Nearly 15 years after opening its doors, Bluffton High School is ready to establish its Athletics Hall of Fame.
The school announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class this week and will induct five members in a ceremony at 7 p.m. on March 15 in the school’s gymnasium.
The initial class includes former football coach and athletics director Dave Adams, former volleyball coach Al Stern, and standout athletes Heaven Harvey (volleyball), Tyler Rosenlieb (wrestling), and Nic Tones (cross country/track & field).
Adams served as the school’s first athletics director and head football coach when the school opened in 2004. He went 13-28 in four years at the helm of the football team, including leading the Bobcats to their first playoff appearance in 2005. He continued as the school’s athletics director through 2016.
Stern was the school’s initial volleyball coach and built the Bobcats into a perennial state title contender. Stern’s team won the Class 3A state championship in 2007 and finished as state runner-up in 2005 and 2009.
Harvey was one of the biggest keys to establishing the Bobcats’ success on the volleyball court. A four-year starter, Harvey led the Bobcats to four region title, two Lower State titles, and the state championship in 2007, when she was named the Class 3A Player of the Year. She was a three-time all-state pick and her 1,176 career kills still stand as the school record.
Rosenlieb was the first individual state champion in any sport for Bluffton when he won the 160-pound title at the Class 3A State Championships in 2009. He remains the program’s all-time leader with 191 wins.
Tones led the Bobcats to back-to-back cross country state titles in 2005 and 2006 and remains the school’s record-holder in the 5K with a mark of 15:50. He also holds the school’s track and field record in the mile and was part of the record-holding 4×800 relay team. Tones was an NAIA national qualifier at USCB, where he ran for two seasons before transferring to Clemson to complete his collegiate career.