|
 NFHS inducts 2009 class into its Hall of Fame
By Michael J. Pallerino
During her four years at St. Andrews Parrish High School in Charleston, N.C., Katrina McClain could have been described as unstoppable. In fact, many who saw her play will attest to just that. McClain is one of the athletes being inducted in the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame in July.
The ceremonies will be held at the San Diego Marriott and Marina in San Diego. The 28th Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of the 91st annual NFHS Summer Meeting.
Along with McClain, the other basketball inductee of note is long-time coach Ed Pepple of Mercer Island High School in Washington. Following is snapshot of McClain and Pepple.
The scoring machine
From 1979-83, McClain was one of the top basketball players in the country. Playing for St. Andrews Parrish High School in Charleston, S.C., as a senior, she helped her team to a 30-0 mark and the Class AAA South Carolina High School League championship.
During the year, she averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. During her four years at St. Andrews, McClain racked up 2,344 points and grabbed 1,377 rebounds. She was named all-state twice as well as garnered a Parade All-American spot as a senior.
Following her high school career, she attended the University of Georgia, where she helped the Lady Bulldgos to a four-year mark of 116-15, two Southeastern Conference titles, four NCAA playoff berths and one Final Four in 1985. During her collegiate career, she set a number of Georgia records, including a stellar 24.9 PPG. She was named National Player of the Year in 1987.
After college, McClain played on 11 U.S. national teams, including three Olympic teams. She helped the U.S. women’s basketball team win two Olympic Gold medals and a Bronze, two Gold medals and one Bronze in the World Championships, and one Gold and one Bronze in the Pan American Games. She played overseas for nine years, ending her career with the Atlanta Glory of the American Basketball League. Today, she heads the Katrina McClain Foundation in Charleston, which assists at-risk youths.
The coach’s coach
When Ed Pepple decided to retire after a phenomenal 42-year career at Mercer High School, the legacy he left behind was hard to ignore: 882 wins, four state championships, three second-place finishes and 23 league championships.
If you add the six years he spent at Fife and Longview Mark Morris high schools at the start of his career, Pepple’s overall 48-year record was 952-306. He is the winningest coach in Washington history and ranks No. 11 nationally, according to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book.
Along with his NFHS honor, Pepple has been inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) Hall of Fame, Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) Hall of Fame, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame and the Puget Sound Hall of Fame. One of the founders of the WIBCA, he has been named state coach of the year on numerous occasions, including the NHSACA National Coach of the Year in 1998. In 1997, the National Association of Basketball Coaches selected Pepple as “Coach of the Year.” |
