Two former Holmes Community College Bulldogs will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
Football coaching legend Ricky Black and Major League Baseball all-star Roy Oswalt were among the six inductees announced Thursday night at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame museum in Jackson.
Black, who is currently the head coach at Jackson Prep, has complied a record of 377-74 in his 37 year career coaching high school football. This season he became the state’s all time winningest coach. In June, he was named the National High School Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.
A native of Choctaw County, Black played high school football at Ackerman before continuing his career as quarterback for the Holmes Community College Bulldogs.
After a quick stint as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, Black was hired by Kosciusko High School. He spent eight years walking the sidelines for the Whippets, serving five as head coach.
Black left Kosciusko in 1980 to become the head football coach and athletic director at Tupelo High School and then coached at Mississippi State under Jackie Sherill.
Oswalt is also a native of Choctaw County. He played baseball for Weir High School before playing his college ball in Goodman with Holmes CC.
He was taken in the 23rd round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. After a few years in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut in 2001. During his time with the Astros (2001-2010), he led the National League in wins during the 2004 season and ERA during the 2006 season. He was also a 3-time National League All-Star and was named MVP of the 2005 National League Championship Series.
After Houston, Oswalt played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers before finishing his career with the Colorado Rockies in 2013.
Other inductees to the 2019 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame include former Mississippi State QB Rockey Felker, amateur golfer Cissye Gallagher, NFL All-Pro and Philadelphia Eagles great Wilbert Montgomery, former Ole Miss linebacker Richard Price.
The 2019 Missisisppi Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Aug. 3, 2019.
