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The Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2025.
The Class of 2025 is headlined by Tim O'Neal, the Savannah native and professional golfer who grinded his way through mini tours for years before joining the PGA Champions Tour where he broke through for his biggest career victory in October.
Baseball coach Kevin Farmer and Mark Stroud, who stepped down as the Calvary Day football coach after last season, are set to be honored as Citation honorees.
The GSAHF also honors a group of high school athletes each year. This year's list is led by New Hampstead senior Ra'Shawn Truell , who was named the Lawton M. Calhoun Award winner as the Overall High School Athlete of the year, and UGA enrollee Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian, who was named the Football Player of the Year.
The banquet will be Monday night, May 5 at the Alee Shriners Temple on 100 Eisenberg Drive in Savannah. Tickets are $50 per person. For tickets or table reservations, contact GSAHOF President Frank Hardeman by phone at (912) 691-2888 or email at [email protected].
The Johnson High graduate won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the PGA Champions Tour in October of 2024. He had five Top 10 finishes in his first 54 events on the senior circuit. Currently 25th on the 2025 Schwab Cup Points list with $165,046 in earnings. Joined the Champions Tour in 2023 and has won $1,439,261 as of March 17, 2025. O'Neal, 52, has won seven professional events on four continents — North America, Europe, Africa and South America.
O'Neal won the 2018 Georgia Open in Richmond Hill at The Ford Field & River Club and was the winner of the 1997 Georgia Amateur in Macon at Idle Hour GC. O'Neal won the 1998 Lawton M. Calhoun Award from the GSAHOF.
The Savannah High School alum played on the Blue Jacket team that won the 1965 Region 2-3A football championship as he rushed for more than 1,500 yards and scored 78 points — winning Player of the Week honors twice. Harley won the Savannah Quarterback Club’s Back of the Year Award. He was selected to the Georgia South All-Star team and was the leading rusher with 154 yards in the 1966 game in Atlanta. He played for Scott Junior College in Kansas and earned honorable mention honors in the Jayhawk Conference. He played on the team's conference championship squad in 1966, rushing for 799 yards. Harley was recruited to Florida State before injuries ended his career.
A star defensive tackle for Savannah High School in his prep days, Hendricks was a notable starter on the 1965 region championship team that posted a 10-0 regular season record. He played on the offensive and defensive lines his junior season and was a multi-time winner of the Savannah Gridiron Club’s Player of the Week award.
As standout on the 1972 Missouri Southern State University football team, which won the NAIA Division II National Championship. He was named to the All-District NAIA team. Hendricks played and coached for six years with the Savannah Indians of the Carolina semi-pro League. He was selected as All-South Carolina and All-Dixie League Teams in 1968 and 1969.
Weeks lettered in football, basketball, and baseball at Savannah High School. He earned All-City honors in football and basketball and runner-up for the Ashley Dearing Award in 1968. Weeks played baseball at Clemson University from 1968-1972 and was a first team All-ACC in 1972. He played all positions except for pitcher with the Tigers and had a team-high batting average of .354 in 1969. Weeks also played defensive back for the freshman football team at Clemson.
Farmer was the head baseball coach of four GHSA state championship teams. He won a pair of state crowns at Calvary Day in 2005 and 2007 and went on to lead his alma mater of Benedictine Military School to state titles in 2014 and 2018. His teams finished as state runner-up at at Calvary in 2006 and at BC in 2021.
In 21 seasons as a head coach from 2002 to 2023, Farmer compiled a career record of 517-157-2. More than 35 of his players have played at the college level and four have played professionally. A 1992 graduate of Benedictine, Farmer was the recipient of the GHSA Award of Excellence for his exemplary display of sportsmanship, ethics and integrity.
Stroud was a head football coach for 32 Years in GHSA from 1992-2024. He is 20th on the all-time win list with a record of 273-111, while leading his teams to 11 region titles. His total of 273 wins was fourth among active coaches when he retired, as the winningest coach who has coached in the Savannah Area. Stroud posted a record of 139-42 in 15 seasons at Calvary Day School and took the Cavaliers to the GHSA Finals in 2013, and to the semifinals in 2014, 2020 and 2023.
The late Victor B. Jenkins founded the Jefferson Athletic Club for boys. The club was later known as the Jenkins Boys Club, then in 2015 adopted its current name of the Jenkins Athletic Club to better represent its purpose as a youth athletics center for both girls and boys. The club says, “our mission remains the same: to provide safe and accessible athletic facilities and youth programs for the girls and boys of Savannah.”
Truell set the GHSA state record for yards passing in a game in 2024 when he racked up 635 yards and six scoring passes in a loss to Perry. In nine games, he completed 59% of his passes for 3,032 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions and ran for 126 yards and four more scores. The Region 1-4A Player of the Year led the state in yards passing across all classifications in the regular season. Truell is also a standout basketball player for the Phoenix, reached 1,000 point career milestone this season and was a first-team All-Region 1-4A pick in hoops after averaging .
Ludwig earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors and was the Region 3-4A Player of the Year as a junior. He hit .412 with an OPS of 1.130, and had seven doubles, four triples, two homers, 16 stolen bases and 39 runs with 25 RBI. He also had a 6-1 record with an ERA of 1.02, and struck out 90 batters in 52 1/3 innings. He has signed to play at Davidson.
Reached the 2,000 point milestone for career and led the state in scoring across all classifications with 31.7 points per game as a senior, when he also averaged 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Jones was named the Region Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
The senior reached the 1,500-point career milestone this year. She averaged 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.3 assists per game. Gooddine has signed with Allen University. She was the Region Co-Player of Year as a junior and an All-Region first-team selection as a senior.
The star defensive lineman signed with Georgia. He was named the Region 3A Division I Defensive Player of the Year and the Class A-3A State Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The 5-star prospect was ranked as the top defensive lineman in the country. The UGA early enrollee was also named the Bobby Dodd National Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. He had 53 tackles, including 20 for losses, with 8.5 sacks this season, and had 301 tackles, with 96 for losses, and 44 sacks in his high school career.
Walsh reached 100-goal milestone as a junior when she scored 33 goals with 14 assists. She was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick in soccer last season and an All-Greater Savannah pick in flag football this year. She has signed to play soccer with Radford College.
Narvaez was named the Region 3-4A Player of the Year after helping lead the Sharks to the region crown and to the second round of the playoffs as a junior. He had 18 goals and 18 assists on the season.
Austin anchored the Raider pitching staff as she posted a 2.18 ERA with a 15-13 record for a team that was a win away from reaching the Class A-3A Private School Final Four in the fall of 2024. She also hit .388 with a .903 OPS with 26 RBIs, 14 runs and 12 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-Region 3A Division I pick and was named the team’s MVP.
The University of Alabama signee had a stellar senior campaign for the Raiders. She was named the Area 3A Division I Player of the Year, while earning All-State honors. She had 353 kills, averaging 4.2 per set, and had 47 aces, 177 digs, 22 blocks and 256 serves received with a hitting percentage of .401 and a kill percentage of .495. She was a Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association All-State first-team selection.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Golfer Tim O'Neal headlines Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame's Class
Continue reading...
The Class of 2025 is headlined by Tim O'Neal, the Savannah native and professional golfer who grinded his way through mini tours for years before joining the PGA Champions Tour where he broke through for his biggest career victory in October.
Baseball coach Kevin Farmer and Mark Stroud, who stepped down as the Calvary Day football coach after last season, are set to be honored as Citation honorees.
The GSAHF also honors a group of high school athletes each year. This year's list is led by New Hampstead senior Ra'Shawn Truell , who was named the Lawton M. Calhoun Award winner as the Overall High School Athlete of the year, and UGA enrollee Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian, who was named the Football Player of the Year.
The banquet will be Monday night, May 5 at the Alee Shriners Temple on 100 Eisenberg Drive in Savannah. Tickets are $50 per person. For tickets or table reservations, contact GSAHOF President Frank Hardeman by phone at (912) 691-2888 or email at [email protected].
The GSAHF Class of 2025
Athletes
Tim O’Neal
The Johnson High graduate won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the PGA Champions Tour in October of 2024. He had five Top 10 finishes in his first 54 events on the senior circuit. Currently 25th on the 2025 Schwab Cup Points list with $165,046 in earnings. Joined the Champions Tour in 2023 and has won $1,439,261 as of March 17, 2025. O'Neal, 52, has won seven professional events on four continents — North America, Europe, Africa and South America.
O'Neal won the 2018 Georgia Open in Richmond Hill at The Ford Field & River Club and was the winner of the 1997 Georgia Amateur in Macon at Idle Hour GC. O'Neal won the 1998 Lawton M. Calhoun Award from the GSAHOF.
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Harry Harley
The Savannah High School alum played on the Blue Jacket team that won the 1965 Region 2-3A football championship as he rushed for more than 1,500 yards and scored 78 points — winning Player of the Week honors twice. Harley won the Savannah Quarterback Club’s Back of the Year Award. He was selected to the Georgia South All-Star team and was the leading rusher with 154 yards in the 1966 game in Atlanta. He played for Scott Junior College in Kansas and earned honorable mention honors in the Jayhawk Conference. He played on the team's conference championship squad in 1966, rushing for 799 yards. Harley was recruited to Florida State before injuries ended his career.
Charlie Hendricks
A star defensive tackle for Savannah High School in his prep days, Hendricks was a notable starter on the 1965 region championship team that posted a 10-0 regular season record. He played on the offensive and defensive lines his junior season and was a multi-time winner of the Savannah Gridiron Club’s Player of the Week award.
As standout on the 1972 Missouri Southern State University football team, which won the NAIA Division II National Championship. He was named to the All-District NAIA team. Hendricks played and coached for six years with the Savannah Indians of the Carolina semi-pro League. He was selected as All-South Carolina and All-Dixie League Teams in 1968 and 1969.
Calvin Weeks
Weeks lettered in football, basketball, and baseball at Savannah High School. He earned All-City honors in football and basketball and runner-up for the Ashley Dearing Award in 1968. Weeks played baseball at Clemson University from 1968-1972 and was a first team All-ACC in 1972. He played all positions except for pitcher with the Tigers and had a team-high batting average of .354 in 1969. Weeks also played defensive back for the freshman football team at Clemson.
Citation honorees
Kevin Farmer
Farmer was the head baseball coach of four GHSA state championship teams. He won a pair of state crowns at Calvary Day in 2005 and 2007 and went on to lead his alma mater of Benedictine Military School to state titles in 2014 and 2018. His teams finished as state runner-up at at Calvary in 2006 and at BC in 2021.
In 21 seasons as a head coach from 2002 to 2023, Farmer compiled a career record of 517-157-2. More than 35 of his players have played at the college level and four have played professionally. A 1992 graduate of Benedictine, Farmer was the recipient of the GHSA Award of Excellence for his exemplary display of sportsmanship, ethics and integrity.
Mark Stroud
Stroud was a head football coach for 32 Years in GHSA from 1992-2024. He is 20th on the all-time win list with a record of 273-111, while leading his teams to 11 region titles. His total of 273 wins was fourth among active coaches when he retired, as the winningest coach who has coached in the Savannah Area. Stroud posted a record of 139-42 in 15 seasons at Calvary Day School and took the Cavaliers to the GHSA Finals in 2013, and to the semifinals in 2014, 2020 and 2023.
M.A. Spellman Award
Jenkins Athletic Club
The late Victor B. Jenkins founded the Jefferson Athletic Club for boys. The club was later known as the Jenkins Boys Club, then in 2015 adopted its current name of the Jenkins Athletic Club to better represent its purpose as a youth athletics center for both girls and boys. The club says, “our mission remains the same: to provide safe and accessible athletic facilities and youth programs for the girls and boys of Savannah.”
High School Players to be honored (but not inducted)
Lawton M. Calhoun Award (Overall Athlete of the Year)
Ra’Shawn Truell, New Hampstead, senior
Truell set the GHSA state record for yards passing in a game in 2024 when he racked up 635 yards and six scoring passes in a loss to Perry. In nine games, he completed 59% of his passes for 3,032 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions and ran for 126 yards and four more scores. The Region 1-4A Player of the Year led the state in yards passing across all classifications in the regular season. Truell is also a standout basketball player for the Phoenix, reached 1,000 point career milestone this season and was a first-team All-Region 1-4A pick in hoops after averaging .
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Baseball
Landon Ludwig, Benedictine, senior
Ludwig earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors and was the Region 3-4A Player of the Year as a junior. He hit .412 with an OPS of 1.130, and had seven doubles, four triples, two homers, 16 stolen bases and 39 runs with 25 RBI. He also had a 6-1 record with an ERA of 1.02, and struck out 90 batters in 52 1/3 innings. He has signed to play at Davidson.
Boys Basketball
Caleb Jones, Benedictine
Reached the 2,000 point milestone for career and led the state in scoring across all classifications with 31.7 points per game as a senior, when he also averaged 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Jones was named the Region Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
Girls Basketball
Destini Gooddine, Calvary Day
The senior reached the 1,500-point career milestone this year. She averaged 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.3 assists per game. Gooddine has signed with Allen University. She was the Region Co-Player of Year as a junior and an All-Region first-team selection as a senior.
Football
Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian, senior
The star defensive lineman signed with Georgia. He was named the Region 3A Division I Defensive Player of the Year and the Class A-3A State Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The 5-star prospect was ranked as the top defensive lineman in the country. The UGA early enrollee was also named the Bobby Dodd National Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. He had 53 tackles, including 20 for losses, with 8.5 sacks this season, and had 301 tackles, with 96 for losses, and 44 sacks in his high school career.
Girls Soccer
Abby Walsh, Calvary Day, senior
Walsh reached 100-goal milestone as a junior when she scored 33 goals with 14 assists. She was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick in soccer last season and an All-Greater Savannah pick in flag football this year. She has signed to play soccer with Radford College.
Boys Soccer
Evan Narvaez, Islands, senior
Narvaez was named the Region 3-4A Player of the Year after helping lead the Sharks to the region crown and to the second round of the playoffs as a junior. He had 18 goals and 18 assists on the season.
Softball
Jillian Austin, Savannah Christian, junior
Austin anchored the Raider pitching staff as she posted a 2.18 ERA with a 15-13 record for a team that was a win away from reaching the Class A-3A Private School Final Four in the fall of 2024. She also hit .388 with a .903 OPS with 26 RBIs, 14 runs and 12 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-Region 3A Division I pick and was named the team’s MVP.
Volleyball
Maggie Kyriakides, Savannah Christian, senior
The University of Alabama signee had a stellar senior campaign for the Raiders. She was named the Area 3A Division I Player of the Year, while earning All-State honors. She had 353 kills, averaging 4.2 per set, and had 47 aces, 177 digs, 22 blocks and 256 serves received with a hitting percentage of .401 and a kill percentage of .495. She was a Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association All-State first-team selection.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Golfer Tim O'Neal headlines Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame's Class
Continue reading...
