Tickets on sale for Hall banquet
♦ The event will honor its five new members and 14 high school student athletes.
A pair of father-son duos and a longtime tennis player and coach are on their way to being inducted into the Rome-floyd Sports Hall of Fame next month, and tickets are now on sale for the event, which will take place Feb. 10 at the Forum River Center.
In addition to the new five inductees, 14 student-athletes from local high schools will receive the John Pinson Jr. Outstanding Student Athlete scholarship award.
The newest members will be Jaleel Riaz, Charles Smith, Toryan Smith, Charles Culberson and Charlie Culberson.
Tickets for the event, which is hosted by the Sports Hall of Fame Committee and Romefloyd Parks and Recreation, cost $30 each, and a table costs $240. Tickets have to be bought by Feb. 3 and can be purchased by calling 706-2910766 or by visiting rfpra.com.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour, which will be followed by a buffet dinner from Longhorn Steakhouse. The awards ceremony will then take place at 6:30 p.m.
The induction of two father-son duos at the same time is a first for the Romefloyd Sports Hall of Fame.
Bobby Petrino, most recently the coach at Louisville, was hired Wednesday as the new coach at Missouri State.
Charles Smith has been a longtime coach in the community and has helped lead Rome Middle School football teams to several state championships.
During his time at Notre Dame, former Rome High player and Charles Smith’s
son Toryan Smith played in more than 40 football games. During his high school days, he was named the Rome News-tribune Player of the Year and earned All-america honors from USA Today.
The names Charles and Charlie Culberson are synonymous with baseball in Northwest Georgia.
Charlie Culberson helped lead Calhoun to a GHSA baseball state championship in
2005 and runner-up status in 2007. After being drafted by the San Francisco Giants, Culberson landed himself with the Atlanta Braves’ organization.
Following his playing career, Charles Culberson, Charlie Culberson’s father, returned to Rome and now operates Double Day Sports Academy.
After coaching at Berry College and Shorter University,
Riaz became an avid tennis instructor for all age levels in the Rome and Floyd County area, and has given instruction to thousands of players over the last 40 years.
The Rome-floyd Sports Hall of Fame was formed in 1971 and honors amateur and professional athletes as well as those who contribute to the growth and development of sports in the local community.