Recapping Texoma's Nexstar Sports Awards
Hicks, Sewell, Harris and Merriex inducted into local Hall of Fame
Tobin McDuff isn’t the type of person who wants the spotlight on himself. He’d rather tell the stories of Wichita Falls rather than be the story.
But it’s worth pointing out McDuff has now reached the 30-year mark covering the area sports scene at KFDX. Once he decides to hang it up (which hopefully is a long time from now), he’ll leave behind quite the legacy.
Arguably one of his greatest gifts to this area is putting together the Texoma Hall of Fame and coming out with the yearly Nexstar Sports Awards ceremony.
Last night marked the seventh annual show as four former area athletes were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Burkburnett’s Skip Hicks, Saint Jo’s Harley Sewell plus Old High’s Dick Harris and Bingo Merriex.
Hicks, who starred as a running at UCLA before playing four seasons in the NFL, went to school in Burkburnett where his father coached. Charles Hicks, who had stints as Burkburnett and City View’s head football coach, was on the Hall of Fame voting committee, but Skip joked he didn’t get a vote from his old man.
“I think my dad should be in here before me, but eventually he’ll get here,” Skip Hicks said. “I can say I beat him at something.”
Hicks ended his speech by telling the athletes in the audience not to take anything for granted. He brought up the 1990 Bulldogs, who needed an Azle upset of Northwest in the final week of the season to qualify for the playoffs.
That Burkburnett team ended up winning three playoff games before falling to Stephenville in the semifinals. It’s the deepest the Bulldogs have ever gone in the postseason.
Burkburnett lost in the first round the following year and missed out completely in 1992, which was Hicks’ final season.
“I think about that all the time because my senior year was the opposite and I was sitting at home even though I was a high recruit,” Hicks said. “I never went to the playoffs my senior year in football, but we probably had the best team we’ve had in Burk my senior year.
“Never take it for granted, enjoy these awards, have fun with your teammates and enjoy every day.”
Think about that. Hicks set college records with the Bruins and scored 13 times in the NFL. And he still thinks often about his senior year of high school football. That’s how much this sport matters.
Sewell and Harris had memorable high school careers, but it was interesting their paths went in different directions after becoming standouts at the University of Texas.
After excelling at Saint Jo, Sewell twice earned all-conference honors for the Longhorns and also gained MVP honors at the 1953 Cotton Bowl. Sewell then had a successful NFL career where he earned four Pro Bowl selections and two NFL championship rings in a decade with the Detroit Lions.
Harris, whose grandson Richard spoke briefly on behalf of the family, was a member of Wichita Falls High School’s first title-winning team in 1941.
After earning all-state honors as a Coyote center, Harris played four seasons at the University of Texas, where he roomed with Tom Landry and was a three-time All-American.
But Harris, who was three years older than Sewell, opted not to play in the NFL despite being drafted four times, including with the 11th overall pick in 1949 by the Chicago Bears.
Instead, Harris opted for a successful career in the oil and banking industries.
Merriex is regarded as one of – if not the best – basketball players in this area’s history, playing at TCU after a successful high school career at Old High. Meanwhile, the state champion Rider boys soccer team also was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Those Raiders were Rider’s first of three team state champions in school history (2007 boys soccer, 2011 baseball).
Other news and notes from another terrific banquet (kudos to McDuff, M.J. Baird and the entire KFDX team):
* There weren’t many dry eyes inside D.L. Ligon after Kylie Mills’ story was told. Mills is the tennis-playing teenager who is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago. Her father Michael was a standout tennis player at Rider and Midwestern State, where he was inducted MSU’s Hall of Honor in 2011.
Michael accepted the Noel Johnson Courage Award on her behalf and updated the crowd on Kylie’s condition. Tobin did an excellent job telling Kylie’s story. Keep the Mills family in your thoughts and prayers, and anyone able to help can donate to their GoFundme here.
* A couple people who don’t take the field on Friday nights but who are integral to their towns were honored last night.
Kathy McClellan is entering her seventh year calling Vernon athletics games on the radio, but I met her about two decades ago when she was the sports editor for the Vernon Daily Record. She’s always been one of the Lions’ biggest supporters, and she received the Robert Wilson Golden Mic Award.
Windthorst was recognized as the Media Relation MVP as Mike Rueschenberg joined athletic director Chris Tackett on stage. Rueschenberg has been keeping the Trojans’ football stats from the sideline since longer than I’ve been around and he’s always been an asset to promoting Windthorst’s athletes. Most of them don’t, but every town would be lucky enough to have a Mike Rueschenberg.
* Holliday quarterback Hunter Jones edged out the competition (Benjamin’s Keegan Hayes and Jacksboro’s Cannon Valenzuela) to be voted the small school male athlete of the year. McDuff said it was the closest vote of all the awards.
A versatile football player also was honored as the large school male athlete of the year as Graham quarterback Ty Thompson received the nod over Memorial’s Kenji Johnson and Joe Castles.
Wichita Christian’s football team also was named the Team of the Year after winning a state title, while Graham’s Clay McChristian was the Large School Coach of the Year after guiding the Steers to the state quarterfinals.
* There’s still so many deserving former area football players and coaches to get into the Hall of Fame – it’s an impossible task when you start something up from scratch for an area with such a rich football history. Nocona’s Jack Crain and Windthorst coach Bill Green are a couple who hopefully will have their names called in future years.
2025 NEXSTAR SPORTS AWARDS
Large School Coach of the Year – Clay McChristian, Graham
Esprit de Corps – Seymour boys basketball
Next Level Athlete of the Year – Taliyah Brooks
Small School Male Athlete of the Year – Hunter Jones, Holliday
Robert Wilson Golden Mic Award – Kathy McClellan, Vernon
Media Relations MVP – Windthorst
Large School Male Athlete of the Year – Ty Thompson, Graham
College Male Athlete of the Year – Mere Escobar, Midwestern
Small School Female Athlete of the Year – Remi Buchanan, Electra
Small School Coach of the Year – Kyle Spitzer, Nocona
Team of the Year – Wichita Christian football
Large School Female Athlete of the Year – Lillian Noble, Graham
College Female Athlete of the Year – Zarria Carter, Midwestern State
Play of the Year – Holliday’s mile relay finish
Team Spirit award – Holliday band
College Coach of the Year – Justin Leslie, Midwestern State
Game of the Year – Nocona girls basketball’s 2OT regional final win over Muenster
Thank you for your kind words. It was 1998 when I started “helping” my nephew, Dr Shane Berend, DPT (WHS c/o 1997). I took over in 2000.