Ten former Dayton Broncos and four supporters of athletics were added to the Dayton Sports Hall of Fame following an induction ceremony Friday, Oct. 19, in the Theater for Performing Arts at Dayton High School. The Hall of Fame was established to recognize athletic achievement, recognize character and highlight role models in the community for current and future Dayton Broncos.
“This is a small way for this community where you grew up and learned to play the sport or sports you excelled in to say thank you for not only the way you represented yourself and your family, but also the way you represented the community and school district,” said DISD Trustee Larry Wadzeck, who emceed the event.
The 2018 inductees are:
- John Paul Ott who began his athletic career in Liberty as a freshman but moved to Dayton by the time he was in the 10th grade, which made him ineligible to play varsity sports that year. He made up for that year by having outstanding junior and senior years at Dayton High School. He lettered in basketball, football and track his junior and senior years. During his senior year, he was captain of the basketball and football teams, and was a state qualifier in track. Ott was a two-time All-District running back, teaming up with Glenn Pruitt. The newspapers at the time dubbed them the “touchdown twins.” As a senior, he was chosen to play for the South in the North-South All-Star game and contributed to the South’s 26-0 victory. Ott received a full athletic scholarship to Rice University. The Korean War interfered with his college education when Ott left to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force. After the war, he returned home, earned a degree in economics and work for Houston Lighting and Power in corporate management. Ott lives in Dayton where he continues to raise and race quarter horses, a life-long passion held, in part, by the mentoring he received from Mr. Anson Rigby.
- Troy Barrett lettered in three sports at Dayton High School – basketball, football and track. While he played two years of basketball, it was football and track where Barrett really excelled, earning him All-District mention during his junior year as quarterback and All-District his senior year as running back. In track, his race was the 110-meter hurdles, where he was district champion his senior year. He placed second at Region and just edged out of placing at the State meet. Barrett earned a football scholarship to Lamar University where he was named conference Newcomer of the Year. He excelled as a starting running back through college in the Cardinal backfield. He lives in Dayton, where he has a great sausage and spice business, and works as a food caterer.
- Henry O. Ager III, who as a sophomore, helped the Dayton Broncos basketball team defeat Cleveland in the last five seconds of a game and helped clinch the first of three consecutive district championships in basketball for the Broncos. Ager lettered and excelled in four sports at Dayton High School. He earned All-District honors in both basketball and baseball. In track he was a member of the Regional Qualifying 440-year relay team. In addition to these awards, Ager was co-captain of the district champion Bronco basketball team his senior year and was chosen Baseball MVP his senior year. Ager continued his athletic career after high school, playing baseball for Wharton Junior College. Ager graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in pharmacy and owned a pharmacy in Livingston for 40 years. He was one of the organizers of Livingston Youth Baseball Association, serving as its president for 25 years, and also was elected to the Livingston ISD Board of Trustees for 41 years.
- Beverly Goulder Murphy had no choice about becoming an outstanding athlete because she comes from a family that has produced several great ball players and Bronco supporters. Murphy was a three-year letterman in both volleyball and track. She was captain of the volleyball team her junior and senior years while earning All-Zone and All-District honors both years. During her senior year, she was selected to play in the Texas High School Coaches’ Volleyball All-Star Game. As a sophomore, she was a district champion in shot put and discus and placed third at the Regional meet. As a junior and senior, she placed first in district in shot put and discus and earned a spot at the state meet her junior and senior years for discus. She placed third in state in discus. At Sam Houston State University, Murphy played volleyball and was a shot, discus and javelin thrower on the track team. After college, Murphy has had a very successful career in coaching at Goodrich, Livingston and Klein ISDs. She also continued playing and coaching elite volleyball club ball.
- Jeff Edwards excelled in defense on the Dayton Broncos football team. Edwards was a force on the defensive line for the Broncos during the 1980s. He earned All-District and All-Zone letters. He went on to play at Tarleton State University, where he had an outstanding career and earned Second-Team Intercollegiate Honors. In one game his senior year, he had 11 tackles and six sacks – still a Tarleton State record. Edwards remained close to the Dayton athletics after college, especially football, and worked the chains on the sideline and was an unofficial coach/referee. His sons, Robert and Xavier, were members of the Dayton State Finalist Team in 2008.
- Myrtle Dever Freeman began varsity athletics as an eighth-grader. She was a starter on the Colbert Tiger women’s basketball team as an eighth-grade student, which happened to be the only year she didn’t lead the Tigers in scoring. She served as team captain for two years and helped the team to win numerous tournaments. She was a member of two Colbert teams that were undefeated. Unfortunately, there were no statewide playoffs for women at that time. However, Freeman proved herself to be an outstanding player and leader for the Colbert Tigers and is an outstanding representative of Colbert High, her family and the community.
- Harold Barclay was a member of the 1931 football team, which was the first Dayton team to win a district championship. They went on to win a bi-district victory over Humble and a regional championship over Crockett. Two rounds were as far as any team Dayton’s size could go at that time. Leading the Broncos was a 130-pound quarterback was Barclay. He was the team captain and was chosen First Team All-District and First Team All-Region in 1931. To top it off, district coaches were unanimous in the selection of Barclay as District MVP. The papers described him as a runner who ran with power and drive, and as a leader who inspired the confidence and loyalty of his teammates. Barclay worked for Humble/Exxon Oil. After retiring, he moved back to Dayton where he was an avid gardener and hunter. Accepting on his behalf was Judy Harris.
- Eric Gaines was a force on the defensive line for the Broncos football team during the mid-1980s. During his senior year he was part of the All-District, All-Region and All-Greater Houston teams. He also was named District Defensive MVP that year. He continued his football career at Stephen F. Austin University. Accepting on his behalf was his brother, Frederick.
- Ivory Durio was a three-sport letterman at Dayton High School, excelling in track, basketball and football. It was football where Durio made a name for himself in Dayton. He was chosen as District Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. He followed that with first team All-District Running Back his junior and senior years. Durio’s senior year saw him not only earn All-District honors but also All-Region and All-State recognition. He was the District MVP, totaling more than 2,000 all-purpose yards while scoring 26 touchdowns. These numbers earned him a football scholarship to the University of Texas in El Paso. In 1993, his senior year at college, he led the Western Athletic Conference in rushing yards per attempt and was also named for the second time to the conference All-Academic First Team.
- Ricky Eggleston was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame with his two children accepting on his behalf. Eggleston was a three-sport All-District performer at Dayton High School. He was named All-District in baseball, basketball and football his junior and senior years. In football he was also a two-time All-Greater Houston selection as well as All-Region. He was named to All-State during his senior year. He received a football scholarship to Sam Houston State University where he was a four-year letterman. Eggleston was first team All-Southland Conference and was named to the AP All-American team his junior and senior years at college. He was considered the best collegiate tight end in Texas at the same time. He was elected to the SHSU Athletic Hall of Honor in 1999.
- Glendene Brooks says she was born with a megaphone in her hands. She was a cheerleader in high school and college. She continued cheering from the stands to support her husband Willie as he coached at schools across the state. When the couple moved to Dayton, she became loyal to the purple and white, and loudly supports the Broncos in all sports. When she attends games, Brooks carries a pom-pom that belonged to her granddaughter, a Dayton High School cheerleader. She has retired after 54 years as an educator. Even though health concerns limit the games she and Willie can attend, she still loyally supports the Broncos and is a member of the Booster Club.
- Margueritte Hewitt worked for McGinty’s Drug Store in the 1960s and 1970s. In Dayton, it was where people went to learn the latest news, information and gossip about the town. In her interactions with people, Hewitt emphasized her love and devotion to the Dayton Broncos. If anyone dared to say negative things about them, whether it was at McGinty’s, on the streets or in the stadium stands, Hewitt would quickly let them know what she thought about their opinion. She proudly supported the efforts of her two sons, Tinker or Ray, and all other Bronco players.
- Earnie Jones is a fervent supporter of the Dayton Broncos. He might get upset with them but is not bashful in his support for them when other people tear down the team. Jones insists that people not talk bad about the kids or coaches. In fact, just about every coaching staff at Dayton High School has given him the name of Bronco Earnie – a title that fits perfectly.
- Lois Pruitt was a lifetime resident of Dayton and was fiercely loyal to Colbert and Dayton high schools. A 1949 graduate and valedictorian of Colbert High School, she played basketball at both Colbert and Prairie View A & M. She returned to Dayton where she coached and taught at Colbert High, eventually taking a job in Cleveland where she taught for 30 years before finishing her career at Richter Elementary. As a teacher and later in retirement, she was an avid fan of the Colbert Tigers and Dayton Broncos. That include all sports and sitting out in all kinds of weather. She took great pride in talking about Colbert athletes she went to school with or coached, and she really loved cheering on her own children and grandchildren in all the sports in which they competed. She is also a member of the Dayton ISD Wall of Fame.
- 1958 Mile Relay Team comprised of Bryan Sterling, Roy Seaberg, Virgil “Buddy” Holbrook and Leard Conner.
Following the induction ceremony, the inductees, their family members and friends were treated to a reception at Woodrow Wilson Junior High. They also were recognized during the Dayton Broncos football game.
