Valley Head coaches inducted into the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame

Two Valley Head coaches were honored for their careers and contributions last month when they were inducted into the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame.

Bobby Holloway and Jamie Phillips Vest were part of the Class of 2024, inducted on June 15 during a ceremony at the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum in Rainsville. Other members of the class included Paul Benefield, Ronnie Crabtree, Curtis McDaniel, DeWayne Patterson, Hillary Phillips, and Mickey Willingham.

The profiles below appear courtesy of the Southern Torch and were originally published in the April 2024 issue of DeKalb Living magazine. The Groundhog appreciates the Southern Torch for allowing us to share these memories with our readers.

by Malarie Allen

BOBBY HOLLOWAY

Basketball is a matter of the heart for retired Valley Head basketball coach Bobby Holloway.

Holloway coached varsity boys and girls basketball for 16 years, but he said he has played “for as long as I can remember.”

Holloway played on the Grove Oak junior high team as a fourth grader. He then competed on the team at Fyffe High School. Holloway also played on the Fyffe baseball and football teams. He was voted most athletic his senior year.

Holloway carried his love for basketball with him after high school and even joined an independent basketball league.

“I love the competition and strategy in basketball, he said. “I was fortunate to be able to coach. I just love the game.”

Holloway credits his high school coach Don Traylor, who was also his neighbor, with inspiring and motivating him to succeed.

“(Traylor) had a huge impact on my life,” he said.

Holloway tried to pass along his love for the game to all his players and always encouraged them to “work as hard as you can and never quit.” Last month he was inducted into the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame alongside one of his former players, Jamie Phillips Vest.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to help players reach their full potential,” he said. “I was blessed to be able to make a career out of something that I loved.”

During his coaching career, Holloway’s teams recorded 506 wins from 1989 to 2005. His girls team won the DeKalb County Championships in 1992 and 1993. Holloway’s basketball teams are part of Valley Head High School history with many memorable plays and wins, but Holloway’s personal favorites were always when Valley Head won as an underdog.

“One of the more meaningful moments in my career was going 9-0 against Fort Payne,” he said. “It was 1A versus 6A and a game we always looked forward to playing.”

He also cherishes the memories of winning the county tournament by beating the 2A state champions; defeating New Sight, which ended that season with a 35-1 record, in the 1993 Super Eight tournament; and competing in the state final four 11 times. He was also honored to be named Coach of the Year in 1993.

Holloway’s coaching career didn’t stop with the basketball court, though. He also led the Valley head track team to the state finals four times, including a bronze medal in 1997, and guided the volleyball team to the state playoffs in 1995 and 1996.

Despite all the wins and accolades, Holloway said the best legacy he can leave is “to make my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids proud.”

JAMIE PHILLIPS VEST

Through dedication and determination, 1994 Valley Head graduate Jamie Phillips Vest proved small beginnings can lead to big accomplishments during her basketball career.

Vest grew up in a sports-loving family. In elementary school, she often practiced with her older sister’s basketball team, which their father coached. Even at a young age, she found herself always drawn to basketball.

“I wanted to do anything my sister did,” she said. “My dad and the lady that helped him coach always talked about how good I could be. I was always shooting basketball in my spare time. So, through getting to practice with the high school team, l realized this was my dream. I knew what I wanted to do before I reached seventh grade, and I was determined to make that happen no matter what it took.”

Vest played any type of ball she could in her younger days, from “baseball with the boys” to soccer with girls from other schools. However, she said, “my heart was always with basketball.”

Vest helped her junior high team win the area championship in seventh grade and the Junior High DeKalb County Championship in eighth grade. She also played on the varsity basketball team starting in seventh grade. She became a starter in her first year by a lucky draw. Only four girls showed up for practice the day before a game against Fyffe. The coach named those four as starters and the other girls drew to be the fifth starter. Jamie had been sick the day before, but she drew the right paper and received the chance to start for the first time.

During her junior year, the Valley Head varsity girls basketball team won the DeKalb County Championship for the first and only time in school history. Through high school, Vest also excelled at softball, volleyball, and cheerleading. However, legendary basketball coach Bobby Holloway encouraged her during her junior year to focus on basketball.

“Whatever coach told me to do, I was going to do it,” she said. “Bobby Holloway saw something special in me from the first time he came to Valley Head, and he helped me become the ballplayer I became. He was very hard on me and pushed me outside my comfort zone. Now I see how much it helped me not only in basketball but also in life. I will forever be thankful that Coach Holloway coached me throughout my high school years.”

Vest was inducted into the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame last month alongside Holloway.

During her senior year, the Valley Head varsity girls basketball team narrowly missed winning the state championship.

“I will always think we should’ve won that game, but we fell short,” she said. “It was a heartbreaker for sure.”

Nevertheless, she remembers her dad waiting for her after the game with a big smile and a hug. She is thankful for her parents’ support over the years.

“My parents always pushed me to work hard and never made things easy for me,” she said.

Vest also credits God with her success and said she leaned heavily on the Bible verse from Phillippians 4:13 as motivation.