This year’s Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is slated for Saturday, July 22 at Stone Bridge Farms. 

The annual induction ceremony — scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. — will usher in the 23rd class of the CCSHOF. 

Inductees include Charlie Krenkel (Cullman), David Schaffer (Cullman), Ivan Richard (Cullman), Randy Jones (West Point), Jeff Lovell (Holly Pond), Jeremy Gardner (Fairview), Dee Merriweather (Hanceville), Mark Putman (Hanceville), Stanley Parker (Vinemont), Tracy Means (Good Hope), Kelley Freeman (Cold Springs) and Paul Bailey (at large). 

The Times will highlight each honoree prior to the banquet. 

Let’s take a closer look at David Schaffer, Ivan Richard and Jeff Lovell below.

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David Schaffer (Cullman)

Cullman — Class of 1973

— Lettered in Baseball, Basketball and Football

— Helped Lead Cullman to 1972 State Championship Football Game

— All-State and Super All-State (Birmingham News/Post Herald) in 1972

— AHSAA All-Star Selection (1972) | Most Valuable Player (1972) | Most Valuable Lineman (1971-72) | All-Tennessee Valley Conference (1971-72) | WKUL Player of the Year (1971-72)

— Signed Football Scholarship with Jacksonville State

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Inductee Speak

“It’s a great honor. There are very few people who get inducted each year and to be a part of it this year is amazing.”  

“Our (1972) team wasn’t talent-laden, but we definitely weren’t scared to go after some folks. The thing I remember most about the team is how we developed lifelong relationships and friendships with each other. It was a really great experience for me. I played with probably some of the best people to ever go to Cullman High School.” 

“I can probably name close to 10 people from that team that I know what they are doing right this minute. We were extremely close. We used to go on trips to the beach and trips to the mountains, and we would all just stay together and enjoy each other’s company.” 

“Ivan (Richard) would knock your jockstrap off. I saw him knock this kid out one time, and this kid never played again. He was the real deal.”

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Ivan Richard (Cullman)

Cullman — Class of 1972

— Lettered in Baseball, Basketball and Football

— Most Valuable Back (Two Years) | All-Tennessee Valley Conference (1970-71)

— Baseball and Basketball Captain (Senior Year)

— All-State Baseball Team | East-West All-Star Game Selection

— Signed Football Scholarship with North Alabama | Three-Year Starter | Second-Team Small College All-American

— Head and Assistant Coach (Baseball, Basketball, Softball and Football) at Numerous Schools

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Inductee Speak

“I started going back and thinking about my whole journey and all the people who helped me along the way. I’d like to thank my wife and my two boys the most, because everyone knows I am crazy as it is — and they are the ones who put up with it the most.” 

“I just wanted all the guys who played with me to know that they could count on me.” 

“I remember when basketball won the area for the first time under coach (Gerald) Johnson. And then baseball … being with the all-stars and making it all the way to Rickwood Field. Of course, I remember all of the friends I played with as well, and I really liked playing with them.”

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Jeff Lovell (Holly Pond)

Holly Pond — Class of 1989

— Lettered in Baseball, Basketball and Football

— All-County Basketball (Junior and Senior)

— Led Holly Pond to Two State Tournament Appearances (Basketball)

— Awarded Basketball Scholarship to Wallace State

— Walked-On at Alabama | Later Awarded Partial Scholarship by Wimp Sanderson | Voted “Mr. Hustle” by teammates

— Played with Future NBA Players Robert Horry, Latrell Sprewell, James Robinson, Jason Caffey and Roy Rogers

— Assistant Coach for Alabama Women’s Basketball (1995-97)

— Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Lowndes Academy | Three State Titles and Five Runner-Up Finishes

— 2014 AISA Coach of the Year

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Inductee Speak

“I was just shocked being that there are so many really great athletes that are probably much more deserving than I am. It’s always been a very rich county in terms of really good people and good athletes.” 

“The influence that coaches and mentors had on my life is the reason I’m in coaching now — to make a difference in young peoples’ lives. It isn’t about wins and losses … it boils down to doing things the right way for the right reasons. Sports teaches you so much about life. When you have good coaches and good people who understand that … you learn a lot from them.” 

“When you look back to your high school days, the first thing that comes up is your competitive spirit. I’ve always had a motto that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. I wasn’t the most talented player on the court, but every time I stepped on the floor my theory was that you were not going to outwork me. You might outlast me, but you are not going to outwork me.” 

“I got to see a lot of good basketball up close. And whenever someone asks me what position I played, I say I played guard, forward and center. I guarded the water bottles, sat in the center of the bench, and I looked forward to playing. My dream was always to play at the University of Alabama. I had some opportunities to go Division II and to some low Division I schools. I had some naysayers say I couldn’t make it, so I walked-on there and I wouldn’t change a thing.”