Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Nineteen students earned scholarships during the 2023 Dallas Wilcox BAMA Club Scholarship Banquet on Tuesday night at the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

The Club funded the scholarships to:  Sarah Free (Morgan Academy), Kennadi Ballard (Meadowview Christian School), Randall Beers (Morgan Academy), Perrin Utsey  (Morgan Academy), Willie Davis (Dallas County), Mar’Sheuntra Gunn (Southsde), Aniya Mitchell (Selma High), Cameron Orr (Selma High), Eria Goldsby (Selma High), Madison Smith (Selma Hig), Roosevelt Towns III (Southside), Mary Combs (Alabama Christian), More Forest Bell (Wilcox Academy) Amyrrea Acoff (Selma High), Miranda Rose (Dallas County), Jaylen Sellars (Alabama School of Math and Science), A’neisha Dennis (Selma High), Iyana Moore (Southside), Jaylen Johnson (Dallas County).

The 19 scholarships have a combined value of $40,000..

“We love to reward the kids because they work so hard,” Dallas Wilcox BAMA Club President Ronnie Leet said.

Leet said he’s proud of the Dallas-Wilcox Club starting with an initial endowment fund of $10,000 in 1987 to a current endowment market fund value of over $1.1 million.

Roger Hoover, Alabama Football Radio Broadcast Announcer, was the keynote speaker.

Hoover discussed following in his father’s footsteps of graduating from the University of Tennessee.

“I grew up in Big Orange country and went to the University of Tennessee like my father,” Hoover said.

But deep down Hoover said he grew up idolizing then-Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

“I always had a rooting interest in the University of Alabama,” Hoover said. “Some of our family live in Huntsville. I watched the Junction Boys movie on ESPN, when the Bear coached at Texas A&M.  I didn’t think Tom Berrenger did a good job playing Bear Bryant. I was obsessed with Bryant and read every book I could about him.

“Yay, Alabama became my favorite fight song. My mother said I look slimmer in Crimson.”

Hoover said he enjoys working at Alabama, a career that began broadcasting women’s basketball over a decade ago.

Hoover currently works with Chris Stewart on broadcasting Alabama baseball games. Hoover said he’s working at Alabama.

The scholarship funds come from the following sources: David E. & Rebecca McKinney Roberts Endowed;  Selma Alabama Quarterback Club Endowed;  the Blackbelt Endowed;Selma Alabama Quarterback Club Endowed, and Sterling Price Memorial Endowed; Betty Jean Perkins McKelvey Memorial Endowed, Mary Varner Mcall Dillard Memorial Endowed; Barbara and Ronnie Leet Endowed; Julius & Pearle Talton Endowed, Mary Ann Morthland Patterson Memorial Endowed, Doris and Henry Plant Memorial Endowed,  David E. & Rebecca McKinney Roberts Memorial Endowed; Alex Spencer Jr., Bessie Spencer and Christopher Spencer Endowed and David and Jenifer Saylors, endowed.