Allen-Murray winner announced
Published 10:16 am Monday, May 30, 2016
AHOSKIE – The Selection Committee of the Coaches Daryl Allen and Richard Murray Memorial Fund has announced that Charles Evan Simmons is the 2016 recipient of the Fund’s annual scholarship.
Hertford County High three-sport star Evan Simmons, who excelled in football, basketball, and track, is the 2016 winner of the Daryl Allen-Richard Murray Memorial Scholarship given annually by former Ahoskie High and HCHS alumni. | Dynamic Photo / William Anthony
Two Clinton, NC physicians and Ahoskie High alums, Drs. Rodney Sessoms and Paul Viser, who played for the two coaches, presented the award at the Hertford County High School Senior Awards ceremony Tuesday night at the high school.
The 2015 winner was J.J. Gatling, now a student at North Carolina A&T State University.
The Allen-Murray Scholarship was established by Ahoskie High School alumni for the purpose of keeping alive the memories of the two longtime football, basketball and baseball coaches of the Cougars and later the Bears. Sadly, both former coaches Allen and Murray passed away in 2014 following decades of public service as teachers, coaches and mentors.
“Hundreds of AHS and HCHS graduates credit these two men with shaping their lives during the often challenging teenage years,” said Sessoms. “Honor, honesty, hard work, poise, sportsmanship, and quiet dignity are central to their legacy.”
“With the examples of our coaches still very fresh in our minds, we are pleased to recognize senior Evan Simmons, a scholar-athlete who represents the class and performance that we seek to honor,” said Viser, another committee member. “Mr. Simmons graduates in the top ten of his class with a 4.0 GPA (grade point average) while lettering in three sports.”
Simmons plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro in the fall where he plans to major in Biology in preparation to enter the field of medicine.
Simmons is the son of Charles Simmons, Jr. and the late Donna Proctor Simmons.
The scholarship committee welcomes other citizens and alumni to join them in making the scholarship a living testament for current senior scholar-athletes at HCHS. The Fund is maintained within a private foundation (VFF, Inc.), so all contributions are tax-deductible.
Please make your donations to: The Coaches Allen and Murray Memorial Fund, c/o Dr. Rodney Sessoms, 500 Beaman St., Clinton, NC 28328. Donors will receive prompt acknowledgement for their tax records.