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Too often we think of sports hall of fame members as being those on professional football, basketball, golf, swimming, racing or some sports team of national importance.

Fortunately, most of the sports halls of fame are like our own Blount County Sports Hall of Fame which recognizes outstanding athletes and teams in high school and college sports. Those honored are not "jocks" but today are often educators, coaches, business and professional leaders in the community who are recognized for their achievements in local sports competition in earlier years.

This past week, 10 new members were inducted into the Blount County Sports Hall of Fame. As recognized earlier, they were Archie Anderson, Annie Baird Frick, Ken Chambers, Dennis Godfrey, Jimmy "Flash" Harris, Bill Padgett, Earl McMahan, Johnny Morgan, Larry Satterfield, and Ron Waters. Earl Anderson was recognized as Area 15 Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

This past week, the pages were turned even farther back as survivors of three outstanding high school teams of years past were recognized, all having played prior to classification based on the size of school enrollment:

Hugh F. Hamil introduced the other two survivors of the 1943 Friendsville High basketball team which finished No. 2 in the state. The other two, both of whom were present, are Donald G. Walker and Charles "Sharky" Cox.

Friendsville, enrollment of about 200 to 300, lost only four games that season, all to vastly larger Chattanooga Central. They lost at home and in Chattanooga. At that time, there were three regional basketball tournaments, East, Middle and West Tennessee. The top two teams in each region went to the state.

Friendsville lost in the East Tennessee finals played at Maryville High to Chattanoga Central and both went to the state where Chattanooga won again.

The team was coached by Victor Allen, a stickler for his rules. Hamil recalled to The Daily Times some interesting sidelights of the trip to Chattanooga, made in wartime days when tires, cars and gasoline were rationed and scarce.

Coach Allen left one of his starters at home for breaking training - drinking soft drinks and eating candy. He took only six players, all of whom rode in one car with the coach. En route, the car loaded with Friendsville players, had four flat tires. In the days when tires had inner tubes, they stopped and patched the tubes by the side of the road and then using a hand pump, which every car owner carried, they pumped the tires back to normal pressure and resumed the trip. Fortunately, it was a daytime game, making fixing the flats easier.

Ollie Keller, who later coached at Maryville High, introduced other survivors present from the undefeated 1946 Maryville High football team, the first undefeated team in the school's history.

The other 11 surviving members of the 33 on the squad present were J. D. Beaver, Neal Burchfield, Dr. Jimmy Callaway, Homer Garren, Ted Godfrey, John Keeble, Gene King, retired Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer, George Lamber, Dr. Bob Proffitt and Jim Young.

The team was coached by Jim Renfro who was assisted by Howard "Doby" Nelson, both Everett High graduates. Coach Renfro's son, Jim Jr., was here from Texas for the event.

Times Editor Dean Stone was called on to recognize the other surviving members of the undefeated 1941 Everett High football team coached by H. B. "Bud" McCall Jr. and line coach Walter Coker, both Everett grads.

Five of the six survivors of the 33-member 1941 squad were present. They included King Berrong Jr., Wayne Davis, Jack Young and Marion "Ned" Goodman. Leon Berrong was not able to attend. All three of Davis' sons, including one from Texas, were here for the event.

The Everett team was one of the very few undefeated teams that year, and though no state champion was determined, enjoyed claiming it. It was the only undefeated team in the 55-year-history of Everett High (1922-1977).

The team recognitions turned back the pages of time for many. The survivors on the older teams are in their mid-80s.

And as Ollie Keller, who went on to play at UT and Memphis State and coach with Johnny Majors at Iowa State, observed: Most of those on the teams being honored "became successful in 'the real world,' ... (it) was fabulous to see men of two and three generations removed becoming boys again - we never grow old if we have these reminders."

Numerous local residents have worked long and hard in the past 13 years to make this event a success. Begun by Bob Gilbert, a former Daily Times Sports Editor, Director Joe Huff of the Maryville, Alcoa, Blount County Parks and Recreation Commission, serves as executive director.

Maryville College Coach Randy Lambert was president this year. No one has served as long and faithful as coach Galen Johnson Jr. who is leaving the board of directors after 13 years, the only person to have served ever since its founding.

Sports and education go hand-in-hand with sports participation often being a very encouraging academic factor for some students.

The Blount County Sports Hall of Fame is serving the community well.