BAMM announces 2024 inductees to Wall of Fame
The Benton Athletic Memorial Museum is a cornerstone of history in Benton, it houses items from the entire history of Benton High School.
The walls are covered in old jerseys, letterman jackets, flags, banners, cheer uniforms, trophies, photographs, plaques, school mascots, class graduation photographs, and even a flag of the old Benton Junior High Bulldog.
Each year the Board of Directors of the Museum inducts former Benton High School students or faculty into the Wall of Fame at the organization’s annual banquet. Brandon Wake, President of the Board of Directors of BAMM, has announced that the 28th annual Wall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Benton High School Cafeteria.
This year’s inductees include Coach Les Davis, Brian Sims, Alan Stokes, Coach Tim Hall, and Mark A. Jones.
The ticket price for the event is $28 each.
The student-athletes being inducted are Jones, Sims, and Stokes. Jones was a multi-sport athlete for Benton High School and graduated in 1982. In his senior year, Jones was elected second-team all-conference in football, while also breaking the BHS 440 dash record that was held until 1985.
Jones went on to continue his track career at Henderson State University. Stokes was a threeyear starter for the Benton Panther basketball team in high school.
In his junior year, 83,-84, he was the starting point guard and helped the Panthers to their first state tournament playoffs in over a decade. He was also named all-conference.
In 1985, Stokes was again named all-conference and set the single-season record of assists with 129. Stokes graduated in 1985.
After graduation, Stokes enlisted in the United States Army and served the country for 23 years, eventually earning the rank of Master Sergeant.
Stokes was also the first African American to play quarterback at Benton.
Sims graduated with the Class of 1993 and was all-state and all-conference in his senior year of football. He then went on to be a four-year starter at Henderson State University as an offensive lineman.
Sims is currently the offensive line coach at Greenwood High School.
The faculty being inducted this year are Coach Les Davis and Coach Tim Hall. Davis was the head track coach for 14 years at BHS.
He led the team to one conference championship, three conference runner-up finishes, three straight decathlon championships, one of only two high schools in Arkansas history to do so.
At the time of Davis’ retirement from coaching track at Benton, his athletes held 14 of the 18 track and field records at BHS.
Hall started at Benton as the head junior high basketball coach before serving nine years as the head coach of the high school basketball team.
His accomplishments include six state tournament appearances, two state tournament quarter-finals, the second state championship in BHS history, and one conference championship.
In addition to the Wall of Fame Ceremony, the BAMM board awards scholarships to graduating seniors of BHS each year.
Donnie Burks, executive director of BAMM, wanted to note that this should be the 29th banquet, however, it is only the 28th because one year was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Board of Directors was still able to ward three scholarships. More details on the event will be included in an upcoming edition of