This year’s inductees into the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame were introduced Saturday at the Fannin County High School gymnasium in between the varsity basketball games against visiting Union County.
The class includes six individuals and a team, with East Fannin, West Fannin and Fannin County high schools all being representatives. The class includes athletes that excelled in football, basketball, girls softball and track and field.
Inductees, in the order they were introduced Saturday are:
Carl Beavers
Beavers played basketball and football at East Fannin High School from 1958 to 1962.
He started at offensive and defensive tackle for three seasons, including the 1959 sub-region championship team, and was elected captain of the 1961 football team.
Beavers was also a student leader, serving as president of his senior class, president of the Big E Club, a Key Club officer and was elected Most Likely to Succeed in the 1962 graduating class.
David (Chip)
Nichols
Nichols was a three year starter in both basketball and football at East Fannin High School where he played both sports from 1962 to 1966.
He was elected football captain as a senior and was selected Most Valuable Lineman as a junior and senior. He was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class B Honorable Mention All-State Team following his senior season and as the Most Athletic senior boy in the 1966 graduating class.
Jim Crawford
Crawford played center on offense and linebacker on defense on the West Fannin High School football team from 1962 to 1966. He was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AA Honorable Mention All-State team and the Chattanooga Times All Tri-State team.
He taught physics and chemistry and coached football, basketball and gymnastics in Georgia high schools for 28 years.
Alexis Collis
Collis played softball at Fannin County High School from 2008 through 2011, and played two seasons of basketball until a knee injury forced her to stop.
On the softball diamond, Collis had a career batting average of .373 with 103 hits, 31 stolen bases, 55 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 27 doubles and five home runs. She was selected first team Class AA All-State in 2011 and was instrumental in helping the Lady Rebels to a fifth place in state competition that year. She was also selected for the Georgia Dugout Club All-Star Game that year.
She went on to play college softball at Kennesaw State for two years and then at the University of North Georgia (UNG) her junior and senior year. She was a member of the 2015 UNG National Championship team.
Candace German
German played softball at Fannin County High School from 2009 through 2012. She recorded a career batting average of .401 with 160 hits, 85 RBIs and 11 home runs. She set the school record with a .550 batting average in 2011.
German won the team’s Best Offensive Player award in 2010 and 2012 and the Silver Slugger award in 2011. She was the first softball player in school history to be named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State Second Team, and she was instrumental in helping the team finish fifth in Georgia in 2011.
She went on to play at UNG and was a member of the UNG 2015 National Championship team.
Karly Thompson
Thompson played softball at Fannin County High School from 2010 to 2013.
As a junior, she was named second team All-Region, having helped the team to the 8AA region championship and fifth place in the state tournament.
As a senior, she batted .404 with nine home runs, 45 RBIs, and 31 runs scored. She was first team All-Region and an All-State selection.
Also her senior year, she finished second in the discus throw at the Region 8AA track and field meet, capturing a medal with a throw of 110 feet, four inches.
She went on to play softball for Morehead State from 2014 to 2017, where she played in 46 games with 39 starts as a freshman and was the starting shortstop her sophomore, junior and senior years.
During her junior year, she was named Adidas OVC Player of the Week after batting .529 with 11 RBIs in games against Belmont and Toledo.
She is currently head softball coach at Habersham Central High School.
1995-1996 Fannin County High School
Girls Basketball Team
The 1995-1996 girls basketball team at Fannin County High School finished their season ranked third in Georgia, having advanced to the Final Four of the Class AA State Tournament. The team finished with the Region 8AA championship, and a record of 28-1, the best record of any basketball team in the history of Fannin County.
The team included Heather Housley, Sabrina Gibson, Leslie Jabaley, Katie Collins, Melissa Holler, Roxie Reed, Stacy Parris, Kim Jones, Ashley Herendon, Jodie Thomas, Leigh Muse and Tara Dillinger. Coaching the girls were Head Coach Johnny Farmer and Assistant Coach Eddie Payne.
The official Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to be held this spring.