RC Inducts Six Into Hall Of Fame

Inductees Share Stories, Gratitude, Life Lessons

It was a special, emotional night at Rockbridge County High School as the RC Athletic Hall of Fame inducted its fourth class at a banquet on Saturday.

The six inductees, selected by a committee after receiving nominations, were football player and track and field star Bruce Cooper (class of 2000), multisport athlete Jonathan Wilson (2002), basketball player Jeffrey Early Jr. (2008), golfer Grace Huffman (2018), softball player Mallory Sandridge (2005) and wrestler Dakota “Koda” Wagner (2014). On Friday night, the inductees were recognized before the Wildcats’ home football game against Waynesboro.

After attendees enjoyed dinner, the induction ceremony began with an introduction from Valerie Clay, Hall of Fame committee member and a social studies teacher at the high school. Clay said that Saturday night was “about more than the score of the game. It’s about honoring individuals who embody excellence, perseverance and the values that make Rockbridge County High School strong.”

The first inductee honored was Cooper. While at RC, Cooper was a standout athlete in several sports, shining in football and indoor and outdoor track and field. Cooper competed in outdoor track and field all four years and in indoor track and field two years. He earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors in the long jump, the triple jump, the 55-meter dash, the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the 4 X 200-meter relay. Running the anchor leg for the 4 X 200-meter relay team in 1999, Cooper helped the team win the state title and set the state record. He holds records that still stand.

Cooper also excelled on the football field, setting singlegame records for rushing 394 yards and longest run from scrimmage at 94 yards, and he averaged 9.1 yards per carry. Cooper was named all-district as a junior and earned all-district and All-Timesland honors as a senior. After his senior season, Cooper was named the team’s most valuable player and earned t he o ffensive p layer of the year award. For the school, he was named male athlete of the year. -The next inductee was Wagner, who excelled in many sports such as baseball, football, powerlifting, and especially wrestling. As a senior at RC, Wagner became the Wildcats’ first state wrestling champion, winning at 170-pounds. He finished his high school career with a record of 153-33 for the most wins of any wrestler in school history. After high school, Wagner attended Ferrum College to wrestle and later became an assistant coach for Waynesboro High School wrestling team for a brief period.

Wagner was also a very competitive powerlifter who held several different records in different states.

Wagner joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2016 and continued to powerlift and briefly wrestled for the Marine Corps wrestling team. He retired from the military in 2019. After returning home, Wagner found a love for lineman work. He worked for his family’s business, Zitel, for a long time before co-creating his own company, Outlaw Aerial. He was always the friend who would encourage and motivate anyone else in the room and if you still doubted yourself, he would say, “Cowboy Up!” Wagner passed away at age 27 on Sept. 21, 2022.

Speaking on behalf of Wagner was his father, Shawn, who came to the podium with Koda’s son, Danger, and Koda’s brother, Kaden. Shawn said he was “very honored” to accept the award and then told a story that showed Koda’s dedication. When Koda was in high school, Shawn said, he would write his goals down. As a sophomore or junior, he wrote that he wanted to win the district and regional titles. Then as a senior, Koda wrote that his goal before he graduated was to win a state championship.

“That’s the passion he had and the love he had for the sport,” said Shawn. -The third inductee to speak was Wilson, who played football, basketball and baseball. On the football field, Wilson started as a quarterback his sophomore through senior years. He received the Top Gun award, the top running back award, and he was the first recipient of the Stuart P. Brewbaker Award. He was also a first-team all-district quarterback, the Valley District offensive player of the year, a second-team all-region quarterback, the A.P. second-team all-state quarterback, and an All-Timesland quarterback.

Wilson played baseball from eighth grade through his senior year, starting on the junior varsity team and then moving up to the varsity squad, where he was a shortstop and pitcher. On the basketball court, Wilson contributed as a forward and center on both the JV and varsity squads during his freshman and sophomore years.

After high school, Wilson matriculated at Virginia Military Institute, earning a full athletic scholarship for both football and baseball. He redshirted his freshman season and was named starting quarterback the next year, when earned second-team all-conference honors from the Big South Conference. Unfortunately, the following seasons were marked by injuries that limited his time on the field.

Wilson continues to stay involved with football, basketball and baseball, coaching his sons, Nate and Beau.

He said he tells young athletes, “Life is short. Make the most out of every opportunity you’re given.” -After Wilson, Early was inducted. Early wasn’t able to attend the ceremony because he was playing professional basketball in Europe, but the committee plans to honor him at an RC home basketball game this winter when he’s visiting.

Early played basketball and football and competed in outdoor track and field all four years at RC. On the basketball court, he averaged 28 points and 11.2 rebounds per game his senior year, setting several single-season school records. He earned first-team all-district and first-team all-state honors. On the football field, he was a two-way star and was named first-team all-state as both a wide receiver and safety. As a junior, he helped lead the Wildcats to the district and regional championships and the Group AA, Division 3 state championship football game, which the Wildcats lost 29-28 to Richlands.

After high school, Early played one season as a guard at Alleghany College in Cumberland, Md., averaging 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was named a second-team All-American and helped his team reach the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national tournament. He then transferred to Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., where he elevated his game further and was honored as the Region XV, Division I player of the year. Early finished his collegiate career at Southern Illinois University, competing at the NCAA Division I level from 2011 to 2013.

After college, Early pursued a professional basketball career that has taken him around the world. He’s played in Luxembourg, Mexico and Portugal. He currently plays for the Indios de Mayagüez in Puerto Rico’s top professional league, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. -The next inductee was Huffman. A four-year starter for the RC golf team, Huffman participated in the Virginia High School League girls’ state championship her freshman, junior and senior years, becoming the first RC girl to do so. She was named to the all-district and all-conference teams her sophomore, junior and senior years, and she was named MVP and served as a co-captain her junior and senior years. As a senior, Huffman was the Region III player of the year and helped lead the Wildcats’ coed team to second place in the Class 3 state tournament.

Huffman started participating in the First Tee program at age 11 and represented the First Tee of Roanoke Valley at many events, including the PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Huffman was the first female golfer from RC to play for a Division I school, Longwood University, on scholarship. At Longwood, Huffman was a five-year starter for the women’s golf team and she was selected to play on the Virginia Women’s Amateur Team in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

She works for the First Tee of Greater Richmond as a player development professional. Huffman is also a PGA associate working towards being a PGA Class A professional.

In her remarks, Huffman expressed her appreciation for her teammates and her coaches, including David Miller, who coached her during her high school years. “As a coach now, I am thankful to have you and my parents as mentors,” said Huffman. -The final inductee was Sandridge. A four-year starter on the softball field, Sandridge earned multiple accolades, including rookie of the year, defensive MVP, team MVP, and the prestigious Top Cat Award. As a senior, she batted .482 and was selected to compete in the VHSL All-Star Game.

Sandridge continued her softball career at Bridgewater College, where she was a shortstop, helping lead the Eagles to a 135-43 record and two Sweet 16 appearances. She ranks among the program’s all-time leaders, standing 11th in both hits and runs scored. While at Bridgewater, she was named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference Team, the ODAC All-Tournament Team, and the All-Regional Team.

Sandridge now serves the Richmond community as a primary care provider with a focus on oncology.

In her speech, Sandridge thanked her family and her coaches, Bill Kessinger and the late Sherry Wilhelm.

“The honor tonight is about much more than stats or wins,” she said. “It’s about people, the lessons, the values, they all shaped who I am today. I am deeply grateful to be recognized, and I hope I continue carrying forward the same passion, perseverance and the love of community that so many in this room, in this school instilled in me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”