Barry Lewis
Willie Ponder, the 1973 Booker T. Washington football team and Pat Holder are the final three members who have been added to the Tulsa Public Schools Athletics’ Hall of Fame class for 2025.
They join James Asberry, Marc Brumble, Savannah Carter, Tony Johnson, Larry Lyles, Tom McIntosh, Marcus Peel, Richard Slicker and Darryl Wren, who were announced earlier this month as inductees.
The 13th annual Hall of Fame banquet is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at the DoubleTree Tulsa at Warren Place. A reception will start at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets for the banquet are available at $100 individually or a table for 10 at $1,000. Reservations can be made by contacting Lisa Norman in the Athletics Office by email at normali@tulsaschools.org or by calling 918-746-6453.
Ponder, now an assistant football coach at Jenks, was an electrifying receiver and kick returner who played in the NFL. His high school football career was capped by playing in the 1998 Oil Bowl. As a senior with Central, he caught 45 passes for 695 yards and 10 TDs, and also returned two kickoffs and two punts for scores — a preview of his pro success.
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Ponder led the NFL with a kickoff return average of 26.9 yards in 2004 with the New York Giants. He later played with the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams. Between Central and the NFL, he played for the University of Tulsa, Coffeyville CC and Southeast Missouri State, where he was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. In 2015, he was inducted into the SEMO Athletics Hall of Fame. He returned to TPS as a Central assistant and was McLain’s head coach from 2018-23. Ponder also played on Central’s 1998 state basketball champions.
The 1973 BTW football team capped an era of five state titles in seven years for the Hornets under coach Ed Lacy. For more than 50 years, the ‘73 Hornets have been the last undefeated Tulsa Public Schools state championship football team. Quarterback Melvin Barrens led a wishbone offense that averaged 39.5 points per game — a school record that lasted more than 30 years — despite having an undersized offensive line.
BTW defeated Hale 39-7 in the 4A state title game before 15,000 fans at Skelly Stadium. Barrens and receiver Reggie Midget were BTW’s All-State selections. Another standout was Robert Hardy, who later was a defensive tackle for four years with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Patricia “Pat” Holder, a 1954 Rogers graduate, was instrumental in East Central’s athletic success for more than 30 years. As a teacher and assistant principal, she mentored TPS Athletics Hall-of-Famers such as Tony Casillas, Jimbo Elrod, Anthony Bowie, Jill Most and Gary Roberts while they were student-athletes. She also helped TPS expand opportunities for girls’ sports in Tulsa.
Barry Lewis has been traveling the area during the high school spring football practice period. In today's episode, he reports on what he's seen at Jenks, Bixby, Lincoln Christian and Rejoice Christian.
barry.lewis@tulsaworld.com
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