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Staff report
Decatur Central High School recently added six new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame during a football halftime ceremony.
The inductees are Franklin Callicott, Lukayus McNeil, Tommy Norris, Scott Garver, Bob Finchum and coach Dan Clark.
Franklin Callicott
Callicott is a 1999 Decatur Central graduate who was a standout in football, basketball and track.
In football, Franklin won four varsity letters and earned All-State honors as a defensive back and running back. He went on to play two years at Los Angeles Valley Community College and two years of Division I football for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
In basketball, Callicott was also a multi-year letter winner and spearheaded the Hawks to a sectional championship.
He was a sprinter and long jumper for track and field, earning four more letters. He holds places in Decatur’s all-time top 10 in the long jump, 100 meters and 200 meters. He was a member of the school record-setting 4X100 meter relay team that also placed in the state finals. He was also on a 4X200 relay team that placed in the school’s all-time top 10.
Lukayus McNeil
Another star in three sports for the Hawks who has gone on to success in college and professional football is Lukayas McNeil, who graduated in 2014.
Lukayus won the IHSAA championship in the shot put in 2013 with a throw of 61 feet, 10 inches. As a state individual champion, he automatically qualified as a Decatur Hall of Famer.
There was much more. He was a starting basketball player who earned all Mid-State Conference honors. As a senior, he averaged 14 points and 16 rebounds a game, using his 6-7 height to full advantage.
For football, he ranked among the top offensive line prospects in the country. On defense, he recorded over 30 quarterback pressures and six sacks. He earned offers from many colleges. He was a four-year starter at the University of Louisville, playing both tackle and guard. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders and has played professionally for several teams. He is currently in NFL training camp and could not attend the ceremony.
Tommy Norris
Tommy Norris is a 2006 graduate who was a two-year letter winner in football and played on the 2005 sectional football championship team.
On the baseball diamond, Tommy was a four-year letter winner who was first team All Marion County, Indianapolis Star first team and Mooresville-Decatur Times player of the year as a senior. He led the 2005 Hawks to a sectional title. He holds distinction as the only player to hit a home run in the same season for the freshman, junior varsity and varsity Hawks.
Tommy played baseball at Parkland College and St. Joseph’s College. He has a master’s degree in athletic administration from Wayne State University. He is currently director of athletics at the Cole Fitness Center at Indiana University - Kokomo.
Scott Garver
Scott Garver, 2000, earned four varsity letters in football, and in 1999, quarterbacked the Hawks to their first undefeated regular season since 1970.
Scott finished his football career as DC’s all-time leading passer, throwing for 5,278 yards. Other records include 2,572 passing yards in a season, 374 completions in his career and 166 completions in a season.
Garver was first team All-Marion County, first team all-conference, Indiana Football Coaches Association All State and first team Indy Star Super Team.
“This is a great honor and has produced a lifetime of memories and stories that I can truly say that I’m proud to be a Hawk and know what it takes,” Scott said.
Bob Finchum
Bob, who graduated in 1986, was one of Decatur’s greatest all-around athletes of that decade. He was awarded the 1986 Male Athlete of the Year. He was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and track and field.
Bob started at quarterback for three seasons on the football team, leading the Hawks to winning seasons each year. He earned All-Marion County, All-Central Suburban Conference and All-State honors.
He was a four-year letter winner in basketball and averaged double figures his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He was named All-County, All-Conference, All-Sectional and All-State. When the 3-point shot was added at the high school level, Bob became one of Decatur’s first long-range threats and he also ran the offense as point guard.
In track, Bob scored points in hurdles, sprints, long jump and high jump. He was a regional qualifier in the low hurdles, long jump, and high jump.
Finchum passed away in April 2007 at the age of 39.
Dan Clark
Coach Clark retired after 32 years of teaching, 31 of those years in Decatur Township, where he was Teacher of the Year for 2000 and a semifinalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year. He served as Math Department chairman for 22 years and was teacher leader of the Choice Academy. Over a span of 24 years, he was selected Most Influential Teacher by 56 top academic students. The class of 1999 selected him as their graduation speaker.
Dan Clark coached 11 seasons for the DCHS wrestling program and five seasons as junior varsity baseball coach. As freshman wrestling coach, he led DC to a Marion County title. In seven seasons as a varsity assistant, Hawk wrestlers won two Marion County championships, six sectional titles, a semi-state championship and finished as state runnerup in both 1990 and 1995. Decatur Central had representatives in the State Tournament during each of those seven years, including four individual state champions and numerous place finishers.
Clark’s wife, Julie Clark, is also a Hall of Fame coaching inductee.
“I was proud to have coached at DCHS, and was blessed to work with tremendous young men who were also great athletes,” he said. “I was fortunate to work on coaching staffs that were filled with talented, dedicated coaches and to have worked for Hall of Fame head coaches.”