Wolverine History: It Takes a Village, the People Behind Woodruff Athletics
Part 12 of the Woodruff Times history series honors the recreation directors, booster leaders, statisticians, announcers and others who supported Woodruff High athletics off the field.
Part twelve of The Woodruff Times series "Moments That Changed Wolverine History," published August 7, 2021, honors people who supported Woodruff athletics away from the field. Here is our summary.
Clyde "Ham" Werner became the town' first recreation director in the early 1960s and started youth football and basketball programs, working alongside coach Willie Varner for more than 20 years until his death in 1984. Betty Kelly and her husband Dwayne built the first true booster club in the 1970s, and Betty led it for nearly a decade, raising money for uniforms, equipment and travel. Randy Grant began as varsity football statistician in 1979 and took the job over fully in 1982, stepped away in 1996 and returned in 2006, charting 35 seasons by the article count.
Dr. Guy Blakely opened a medical practice in Woodruff in 1963 and worked Wolverine sidelines for 25 years. Milton Smith has been the public address announcer since the 1968 Thanksgiving state final, a 9-8 loss to James Island, and the Varner Stadium press box carries his name. Journalist and publisher John Gwinn served as Varner' media liaison, and Mike Boyter was the team videographer from 1971 to 1996, recording interviews that helped preserve the history. Duane Thompson, who played on the 1993 state finalist team and later starred at Presbyterian College, has spent about 15 years coaching football and leading track and field at Woodruff.
Read the full piece at The Woodruff Times through the source link.