28 Clover-Forestview football game at Memorial Stadium.

Ron Wright, longtime public address announcer, said that this year’s ceremony represents the second Hall of Fame class.

“Clover has a proud and rich athletic history,” said Wright. “In the years to come, you can expect to see many outstanding athletes inducted into our new Hall of Fame.”

The four new inductees are: Mary Agnes Dye Morrow, Virginia Ann Gardner and the late Christopher Hugh “Poke” Cobb and the late Gerald Neill “Catfish” Adams.

▪  Mary Agnes Dye Morrow is a 1955 graduate of Roosevelt High School. Morrow began playing varsity basketball in the eighth grade.

Her coach, Alexander Davis, said Morrow established herself as a prolific scorer, averaging 10-15 points per game in her underclassmen years.

Davis also said that Morrow often broke the 30-point range during her senior year. She was also a musician, performing as a member of the band and glee club.

She lives in Gastonia, N.C., with her husband, Paul.

▪  Virginia Ann Gardner, who graduated from Clover High School in 1987, earned 12 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and softball. She was all-conference five times, all-state three times and played on the North/South All-Star softball team. She was the first female to play in the state North/South All-Star basketball game.

Gardner finished her basketball career at Clover with 1,010 points, 201 steals and 794 rebounds in 101 games. She led her team to the playoffs four years in a row.

After high school, Gardner signed a Division I scholarship at the University of South Carolina, where she played four years.

Gardner later became a coach. From 1992 to 2000, she coached at Winthrop and Western Carolina universities. She has since coached at Robbinsville and Tuscola High School in North Carolina. She has won more than 200 games as a high school basketball coach.

▪  Christopher Hugh “Poke” Cobb was a football player at Clover High School from 1973 to 1976, accumulating numerous awards during his career.

A two-time all-conference selection, Cobb was the 1976 team MVP and Shrine Bowl MVP. He rushed for 3,700-plus yards in three years of varsity play.

Cobb had a record-breaking career at Eastern Illinois University, where he rushed for 5,042 career yards, amassed 6,077 all-purpose yards and scored 48 touchdowns. He had 27 100-yard rushing games.

Cobb became the fifth highest rusher in NCAA history and led Eastern Illinois to the 1978 Division 11 national championship. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 1978.

▪  Gerald Neill “Catfish” Adams played football and baseball at CHS where he was a seven-time letterman.

Adams played on the offensive and defensive lines and was the team kicker. He was the football team MVP in 1953 and became the first athlete to play offense and defense in the Shrine Bowl.

Adams was the team catcher in baseball and graduated from CHS in 1955. After graduation, he gave back to his community as an award-winning member of the Clover Jaycees, Optimists and Alpine Lodge. He was a youth football coach and a North Carolina Football Association official.

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 11:24 AM with the headline "4 Clover Hall of Fame inductees recognized."