Meet the Bulldogs set for Saturday

Posted November 7, 2012 at 2:36 pm
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Michael DeForest

Wall of Fame members to be inducted

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Brittany Abbott (DeForest)

The actual start of the 2012-13 high school basketball season is still a few weeks away in Kentucky, but local fans itching to watch some action on the local hardwood will have to wait no longer than this Saturday night.

Saturday night’s Big Blue Mania and Meet the Bulldogs is the annual gathering when the Lady Bulldogs and Bulldogs will give the public its first look at what will be seen later this month when the two teams officially do play the first game of their respective seasons on November 26.

Now a tradition for parents and fans of the Clinton County High School basketball program, Saturday night’s program will have dual purpose, beginning with the Basketball Booster Club fundraiser meal that gets underway at 4:00 p.m., followed by the Meet the Bulldogs program set to begin at about 6:00 p.m.

This year’s fundraising meal will be served in the C.C.H.S. cafeteria, with those choosing to get the night started there having a choice of either a tenderloin or chicken sandwich meal at a cost of $5 (chips, drink and desert included).

Tickets for the meal can be purchased in advance from players, or at the door that night.

Following the meal, the festivities will move into the Lindle Castle Gymnasium for the introduction of this year’s players, cheerleaders, the support staff and coaching staffs, and the Wall of Fame inductions.

There is no admission charge to the Meet the Bulldogs portion of Saturday night’s program.

The teams will be involved in a brief intersquad scrimmage that will offer fans a first-hand look at the players who will be wearing the blue and white uniforms for this upcoming season.

The final portion of the evening will be the traditional inductions of this year’s newest members of the C.C.H.S. Basketball Wall of Fame members.

This year’s group of inductees includes three new members, and for the first time ever, will see a husband and wife who were both stand-out players in the early to mid 2000s, and a third induction this year of a former stand-out player from the mid 1960s who has in recent years been accepted by the teams as a special fan to the program.

Being honored for their support and accomplishments this year are Jerry Perdue, a former Bulldog from the mid-1960s and a “fan extraordinaire”, and husband and wife, former Bulldog standout Michael DeForest and former Lady Bulldog standout Brittany Abbott (DeForest).

Among the accomplishments that will be noted during Saturday night’s induction ceremonies for the three new inductees will include:

Jerry Perdue

“Mr. Bulldog”

Jerry has been closely associated with the Bulldog basketball program for many years, working on the sidelines and behind the scenes to befriend the players and coaches, offering moral support as well as working with a host of fundraising activities to help secure additional revenues when the program was in need of special projects.

He has become known as a special friend to the individual players, offering congratulations in times of victory, condolences in times of defeat, moral support and especially spiritual support through the efforts of the school organization he helped to sponsor, the 180 Club.

A fixture on the bench, especially during home games, he has developed such a friendship and trust with the student athletes that for many years, he has carried the nickname “Mr. Bulldog.”

He has also become well known for his efforts to analyze each player’s performance both on and off the court, in order to design and present specific awards at the annual post-season banquet that are known as “Perdue’s Picks.”

Perdue was a better than average player for the Bulldogs in the mid 1960s, becoming a member of the 500 point club and being the team’s leading scorer in his senior season, 1967-68.

His induction into the Wall of Fame will be made as a special member with the designation of “Fan Extraordinaire.”

Jerry currently resides in Albany and is employed by the Clinton County School system.

Michael

DeForest

A graduate of 2003, Michael is this year’s inductee from the boys’ varsity basketball group of nominees.

At the time of his induction, some of his accomplishments on the court includes being the 23rd all-time leading scorer with 1,016 points.

Other accomplishments are having the third highest free-throw percentages in a season with 85.1 percent in 2003, and the sixth highest free throw percent for a season with 81.7 percent in 2002.

He collected the seventh most steals in a career with 134 and he led the team in three point field goal percentage, overall field goal percentage and free throw percentage in the 2002 season.

Scoring a career high 35 points vs. Lynn Camp on December 14, 2002, he was a member of the All-District team in 2002 and 2003 and was named to the 4th Region All “A” Classic All Tournament team in 2003.

His effort on the floor helped lead the Bulldogs to a 16th District Championship title in 2000 as well as regional tournament appearances in 2000, 2002 and 2003 as well as appearances in two All “A” Classic 4th Region Championship games.

A Captain in the U.S. Army, he is married to the former Brittany Abbott and they now live in Columbia, South Carolina where he is stationed at Fort Jackson.

Brittany Abbott (DeForest)

A graduate of 2005, Brittany collected a host of records and accolades during her career as a Lady Bulldog.

She is the 11th All-time leading scorer with 1,189 points and is the second all time leader in three point field goals made with 243 and ninth in both all-time field goals made with 415 and all time steals with 195.

She ranks as the third and fourth most three point field goals in a season with 93 in 2003 and 82 in 2005 and is the third highest three point field goal percentage recorded in a season with 44.1 percent in 2003 and scored the third most three point field goals in a single game on February 21, 2003 when she dropped in six.

Abbott ranks as the player with the third most games played with 165.

During her career as a Lady Bulldog, she was named to a host of special teams, including the All District team in 2005, All Region team in 2003 and 2005 and the All-State team in 2005.

She was a member of the All “A”Classic 4th Region All-Tournament teams in 2003 and 2005, and the All “A” Classic State All Tournament team in 2005.

Brittany’s efforts on the floor helped lead the Lady Dawgs to a 2003 All “A” Classic State Tournament Championship and the 2005 KHSAA State Tournament runner-up finish.

Brittany is married to Michael DeForest and they now live in Columbia, South Carolina.

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Jerry Perdue