Tankersley, McCutchen, Bryant join hall

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  • Above are the Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame’s 2021 inductees Wes Tankersley, Joe K. McCutchen Jr. and Larry Bryant.
    Above are the Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame’s 2021 inductees Wes Tankersley, Joe K. McCutchen Jr. and Larry Bryant.
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The Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame inducted three new members ahead of the Gilmer High Bobcats’ basketball game last Friday.

This year’s class included former GHS athlete Wes Tankersley and support personnel Larry Bryant and Joe K. McCutchen Jr.

Tankersley graduated from GHS in 2000 and earned four varsity letters in football and three in basketball.

On the football field, he rushed for 1,270 yards during his senior season, was team captain and helped the Bobcats reach the state playoffs and defeat Crim in the first round.

Tankersley won the Huff-Mosley award in his junior and senior seasons and also received the  Golden Helmet Award in 1999.  

For basketball, he was named the team’s most valuable player his junior and senior seasons.

Tankersley was honored as Gilmer High’s  male athlete of the 1999-2000 school year. He played football collegiately at North Greenville College before transferring to the University of Tennessee — Chattanooga.

After graduating from UTC, he began a career as a high school teacher and football coach. As a head coach he has taken teams to the playoffs on multiple occasions including GHS.  While at Gilmer, he was region coach of the year in 2010 and 2013.

At the present time, Tankersley is the head football coach at Stephens County High School in Toccoa.

Bryant has been Gilmer High’s physical therapist for the past 21 years. Since 1999, he has attended every home game and most away games, and has provided treatments and rehabilitation for student athletes at his office and at GHS.

Bryant is  very active in various civic endeavors.  He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Gilmer County for 15 years and has served as president and been voted  Rotarian of the Year. He is an active member of the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce and was a former board member of the Appalachian Children Center.  

Bryant has been instrumental in building wheelchair ramps for disabled residents of Gilmer. From assisting student athletes to serving the needs of local citizens, Bryant is the embodiment of the true servant leader to his fellow man.

McCutchen has provided support for Gilmer High School for 50 years, and has attended events on a regular basis. 

McCutchen was a former president of the tip-off club and has provided financial support for all booster clubs’ activities.  He was a member of the GHS football chain gang for 15 years.  He coached youth football and financially supported the Gilmer County recreation program.  

He has been a motivational speaker for GHS athletic and academic programs, has been responsible for helping obtain college athletic scholarships for GHS athletes and  also helped establish a leadership program for high school students across north Georgia.

McCutchen was a member of the first class of Leadership Georgia in 1972. In 1975, he was recognized as Georgia’s Small Businessman of the Year. 

He is a past Gilmer County Citizen of the Year and previously hosted the TV and radio show Focus On Excellence.