Staff Report
Six former student athletes, a longtime wrestling coach, a volunteer and coach of 45 years, and perhaps the school’s best boys soccer team will be part of the 2015 induction class for the Xenia High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lawrence Dudgeon (Class of 1987) was the state wrestling champion at 167 pounds in 1986. The three-time state qualifier and three-time district champ won the Western Ohio League title in 1986, and had an overall record of 96-15. He was a first team All-WOL and second team all-Southwest District selection in football, too.
Jeff Huffmon (1984) was a first team all-WOL, all-Dayton, all-District 9, all-Southwest Ohio and a second-team all-Ohio selection for the 1983-‘84 boys basketball team. The District 9 and WOL Player of the Year set the WOL rebounding record and went on to play college basketball, first at Vincennes Junior College and then at Georgetown (Ky.) College.
Bret Jones (1999) was an all-WOL and all-area selection in 1996-‘98 and was an all-Ohio selection in 1998 for boys soccer and remains the school’s fourth leading scorer and leader in assists. After a successful playing career at Wright State, Jones played professionally for several teams, including Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew.
Dave Reasons (1981) holds Xenia HS records in both the shot put and discus. The two-time WOL, sectional and district champion won the Mid-American Conference shot put title in 1980 and 1981, and was an All-MAC selection in both shot put and discus in 1982-‘85. A football MVP, Reasons was a captain at both XHS and Miami.
Billy Shields (1943) was a standout at Xenia East, and went on to a stellar collegiate career at Central State University where he won 12 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. Shields was named to the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.
Monica West (1983) played basketball, volleyball and softball at XHS, where she was a WOL girls basketball first-team choice in 1983. She was co-captain of the 1982-‘83 girls basketball state finalist team and was named to the all-State tourney team.
Steve Harris coached wrestling at XHS from 1982 to 2006, and coached 38 years in all. He won eight WOL titles, 10 sectional titles, six district crowns and led the team to a state runner-up finish in 1986. Harris is a member of the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Coaches Association, and the Ohio Wrestling Coaches halls of fame.
Mack Bottorff either coached or volunteered at XHS for the past 45 years. A minister at Xenia Nazarene Church, Bottorff volunteered as chaplain and conducted leadership and mentoring programs for the XHS teams. He was a Xenia Community Schools Hall of Honor inductee in 2014.
The 1992 boys soccer team holds the record for most wins in a season (16) and most shutout in a season (11). Featuring fellow inductee Jones, the team was ranked no. 1 in the Dayton area and third in Ohio for most of that season. Five members of the district and regional champion team went on to play soccer in college.
The 2015 induction class will be introduced at the Xenia High School basketball game, on Friday, Dec. 4. An induction ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Faith Community Methodist Church, 100 Country Club Drive, in Xenia. Anyone wishing to attend the ceremony should call Gregg Cross at (937) 372-5417 by Nov. 17.