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The Marengo County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2025 along with recognizing their team of the year and scholarship recipient during the banquet Monday at the Demopolis Civic Center.

The four newest members of the hall included Kevin Deal, James Moody, Victor Scott and Major Walker. The team of the year was the 1985 Demopolis Academy state champions.

Nate Norris of Sweet Water was recognized as the Tre Jones Memorial Scholarship recipient. 

Walker was a part of the U.S. Jones basketball team that broke Druid City High School’s 33-game winning streak and played in the state tournament championship game in 1969 finishing as the runner-up that year.

“I want to thank this committee, first of all, and our presenter for just choosing me to be inducted in this hall in the Marengo County Sports Hall of Fame,” Walker said. “It means a lot. I’m very honored.”

Moody is the former Demopolis High School baseball coach who led the program to a state championship during his 24-year career. He thanked everyone who made Demopolis baseball the program that it was during his tenure.

“I see all these coaches that I coached with that had such an impact on my life. But I see people like Mayor Collins, Derek Martin, Larry Martin, people that took me in when I first took this job and thought I’d do everything and I didn’t know,” Moody said. “And they ran our program, they ran our booster club and did it with nothing but class. They helped me along the way, and man, that means a lot to me.”

Scott was one the pivotal people who helped keep Sweet Water High School open back during the 1970s and early 1980s. Federal courts tried to close the school twice during that era, but the school still stayed open in part to Scott’s leadership through those tough times as the school’s football program was forced to rebuild.

That rebuild required the program to travel to all parts of Alabama from onion-filled football fields to Zion Chapel, which one student quipped, “I just didn’t realize we would play a funeral home.”

The team continue to rebuild and built the state championship caliber program that Sweet Water has become winning several state championships in the decade.

Deal attended Demopolis Academy where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was selected as the captain by his teammates, receiving accolades in all of those sports prior to signing a scholarship with Troy State University. While he achieved all these honors, being inducted is one of the top achievements in his life.

“I never thought anything like this would happen to me,” Deal said. “I wish my mom and dad are still alive. They were my biggest cheerleaders. I wish they were here to see this tonight.”

The Demopolis Academy baseball team in 1985 was a special bunch. That team started a run of four consecutive state championships.

“Thank y’all for allowing us to come here and accept Mr. Moore,” said team member Jimbo Patterson. “It really means a lot to me. I really appreciate the guys that came to accept this award with, with us all the community that supported us throughout the years. We certainly couldn’t have done it without you… it was a very, very special year that started the stream of wins for the academy. I couldn’t be more proud to be up here accepting this award.