Larry Smith coaches Darnay Foley this past winter.

Larry Smith coaches Darnay Foley this past winter.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

Batavia High School announced its 2014 Hall of Fame Class earlier this week, which will include four individual inductees, three standout teams and one longtime contributor to Batavia athletics.

The school will hold the induction ceremony on Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. in the high school gymnasium while also honoring those inducted later that evening during the 2014 home football opener against East Clinton.

The team inductions include the 1966 boys’ state champion track and field team and the undefeated regular season basketball teams from 1964-1966.

Aside from the team inductions, Batavia will honor longtime contributor to high school athletics and Clermont County historian, Rick Crawford.

The four individual inductees who will be enshrined in the school Hall of Fame made Batavia athletics a dynamo in the late 1980s and through the ‘90s. They are Larry Smith, class of 1987, Chris Kennedy, class of 1990, Dave Miller, class of 1990 and Chris Kent, class of 2000, will be honored.

Smith, the current head varsity wrestling coach at Batavia, is being inducted for the career he put together on the mat before he moved to the coaching corner. Smith’s career record was 114-21 and he was named an All-American following his senior year.

Smith’s other accolades include being named to the First Team All-League as a member of the cross country team. He also still holds a share the United States record for fastest pin (four seconds) in the 116-120-pound weight class.

Kennedy, a two-sport athlete at Batavia, excelled on the football field as well on the track. Playing quarterback for the Bulldogs, Kennedy racked up 47 touchdowns against 15 interceptions while also accounting for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards. As a junior, Kennedy was named to the First Team All-State.

On the track, Kennedy was a six-time league champion.

Kennedy’s classmate, Miller, played four sports while at Batavia, excelling on the soccer pitch in his first three years before switching to football during his senior year.

Before trading in a soccer kit for a football jersey, Miller was named to the All-League honor roll twice, but once he did make the switch, he was named the All-State First Team.

In the winter, Miller suited up for the Bulldogs’ basketball team, averaging a double-double his senior year and topping the 800-point threshold for his career. In the spring, Miller plied his trade on the track where he was a three-time district champion.

Finally, Kent, a three-sport standout at Batavia, led the football team to their first playoff appearance, playing on both sides of the ball as a quarterback and linebacker. On offense, Kent set seven different school passing records. He was named to the First Team All-League three times and was an All-State performer his senior year.

Also playing basketball and baseball, Kent was a member of nine league championship teams and was elected captain five different times.

For more information about the ceremony or inductees, contact Batavia High School athletic director Ben Stewart at stewart_b@bataviaschools.org.