nents by 24 strokes , rolled to victory in the regional tournament in Dallas , winning the right to play in the state tournament at Austin . The Hornets shot 36 holes of golf , scoring 307 in the first round and tallying 303 in the second . Gene Robinson , shooting 72-72 was medalist for Class A .”
All four of the linksters went on to play golf collegiately . In addition , the Lively brothers toured with the PGA for a number of years and opened a golf course in Lake Tawakoni . The team shared a few stories and lots of laughs about their times on the road while accepting their awards .
The 1974 AHS golf team was also honored which included Steve Grant , Kip Estep , Billy Pierot ,
Mike Pierot and Phillip Pierot . This team claimed the UIL 3A State Championship Golf Team title and put together a string of five consecutive first-place finishes that season . Notably , they won the district championship with a 43-stroke lead over second place , Billy Pierot was the district and regional medalist , and Steve Grant was the state medalist .
There are a number of parallels between the ’ 56 and the ’ 74 golf teams . Not only did each team have brothers , but just as the Lively ’ s ’ father , John Lively Sr ., was a golf pro at Athens
Country Club , so , too , was the Pierots ’ father , Bill Pierot Sr ., who was also club manager .
After graduating high school , Grant played golf at Henderson County Junior College . Billy Pierot also played for HCJC , where he was a Junior College All-American and later he was a linkster for Louisiana Tech University . Billy also played in Europe and Asia for a few years before touring for several years with the PGA .
Grant spoke of how honored the team was to be recognized and also how they looked up to the ‘ 56 team as an inspiration . He went on to thank God for “ our families that helped us and that worked with us and the opportunity , and I thank God for the Pierot brothers who brought a new level of competition in our hearts .”
The final honoree of the evening was Prissy Corley , who was not only a standout basketball player at Brownsboro , but also at the college level prior to becoming an educator .
Patricia “ Prissy ”
1956 Golf team members get final instructions before play begins . Greater Athens Magazine | January 2023 | 9
Vines Corley was a coach and teacher at Athens High School from 1975 to 1985 . After graduating from Brownsboro in 1968 , she played ball at HCJC . Coaching the Lady Cardinals at that time was Connie Russell , who started the team .
From there , Corley went to Sam Houston State University , where she played under revered girls basketball coach Jodie Conrad . When Corley graduated from college , she planned to be a classroom teacher only , but was recruited by Mabank ISD to coach as well . In 1975 , after losing only one or two games while at Mabank , Athens ISD decided it was time to start a girls basketball program of its own — and they knew just the person to do it . Corley built the program in Athens from the ground up .
Their first season , the Hornettes , as they were called then , were 12-13 ; the second , they were 20-3 ; then 27-2 and made the playoffs . The fourth year , they were 28-2 and state semi-finalists .
Several of those original players were present at the induction ceremony . Among them was Jana Tidmore Hughes , who said of Corley : “ She was more than a coach to us . We were a group of country girls who had never played basketball at all ; we didn ’ t have a clue . She taught us everything . … She made us better people .”
Corley thanked “ all of my athletes for all the great memories I have .” She spoke of how fun the games were to watch and how the newspaper referred to them as “ the powerhouse ” because they had scored over 100 points in a game seven different times , with a high of 125 points against Chapel Hill .
“ I coached at different schools , but I will guarantee you that was the best team I ever had ,” Corley said . “ They were a joy to coach , they were fun to watch , and I still love them like they were my own today .”
AISD Superintendent Dr . Janie Sims closed the evening with an observation that all the honorees thanked someone else for helping get them to where they are . She then had the crowd stand and join with her in singing the Athens Fight Song and everyone joined in a final “ It ’ s a great day to be alive and an Athens Hornet . Huh-rah .”