South Harrison Football Ron Fisher Tribute

senior night 2010St. Mary’S (4-2) vs. South harriSon (3-4)

oct. 22, 2010 | gary Barnette Field | lost creek, WV

rEMEMBErinG a LEGEnDHonoring those he cared for

he was a very deep, very spiritual person.

to him, it was his wife, his kids, then South

harrison football. that’s how he lived his

life, and he enjoyed every minute of it.”

– Brad Jett, South Harrison head football coach

“

ronaLD’Fish’ FiShEr 1941 – 2010

contentsSt. Mary’S (4-2) vs. South harriSon (3-4) oct. 22, 2010 | gary Barnette Field | lost creek, WV

3 - NEVER FORGET FISH A look inside the life of Ron ‘Fish’ Fisher, the ‘Voice of the Hawks’ for 34 years.7 - FaREwEll, SENIORS South Harrison Football’s 2010 Senior Class looks back on their times as a Hawk.

he was a very deep, very spiritual person.

to him, it was his wife, his kids, then South

harrison football. that’s how he lived his

life, and he enjoyed every minute of it.”

– Brad Jett, South Harrison head football coach

ronaLD’Fish’ FiShEr 1941 – 2010

Gawthrop MEDia GuiDESRT. 5 bOx 732b | claRkSbuRG, w.Va. | [email protected] & writing: Brian gawthropSpecial Thanks: Bob kester, Brad Jett, Joy Belt, Janine gawthrop, sam santilli Photography

‘Never forget fish’

‘Never forget fish’r o n F i S h E r | 1 9 4 1 - 2 0 1 0

“he has touched so many lives – not only the kids who have played ball at south harrison, but the people who came to games and all the people he worked with. he has probably touched more people’s lives than anyone in our community.”

– Bob kesterNo matter where you were, no matter what you were doing, the voice

stopped you.“Good evening friends and neighbors,” you heard, echoing off the hills

and throughout every creak and crevice of Gary Barnette Field. It was game time – the voice said so. That recognizable phrase was how every game at South Harrison High

School had started since 1976, a span of 34 years and over 150 games. The voice was unique compared to other schools. Always energetic,

always welcoming. It always seemed to be at its best on cold October nights against long-time rivals. On those nights, no matter how familiar you might have become with the sounds, the chills that ran down your spine were never irresistible.

In a program where the names on the back of the orange and black jerseys changed every year, through the good seasons and the bad ones, the voice remained constant.

It was historic. It felt like home.It was the voice of Ron Fisher, better known to those who knew him

best as ‘Fish’. To those both inside and out of the South Harrison family, he was ‘The

Voice of the Hawks.’

‘COACH FISH’It had little to do with football, yet it was a moment Bob Kester will

never forget. It was 1992 and Kester was the head coach of the South Harrison Pop

Warner Football team. His assistant coach was his best friend. But Ron Fisher, who joined Kester on the staff 17 years earlier, wasn’t the typical football coach.

He, as Kester described, was “special.”“He always had a habit of joking around with the kids,” Kester said of

Fisher. “He’d always pull pranks on anyone on the team whenever he got the chance.”

But on that afternoon, Fisher got a taste of his own medicine. The Hawks had just wrapped up one of their final practices in prepara-

tion of playing a bowl game in North Carolina. Fisher, with a bag full of footballs resting on his shoulders, stopped to talk to a parent on his way off the field.

Players Chad Short and Jonathan Southern snuck up behind Fisher and...

“They pulled his pants down. Underwear and everything,” Kester said. “I think that was the only time in my life I’ve seen him speechless.”

It was that kind of bond that Fisher brought to the team as a coach. It was a family atmosphere with Kester and Fisher leading the way. The team prayed before every game and every practice. The coaches wanted to do it the right way.

“We tried to make the kids more than football players,” Kester said. “We wanted to prepare them for life and give them a road to start on.

“Wins and losses, no one ever remembers those. But you can always see what kind of person a former player is now, and that’s what (Fisher) and I enjoyed most.”

The philosophy isn’t surprising considering where the partnership all began. The pair first met during a 1974 church service. While chatting, Fisher mentioned to Kester his football playing days in his hometown of Honea Path, S.C.

The rest was history.“He was someone who would put his arm around a kid and explain to

him what he did wrong,” Kester said. “He was really instructional, and he really cared.”

Current South Harrison head football coach Brad Jett was the school’s 7th, 8th, and 9th grade coach at the time and often attended games that Kester and Fisher coached to scout up-and-coming players.

“When I got kids from Fish and Bobby, I knew they were ready to go,” Jett said. “I knew when kids came from their program, they were more prepared than anyone in the county.”

S o u t h h a r r i S o n h aw K S | G a M E D ay E D i t i o n

S o u t h h a r r i S o n v S . S t. M a r y S | o c t o B E r , 2 2 , 2 0 1 0

The 1993 season was the last season Kester and Fisher coached Pop Warner football togeth-er as both moved on to help South Harrison Middle School until 1995.

Their friendship, however, never ended.

‘A BOND FROM THE BEGINNING’Shortly after Kester and Fisher first united, the

two paired up again in 1976 – this time in the press box at SHHS home football games. Then head coach Gary Barnette asked Kester to oper-ate the game clock and Fisher to announce.

Every game was an adventure alongside Fisher, Kester said. At least once a game, it seemed, the pair would enter a session of uncontrollable laughter.

Fisher would always make clever jokes about his friend over the loud speaker. One time, while Kester was complaining about a referee’s call, Fisher purposely left the microphone on, allowing everyone in attendance to hear Kester’s opinions.

“The refs called timeout and came running over to me,” Jett said. “They said ‘Coach, if you don’t calm them down, we will.’ I told them to go right ahead, because I wasn’t going to be able to calm them down.”

The two were inseparable, and so were their families. There wasn’t a day that went by, Kester said, that the two families didn’t interact in one way or another.

Kester’s wife, Sheri, and Fisher’s wife, Maggie,

became great friends, as did their children.It was, as Kester said, “a bond from the begin-

ning.”

LEGEND ON THE MIKEJett was just a few months away from

graduating from Liberty High School in the fall of 1977. But come Saturday afternoons, Jett and his group of friends could always be found at South Harrison High School.

It was the voice of Fisher that attracted them.“We would all hop in the car and go to the

South Harrison game just to listen to him,” Jett said. “It was just so different than what we were used to. It was just nice to come, listen to him, and enjoy a game.”

It was his “southern charm,” Jett said made Fisher the most unique high school football announcer in the area. From his trademark phrases to his perfectly timed jokes, it was always a treat to watch a game at Gary Barnette Field.

“When he was on that microphone, every-body could tell he was true Orange and Black all the way. He was one of us,” Kester said. “Games at South Harrison was like a family gathering.”

But Fisher was also a part of creating the at-mosphere at South Harrison that always made it hard for visiting teams.

Tyler Consolidated head coach Rob Caldwell once asked Jett to please quiet Fisher. Why? While in his team’s pregame huddle, Caldwell couldn’t stop laughing while listening to Fisher over the loudspeaker.

A former coach in Harrison County tried ev-erything he could so his team wouldn’t have to visit Gary Barnette Field. The coach knew he’d be the butt of the jokes Fisher supplied.

“If he thought you were listening, look out,” Jett said. “Some people didn’t always under-stand, but anything he said about you was



“So, to borrow a phrase from Fish, ‘Welcome friends and neighbors.’ We may have lost his voice, but we will never lose his spirit.”

— Frank tate, sh assistant coachPregame vs. gilmer county

september 3, 2010

“Fish” and wife Maggie, married for 21 years, at a south harrison football game.

never anything personal.”Sometimes, Fisher’s target would be Jett

himself. It came with the territory, the coach said. But little did Fisher know that late in games in which the Hawks held a large lead, he was on the mind of Jett.

“I’d just take off my headset and listen to him,” Jett said.

Just like those fall afternoons in 1977.

ALL FOR THE KIDSNo matter who one asks, the answer would

always be the same – everything Fisher did for the West Milford and Lost Creek communities was for the kids at South Harrison High School.

“He loved those kids,” Kester said. “He cared about them more than anybody. He believed in all of them. And if he ever got a chance to help a kid, he didn’t care what he had to do or who

he might offend doing it, he was going to get them help.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Fisher and his wife Maggie to invite players over to their house for breakfast, give kids rides to places they never would’ve been able to reach or, at the very least, put a much-needed smile on a kid’s face who thought times may not get any better.

Yet, both Kester and Jett agree that his great-est contributions often went unnoticed.

“We get kids who come from broken homes,” Jett said. “And he tried his best to always do something about it.”Whenever a player couldn’t afford proper equipment, money for a road trip or even a varsity jacket, all Jett had to do was make one call.

“He never thought twice about purchasing

items for them,” Kester said. “He did so much for the kids that they didn’t even know about. He never wanted them to know. Praise and glory wasn’t important to him as long as the kids got what they needed.

“They might not realize what all he did for them while they’re going through school. But when they got older, I could tell they always looked back and appreciated everything he did for them.”

Jett said that willingness to contribute to the program stems from the feelings Fisher had for the West Milford and Lost Creek communities. Despite growing up three states away, Fisher told Jett the South Harrison community always “included me like I grew up here.”

“It wouldn’t be like that anywhere else,” Fisher told Jett.

One of Fisher’s favorite times of the season

was the end of the year football banquet. In what became tradition, the announcer always emceed the event.

Jett and Fisher had a custom at the banquet, as well. The two would exchange T-shirts with comical phrases to tease each other.

More than ever it seemed, Jett couldn’t wait to give Fisher his shirt this year. It read, “Older Than Dirt – Genuine American Antique.”

“It’s in my closet,” Jett said. That’s where it’ll stay.

LIFE AFTER FISHNot more than six hours earlier did they say

goodbye.Flags throughout the community flew at

half-staff, an Orange and Black wreath hung



“Fish” as a high school football player at in his hometown of honea Path, s.c.

“i remember going to a south harrison elimination dinner in 2001 and ‘Fish’ and my oldest brother, John dolan, were

both in the final five to win $1,000. everyone agreed to split except for ‘Fish’, and he eventually won it all. although

i laughed and told him it was no big deal, my brother cussed all the way home he was so mad! i lost my brother a year later, and went to that year’s elimination dinner with

heavy hearts. that year, i won it all along with my sister and sister-in-law who came with me that night. We always said John was pulling the numbers from heaven. now, i’m

sure he and ‘Fish’ are watching football games 24/7 together. ”

– Gloria Davis

“When i think about south harrison Football, ‘Fish’ is the first thing that comes to mind. ron was a good, christian man. his smile made me smile. god has called one of his

angels home. rest in peace ‘Fish’.”– Karla Hinkle Sloan

“i remember playing Pop Warner football when ‘Fish’ would help coach. We was always full of life when he came to practice wearing his old straw hat. i also recall him and

Bob (kester) being the best of friends and me hoping that someday i would have a friend that i could be close to just like them. ‘Fish’ has done so much for the south harrison

area and should never be forgotten.”– Dave Gawthrop

“i will never forget ‘Fish’ because he was such a big part of my children’s lives growing up. he was a good friend of ours

also. the one memory that sticks out in my mind is when ‘Fish’ came over the loudspeaker and said, ‘Mrs. Baker, we

need some rice krispie cookies up in the press box.’ he knew i always brought these cookies to all of the game and

usually took some to the press box before the game, but i had not that night. he gave us some really funny, wonder-

ful memories over the years. rest in peace ‘Fish’.”– Elaine & Layton Baker

Parents of Mike, Rick and Josh Baker

“‘Fish’ was a very special man to south harrison football, our community, and my family. our boys were always wel-come in Maggie and ‘Fish’s’ home and ate countless meals there – all served with love. he touched our lives with his faith, wisdom, and laughter. We will always treasure our friendship with ‘Fish’ and Maggie. We have been blessed

just by knowing them.”– The Belt Family

Pip, Joy, Silas, and Tanner

“i remember him telling me that if i was 20 pounds heavier and three or four more inches taller, that they would have

to lock me in a cage. i miss the ‘Fish’.”– Matt Boring

Bob kester (right) and “Fish” as coaches for south harrison Pop Warner Football.

“i remember calling him on short notice to come to the 2007 south harrison Baseball senior night to announce. he did not hesitate to come and help. he was always willing to

help out in any way he could. he will be missed.”– Janine Gawthrop

“crazy ed and Fish are looking down together rooting on their hawks!”

– William Bartlett

“i have always attended all south harrison home football games and most of the away games. about 10 years ago, though, my husband and i were sitting in the bleachers at a home game, minding our own business, when over the loud speakers we heard “Fish’s” voice say, ‘i have an

announcement to make.’ he said, ‘i want to wish Bruce and luella cayton a happy anniversary. We were shocked...we didn’t even know “Fish” knew us. he went on to say that Bobby kester told him luella was the 1921 homecoming queen, but that luella was in her early 50’s at the time!

We laughed and thought it was very funny. But the funny part was that some people came up to me afterward and

told me i looked for good for my age if i was the 1921 homecoming queen! We became friends with “Fish” after that...why, i will never know (just kidding). i don’t think i ever held a conversation with him because he was always

teasing me about something. rest in peace “Fish”. We love you.”

– Luella & Bruce Cayton

“he always did a wonderful job! i just want to tell Fish’s family that we are praying for them. it was such a blessing

to have Fish as an announcer.”– Christine Davis

“Fish would always tell me about his days at the citadel and how his commanding officer was, in a sense, “brain-

washed.” he always informed me every time i saw him dur-ing my time at VMi, a rival school of the citadel, to always stay true to myself and to play the mind your instructors play, but to never get played by those mind games. his

advice and encouragement helped me succeed and graduate.”

– Silas Belt

“the best memories i have of Fish is something he never even said to me. everyone who knows me, knows i’m not a quiet person in the football stands. But never once did he ever ask me to quiet down, or be less voiceful. i would

just look up in that press box and he would smile. he knew where my heart was – the team on the field and the boys

on the sidelines. i wasn’t afraid to show it. and that was ok with Fish. so Fish, if there’s football in heaven, save me a

seat and i’ll try not to holler in your ear. We love you!”

– The Wallace Family

below his spot outside the South Harrison press box.

It was time for South Harrison’s second game of the season against Gilmer County to begin, but not without one last tribute to the ‘Voice of the Hawks’.

One by one, South Harrison players and coaches lined the home sideline, the full crowd watching their every move. Earlier that day, the team had said final farewell to Fisher with the 12 seniors serving as pallbearers.

Like most in attendance, South Harrison assistant coach Frank Tate tried, but couldn’t control his emotions, either.

“People like Ron Fisher and Gary Barnette, they’re the type of people this community is built on,” Tate said over the loudspeaker that night. “They’re the reason I came back here. They’re the reason I’ll never leave.”

As always, Kester was in attendance in his usual spot in the press box to watch the Hawks’ overcome a first-half deficit to beat the Titans 63-26.

But for the first time since 1976, Kester’s best friend wasn’t beside him.

“It was really strange...him not being there. I’d always figured we would always be there together,” Kester said. “For so many years, I always had someone who I knew I could go to, no matter what the situation. I don’t have that person anymore.

“For him to not be up there with me that night, it was like a part of me was wrong.”

So wrong that, after 34 years, tonight’s senior night contest against St. Mary’s may be Kester’s last in the pressbox.

“I don’t know if I can do it anymore,” Kester said. “Nothing is the same without ‘Fish’ up there.”

“after having a friend like ron Fisher for over 30 years, it is difficult to imagine life without him. We will miss his

quick smile, witty stories, solid influence, and wisdom. We will always treasure our memories of Pee Wee and Midget football, many football banquets, wonderful “bowl” trips,

attending our wedding, carrying our infant sons on the sidelines, keeping up with “Zach-a-roo”, the trips to the

state basketball tournaments, and especially Friday night football games! We will keep him in our hearts, and Mag-

gie and family in our prayers. We feel honored to be able to remember “Fish” as a dear friend, and a beloved member of

our south harrison family.– Linda, Charlie, Zachary, and Jacob Hayhurst



“We miss you, ron!”– Karen & “Red” Hinkle and Family

“i never knew Fish too well, but my children always thought he was a great, kind man.”

— Patty Butcher

“thanks for all of the fun memories. We miss you Fish, and send our love to Maggie and family.”

– The Lamberts & The Halls

“Fish” and Bob kester – friends for 35 years.

“this man had a great time announcing the games, and it was great to listen to him not only because of what he said but how he said it. you could sense the joy and excitement in his voice and it would attach itself to you and make the

experience that much more memorable. Friday nights aren’t going to be the same for the “Boys in the black hats.”

— anonymous

BrandonarBoGaStSenior | 6-foot | 185 lbs i would like to thank my mom, dad and coach Jett for always pushing me through school and football. i am thankful they have taken the time to help me grow into a good person. i have enjoyed playing south harrison football because it has always been an important part of the community and i am proud to be a part of it. i am also thankful that my teammates, coaches, teachers and parents pushed me to make the grades to be able to play my senior year. i will always be grateful for that. i hope that when i return in the future, everyone will have that same hawk Pride that this senior class has had.

thank you,Brandon arbogast#45

DillonBurnSiDESenior | 5-foot-11 | 195 lbs | 3-year lettermani would like to thank my mom and dad, Beth and denny Burnside, for supporting me through-out the years and helping me become the player i am today. i would like to thank my coaches for keeping me out of trouble and pushing me in order to make me a better person and player. i would also like to thank rusty Jenkins for teaching me the fundamentals of the game and continuing to care about me and support me through my senior year. i love playing football for south harrison, and i am proud to have carried on the football tradition in my family. there will never be anything like it again. i look forward to coming back on Friday nights and watching all the boys play “smash Mouth” football.

thank you all,dillon Burnside#33



BrandoncoFFManSenior | 5-foot-8 | 145 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank all of you who have supported me. i would like to thank all the coaches who taught me how to play, and how to be a better person. i think of them not just as coaches, but as people i can trust and who will help me whenever i need it.. i would like to give a special thanks to dave cottrill, who was the first person to teach me this great game. Most of all, i would like to thank my parents, twyla and scott coffman, for supporting me not only in football, but in everything i do. i would like to thank everyone from the community who comes out to support not just me, but the entire football team. if it was not for you, south harrison would not what it is today – a school with a long-standing tradition of spirit and pride. that is what people love about this community, and that is what always keeps people coming back to this area. that is what will keep me coming back.

thank you for all your support,Brandon coffman#43

DerekJaMESSenior | 5-foot-9 | 165 lbs | 1-year lettermani want to thank the coaching staff for having positive attitudes throughout the four years of my high school career. they believed in all of us no matter what, and they did the best they could with the players they had. they have taught us all how to be leaders and how to be men. i especially want to thank coach Jett for not only being a great coach, but for helping me during the offseason and getting me motivated for the upcoming season. i would also like to thank my parents, Jerry and loretta James, for providing me with the opportunity to play football and for backing me up and keeping me motivated when things were mad. last, but not least, i want to thank the community for supporting us by coming out to watch us play on Friday nights.

thank you everyone,derek James#12



ShaneJEFFriESSenior | 5-foot-10 | 180 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank all of the coaches through the years who have taught me how to play football and help me grow as a person. thanks also to my parents, tammy and richard Jef-feries, for taking me to the games, putting up with all the practices, an paying for everything i have ever needed. Without them, i don’t know where i would be right now. i also want to thank the community for supporting me and my teammates throughout the years. i want to thank everyone for everything they have done for me.

thank you,shane Jeffries#64

ZachMarKLEySenior | 5-foot-8 | 185 lbs i would like to thank coach Jett for giving me the opportunity to play football for south harrison. coming from a class-aaa school to a class-a school was a big change for me, and i appreciate coach Jett for letting me walk onto the team and for teaching me to be a man and to do well in football and contribute to the team. thanks, coach Jett. i would also like to thank my parents for supporting me in my decision to play football and for being at all the game, supporting not only me, but the rest of the team.

thank you,Zach Markley#74



ColenELSonSenior | 5-foot-8 | 185 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout high school. i would especially like to thank my mom and dad, sheila and steve nelson, and the rest of my family for always supporting me. secondly, i want to thank all of the coaches for helping me through both the good and the bad times of high school. they were not only coaches and teachers, but they became friends and family in the process. i also want to thank my Pee-Wee and Midget football coach, dave cottrill, for first teaching me how to play this great game. lastly, i want to thank our community for coming out and supporting our football team and keeping the hawk Pride tradition alive. i will never forget the times i’ve had in high school or on this football field with all my friends. thank you all. i’ll always have orange and Black in my heart.

thanks,cole nelson#51

Corey nELSonSenior | 5-foot-8 | 185 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my years of playing football. i especially want to thank my parents, sheila and steve nelson, for pushing me to make the grades and go to school everyday so i could play. i would also like to thank all the coaches who have taught me how to play this great game. i want to send a special thanks to dave cottrill and coach tate for always being there for me and teaching me what i know about football and for making me a better person. i am looking forward to coming back in the future and watch-ing the hawks play the same hard-nosed, smash mouth football we did.

thanks always,corey nelson#73



JimmySELLErS

CollinroGErSSenior | 6-foot-1 | 235 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank my family, friends and coaches for pushing me to do my best in every game. From the first day of lifting to everyday of practice, i have been pushed my friends and coaches. that support has made me stronger and better in the game. My family has a big influ-ence on me in the game because they want to see me do well and have also pushed me to do my best. they have been to the games and have cheered on the team. the team and my family have helped me be the person i am today.

thanks,collin rogers#78

Senior | 5-foot-9 | 145 lbs | 1-year lettermani would like to thank everyone who has come out and supported me. i would especially like to thank my mom, linda Wilfong, my step-dad, Mark Wilfong, and my sister, Brittany sellers, for coming out to every game and being there to support me over the years. secondly, i would like to thank the coaching staff for always being there and not only teaching us how to play the game and how to win, but how to become a man. i would also like to thank the coaching staff for allowing me to play for the time that i have. i will always remember the lessons they have taught me, not only in football, but the lessons i can use for the rest of my life. Finally, i want to thank the lost creek and West Milford communities for coming out every Friday night to support us and to help keep the hawk Pride alive!

thank you,Jimmy sellers#41



JonathanturnErSenior | 6-foot-1 | 255 lbs | 1-year letterman

CarltownSEnDSenior | 6-foot-1 | 235 lbs | 1-year lettermani want to say thanks to the coaching staff for making my high school football career the best it could have been. the coaches have always been there for me. they may have jumped on me when i did something wrong, but they have also always been the first to tell me ‘good job.’ i would like to thank my dad for always supporting me, and also all of my teammates. the reason i am so thankful is for the coaches pushing me in the right direction. they have helped turn me into a respectful man who will always have goals to achieve in life – just like they taught me on the field. so, thank you dad, coach tate, coach Underwood, coach clayton, coach hayhurst and coach Jett for everything you have done for me.

thanks,carl townsend#77

i would like to thank all those who have supported and pushed me through these four years of high school football. First of all, i want to thank my mom, debbie Westfall, for all the support, time and everything else she has done to make it possible for me to play football. second, i would like to thank all of the coaches for everything they do and for the time they put into helping us not only win games, but become better people. thank you all for being like fathers in my life. Finally, i want to say thanks to the community and all of the fans for being with us and giving us so much support, whether we win or lose. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to do well. Playing football these past years has taught me many things. it has taught me not only how to play this great game, but how to become a man. i have loved playing football for south harrison and i always will.

thanks always,Jon turner#75



he was just a good, fun-loving guy who loved life. the good Lord didn’t

make a duplicate.”– Bob Kester

Friend

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South Harrison Football Ron Fisher Tribute

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