The 2025 Marshall County Athletic Hall of Fame class was honored Thurday night during an induction ceremony inside the Kenneth Shadowen Performing Arts Center.
This year, we salute the 12th Hall of Fame class. They all have contributed beyond measure to the storied history of our county, state, and the nation, in athletics and in life.
The Marshall County High School Athletic Foundation is to be commended for its vision and continued efforts in selecting players, teams, coaches, and contributors who have led the way in providing Marshall Countians with a winning spirit.
The 2025 class consists of one coach, one team, two contributors, and five players. Congratuations to each!!
Contributors:
Donna Perry:
Donna Perry was head coach of the Marshall Co. Lady Marshals for just two seasons, 1979 and 1980. Her record during those two years was 42-5, a 94% rate. Her 1980 team ended the season with a 20-2 record, and 18-0 in the regular season, and was ranked #1 in the state for much of the season. In the 1960s and early 1970s, she was a Health and Physical Education teacher, girls track coach, and cheerleading sponsor .. She was the assistant coach of the first high school girls' basketball team in 1974, under Gene Brooks. She continued as assistant basketball coach under Coach Don Cothran for four seasons (197 5-1978) at MCHS before becoming head coach .. Her junior varsity teams went undefeated in three of those four years. Perry served as a member of the Marshall County Board of Education from 1998-2020 and also served as a member of the Athletic Foundation.
Bill Murphy:
Bill Murphy is remembered as an athletic photographer for Marshall County sports teams. He made pictures of athletes of all ages and sports. For many years Bill made the official team and individual pictures for all high school sports. You would often see him on the sidelines of any Marshall County event capturing exciting action shots. Bill loved Marshall County, and especially, Marshall Athletics. He was able to capture so many memories for so many families.
Players:
Nolan Nichols:
Nolan gained over 2,000 career rushing yards, and had over 20 combined career touchdowns (rushing, receiving, defense, special teams). An all purpose player, he also led team in total tackles in both his junior and senior seasons. Most notably, his senior season was one of the best individual seasons in program history as Nichols had almost 1,200 rushing yards, intercepted three passes, recovered three fumbles, recorded 100 tackles and scored 14 total touchdowns. He went on to play at Murray State, where he was a starter for the Racers.
Brigette Howard:
Brigette was one of the most exciting players to ever play for the Lady Marshals, where she is #5 on the career scoring list for the Lady Marshals with 1,713 points. She was Honorable Mention All- State in 1994 and First Team All-State in 1995 and was a starter on Lady Marshals 1994 regional championship team.
Shea Shaeppard Dukek:
Shea played volleyball at Marshall County High School for five years, and at Bethel University for four years. At MCHS, she averaged the following stats: Assists: 14; Digs: 12; Kills: 9; Aces: 2; Blocks: 4. While at Bethel she held the record for most assists per match at 19. At MCHS, she was varsity MVP, Two time District 4 All District Tournament Team (x2), Two time District 4 All District Tournament Team MVP, Two time Region 1 All Region Tournament Team, Two time Region 1 Player of the Year and, All State Honorable Mention.
Daniel Ard:
A dual sport star for Marshall County basketball and football, he ranks #1 for both career points (2,185) and rebounds (1,080) in program histor)' for the Marshals. He also tallied over 2,000 passing yards and over 1,300 rushing yards his senior foorball scnson with 40 combined touchdowns (22 passing and 18 rushing). Ard was named All-State in both football and basketball. (Second Team J\11- State his senior season in basketball). In his senior season, the football Marshals m:uched the program record for most wins in a regular season with 9. He wa!- an All-Purchase member in basketball and All \Vest Kentucky Conference in football. He scored a career high 47 points, and at the time program record, in a win over Ohio County in his senior sea!-on. He was a starter on three consecutive district championship teams for the Marshals, and went on to play basketbll and football at Murray State.
Justin Ard:
Justin was a dual sport star for the Marshals in football and basketball. He was a two-way starter on the line for the 1998 district champion Marshals. He was All-State in football and named the West Kentucky Conference Player of the Year in 2000. He was also member of two district championship and a regional runner-up team for Marshals Basketball. Ard was a starter on Murray State's last conference championship football team in 002 and was named First Team All-OVC as a lineman at Murray State in 2004.
Coach:
Stephen Son:
Stephen Son was the first Marshall County High School Boys Soccer Coach from 1983-1989. During that time, he amassed a coaching record of 65-55-5. He led the school to its first Regional Championship in 1988, followed by a second regional championship in 1989, and the school's first ever Final Four appearance that same year. The success of those teams in 1988 and 1989 laid the foundation for one of the most successful programs in Kentucky. He also served as the public address announcer for both Marshall. County Basketball and Marshall County Football in the 1980s and early 1990s and continued to sing the National Anthem regularly at these games after giving up the PA duties. He coached youth basketball, baseball, and soccer with the local associations from 1989-1999 through the Marshall County Soccer Association and Marshall County Little League Basketball. He was also insttrumental in the development of the current soccer complex at MCHS, known as one of the best in the state.
Team:
1998 Marshall County High School Football Team
The 1998 Marshall County team holds the program record for most wins in a season with 11. They also hold the record for the longest winning streak in program history at 10 games. , and were undefeated in district play on their way to the 4A, District 1 Championship. The regular season was capped off with a thrilling 42-41 triple overtime win at Henderson County to claim the district title. The Marshals matched program record for most wins in a regular season with 9, and reached as high as #3 in that season's 4A State Rankings. They marked just the second appearance for a Marshall County Football Team in a regional championship game, gave eventual 2A State Champion Caldwell County their only loss of the season, and recorded Marshall County's first varsity football victory over Paducah Tilghman.
