Dick Secrest

Dick Secrest, a 1959 graduate of Taylorville High School who earned 10 varsity letters in four sports while attending THS will be inducted into the Taylorville High School Sports Hall of Fame at a Banquet Saturday, April 27, 2013.     A three year letter winner in football, Dick Secrest became the starting quarterback his junior year in Hall of Fame Coach Jim Lovin’s new Side Saddle Single Wing offense. A perfect candidate for the position of quarterback in the new offense, Secrest not only had to be the offensive team leader, passer and often ball carrier, but he often was the lead blocker, leading the tailback through the hole. Secrest, a natural leader, had a strong arm and the size to both run or block as needed. Under his guidance, the 1957 Tornadoes compiled a 5 and 4 record and the 1958 team finished second in the Mid-State Conference with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss. In the two year he directed the offense, Taylorville outscored their opponents 483 to 220. Following his senior season, Secrest was selected as a Special Mention member to the Chicago American Newspaper’s All- Southern Football Team.    During the basketball season, Secrest was the leading scorer in both the 1957-58 and the 1958-59 seasons, scoring 317 points his junior year and 375 points his senior year. The 1957-58 team challenged for the Mid State Conference Championship with an 11-3 conference record and an overall record of 21 -7. However the following season, the Secrest lead Tornadoes won not only Mid-State Conference Championship, but added a Regional and Sectional Championship along with the last “Sweet Sixteen” appearance of a Taylorville High School Basketball team. Secrest was select the team’s MVP following the season.    A shot putter on the track team, Secrest lettered two years and again helped the Tornadoes to the Conference Championship in 1959.

But it was in baseball that Secrest excelled, earning three varsity letters and serving as a steadying force on a quality pitching staff. As a premier pitcher, Secrest helped the Tornadoes to two conference championships and two visits to the IHSA state finals with back to back team records of 18 – 3 and 18-4 records. Following graduation, he received a scholarship and continued his baseball career, pitching for the University of Tulsa in the Missouri Valley Conference. While a regular contributor to the Golden Hurricane pitching staff, he earned three varsity letters and was selected to pitch the conference championship game against St Louis University his senior year.