The Franklin County High School Athletic Hall of Fame got bulkier and richer Sunday evening with the arrival of deserving inductees Wes Cox and Jon Hancher.

Unanimous selections by receiving all 10 committee votes, assistant athletic director Brad Stacy said the duo exemplified what the hall of fame is all about.

For the better part of 24 seasons, Cox held the Wildcat boys basketball career scoring mark (1,168 points) until witnessing graduating senior (no relation) Chad Cox break the record this past winter.

“I was ecstatic,” said the 1998 graduate. “These records have to be broken for a program to move forward.”

How he accepted second place “solidified” Cox's induction, said former teammate and current athletic director Denny Dorrel in concluding his introduction.

“He handled it with class and dignity – being a part of Chad's success was really huge,” said the AD.

Cox still holds both the single-season scoring record (480) and the single-game mark of 51 that he poured in the second game into his senior season – a triple-overtime affair against South Dearborn won by FC 98-95.

An FC tradition stuck as a result of his big night.

“Wes had come to Nancy Bradburn and said his mouth was dry,” related Dorrel. “She gave him a stick of spearmint gum and he goes out and scores 51. To this day … there's gum behind the Wildcat bench.”

For 44 games ending his career, Cox was the leading scorer on the Wildcat squad.

Dorrel and Cox, now instilling their love of the game as girls youth coaches, shared the mutual respect they had for one another.

“Denny was by far my favorite teammate,” said Cox. “You probably know Denny as a football guy but to me, he was all basketball. In junior high, he started leading drills in practice and I started looking up to him. My junior year, with him setting screens, allowed me wide-open looks and allowed me to have my best season to that point. When he graduated, I had to face my senior year without him and that's how much he meant.”

Dorrel took a different angle on the situation, saying after Wes Gillman, Mark Foster and Justin Hancher graduated, Wes walked in the locker room, looked around “and he's got me.” 

The line drew big laughs but emphasized the difference in team makeup from early to late in his career.

“When he walks up here, his back's going to hurt because he was carrying our team for two years,” Dorrel quipped.

Dorrel also amused with his opening. 

“When Wes won induction, I said 'what can I do as a gift?'” he started. “Well, his jersey number was 22 so I called up the seniors and said, 'do me a favor and carve 22 in the dam for my man Wes.'”

Taking a more somber note later, Dorrel said he ran into Cox at the fair about six years ago.

“We reconnected, talked about our kids and our dads and talked about cancer,” he recalled. “Your dad would be so proud of you right now, no doubt about it.”

Cox said basketball started with his parents, Ron Cox and Ann Rosenberger, adding he'd have never been the player he was without his late father who passed in 2019.

“I love you Dad, I wish you could have been here.”

Cox thanked several others, including his wife Amy, grandparents Albert and Mary Lou Cox, brother Jim, uncles Rick (4-year starter at Brookville High School) and Randy Cox, cousin Scott Cox, statisticians Gary and Nancy Bradburn, late team manager Justin “Chief” Moore, bus driver Dan Dorrel, former AD Chuck Grimes, announcer Dave Cook, late scorekeeper Vic Hauberg, Stacy, former JV coach Pat Tafelski and his 8th-grade coach Dave Back.

There are seven individuals he singled out, all classmates and all still close to this day: Adam Ferkinhoff, Justin Boggs, Justin Meyer, Andy Shaver, Rob Ritz, Kevin Moore and Ryan Bischoff. “They're the reason my competitiveness ran so high.”

Cox was also an all-conference baseball player as a shortstop, hitting .458 as a junior and .330 as a senior.

Hancher's induction regrettably came posthumously as he passed on Jan. 10, 2022.

“I wish he could be here,” stated his former assistant and friend Lowell “Teen” McMillin. “It's with heavy heart that many of us are here to pay him respect and give him his due. He'd have been most appreciative.”

Hancher and his staff literally did wonders with the Lady Wildcat basketball program. In just six seasons from 1995 through 2001, he compiled an 84-44 record or winning more than 65% of the time. The pinnacle was his final year on the sidelines, as the girls were unbeaten in the regular season and lost to Indianapolis Cathedral on a semistate buzzer-beater.

McMillin highlighted other program firsts – first sectional title game in 1997-98, back-to-back sectional crowns in 2000 and 2001, first Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference title in 1999 and first player named an Indiana All-Star and Division I player (Miranda Eckerle).

Eckerle, along with teammates Whitney Gillman, Kara Feller and Amber McMillin, are all members of the FC Hall of Fame. 

“He had the intangible of blending those individual skills into a cohesive team,” related McMillin. “They played together, with and for each other. There were no egos on his team.”

Hancher “recognized traces of athleticism, mental understanding of athletic performance in games and students' character and work ethic,” all traits he wanted to incorporate into the FC culture, according to McMillin. He encouraged players to seek out the best AAU programs and pushed them to develop skills and learn other coaches' philosophies. 

With all his concrete success on the court, Hancher's primary achievements may have been off the hardwood.

He started to realize girls hoops took a back seat to the boys in many ways. His early teams had no home Friday and Saturday night games at the FC gym. He also saw the boys team had a full complement of coaches – his was missing a varsity assistant. The boys had more access to the weight room and had cheerleaders and Dancz Catz by their side during games.

McMillin said Hancher took steps to eliminate the inequality. In 1997-98, there was one home Friday game and “he kept up the drumbeat.” This season, FC had four girls varsity Friday home games, three on Saturday night and one Friday night away game. A varsity assistant was established in 1998-99. Cheers, dance routines and pep bands accompany the Lady Cats. “He was proud son Josh could play the Star-Spangled Banner on soprano sax before games,” said McMillin.

Part of his legacy endures as former players dot the community in important professional positions.

“As parents, you're bringing up a new generation of community builders like yourselves,” McMillin emoted in addressing the former athletes.

Hancher's wife Judy accepted the plaque with a brief address. “Most of all, I want to thank all the girls who chose when in high school to work really hard,” she said.

FCHSpys, seniors
Sixty senior athletes were recognized to start the evening, walking one by one across the FCHS Auditorium stage.

The 2022 FCHSpys, a take on the ESPN award show, was next on the agenda. Trainer Leah Rauch announced the winners. 

Team of the Year was the record-setting boys basketball squad after new marks in win streaks and win totals and a sectional finals appearance. There were co-winners of Male Athlete of the Year; seniors Jacob Schatzle (football, track/field) and Chad Cox (basketball, track/field) shared the honors. Senior Jenna Bruns was Female Athlete of the Year after standing out in volleyball, basketball and track/field.

Senior Jack Stirn earned Top Male Performance of the Year with his epic run to the state's final four in tennis. Senior Michaela Ferman was choice for Top Female Performance after pitching a complete game shutout 2-hitter with 13 strikeouts and adding a single, double, triple and RBI against Cambridge City. 

Tiffany Billman was Breakout Athlete as the freshman vied in volleyball, basketball and softball. Mental Attitude winners were seniors Anne Becker and Bridger Bolos; the latter also earned 12 varsity letters in his career.