Crockett ISD Inducts Four More Honorees Into the Ring of Honor Before Homecoming Game

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT –  Crockett Independent School District (CISD) inducted four new honorees into its famed Ring of Honor at a ceremony held Friday, Sept. 30 before the homecoming football game against Coldspring-Oakhurst. 

The event was emceed by school board member Ansel Bradshaw. Attendees included all CISD school board members, Superintendent John Emerich, Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher and many students, parents and former Ring of Honor inductees. 

The proceedings were held in the Crockett High School “quad” area. CISD School Board President Dr. John Garner led the group in prayer before the pledges to the flags of America and Texas were led by Crockett High School students and FFA members Ryan Arvizu and Christopher Hernandez. 

After the Crockett high school band played the fight song, the inductees were introduced one by one. This year there were four present to be honored:

Monte Jack Driskell was born and raised in Lovelady, Texas. He graduated from Lovelady High School in 1952. He received a basketball scholarship from Wharton County Junior College, played basketball and met the love of his life, Janet.  He transferred to Sam Houston State University where Monte played basketball for three more years. He received his Bachelor Degree from Sam Houston in 1957 and his Master’s Degree in 1961. Monte got his first coaching job in Groveton, Texas, in 1957, became head coach and Athletic Director in 1961 and coached there until 1966.  He moved to Crockett in 1966 to be the head coach and athletic director of the Crockett Bulldogs until 1971. He wanted to try the college ranks and took a coaching job at Sam Houston State from 1971-1974. Because Monte wanted to go back home and coach high school, he returned to become the head coach and athletic director in Lovelady from 1974-1981. He went back to Crockett High as head coach and athletic director from 1981-1999 and had great success. In 1988, Monte was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Hall of Fame, as well as the Sam Houston State University Hall of Fame.Monte’s record as head coach is 268-82-9. He had the honor of the Bulldog Stadium being named after him, Monte Jack Driskell Stadium, on October 1, 2010.

At the present time, Monte and Janet have been married for 65 years, starting their 66th football season. They have three children, Cheryl, Dusty and Jamie, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Charissa Scott is a 1999 graduate of Crockett High School, where she excelled academically while participating in various school organizations and sports.  Some of the honors she is most proud of are her All-District awards in basketball and softball, Academic All-State, U.S. Army Academic Athlete, cheerleader/mascot, drum major, prom queen, National Honor Society, Miss             Juneteenth 1995, Who’s Who, homecoming queen and Miss CHS. Upon graduation, Charissa continued her education at the University of Houston. For the past 14 years, Charissa has continued to share her academic talents in her career and resides in Houston, TX. 

Fernando J. Harris is a Crockett High School graduate and the owner and president of Blue House Partners, LLC, in San Diego, California. Harris is a business professional with over 20 years of leadership and management experience, combined with extensive strategic planning and business operations capabilities. Harris is a retired U.S. Navy Commander and has been a director of a Fortune 500 Company. His educational accomplishments include earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy; a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He was also recognized as a top graduate of the Darden Navy Executive Education Program at the University of Virginia.

His work has taken him around the world including time spent in San Diego, California; Washington, D.C.; Kabul, Afghanistan; and even time aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan.

Paul Richmond graduated with the class of 1998 with several awards reflecting his success as a student-athlete. In football, he was awarded the 1996-1997 All-District Linebacker First Team, All-State Second Team, and the 1997-1998 District Defensive MVP All-State Second Team. In baseball, he was awarded the 1996 All-District Catcher First Team, 1997 All-District Catcher First Team and All-State Second Team, and the 1998 All-District Catcher First Team and All-State First Team. Through baseball, he lettered all four years of high school and went on to continue his baseball career at Navarro Junior College where he received the Texas Eastern Athletic Conference All-Conference Catcher and NJCAA All-Star in 2000. Paul continued his academic and athletic career at Baylor University where he received the 2002 NCAA All-Region Team and First Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference and his BBA in Accounting. 

 Following college, Paul was drafted in the 28th round 2002 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays where he played for 2 years. Now, Paul is the Senior Vice President for Transcarent Health Care and leads national efforts to expand the company’s market-leading Centers of Excellence panel. For more than 16 years, he has been an expert in provider relations and has extensive experience in healthcare, specifically intra-operative consultative sales, negotiating system-level agreements for medical devices and capital equipment, and value-based care initiatives. Paul has also served in numerous leadership positions throughout his professional career in healthcare, most recently as an account executive serving Fortune 500 clients in the surgical management benefit space.

The four received a plaque and then proceeding to the wall at the entrance to the stadium where their names will be placed alongside those of previous inductees. Assistant Superintendent Brian Aiken led the group in prayer before participants chatted and shared old stories before the start of the game. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]