Central will induct class to hall of fame this fall

~ The Tigers will honor four individuals and one team this fall

Cape Girardeau Central High School will induct a hall of fame class for the second straight year this fall.

That's music to the ears of Terry Kitchen, whose goal is that notable former Central athletes and coaches are recognized on an annual basis for years to come.

"We hope every year to induct people," said Kitchen, Central's former athletic director and currently the AD at Central Junior High School. "I think it's important."

The latest hall of fame class of four individuals and one team -- spanning the 1950s through the 1980s --was selected following nominations taken earlier this year.

Individual to be inducted are Paul Ebaugh, who attended Central from 1958 through 1962; Pat Godwin (1964-1968); Steve Williams (1976-1980); and Bard Womack (1983-1987).

Ebaugh starred in football, basketball and track for the Tigers. He won the Lou Muegge Award as the school's outstanding male athlete, then also starred in football and track at Southeast Missouri State. He is retired and lives in Cape Girardeau.

Godwin was a football and baseball standout for the Tigers who also won the Lou Muegge Award. He went on to be a star quarterback at Missouri-Rolla and the 1969 team that he quarterbacked recently was inducted into the Missouri-Rolla Hall of Fame. He is retired and lives in Cape Girardeau.

Williams starred in football, basketball and baseball for the Tigers, helping lead the basketball team to the 1980 Class 4 state title and the baseball team to a state runner-up finish.

Williams, another Lou Muegge Award winner, also starred in football and baseball at Southeast -- setting the school career home-run record that still stands -- before playing professional baseball in the Phillies' organization. The Southeast Hall of Fame member and Cape Girardeau resident has been Central's baseball coach since 1992, leading the Tigers to the 1994 state title.

Womack was a football and baseball standout for the Tigers who went on to play baseball at the University of Missouri, where he was a four-year letterman and was selected to the 1988 Big 8 Conference all-tournament team. Womack resides in Cape Girardeau.

Also tabbed for enshrinement is the 1964 state championship golf team coached by Payne Muir. Squad members were Mike Gray, Mike Long, Jim Reynolds and J. Fred Waltz. Gray finished fourth individually at state with a score of 155, followed by Waltz (156), Long (161) and Reynolds (162).

"I think it's a very good group, some of the top athletes we've had at Central," Kitchen said. "There have been so many good athletes come through Central and it's great we can honor them."

New hall of fame members will be recognized at halftime of Central's Sept. 23 football game. A formal ceremony will take place the following day in the high school cafeteria, with an 8:30 a.m. breakfast followed by the inductions.

"We're looking forward to that," Kitchen said. "It should be a great weekend."

Last year marked the hall of fame's first inductions since 2002 as eight Central alums were enshrined. The hall, originally started around 1990, had stood at 39 members for eight years.

Kitchen, a former Central standout athlete and coach who is a HOF member, oversaw the school's hall of fame for 12 years during his tenure as AD.

Kitchen, the AD at Central Junior High School since 2003, has worked to revive the HOF along with help from current Central AD Lance Tollison, Central principal Mike Cowan and a 15-member committee.

"To me, I think it's part of the total educational program for Cape Girardeau Public Schools," Kitchen said. "This is an opportunity for us to recognize some of our past athletes and coaches."