Roanoke Rapids High School Athletic Hall of Fame of Class of 2016 Inducted
The Roanoke Rapids High School Athletic Hall of Fame was honored to enshrine during an induction banquet on Saturday evening, October 1, 2016, at the Kirkwood Adams Community its Class of 2016. The purpose of the Roanoke Rapids High School Athletic Hall of Fame is to recognize, honor, and provide an enduring memorial for those persons whose outstanding contributions have enriched the athletic program and brought honor to the school. Several outstanding athletes, coaches, and a team have been elected to the Class of 2016 of the Roanoke Rapids High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
The nine newest inductees, listed alphabetically, are Jami Dickerson, Carleen Goodwin, Arthur Ray Hawkins, James Cranford Hoyle, Tommy King, Kareem Martin, Joe Searcy, Jr., John Thomas “Tom” Topping, and Lee West. The 2009 Football Team is also set to be inducted. Special recognition was given the initial Hall of Fame inductee from 2010, Coach Don Curtis.
A brief biography of each 2016 inductee follows:
James Cranford Hoyle, Teacher and Coach
James Cranford Hoyle was a teacher and coach at Roanoke Rapids High School from 1930 to 1973. He coached baseball, basketball, and football. He had many successful teams including numerous conference championships and a state title in baseball in 1932. One friend pointed out “by his example of clean, spiritual and heartfelt morals, he has shown boys how to live rather than told them . . . he often helps and serves the youngsters financially as well as morally. If he could not personally afford it, he recruited help from other individuals or organizations having no selfish motive in mind.”
The most outstanding characteristic of Coach Hoyle, another friend says, “cannot be set out in deeds or accomplishments. Rather it is his ability to know, understand and inspire those who are fortunate enough to come under his guidance during the most formative years of their lives.” He was, in the words of another friend, “one of the finest Christian gentlemen of our generation – and a living legend in Roanoke Rapids and North Carolina.” In 1972, Coach Hoyle was elected to the Guilford College Athletic Hall of Fame. A monument is erected at the entrance to Hoyle Field in honor of his lifetime of service to our school and community.
John Thomas (Tom) Topping, Class of ‘53
John Thomas “Tom” Topping was a three‐sport star at Roanoke Rapids High School, and he was an All‐Conference selection in basketball and football. In 1953 he was selected as an All‐State football player, and was awarded the Sam Owen Athletic Award for being the sports MVP of his Senior class. He attended Duke University and was a member of the 1955 ACC Championship team. He was also an All‐ACC, All-American, played in the Senior Bowl in 1957, and was MVP of the 1958 Orange Bowl. Tom was drafted by the San Francisco 49’1ers in 1958, but elected to enter the workforce and was employed by Roadway Express, Inc. He was President of Roadway Express, Inc. until his death in 1990. Shortly before his death, he was inducted into the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame.
Tommy Joe King, Class of ‘60
Tommy Joe King was a standout athlete at Roanoke Rapids High School from 1957 – 1960. Tommy excelled in baseball and basketball. Tommy was an All‐Conference basketball player, the first RRHS athlete named to the All‐State team, and played in the East/West All‐Star game in 1960. Also in 1960, Tommy sank the 100th point in a win over Kinston High School; marking the first 100‐point total in RRHS school history. Tommy held the record for “most points in a game” of 41, for 30 years until broken by Brian Frazier in 1990. After graduation, Tommy played basketball at Louisburg College and was a successful businessman in Roanoke Rapids for years. Tommy supported youth and RRHS sports, both financially and with his time, until his death from Wegner's Granulomatosis in 1994.
Joe Searcy, Jr., Class of ‘64, RRHS Teacher and Coach
Joseph Floyd Searcy, Jr. (Joe) was an outstanding athlete at Roanoke Rapids High School. Joe played baseball and football all four years he attended, served as co‐ captain of the 1963 football team, and was the recipient of the Sam Owen Athletic Award in 1964. Joe attended Guilford College on a full baseball and football scholarship where he excelled in both sports. Joe, and the Guilford College Baseball Team, competed in the 1966 NAIA World Series, finishing fourth. Upon graduation from Guildford, Joe returned to Roanoke Rapids High School where he taught, coached, and was an Administrator for 30 years before retiring. Joe was a great role model, and positively impacted the lives of countless students and those he worked with.
Arthur Ray Hawkins, Class of ‘71
Arthur Ray Hawkins was the first black athlete to compete at Roanoke Rapids High School as a three‐sport athlete and was a starter in all them, earning 11 letters over four years, and was a member of the 1968 NEAC Championship Football Team. Hawkins was the first Running Back in the history of the school to rush for over 1000,00 yards in a season. 33 touchdowns and played both defense, and offense nonstop. Hawkins earned First Team all conference, 1st Team All East and started in the Annual East West All star game. He played in a winning program who went 24-6 over 3 years, as a varsity payer in the most powerful conference in the south. Hawkins was also the first Freshman Point guard in RRHS school history. He went on to play college football at North Carolina Central University where he was a member of the 1972 and 1973 MEAC Championship Teams. He also played three years of semi‐pro football for the Fort Benning Doughboys. After college, Arthur Ray has dedicated his life in service to others, first to his country from 1975 to 1997 in U.S. Army, then over a twenty‐year career in education as a teacher, coach, Associate Principal, and Principal in six different schools. He continues his career in service today through ministry with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the Area Director for Rockdale and Newton County schools. His 501(c)(3), All The Way and Then Some, reaches out to youth and athletes across Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, providing inspiration through word and example, and leading many to Christ.
Lee West, Teacher and Coach
Lee Simmons West was a teacher, basketball and tennis coach for 29 years at RRHS. Affectionately referred to as “Daddy West” by his players, he was an exemplary role model for all his students and players. Not only did he understand the fundamentals of coaching, he actually made a caring connection with all. He engaged with players and students on a daily basis and was a difference maker in many lives. His coaching accolades include: 40 team conference championships, 15 single and nine doubles championships, one state championship, and one individual state champion. While his statistics are impressive, he will forever be remembered for teaching his kids to do the right thing, on and off the court.
Carleen Goodwin, RRHS Teacher and Coach
In 1981, Carleen Paige Goodwin entered the hallowed halls of RRHS as a Physical Education/Health teacher and coach. Under the guidance and direction of Principal William P. Branch, Carleen was a trailblazer for the female student‐athletes at the high school. She started the first female volleyball team at RRHS, coached Varsity volleyball for 20 years, Varsity basketball for 5 years, Varsity slow pitch softball for 16 years, and Varsity fast pitch for 15 years. Carleen was named fast pitch “Coach of the Year” three times and under her leadership, her teams won two conference championships. The RRHS 2009 yearbook was dedicated to Ms. Goodwin for her sense of humor and being a “down to earth” teacher, and started many traditions at RRHS, such as the annual Homecoming Powder Puff game. One of the many highlights of her 32‐year career was receiving the Homer Thompson Memorial “Eight Who Make a Difference Award” presented by the NC High School Athletic Association. This award exemplified her genuine commitment to her student athletes. Coach Goodwin retired from Roanoke Rapids Graded School District in 2013, and will always be remembered for making a difference in the lives of many.
Jami Dickerson, Class of 2004
Jami Dickerson was a standout student and athlete for Roanoke Rapids High School from 2001 – 2004. Jami was a NCC All Conference basketball player in 2003 and a NCC All Conference soccer player all four years of high school. She was the Northern Carolina Conference Player of the Year in 2003 and a 2004 Shriner East/West Classic participant. Jami was voted Best All Around Female Athlete in 2004. She was a North Carolina Coaches’ Association Academic All‐Star in 2004. Jami received a full athletic grant in aid to attend East Carolina University and play for the Lady Pirates, where she played soccer for four years; serving as a team captain. She is currently employed with the Pitt County Schools as an elementary school teacher and was selected to be the Pitt County Teacher of the Year for 2014.
Kareem Martin, Class of 2010
Kareem Martin is a humble, self‐made athlete, who through a dedicated work ethic turned himself into a three‐sport All‐Star for the Yellow Jackets. After receiving over 20 D‐1 football scholarship offers, he chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Just three months removed from graduating from RRHS, he began his college career as a true freshman, and completed an outstanding four years at UNCCH as a 1st Team All‐Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive End. After earning his college degree, Kareem was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, where he is currently in the third year of a four‐year contract.
Kareem's impact on the Yellow Jacket athletic program cannot be overstated. His Head Football Coach Russell Weinstein has stated, “ never coached a finer young man or better athlete than Kareem Martin. He led by example and left his mark on the entire Athletic Department, and continues to be a great Ambassador for RRHS and the Roanoke Rapids community.”
His accomplishments during his Jacket career were numerous and include:
All Conference six times in three different sports at RRHS
2008 Northern Carolina Conference Football Defensive POY 2008
NCHSAA 2A State High Jump and 110 High Hurdle Medalist 2009
N.C. Preps All State Football Team
2009 Daily Herald Defensive POY for the Roanoke Valley
2009 Northern Carolina Conference Defensive POY & Lineman of the Year
2009 Starting Player on the North Carolina Shrine Bowl Team / Shrine Bowl
Academic GPA Award
2009 Starting Player on Offense –Defense All American West Team 2009
Selected to play in Max Emfinger All American Bowl in Dallas Texas WRAL
Extra Effort Award –November 2009
2010 NCHSAA Male Athlete of the Year for North Carolina
2013 All Atlantic Coast Conference 1st Team while at UNC‐CH
2009 Varsity Football Team
The Yellow Jacket football team entered the 2009 season with low media and fan expectations. Following a two‐win season, they were picked to finish last in the Northern Carolina 2‐A Conference. Led by the veteran coach, Russell Weinstein, the 2009 team changed the football status quo at RRHS for many years to come. Prior to 2009, the last conference championship was in 2000, and prior to that, in 1968, in the old 3‐A Northeastern Athletic Conference. The 2009 team was the third year of Weinstein’ rebuilding process, and included many veterans who had started their high school career with the coach. These young players formed the core that changed the football culture at RRHS, which resulted in an unprecedented run of three consecutive conference championships.
Highlights of the 2009 season included an early season conference win against highly‐favored and defending conference champion, Louisburg High School, in two overtimes. The Jackets went on to an undefeated season, and made history with the school’ first NCHSAA play‐off game win against North Brunswick High School. The 2009 team left and undeniable mark on the history of the RRHS football program.