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 The fifth year inductee, the great former Head Football Coach Stuart Holcombe, will be enshrined Friday night at halftime of the Riverside game into the Greer High Ring of Honor. The Greer High School Athletic Ring of Honor is the highest honor an athlete or coach can receive. Established in 2003 the Ring has ten members. They inaugural class was Murray Hall, Jim Cox, Steve Greer, Steve Brown, and Phil Clark. They were followed by Steve Woodward, Luther Glenn, June Pruitt, Butch Miller, Jim Few, and Stuart Holcombe. Only one former Yellow Jacket standout will be inducted each year into the Ring. The best of the best is selected each year by a committee and approved by the Principal. This is the "highest honor a Greer High athelete or coach can achieve", says the guidelines for the award to be given annually at halftime of the last regular season home game each football season. Committee member Robbie Gravley stated that "We wanted to do something to regognize the very best of the best. The people that bring honor & dignity to Greer High athletics will achieve this award." Gravley noted that after the five initial nominees in 2003, that only one per year thereafter will become part of the "Ring". "That will be the hard part...limiting it to one person each year." He also noted that the initial class was composed of people that were at Greer all prior to 1965. "There were a lot of names that come up, all of them worthy, of people that played or coached in the 70's through the 90's. We felt like the first few classes need to be folks from the history of Greer athletics. Coach Holcombe is one of the all-time Greer success stories and a huge compliment to The Ring of Honor." The first few honorees are tied primarily to football, with the exception of Brown. Future Ring of Honor inductees will be selected by a special committee in the month of October, and approved by the Principal. There is a summary of some career highlights of each member below. Congratulations these greats who helped build the rich heritage of the Greer Yellow Jackets!  INTRODUCING THIS YEAR'S INDUCTEE:  STEVE GIBBS, Class on 1974 This year’s inductee is the great Steve Gibbs. Inducted into the Ring: 2010 Steve Brown, Class of 1958  Steve Brown, Class of 1958- Steve played basketball, baseball, & track, was one of the most prolific basketball players in the history of Greer High. His Greer High teams played for the State Championship two years in , and he was the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1958. As a point guard, Steve averaged more than 25 points per game in his Greer career. He was captain of the All-County team in 1957, and that same year was named MVP of the North-South Basketball game. He also played baseball for 4 years, as a pitcher & 3rd baseman. Played 3rd base on the Greer American Legion team that won State & Sectional Championships, and played in the American Legion World Series in 1957. He recieved a basketball scholarship at the University of South Carolina. After his Greer career, he was involved in the Southern Textile Basketball Tournament, where he serves on the Executive Board. Steve is also a member of the Southern Textile basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Phil Clark  Coach Clark came to Greer High in 1950 as a football, basketball, & baseball coach. He became Head Football Coach in 1952 & would coach the Jackets for 18 years, as his teams won 132 games. They won 29 of those in ’55 & ’56 & his ’56 team was declared as the consensus State Champions. He was the South Carolina High School Coach of the Year in 1963, & was Head Coach in both the North-South and Shrine Bowl All-Star games. His Greer teams won three times, the Anthon Foy Sportsmanship Trophy, and the 1996 North-South All Star game was dedicated in his honor. An active member in the Greenville Touchdown Club for 25 years, Coach Clark helped establish the Greer Area Touchdown Club in 1990, & he was instrumental in gaining support for the building of Dooley Field. The Greer TouchdownClub honored Coach Clark by naming the “lifetime achievement award” in his honor. He is also a member of the South Carolina Coaches Hall of Fame. Jim Cox, Class of 1950  Jim played football, basketball, & baseball at Greer High, and from all accounts, was truly on of the greatest ever to wear the black & gold. He was Most Valuable Player his senior year, as he was named to the All-State Football team, & to the Shrine Bowl game in 1949. Jim was named Co-Captain of the 1950 North-South All-Star team. He went on to play football for the Atlantic Fleet in 1954. He also played baseball at Greer for four years. His senior year he played in the North Carolina-South Carolina All-Star baseball game. He went on to play American Legion & then professional baseball, and also was a star on many textile ball teams.  Greer High has been blessed with many outstanding players & coaches in its 88 years of football. Jim Few is one of the greatest. After graduating from Mars Hill College, and receiving his Masters from Gardner Webb, Coach Few came to Greer High School in 1965 as an assistant football coach to Coach Phil Clark. He became Head Coach in 1970 and would lead the Yellow Jackets on the sidelines for the next 17 years. In his time at Greer, he also was the Greer High varsity baseball coach for 10 years, from 1965- 1975, leading the Jackets to two conference baseball titles. In his last 10 years at Greer High, Coach Few served as the school’s Athletic Director. His Greer High football teams were known for their toughness and intensity. His teams complied an overall record at Greer of 119-67-1.They won conference championships three times, including a Region 2, 4A championship in 1975 with a perfect 10-0 regular season. His 1978 team reached the 3A Upper State Finals. After leaving Greer in 1987, he coached at Broome High School for 4 years, leading the new school to a Peach Blossom Conference championship in 1989. Coach Few was one of a handful of individuals responsible for the building of Dooley Field. He not only raised money, but helped secure plans and a lot of the behind the scenes work including bringing his football team out to lay sod on the field before it would open later that year. A member of the South Carolina Coaches Association, he was President of that organization twice, the first time in 1979-80 and again in 1985-86. He was President of the Peach Blossom Conference twice as well, in 1979-80 and again in 1982-83. He has also served as a national delegate to represent South Carolina at the National Coaches Association meeting. Coach Few was an assistant coach in the Shrine Bowl in 1983, and later served as the Head Coach of the North-South All Star Game in 1986. Coach Few says that coaching “was an honor”, and he “is proud of all the fine young men that have gone on to be good citizens.” He says “football is a game that can teach many life lessons, and is grateful for the chance to teach and work with so many great people.” Coach Few lives in Spartanburg with his wife Elsie. They have one daughter, Marion Coggins. Luther Glenn, Class of 1946  Luther Glenn was one of the greatest of all time at Greer High School. He played football, baseball, and basketball for three years from 1944 to 1946, lettering in all three sports while playing for the legendary coach Walt Pinson. In the day when statistics were not routinely kept, Luther Glenn was still recognized as a standout as a running back on offense and a halfback on defense. His 1945 team went undefeated, thus beginning the winning Greer tradition, and in 1946, where he was Co-Captain, the team only lost once. In the 1945 season, the Yellow Jackets didn’t give up a point all season long until Belton scored in the second quarter. The Jackets came back to defeat Belton in that game, and Union the next week to cap the perfect season. Luther was named team's Most Valuable Player. His memory of playing for Coach Pinson was the excellence he expected from everyone. Luther says, "He was our Sunday School teacher, our Scoutmaster, & he was like a father to us. But "you’d better gosh-darn be alert”, when it was your time to make a play”. Luther says he & his teammates played simply for the “love of the game”. Luther was a member of the Glee Club, the Band, and the Greer High Times, among other activities. A member of the Class of 1946, Luther Glenn truly helped establish the Greer Yellow Jackets as a force to be reckoned with and the Yellow Jacket winning tradition. Steve Greer, Class of 1965  Steve has commonly been referred to as perhaps the greatest lineman in Greer history. He is a two time winner of the South Carolina Class AA Lineman of the Year. In 1964 & ’65 he was named to the Shrine Bowl & North-South All-Star football games, where he was named Most Valuable Lineman in both games. In 1965, he was named a High School All-American. Steve went on to the University of Georgia, where he played in three bowl games, including the1968 Sugar Bowl as SEC Champions. In 1969, he was named first team SEC defensive line, was named All-American, won the Atlanta Touchdown Club award for Most Valuable Lineman in the SEC, and was named permanent team captain of the Georgia Bulldogs. He has coached at Georgia since 1970, except for a six year stint Auburn from ’72-’78. He was Defensive Ends Coach & Recruiting Coordinator for the 1980 Georgia team that won the National Championship. Since 1996, he has served as the Recruiting Coordinator & Director of Football Operations at the University of Georgia. Murray Hall, Class of 1957  When you talk about a tough running back, Murray Hall is a name you will always hear. He played football, baseball, & basketball at Greer. Murray played on the 1956 Greer High State Championship football team, In 1957 he was named All-County, & All-State, and was also named to the Shrine Bowl game, where he was selected as Co-Captain of the team. He was named as the Upstate’s most valuable football player. Murray was named as a Wigwam Weismen All-American to the first team, honoring him as one of the top 4 running backs in America. In basketball he was a starter, playing for the State Championship twice. As a baseball player, he was named All-Conference, with a career batting average of .425. After high school, he signed a pro contract with the Chicago Cubs, playing with triple A San Antonio.  Butch Miller is one of the greatest multi-sport athletes in Greer High School history. From 1954 through 1956, Butch played football, basketball, and baseball. In football Butch played center for Coach Phil Clark’s Yellow Jackets, helping lead the Jackets to an 11-1 record his senior season. That year Greer defeated the likes of Easley, Gaffney, Hendersonville, Laurens, Clinton, Byrnes, and Union. Then in the season finale, Butch and the Jackets knocked off then-powerhouse Greenville at Sirrine Stadium in what many people call one of the greatest ever Yellow Jacket games. That team set the table for the next season’s undefeated State Championship run. For his exceptional performance, Butch was selected to the Shrine Bowl football team that year, and was named to the All-State football team. In basketball, Butch Miller played for the remarkable Coach Eddis Freeman. He played point guard on the 1955 and 1956 back-to-back State Championship teams. Butch averaged in double figures in both points and assists those years. The 1956 team defeated Camden for the State Title, then went on to win the first ever Tournament of Champions held in Charleston, and there beat highly regarded Bishop England for the championship and post an overall record of 22-2. Butch also played baseball for Coach Phil Clark for three seasons as an outstanding outfielder for the Jackets. Butch says his highlights from those years are “playing for the love of the game with great friends, and for the pride of our community”, and “playing for two outstanding Head Coaches in Coach Clark and Coach Freeman.” He notes that beating Greenville at Sirrine Stadium to cap an 11-1 season, and the back-to-back basketball championships were a great thrill. A lifelong resident of Greer, Butch is married to Sonja Miller and they have two sons, Chris and Todd, and have two grandchildren.  This year’s selection is one of the greatest and most successful coaches in Greer High sports history, Coach Stuart Holcombe. His high school coaching career began at Coach Holcombe is a 1975 graduate of The Citadel. He has been married for 32 years to Jamie Hicks Holcombe, and they have to sons, Matt and Wes. CONGRATULATIONS COACH HOLCOMBE!  General Joshua "June" Pruitt, Jr. played football, basketball, & baseball for the Greer Yellow Jackets, and though there are not many records that remain, June Pruitt's legendary career at Greer remain strong. His first Yellow Jacket teams played football at Victor Park before the "new" Greer High Stadium was opened downtown in 1938. On that night it was June Pruitt who scored the first touchdown in the new stadium in a game against Seneca in front of over 2000 fans. After serving in the Army in World War II, June was recruited to Clemson by Coach Frank Howard. He played wing back for the Tigers, and also played on the basketball team coached by Banks McFadden. He led the state in scoring while there earning the SC Coaches All Star team for three straight years. He played baseball as well for the Tigers, lettering in all three sports. One interesting fact is that June was a member of the "Tiger Mibs" the Clemson marbles team that was coached by Frank Howard. He was known for his "bust" shot, which according to sports writers, had "no equal in the nation"! The players "had all been skilled in the "Howard Shot", which consisted of placing tobacco juice on all the marbles to get full benefit of any deflections caused by bank shots." (from The Tiger paper, Apr. 1947) June was a family man, a tireless worker, and a member of Victor Baptist Church. He became an excellent golfer, and was elected to serve on the Greer City Council in 1969. After a lengthy illness, he passed away in 1972. June Pruitt was and is a true Greer Yellow Jacket legend! Steve Woodward, Class of 1965  Steve Woodward is another of the greatest Yellow Jackets. Steve lettered in football, track & baseball for four years, but excelled on the gridiron. He played on several great Greer teams. As a running back, he was named "All-State" both his junior and senior years. His junior season, he was named "South Carolina State Back of the Year", and his senoir season he played in the Shrine Bowl. He went on to an illustrious playing career at the University of Georgia, where his versatilty allowed him to play not only running back, but wide reciever, free safety, and return kicks. The Bulldogs won two SEC championships, and Steve played in the Liberty, Cotton, and Sugar Bowl games. He then returned to Greer High where he coached for 34 years. In his time at Greer, he has coached tennis, track,wrestling, & football. His 1978 wrestling team went undefeated & won the State Championship. As football defensive coordinator, he presided over numerous great Yellow Jacket defenses. The 1994 team recorded 9 shutouts on their way to a State Championship. The Jackets also won the State title in 1989, and in Coach Woodward's final season in 2003. In all, he coached at Greer during 289 football wins and the three State Championsships. At this writing, he currently serves as Athletic Director for the 10th year. He assists in fielding 34 teams involving hundreds of students. | Greer Football Since 1921 | Playoff History,Versus the Opposition and Coaches | Greer High Hall of Fame | The Greer High Booster Club | Greer High Ring of Honor | | Return Home | Yellow Jacket Sports Network | History, Hall of Fame, & More | Great Links | Contact Us | Region III AAA Conference | GHS Basketball | Greer Yellow Jacket Football | Audio and Video Page | |
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