2013 Hall of Fame Inductees

Six athletes, a former coach, and a past school board chairman were inducted into James Wood High School’s P. Wendell Dick Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, September 20, 2013. Ceremonies for the 14th annual induction began with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the 5:30 ceremony in James Wood’s Don Shirley Gymnasium. The inductees were also recognized at halftime of the football game between the Colonels and Strasburg. Here are the newest members of the Hall of Fame:

Donald Ambrose, class of 1960, was being inducted for his athletic versatility in high school. He excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track and lettered in all four sports. He played football four years as a running back and linebacker and was co-captain of the team his senior year. He played basketball three years for the Colonels and threw the shot and discus in track for three seasons. In baseball, he was an outstanding catcher for three seasons. After high school, Ambrose played service football for two years while in the Navy.

Roy Hockman, class of 1965, played four sports in some of the Colonels’ most successful years. In football, he played three seasons and started at tight end as a junior and senior. Those two years the Colonels finished 17-3, including a 10-0 record his senior year. In basketball, he played four years and started two seasons. As a junior, he lead James Wood in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game and scoring 20 or more points four times. His senior year, Hockman helped lead the Colonels to a 20-3 season which included district and regional titles and a trip to the state championship game against Blacksburg. He participated in track and field two years at JW, and his sophomore season the Colonels finished second in the Northwestern District. He also was on James Wood’s first golf team as a junior, and as a senior he lead the team to a 5-4 finish.

Claude Bucher, Jr., class of 1966, is well-remembered for his excellence in football and track at James Wood. As a sophomore, Bucher was called on to start at fullback the third game of the season and went on to help lead the Colonels to a 7-3 finish. That year he was named honorable mention on the Winchester Star’s All-Area Team. As a junior, Bucher was a big contributor on the Colonels undefeated 10-0 team, the first in the school’s history. He rushed for 848 yards, including a 141 yard performance against George Mason. He also was a major factor when the Colonels broke Clarke County High’s 38-game win streak that year. He was named First Team All-Area his junior season. His senior year, he helped lead JW to a 9-1 finish and rushed for 700 yards. He was part of the highly respected backfield that included quarterback Bobby Orndorff, halfback Chuck Marks (who later excelled at VMI), and speedster Doug Robinson. According to his head coach Jim Casey and backfield coach Walter Barr, Bucher made big plays in critical situations as a runner, a blocker and a receiver. During his years as a starter, James Wood’s record was 26-4. In track, Bucher ran the 440 and was on the mile relay team that set a school record and won the district championship. In the state meet, his relay team dropped the baton but still placed fifth.

G. Grove Snarr, III, class of 1977, is honored as a highly versatile athlete for the Colonels, earning eight varsity letters in three sports. In football he started at offensive and defensive end his junior and senior years. As a senior, he received the Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award and was named First Team All Commonwealth District and First Team All Area at defensive tackle. In basketball, as a junior he helped lead JW to the Commonwealth District Tournament title and NW Regional Runner Up finish from his center/forward positions. His senior year, he started at center and was team co-captain, finishing second in team scoring and rebounding behind standout Harold Cooper. That year Snarr was named to the Second Team All-Commonwealth District and All Area Teams, and honorable mention on the All-NW Regional Team. After high school, he went to the University Richmond where he earned a walk-on varsity letter in basketball before serving as a under-graduate assistant coach for UR head coaches Dick Tarrant and Kevin Eastman. In tennis, Snarr lettered all four years and helped anchor a successful program. He played number two seed his freshman and sophomore years and third seed as a junior. As a senior, he played top seed in singles and doubles and was team captain. That year he lead his squad to a 9-2 record, the best in school history up to that time. That season the Colonels defeated State AA champion Handley 5-4 for the Judges only loss.

Joe Ott, class of 1984, is ranked among James Wood’s all time best athletes for his prowess in basketball and track and field. In basketball, he played four years and was a big factor in the Colonels 1983 Northwest District and Regional tournament championships. He was named to the Winchester Star All-Area second team that season. His senior year, he excelled as a superior defensive player and rebounder and was named to the Winchester Star and Northern Virginia Daily first team All-Area squads. In track and field, he is remembered as one of the top high jumpers in JW history, still ranking fifth on the school’s all-time list with a jump of 6’5 1/4”. He qualified for the state AAA meet both his junior and senior years and won his event in the 1984 Apple Blossom Invitational. Ott received the Outstanding Track Award his junior and senior years and received the John Moser Outstanding Male Athlete Award and the Jerry Hannas Scholarship in 1984. After high school, he attended Bridgewater College for two years where he high jumped a career best of 6’8” and then transferred to Shepherd University where he was on the basketball team.

Lisa Eastridge Kilmer, class of 1989, was inducted for her excellence in basketball and track where she contributed significantly for four years in each sport. In basketball, she was captain of the 1987-88 team that finished 20-0 and won the Apple Valley League Championship. She scored 283 points with a 14.2 average that season and was named to the All-Apple Valley League squad and both local newspapers’ All-Area First Teams. She also received the Outstanding Offensive Player team award. In indoor track, Kilmer was team captain her senior year and won the state AAA indoor high jump title in 1988. She was the Commonwealth District high jump champion in 1988 and 1989 and won the Northwest Regional title in 1988. She currently still ranks among JW’s best jumpers, ranking second in high jump, long jump and triple jump, and fifth in shot put for indoor track. In outdoor track, she won the district high jump title in 1988 and finished second in the region and fifth in the state that year. Her senior year, she finished fourth in the state high jump and placed at the district, regional and state levels in triple jump. In the JW record books, she currently ranks seventh all-time in high jump, third in triple jump, fifth in shot put, and eighth in hurdles. The Washington Post named her honorable mention on the All-Metro Track and Field Team and she won the Outstanding Indoor and Outdoor Track Awards at James Wood both her junior and senior years. She also received the John Moser Outstanding Athlete Award given by the JWAA in 1989.

Bill Beckman, who helped reinstate baseball to James Wood in 1979 after a 16- year lapse, was inducted as a coach. He was head coach of the Colonels for 14 years, winning 141 games and posting a 55 percent winning percentage. His 1985 team won district and regional titles and finished second in the state championship game. He was named Baseball Coach of the Year in 1985, 1989 and 1992. Beckman also served as assistant football coach at JW from 1977-85 and again from 1988-90. He was a baseball scout for the Cleveland Indians from 1989-1997 and coached the Winchester Legion Post 21 team and was pitching coach for the Winchester Royals in 1992. Before coming to James Wood, he coached baseball and football at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Md. from 1970-77.

Charles Hott, former school board chairman and life-long supporter of the Colonels, was inducted as a contributor. Hott worked in the JW press box for more than 20 years as a spotter and was the PA announcer for baseball. He served on the JWAA board for many years, including two as president. In the community, he worked with local Little League and Pony League programs for 11 years, serving as a coach, manager, and commissioner. He also was on the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Board. He was appointed to the Frederick County School Board in 1978 and elected chairman in 1982. He retired from the board in 1996 after 18 years of service, including 13 as chairman. Hott received the JWAA Service Award in 1984 and again in 1991, and the R. Charles Hott Scholarship was established in his honor in 1996. The James Wood baseball complex was named “R. Charles Hott Field” in 1998.

Each year the James Wood Athletic Association and Hall of Fame Committee recognize one or more individuals who were athletic standouts among the five local high schools in Frederick County, prior to the opening of James Wood High School in 1950. This year, Floyd Edward “Eddie” Dodson was recognized. Dodson was a four-year baseball catcher at Middletown High School and lead his teams to a 37-10 record during his career. He graduated in 1948.