Harmon, Snodgrass Lead '15 Ripley Co. Basketball Hall Of Fame Inductees

Monday, December 29, 2014 at 6:28 AM

By Mike Perleberg (Ripley County, Ind.) – The latest and greatest in Ripley County’s storied basketball history will be inducted into the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame next week. The 2015 induction class of seven former players and coaches was announced Friday by Randy Young, Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame treasurer. The class is highlighted by East Central High School girls basketball legend DeAnn Harmon. The 1977 graduate won 11 letters in three sports, but basketball was her most successful. She was team and EIAC most valuable player in 1976 and 1977. In her senior year, she averaged nearly 23 points per game. She then played collegiately at Cincinnati Christian University where she earned recognition as an All-American in 1980 and 1981. Other new inductees include Kenneth Bohman (Batesville, 1964), Lisa Koger Biggs (Jac-Cen-Del 1979), Ed Westmeyer (South Ripley, 1989), and former South Ripley and East Central coach Randy Snodgrass, Also among the inductees is the late Jim Pavy. The 1940 Versailles High School graduate later coached high school hoops in Florida, leading teams to four state championships. He died in 2005. Another posthumous induction is that of William “Bill" Thomas, a 1952 Osgood High School graduate who went on to play at the University of Mississippi. The 2015 Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will occur between games of the boys Ripley County Basketball Tournament championship and consolation on Saturday, January 10 at South Ripley High School. Brief biographies of each new inductee as provided by the Hall of Fame are below:

Kenneth Bohman - Batesville High School - 1964

Kenneth Bohman graduated from Batesville High School in 1964.

In 1962, as a sophomore for the Bulldogs, the varsity team compiled a record of 21 wins with just 4 losses. The Bulldogs won the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference championship and took home the trophies in the Ripley County and Sectional tournaments. In the 1962-63season, when he was junior, Ken averaged 14 points a game. He was selected on the All-County team and was picked to be on the All-Regional team.

During his senior year, the Bulldogs posted a record of 13 victories and 10 losses. Ken was honored as a member of the All-Conference team. He was also selected to be on the 40&8 All Star team. . As a junior, Ken scored 30 points against Greensburg. When he was a senior, Ken hit the nets for a total of 32 points in the win over Rushville.

After high school, Ken attended Butler University where he was awarded a degree in business in 1968.

Ken helped to establish the Bill Giltz award at St. Louis School and has been a big factor in aiding in the perpetuation of that award.

In 1968, Ben married his wife Kathleen. The couple have four children, Amy, Angie, Nancy and Peter and are blessed with nine grandchildren.

Ken retired from Hill-Rom in 2009 after a 41 year career with that company.

DeAnn Harmon - East Central High School - 1977

DeAnn Harmon resides near Sunman and graduated from East Central High School in 1977. While at EC, DeAnn won a total eleven letters in three sport.

It was her stellar basketball career that drew nationwide attention and earned her a full scholarship to a Division One college, Eastern Illinois. She later attended Cincinnati Christian University earning degrees in Education and Business Management.

Since the IHSAA only began recognizing girls’ basketball in 1976, DeAnn and her teammates only participated in two years of tournaments, Ripley County and Sectional . She was All-County and All Sectional in her junior and senior year earning Sectional MVP honors both years.

At EC, DeAnn was team MVP in 1976 and 1977 as well as the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference MVP in those same two years. She led the conference in scoring her senior year with 22.6 points per game and won the team’s free throw award in 1977. DeAnn still holds the school record in points for one game with 32 points against Lawrenceburg.

Indiana Girls’ Basketball Magazine called her “the most recruited college prospect and best shooting guard in the state”.

In her college career, DeAnn was a Division I All American in 1980 and 81. She was the team MVP in 80 and 81 and holds the single game scoring record of 52 points her senior year.

DeAnn is a customer service specialist. She has two children, Shannon and Nathan.

Lisa Koger Briggs - Jac-Cen-Del High School - 1979

Lisa Koger Briggs attended Jac-Cen-Del High School, graduating in 1979. She was a four-year player on the basketball team earning a starting spot beginning in her sophomore year.

In 1976, the first year girls basketball was sanctioned by the IHSAA, Lisa was a non-starter on a team which posted a record of 18 wins with just one loss. That lone defeat came at the hands of Bloomfield by three points in the Semi-State.

It was in 1978 that the Lady Eagles made it to the state final game, losing to Warsaw in the championship game 75 to 60. In 1979, Lisa was a senior, and her team posted a record of 15 and 6.

When she was a junior, Lisa averaged 6.7 points a game, increasing her offensive output to 11.4 points a game the next year.

Lisa began her coaching career in 1984 as coach of the Osgood and Napoleon 5th and 6th grade girls’ basketball teams. She served as the Junior Varsity softball coach at JCD in the first year of that sport. She then coached Milan 7th-8th grade basketball for 18 years.

As Milan girls varsity basketball team, the Lady Indians posted records of 10-12 in 1998, 15-7 in 1999, 11-10 in 2000. She returned to coaching in 2011 and 2012, taking over a program that was in the rebuilding stages.

Lisa lives near Moorefield with his husband Greg on a 220 acre farm. They have four sons: Matt Briggs who lives in Greenwood with his wife Ann, Eric Briggs who lives in Torrence, California, Tyler Bradshaw and his finance' Erin who live in Osgood, and Trey Bradshaw who lives in Moorefield. They have three granddaughters, Courtney, Addie, and Lily.

James S. Pavy - New Marion-Versailles High Schools - 1940

James Pavy graduated from Versailles High School in 1940. He attended Versailles for one year. Economic circumstances in the Great Depression forced the Pavy family to move to Versailles from New Marion just before Jim’s senior year.

Jim played for New Marion for three years, 1937, 1938 and 1939. He finished his high school career playing for the Frenchies. During the first two years at New Marion, the basketball statistics are not available. In the 1938-39 season, the Panthers posted a record of 6 wins 15 losses. During that season, Jim averaged 5.7 points a game out of the 23 points a game the team averaged for the year.

After 17 months in the Army, Jim went to college at Florida State. Florida State was a girls’ school, with a nearby army base that was converted into a branch of the University of Florida, called the Tallahassee Branch of the University of Florida (TBUF). The two school joined to become Florida State University.

Jim became a student assistant coach as FSU until he graduated in 1950. He began coaching in Florida. His high school teams won four state championships. His coaching tenure brought him to Chipola Junior College, where his men’s and women’s team compiled records of 175 wins and 42 losses. A heart attack curtailed Jim’s coaching career. He retired in 1988 and passed away in 2005.

Randy Snodgrass - Coach South Ripley/East Central

Randy Snodgrass was born in Oxford, Indiana and attended Benton Central High School, graduating in 1969. He went to Indiana State University and received a Masters Degree in education at the secondary level.

In 1992, Randy began a four year stint at South Ripley. His over-all record with the Raiders was 58 and 27. SR won back-to-back Ripley County Tournament championships in 1994 and 95. The Raiders won back-to-back Ohio River Valley Conference championships in 1995 and 96, earning Randy Coach of the Year honors. In 1994, 95 and 96 the Raiders tallied the best three year record in the history of the school with 49 wins. In 1994 they racked up the second best record in SR history with 20 wins and 3 losses.

He then moved to East Central in 1997. Under Coach Snodgrass, the Trojans had a record of 53 and 12 while winning the RCIT title once and the EIAC conference championships twice and Coach of the Year honor once. While at EC, Randy’s teams set records in field goal%, team free throw percentage and team assists. His teams were second all-time in team wins and points per game.

Randy is retired and lives in Versailles with his wife, Roxanne. They have two grown sons, Nate and Brett.

William “Bill” Thomas - Osgood High School - 1952

Bill Thomas is a 1952 graduate of Osgood High School. Bill was a member of the Osgood Cowboys varsity basketball team for three years during which time the team amassed a record 54 wins and 13 losses.

During his career for the Cowboys, Bill scored a total of 615 points which breaks down to 50 points his sophomore year and 183 points the next year. When he was a senior, Bill averaged 17.3 points for a total of 382 for the year. He had seven games of twenty points or more with a high game of 29 points. He earned Ripley County Tournament Honorable Mention honors as well as being named to the All-Sectional team.

In 1951, Bill’s junior year, the Cowboys won the Ripley County Tournament with a close, 38 to 36, victory over Holton.

Upon completion of his high school career, Bill attended the University of Mississippi , a Division 1 school, on a full scholarship. He played one year at Ole Miss and then enlisted in the Army and served until 1957.

After his release from the Army, Bill returned to Osgood and married Pat Landes in 1957.

Bill worked for Seagram s and began farming before working for The highway department.

Sadly, Bill developed cancer and died in 2002, leaving behind his wife, two children, Roy and Karen, three Grandchildren and one Great Grandchild.

Ed Westmeyer - South Ripley High School - 1989

Ed Westmeyer graduated from South Ripley in 1989 after an outstanding basketball career for the Raiders.

His first full year with the varsity produced some impressive numbers. He shot 58.5% from the field and averaged 7.4 rebounds a game. He scored 285 points for an average of 11.9 per game with a high game of 28 points. Among the honors he received, he was named to the All-Ripley County Tournament team, sharing the Co-MVP award as a member of the RCIT championship team. The Raiders won the 1988 East Central Sectional championship with Ed being named to the All-Tournament Team. The next week, he was named to the All-Regional team at Richmond, leading SR to a runner-up finish.

In his senior year, Ed’s numbers improved to 61.2% shooting, 8.9 rebounds a game and 14.4 points game with a total of 382 for the season. He, once again, was named Co-MVP of the RCIT as a part of the repeat champion, Raiders. He won the Tiny Hunt Award, presented by Ripley Publishing Company in 1989.

After high school, Ed played four years at Franklin College. He graduated with a degree in business and banking.

Ed lives in Troy, Ohio with his wife, Shannon, and his children, Jesse and Hallie. He is employed at Main Source Bank in Troy as a Market Director and Senior Vice President.