GREENVILLE – Greenville honored eight championship teams between the JV and varsity basketball games Saturday night in a home game with the Eaton Eagles.
“We developed the Night of Champions five years ago as a way for us to honor our history, and some of our great teams through the years while also demonstrating to our current students that Greenville can do those special things that our teams have been able to do,” said Greenville Athletic Director Aaron Schaffer. “It’s awesome to see those people come out and get recognized for the hard work they did many years ago.”

Since 1955, 112 Greenville High School varsity athletic teams have won league, district, regional, or state crowns. Each year, eight teams are honored before the home crowd, recognizing each squad’s accomplishments and the individual members’ dedication and talents.
Dr. Alex Warner, a member of the Greenville Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame, introduced the returning players and coaches to a packed house.

“To have the community show up tonight to support our boys playing basketball and come out and support these Championship Teams while also supporting our young people is very special,” Shaffer said. “Our support is tremendous. It’s a special night to honor some special teams.”

Teams honored included:
1971 undefeated MVL Football, 1978 SWBL Girls Track, 1980 SWBL Baseball, 1982 GMVC Boys Golf, 1985 GMVC Girls Cross Country, 1988 GMVC and District Girls Track, 2001 GMVC Boys Tennis, and 2012 GWOC North Cheerleading.
Coach Randy Reed, 1978 SWBL Champions, drew special attention at the night’s event.

“There was a whole group of guys here to see Coach Read that wasn’t on any of the championship teams. There may have been 15 of them attend just to say hi,” Shaffer noted. “Having Coach Reed here for his Championship Track season he coached and to have some of those older guys come out and say hi and be around, it just shows the impact that sports has on young people, not only today but from 50 to 60 years ago.”

“It’s hard to forget your coaches who spend so much time with them at practice, games, and outside of sports,” Coach Shaffer added. “Personally, if I didn’t have guys like Frank Horvath, Max Current, Ted Hardeby, and Dave McClanahan, those guys around when I was in school, I would have never had the opportunities I had through football, which has obviously led to a career teaching and education and now athletic director – coaches are a huge impact on young people, and they are certainly people you never forget.”
