Hix ‘Sonny’ Foote has been selected to receive the Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award during the 35th Annual Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, April 22.
The 2020-21 event will be held at 6:30 p.m., at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Hix ‘Sonny’ Foote joins Mark Campbell, Jewuan Long, Meg Griffin Nethery, Preston Overbey and Jabriel Washington, who become the newest members of the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame.
“Sonny was born in Mercer in 1939, and he first came to love sports as a young boy playing on Little League teams in Jackson,” Vicky Foote said of her late husband, “At age 13, he played center field for the Babe Ruth team from Jackson. His team played in the World Series in Connecticut, and finished as runner up.”
Vicky said as a student at South Side High School, Sonny participated in numerous sports and earned a basketball scholarship to Memphis State University.
“His athletic and academic record also earned him an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy,” Vicky said, “During the military physical, he learned he had sinus issues that would prevent him from becoming a jet pilot.
“He said, “If I can’t fly jets, I want to be a foot soldier.””
A member of the sniper unit in the Army, he established himself as an expert marksman, breaking several marksmanship records – some of which still stand today.
After the military, Sonny worked in banking and business.
He married Vicky Mayo and had two daughters; but Vicky said his love of sports never waivered.
“Watching his daughters play ball in high school kindled his desire to coach,” Vicky said, “He went back to school, graduated from Lambuth, and was offered his choice of two positions – girls’ basketball coach at South Side High School or football coach at West High School.
“He chose the latter “because of the challenge it presented.””
Arriving at the all black school in 1981, the challenges were staggering.
“There was no football program in the high school or middle school,” Vicky said, “There was no stadium, and no plans to build one.
“There was no practice field, no equipment, no uniforms and inadequate funds for a start up program.”
Vicky said the poverty level at that time in the Denmark community was so great, that players had no way to get to and from practice.
“Denmark was basketball country with no interest in football, but Coach Foote forged ahead,” Vicky said, “Unable to draw from a large pool – there were only 60 males in the school in 1981, and whoever showed up for try-outs made the team.”
With only 15 players the first year, Sonny knew they would have to learn two platoon football.
Vicky said Sonny relied on ‘military-like’ drills that stretched the boys endurance levels to the maximum level, and amazingly – the team managed to win and tie a game their first year.
The second year, with only 20 players on the roster, they had a winning season.
The third year they were conference champs, beating schools twice their size.
In three years, he had taken boys who had never played and developed them into players who earned college football scholarships their senior year.
After nine years of football, consolidation came – and West High School closed.
“Coach Foote became an assistant principal at North Side High School, and later principal at Northeast Middle School where he continued to mentor youngsters off the field,” Vicky said, “But he never forgot his ‘boys at West,’ and maintained an affectionate bond with them until his death in 2018.”
A table for eight for the event is $500. Call Beth Sedberry (731) 616-8558.
(PHOTO: Hix ‘Sonny’ Foote)
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