TIFTON — The Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed its newest class Saturday at Tift County High’s Performing Arts Center.

Welcomed to the Hall of Fame were Z.B. Hamilton, David Johnson, Wesley McGriff, Stan Shiver, Shirley Strawter, Nate Taylor and Dylan Windom as individual athletes. Alvin “Pig” Davis was inducted as a coach, Ollie Flynt for Meritorious Service and the 1979 football team and 1996 softball team were inducted as groups.

Saturday’s class was the fourth group inducted into the Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies began in 2014.

Chris Beckham emceed the event, providing details on each honoree’s career before the awards were presented.

Bill Davis accepted the award for his father, Alvin, who died in 1999. Coach Davis was at Tifton High in 1941 as head football coach and following World War II, in charge of the team from 1947-59, compiling a record of 91-50-3. The Blue Devils were runners-up in the state football tournament in 1949 and semifinalists in 1950 and 1951.

Emmett Bowers presented the award to Bill Davis.

Davis said his father would be “proud and humbled to be part of this great group.” Four of Pig Davis’ sons kicked for the University of Alabama and all five graduated from medical or dental school.

Hamilton accepted his award from Bobby Simpson.

A former minor league baseball player in the Pittsburgh Pirates chain, Hamilton excelled at Tift County, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and at Jacksonville University. At Tift, he pitched on a region championship squad and on an ABAC team that won a state championship.

Hamilton’s thanks included former Tifton Gazette sports editor Jim Torell and his high school baseball coach, Tommy Seward. He described Seward as “like my second father.”

At Tift County High, Hamilton said he and the team were confident in their abilities. There and in college, his teams were very close.

In college, “When I played the Floridas, the Georgias, I never thought I was going to lose.” Professional baseball was the opposite experience, he said. “It’s every man for himself.”

Johnson won multiple state championships as a long distance runner at Tift. He won a cross country title in 1997 and won the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter championships in 1998. After high school, Johnson competed at Auburn and Florida State. Darrien Teals presented Johnson’s award.

Johnson was at a loss to explain his success.

During competition, “I became Superman or something,” he said. Johnson added that his high school cross country coach, John O’Brien, trained the team very well.

“When running, I gave everything,” said Johnson.

McGriff made an appearance at Brodie Field Friday during the Tift-Cook football game, but the current defensive coordinator for Ole Miss was unable to be in attendance Saturday.

After his high school football career at Tift, McGriff played collegiately for South Carolina State and Savannah State. He is now a highly acclaimed coach, with stints at Kentucky, Baylor, Miami, with the New Orleans Saints and most recently, defensive coordinator at Auburn and Ole Miss.

Tracie Turner and Teresa Corbin accepted McGriff’s award and read a statement on his behalf.

McGriff said, “No matter my address,” he was still a Tift County Blue Devil.

Stan Shiver became the third Shiver brother inducted into the Hall of Fame, following brothers, Clay and Todd. Todd presented Stan’s award.

One of Stan Shiver’s biggest high school moments was an interception against Benedictine late in the quarterfinals of the state tournament in 1983. He was also a member of Tift’s region championship baseball team in 1984. He played collegiate football for Florida State and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1989.

“I wanted to play football,” said Stan. “I wanted to play for Gene Brodie.”

He said during his high school career he considered asking Brodie for fewer responsibilities. Shiver said he told himself, “That’s most selfish thing, not helping the team win.” The deep snapping abilities he learned later came in handy at Florida State, when the Seminoles’ deep snapper was injured during a game, forcing Shiver to fill in.

Shiver thanked his parents for being “awesome people” before ending his speech with “Go Big Blue.”

Strawter was an early women’s college basketball star, having first been a standout for the Tift County Angels in the 1970s, when she averaged more than 20 points per game.

Strawter played for Talladega College before returning to Tifton to teach physical education at Len Lastinger Elementary. Her award was presented by Judge Larry Mims.

“What an honor, what a privilege, what a pleasure,” Strawter said. She thanked Coach Howard Jackson at Matt Wilson and Coach Sandra Withrow at Tift County for guiding her.

“She was so inspiring, encouraging,” Strawter said of Withrow. Withrow pushed her to Talladega after high school.

At Talledega, her coach, Tiny Laster, loved his team so much that he offered all of his players’ daughters scholarships. He told Strawter, “I don’t care if she can’t play a lick, I’m going to give her a scholarship.” Tori Strawter played for Laster, too.

“I couldn’t make it without you,” Strawter said. “Thank you Tift County.”

Taylor walked on to the University of Georgia’s football team and quickly earned a role as starter on Coach Vince Dooley’s teams. He played on one national championship team and competed in three national championship games. One of Taylor’s biggest college moments was saving a 16-15 win over Tennessee by causing a fumble at the goal line.

Teals presented Taylor his plaque.

Taylor offered a “very special thanks to Coach Brodie, Coach Reynolds, Coach McWilliams, Coach Tucker and Coach Bowers.” He also thanked his mother and grandmother. “I love them dearly,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t be half the person he is without them.

“It’s a great day to be a Blue Devil,” said Windom.

The first tennis standout to be inducted, Windom was 61-4 as a high school player, leading the Lady Devils to three region championships, two appearances in the final four of state and one elite eight.

She played for Kansas University after high school and was ranked as high as 25th nationally in collegiate doubles and is a member of the Booth Hall of Fame at Kansas.

Tift tennis coach Ivey Vickers presented the award to Windom. Windom thanked Vickers for “never letting me slack off.”

Windom also thanked former Tift principal Dr. Willie Miles for not being concerned about her frequent absences to play in tournaments.

Seward accepted for the 1979 Blue Devils football team, which finished as state runners-up to Clarke Central. Taylor presented the award.

Seward said the team was an “example of true grit of Tift County football.” He said the coaches loved the team, but “I’m sure [the players] didn’t interpret it as love at that time.”

The other team induction was for the state champion 1996 softball team.

Head coach Nancy Anderson Mark spoke on behalf of the team, the fifth of hers to be inducted (the state champions of 1987-90 were inducted as a single group in 2014).

“It gets better every time I come,” said Mark.

Mark said she mellowed with the 1996 team.

“They changed me,” she said. “I was caught smiling and even laughing by their humor.”

“These ladies have grown to outstanding young women,” said Mark.

After each team’s speech, individual members of the squads were invited on stage and presented plaques.

Flynt aided the Tift County sports programs for 24 years, volunteering to help paint the field as well as “performing many other duties,” according to his biography.

Seward also accepted the award for Flynt.

“Everybody loved Ollie,” said Seward. “A great friend to the coaching staff and a great friend to me.”

“He would have loved this award.”