2020 Inductees

​Scott Copeland, James McCord, John McCord, Keith Scott, Clay Uselton, Coach: Dale Phillips

The 1978 Tullahoma High School Boys Golf Team captured the State Championship under the guidance of coach Dale Phelps, who would go on to lead the school to three boys’ golf state titles and one girls’ golf state title. The team, consisting of James McCord, John McCord, Clay Uselton, Scott Copeland, and Keith Scott (DNP), completed an undefeated regular season with an 18-0 record. At the District Tournament, Tullahoma beat Fayetteville by six shots to improve their record to 30-0, with James and John McCord earning All-District honors. In the Regional Tournament, they defeated Notre Dame by seven shots, reaching a 33-0 record, with Scott Copeland, James McCord, and Clay Uselton recognized as All-Region.

At the State Tournament, the Wildcats faced private schools from Memphis (Harding Academy), Nashville (BGA), and Knoxville (Knoxville Halls), all of which recruited top players. After the first day, Tullahoma was tied for the lead with Harding Academy. On the final day, the Wildcats held a one-shot lead going into the back nine and, despite windy and cold conditions, finished five over par to win by 14 shots. Defying expectations, the small-town team completed a perfect season at 36-0, with Clay Uselton earning All-State honors and being named Tennessee Junior Player of the Year. Governor Ray Blanton proclaimed Monday, May 29, 1978, as THS Golf Day, celebrating what was called the greatest sports moment in Tennessee history.

Other team accolades included All-Region honors for Scott Copeland, James McCord, and Clay Uselton. The 1978 champions were celebrated modestly with a trip to a convenience store near Henry Horton State Park for ice cream on their way home. Tullahoma High School would continue its golf success with additional state championships in 1980, featuring Clay Uselton (All-State), Scott Copeland, Billy Zebick, and Brent Richardson, and in 1981, with Scott Copeland, Billy Zebick, Jay Uselton, and Tom McCord contributing to the team’s continued dominance.

Monica Selene Blake

Monica Selene Blake was a standout student-athlete at Tullahoma High School from 1996 to 2000, excelling in both basketball and track & field while maintaining strong academic performance. In basketball, she was a four-year letterman, scoring 1,172 career points, which ranks #2 in THS history, and earned All-District honors in 1999 and 2000. She also represented the Team USA/Summit Exhibition Team in Australia and Hawaii in 2000. In track & field, Monica was a four-year letterman, a state champion in discus in both 1999 and 2000, an All-State selection, and a THS record holder in discus. Academically, she was a member of the National Honor Society from 1998 to 2000 and graduated with honors. In recognition of her achievements, she was named Tullahoma News THS Miss Athletic, THS Most Athletic Female, and received the Female Athlete of the Year – Bob Hammers Award in 2000.

Monica continued her athletic and academic career at Lipscomb University from 2000 to 2004. In basketball, she was a four-year letterman and played a key role in the team’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I. She helped lead Lipscomb to Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2004, marking the first time in NCAA history a first-year Division I team won a conference championship and qualified for the tournament. Monica earned 2004 Atlantic Sun All-Conference honors and was part of the team with the highest NCAA Division I student-athlete GPA, earning NCAA Academic All-American recognition. In track & field, she placed in the 2004 Atlantic Sun Championship in shot put, discus, and javelin. Monica earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Political Science and English in 2004 and later a Master of Arts in Special Education in 2012. She is also a doctoral candidate in Leadership & Professional Practice at Trevecca Nazarene University since 2015.

Dewon Brazelton

Dewon Brazelton, a 1998 graduate of Tullahoma High School, was a standout multi-sport athlete, excelling in football, basketball, and baseball. On the baseball field, he posted a 1.75 ERA and a .350 batting average, earning All-District, All-Region, All-Midstate, and All-State honors. He was also named Most Valuable Player of the USA Baseball Tournament.

Brazelton continued his career at Middle Tennessee State University, where he twice earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. He set school records as the fastest pitcher to reach 20 wins and 200 strikeouts, averaged 4.25 strikeouts per walk, and was a consensus First Team All-American. He was inducted into the MTSU Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2000, Brazelton played for the U.S. National Team, setting a team record with a 0.65 ERA, posting a 6-0 record with wins over Cuba and Italy, striking out 49 batters with only 11 walks, and leading the team with 41 1/3 innings pitched. He was the first-ever MTSU Blue Raider selected to the national team.

During the 2001 season, he was named a first-team pre-season All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, twice earned National Pitcher of the Week, and was recognized as Louisville Slugger Player of the Week. He became MTSU’s all-time strikeout leader, averaged 10.92 strikeouts per nine innings, led the nation with a 0.96 ERA, and compiled a 14-2 record with two shutouts and two career-high 14-strikeout games. Brazelton was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, named Sunbelt Pitcher of the Year and Sunbelt Student-Athlete of the Year, and in 2002 was honored as the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Male Amateur Athlete of the Year.

Brazelton was selected third overall in the first round of the 2001 MLB Amateur Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, where he played from 2002 to 2005. He received the Tony Conigliaro Award and the Good Guy Award from The Sporting News in 2004, and was the Opening Day Starter for Tampa Bay in 2005. He later played for the San Diego Padres in 2006.

Joel Ferrell

Joel Ferrell was a dedicated supporter of amateur athletics both locally in Tullahoma and nationally through the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). He became involved in the AAU through Tullahoma’s local swim club and remained an active volunteer at all levels for nearly thirty years. He served as meet director for three Tennessee State AAU Swimming Championships and was a charter member of the AAU Tullahoma Swim Club. In 1979, he was named Tullahoma Citizen of the Year, and the city pool was renamed the Joel Ferrell Municipal Pool in his honor. Professionally, Ferrell worked as an aerospace engineer at AEDC.

Regionally, Ferrell served three terms as President of the Southeastern Amateur Athletic Union (SEAAU) during the 1960s and 1970s. He also chaired multiple SEAAU committees, including Swimming, Youth Sports, and Law and Legislation. Nationally, he held numerous leadership roles in the AAU, serving as 2nd Vice President (1973–74), 1st Vice President (1975–76), and the 38th National President (1976–78), during which he called on American industry to support U.S. amateur athletes. He also served as National Chairman of the AAU Law and Legislation, Junior Olympics, and Nominating Committees, and as a Trustee of the AAU, culminating in his induction into the AAU Volunteer Hall of Fame in 1989.

Ferrell’s contributions extended to the Olympics, where he was meet director for the 1968 and 1970 AAU/USA Junior Olympic Games in Knoxville, TN. The 1968 Games, the second-ever, expanded to five sports from the original two. He also served as Third Vice President of the United States Olympic Committee and was a member of the USOC Olympic Festival Committee. Following his death in 1998, the AAU, with the guidance of his family, established the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Memorial Award, which annually recognizes the athletic ability and sportsmanship of an athlete representing each official sport at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Each recipient’s name is also engraved on a special plaque at the AAU National Headquarters.

Bryan Morris

Bryan Morris, a 2005 graduate of Tullahoma High School, was a standout baseball player, earning recognition throughout his high school career. He was a three-time District 8-AAA All-Team selection, 2005 District 8-AAA MVP, 8-AAA Pitcher of the Year, 4-AAA All-Region, All-State, TCBA Pro-Line Player of the Year, Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, and a Louisville Slugger State Player of the Year and All-American. His high school pitching stats were impressive: in 2003, he posted a 5-2 record with a 2.50 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 61.2 innings; in 2004, he went 5-4 with a 1.70 ERA, 71 strikeouts, and a no-hitter; and in 2005, he finished 11-1 with a 0.58 ERA, 151 strikeouts, and two no-hitters. He was drafted in the third round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005 but chose not to sign.

Morris played at Motlow State Community College in 2006, compiling a 10-1 record with 122 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA, earning Tennessee Junior College Freshman of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Second Team Junior College All-American honors. He was then selected 26th overall in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who named him the best prospect in the Pioneer League.

He played professionally from 2006 to 2017. With the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–2008), he began his professional career before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates (2008–2014) in a deal involving Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay. Morris earned Florida State League All-Star and Futures MLB All-Star honors in 2010 and was named Fireman of the Year for the Altoona Curve in 2011. He made his Major League debut on September 14, 2012, pitching a scoreless inning against the Chicago Cubs and was part of the Pirates’ first winning season and playoff appearance in 22 years (2013). He was traded to the Miami Marlins (2014–2016), where he was later ranked #72 in the All-Time Top 100 Marlins, and finished his career with the San Francisco Giants (2017), making his final MLB appearance on June 22, 2017.

Morris’ professional career stats include 175 minor league games with 543 innings pitched, a 25-32 record, 474 strikeouts, and a 3.66 ERA, and 231 Major League games with a 20-12 record, 236 innings pitched, 168 strikeouts, and a 3.13 ERA. In June 2019, Bryan was hired as the head baseball coach at Tullahoma High School. He is married to Chelsey Morris and they have three children: Colton, Lyncoln, and Duke.

Rob Norman

Rob Norman, a 1987 graduate of Tullahoma High School, excelled both academically and athletically. He served as Senior Class President, was named Mr. THS, and represented the school as a Boy’s State Delegate. In football, he was a linebacker who earned All-District honors in 1985 and 1986, All-Mid State in 1985 and 1986, All-State Honorable Mention in 1985, and All-State in 1986. He was named Middle Tennessee Player of the Year and All-USA Honorable Mention in 1986, earned MVP of the Tullahoma Lions Bowl, and was recognized as an Academic All-American in 1985 and 1986, completing a three-year varsity career.

In baseball, Norman played pitcher and first base, earning All-District honors in 1986 and 1987 and contributing to THS’s State Runner-Up team in 1986. He was a four-year letterman and was drafted by the New York Mets in 1987. That same year, he competed on the US Olympic Festival South Team and the USA Baseball 18u National Team, winning a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. At Mississippi State University, he continued as a four-year letterman, leading the team in strikeouts as a pitcher in 1988 and in home runs as a first baseman in 1991. He appeared in four NCAA Regional Tournaments, was part of the Southeastern Conference Championship team in 1989, and competed in the College World Series in 1990. He earned NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team honors in 1991, made the SEC Academic Honor Roll from 1989 to 1991, and served as team captain in 1991.

Rob Norman is currently Vice President of FirstBank Investment Partners. He is married to Elizabeth Norman and they have four children: Matthew, Patrick, Lauren, and Christopher.

Karin Romberg

Karin Romberg (1963–2013), a 1981 graduate of Tullahoma High School, was a standout golfer with an impressive record of accomplishments. In 1978, she was the Girls Golf State Championship runner-up at Henry Horton State Park, shooting 161 while the champion shot 157. The following year, she became the Girls Golf State Champion at Henry Horton, shooting 79 to edge out the runner-up’s 81 in a rain-shortened 18-hole tournament. In 1979, she also captured the Girls Junior Champion title at Holston Hills Country Club and the Girls Junior Amateur Championshipat Greymere. Karin continued her success in 1980, winning the Girls Golf State Championship at Henry Horton with a score of 153, defeating the runner-up’s 161. In 1981, she finished as state runner-up, shooting 165 to the champion’s 163. From 1982 to 1985, she attended the University of Indiana on a golf scholarship. Beyond golf, Karin loved flowers and gardening and was a former employee of Danner Foods.