Each year, folks from the region known as the Texas Panhandle (often referred to by the locals as "God's Country) gather to celebrate the area's best and brightest athletes from the previous year.
In 1958, the first selection committee chose to honor Joe Fortenberry of Happy, Texas as the first inductee to the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. In February of 1959, the gentleman who served as a member of the 1936 United States olympic team and was the men's basketball MVP of the Berlin games (known as Hitler's olympics), was honored.
This website will be a "work-in-progress" for many years to come. Our goal is to share with our readers the history of athletics in the Texas Panhandle.
Thanks for visiting!
Coaches of the Year
Baseball: Cory Hamilton, Randall High
Basketball: Leslie Broadhurst, Randall High
Cross Country: Wes Kirton, Canyon High
Football: Adam Cummings, West Plains High
Golf: Ben Gilliland, Randall High
Soccer: Amberlee Gerald, West Plains High
Softball: Ty Hoobler, Amarillo High
Co-Tennis: Koby Otto, Amarillo High
Co-Tennis: Darby Norman, Randall High
Track: Ray Baca, Canyon High
Co-Volleyball: Kendra Potts, West Texas A&M University
Co-Volleyball: Haleigh Burns, Randall High
Wrestling: Joe Stafford, Tascosa High
Super Team Award: Canyon Girls Track
Big Play/Game Award: Ella Hester
Dick Risenhoover Award: Lo Van Pham
Dee Henry Inspiration Award: Kendra Murray
Athletes of the Year
Baseball: Payton Bush, Randall High
Basketball: McKenzie Smith, Amarillo High
Cross Country: Taytum Goodman, Springlake-Earth High
Football: Armando Lujan, Sunray High
Golf: Alyssa Campbell, West Texas A&M University
Soccer: Justin Martinez, Pampa High
Softball: Tatem Pendergraft, Amarillo High
Tennis: Eleanor Archer, Amarillo High
Track: Hannah Stuart, Canyon High
Co-Volleyball: Jordyn Gove, Randall High
Co-Volleyball: Torrey Miller, West Texas A&M University
Co-Wrestling: Richard Davila, Caprock High
Co-Wrestling: Andres Suarez, Tascosa High
Special Achievement Awards
Lynlee Spinhirne
Trent Loter
Eric Schilling
Academy
Against The Wall
AIG
Amarillo Convention & Visitor's Bureau
Amarillo National Bank
Arrowhead Real Estate
Brooks Funeral Home
David & Ellen Jones
Dean & Agatha Johnson
In Memory of Noel Johnson
Education Credit Union
First United Bank
Garet Von Netzer
Gilbreath Communications Inc.
Happy State Bank
Insurica
Jack Knight Insurance
Jonna Bradley & Russ Pool
Mitchell Jones
Raffkind's
Stanley Schaeffer
United Supermarkets
Whitney Russell
WT Athletics
Hot off the press in February 2019! The new edition of Pride of the Plains contains the entire history of the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame from 1958 through 2019.
You can purchase your copy by calling the Kids, Incorporated office at 806-376-5936. The cost is $15 (plus $4 if shipping is required).