Before Friday evening’s game against Jarrell, Rockdale High School head football coach and athletic director Jeff Miller choked back tears. In fact, many members of the Tiger football team did.
Miller’s family, friends and supporters were brought to tears as Emcee and Hall of Honor committee member Mike Brown announced Miller’s induction into the Rock-dale Athletic Hall of Honor at RHS cafeteria.
Miller joined KRXT, Brooks Bassler, Briana Bassler and Frank Ramirez, Jr. as part of the 12th Hall of Honor class last Friday evening.
“This explains why some family friends showed up. I should’ve figured it out right then,” Miller said, after several moments of surprised silence.
Miller holds the record for most wins in Rockdale Tiger history at 96-57 in thirteen seasons, which includes a state championship last year. The 2018 Tiger football team and his family were in attendance.
“I tell people all the time that one day Jeff King and I were sitting around having lunch, and we came up with this idea,” Miller said.
After three days of reflection, Miller found the words to express his surprise: “I certainly feel like it’s not something I deserve. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great honor. It’s certainly not something that needed to be done.
“The accomplishments we’ve had over the past twelve to thirteen years are by no means individual. There’s so many people that have had an impact on what we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said, in the field house Monday afternoon. “All our great coordinators, longtime assistants like James Saegert and Bart Gibbs, just to name a few, my wife and my kids of course, and Denise Betchan. I’ve always joked that she’s the real athletic director. I guarantee you that half of the stuff we accomplished here wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t a part of it. That plaque should have a picture of about 20 people on it quite honestly.”
KRXT
Following Miller’s acceptance, Brown invited radio station owner Charlie McGregor to the stage to accept a Hall of Honor plaque on behalf of KRXT. KRXT-FM has provided live coverage of Rockdale High School sports for almost thirty years, and has aired every Rockdale High School football game since 1989.
“I’ve interviewed every head football coach from Rockdale every Friday since 1963,” McGregor said. “I would do everything I could do to get the attention of Rockdale.”
“Even when I was living in Cameron, I was up at the old Tiger Field House every week with a tape recorder. I remember bringing my oldest daughter with me to the 1976 state championship to cover the game. I’m thankful for all the people that have helped us cover sports over the years. People, sponsors, and coaches have helped us be what we wanted to be, and that was to be the Rock-dale station.”
Brooks Bassler
The next inductee was Brooks Bassler. Bassler was a three-sport athlete at Rockdale High School from the class of 1997.
“I’m proud to be from Rockdale, for all of its beauty and all of its imperfections,” Bassler said. “Last year, when the Tiger’s played a couple of games near a couple of the restaurants I own, my staff was going on and on about how awesome everybody is from Rockdale.
Bassler was all-district in three years in football, twice in basketball, and still holds the school record for the high jump with a 7-foot leap. Bassler followed his high school sports career with a college track and field career at University of Houston before becoming an entrepreneur.
Briana Bassler
The next inductee was Bassler’s younger sister, Briana. Briana Bassler is the third of three children from the Bassler family to be inducted into the Rock-dale Athletic Hall of Honor. Blade Bassler was inducted last year.
A graduate of the class of 1999, Bassler was the RHS Outstanding female athlete in her junior and senior years. She was also an all-district performer all four years in basketball. Like her older brother, she also went to University of Houston on a track and field scholarship.
“It’s crazy coming back to Rockdale so many years later to be recognized as an athlete, when athletics is no longer a central part of my life,” Bassler said. “But even as a lawyer at a blue-chip firm, I still put that I was a division-one athlete on my resume, and I’ve never had an interview where I didn’t talk about it.”
Frank Ramirez Jr.
The final inductee of the evening was Frank Ramirez. Jr. Ramirez was a 1984 graduate of Rock-dale High School, who went to Sam Houston State University on a baseball scholarship.
After his years in Huntsville as a student-athlete, he was signed by the Atlanta Braves and played with their Idaho Falls Rookie League team. While in the Gem state, he compiled a 7-1 record. In addition to his stellar baseball career, he was an all-district football player at three positions in 1983. He made first team as a tight end, defensive back and punter.
“I want to tell everyone that this is an amazing honor,” Ramirez said. “Next to my son being born, this is one of the best things to happen. I want to thank my Dad. He was an awesome coach, and I love him so much. I want to thank my Mom, who was there to control everyone.”
The evening concluded after the inductees took a group photo. The former Rockdale standouts were then escorted to the stadium, where they were honored at halftime of Rockdale-Jarrell football game.
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