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Ferrum College News

Ferrum College Honors the Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024

FERRUM, Va. October 28, 2024 – Ferrum College honored the Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024, which includes four football players, two women’s basketball players, one baseball player and a longtime administrator at last Saturday’s Ceremony.

Members of the Sports Hall of Fame class of 2024

Tesla Akers Southcott ’13 of Athens, West Virginia, is currently in her third season as Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Concord University and her first year as Co-Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. Akers Southcott also served as Concord’s Assistant Compliance Coordinator from 2014 to 2022, and Head Women’s Golf Coach from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as the Girls’ Basketball Coach in 2013-14 at her alma mater, Princeton High School, where she is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame, class of 2016. Akers Southcott played basketball four years at Ferrum from 2010 to 2013, earning USA South All-Conference honors four times, including first team selections in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and led the Panthers to NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013. She helped Ferrum win the 2012 USA South regular season and tournament titles in 2012, earning All-Tournament and Tournament MVP honors. Akers Southcott earned All-Conference, All-State, All-Region and All-American in 2013, and closed her career with 1390 points, currently holding the #8 spot on the Ferrum women’s basketball all-time scoring list.

Ken Blackley ’61 of Warsaw, Virginia, was a student assistant to Coach Hank Norton at Ferrum from 1959 to 1961. After Ferrum, he attended Tusculum University before going on to a successful career coaching high school baseball and boys’ basketball. He coached girls’ basketball five years at Rappahannock High School; boys’ basketball four years at Ladysmith High School and 21 years at Rappahannock High School; baseball two years at Ladysmith; and boys’ basketball 21 years at Rappahannock, where his 1982 team was state runner-up, five years at Caroline High School, five years at Essex High School, and one year at Northumberland High School. His 2003 baseball team at Essex won the VHSL state title. Blackley also served as Athletic Director a combined 31 years at three of the schools. Blackley is 4th all-time in VHSL history with 493 wins in baseball, and he won a state championship in 1993 at Rappahannock High School in Warsaw, Virginia. In boys’ basketball, he won 250 games in his coaching career. He was twice nominated by the Virginia High School Coaches Association for National Coach of the Year. Blackley coached a young man at Rappahannock High School who was a first-round NBA draft pick of the Atlanta Hawks. After retiring from coaching and teaching, Blackley has served on the Richmond County School Board and still helps youth in the area with efforts to advance their education and go to college. 

Dr. Lynn Grine Dillon ’66 of Mechanicsville, Virginia, played women’s basketball and tennis at Ferrum from 1964 to 1966. Dillon represented Ferrum at the 1966 Mid-Atlantic Women’s Tennis Championships and served as a member of the Ferrum Women’s Athletic Association. She was involved with intramurals in many sports, including archery, badminton, softball, tumbling, and volleyball. After leaving Ferrum, Grine Dillon went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Radford University, her master’s degree from Virginia Tech, and her doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. After a career as a teacher and driver education instructor, she is currently an adjunct professor at Danville Community College, a certified instructor with the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association, and Pickleball Ambassador for Hanover County, Virginia. 

Sterling “Butch” Dusharm ’68 of Palm City, Florida, played football at Ferrum in 1968 under Coach Hank Norton. He was Ferrum’s starting quarterback and a first team All-American, leading the Panthers to an undefeated season. Dusharm and the Panthers capped the season by winning the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship in the 1968 Shrine Bowl. After leaving Ferrum, he went on to play for NCAA Division I Wichita State University on a full scholarship. After college, he became a PGA Head Golf Professional, and owner of Dusharm’s Sporting Goods Store.

Gail Holley of Henry, Virginia, has worked at Ferrum College for 45 years. Prior to moving to Athletics, she worked in Ferrum’s History Department, Registrar’s Office, Alumni Office, and Institutional Advancement Office, where she held the title of Executive Secretary to the Vice-President for Institutional Advancement. Holley has been a member of the athletic department since 1996, and in those 28 years, has been instrumental in running the day-to-day and financial operations for the department. Holley has served as Manager of Athletics Administrative Operations and recently was named Senior Woman Administrator. She has served as a mentor for many coaches and an exemplary supervisor to all of the work study students, as well as the backbone that keeps Ferrum Athletics organized and running efficiently.

John Morabito ’76 of Wilmington, Delaware, played football at Ferrum from 1974 to 1975 for Hank Norton. Morabito was a starting offensive guard on Ferrum’s undefeated 1974 National Championship team, and was named first team All-Coastal Conference in 1975. He went on to play at Shippensburg University and was team captain in 1978. Morabito earned Shippensburg’s Outstanding Red Raider Lineman Award in 1978, and graduated with a perfect 4.0 and the school’s History Major Scholar Award. After graduation, he returned to Ferrum and served from 1981 to 1986 as Offensive Line and Strength & Conditioning Coach under legendary Coach Norton. Morabito helped lead Ferrum to a #2 ranking in 1982, losing in the NJCAA national championship game against Northwest Mississippi. Ferrum’s offense led the nation in rushing in 1983. Morabito also served as Ferrum’s softball coach from 1981 to 1983.

Tim Reynolds Jr. ’15 of Arlington, Virginia, played football four years at Ferrum from 2011 to 2014. Reynolds was the starting quarterback on Ferrum’s 2012 USA South championship team, earning first team All-Conference and Offensive Player of the Year. He was also first team All-State in 2012, and was a finalist for the Touchdown Club of Richmond’s prestigious Willie Lanier Award. Reynolds holds school records for season and career touchdowns, and is listed in the top five for another 10 records. In 36 career games at Ferrum, Reynolds threw for 4353 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for another 34 touchdowns. After college, he embarked on a coaching career, starting with Yorktown High School in 2015, then transitioning to St. Andrews University in 2016. He joined the football staff at ODAC member Bridgewater College in 2022, helping lead the team to a 9-1 record in his first season on staff. Reynolds currently serves as Offensive Coordinator at ODAC rival Averett University. He also served as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator for the Podyum Bowl in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was Offensive Coordinator for the NAIA All-Star game in 2019 and 2021.

Cary Stockdell ’68 of Montgomery, Texas, played football for two years at Ferrum from 1966 to 1967 under Coach Hank Norton. In 1966 he led the nation in punting with a 48.8-yard average and in 1967 he averaged over 45.7 yards per kick. The Panthers went 15-2-1 combined during the two seasons, and Cary played in the National Junior College Championship game. After leaving Ferrum, Stockdell attended the University of Arkansas. Stockdell played in the 1969 NCAA football National Championship game, referred to as “The Game of the Century” against Texas. He ended his football career with a four-year total of 34 wins, two national championship game appearances, two Sugar Bowls, the NJCAA Shrine Bowl, and the 1969 Southwest Conference Championship. Stockdell went on to enjoy a career in progressive Human Resources, most notably at Phillip Morris and PepsiCo, with international assignments in Izmir, Turkey and Scotland. The past 20 years he has lived in the Houston area, providing leadership coaching and HR strategy for energy executives. Stockdell has served on several civic, academic and community boards, and he served as President of the Houston Compensation Association in 2011. He was recognized as the 2012 HR Leader of the Year for the greater Houston area HR Association.