LHS inducting its new Hall of Fame class Thursday

The Logan High School Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its newest class on Thursday at the Logan Country Club in Chapmanville. Jeff Miller, Preston Watkins and brothers Dan Rush and Todd Rush will be inducted at the hall of fame banquet, beginning at 6 p.m. at the LCC. There will also be a hall of fame golf outing at 11 a.m. earlier in the day.

The four will also be honored on Friday night at the Logan footballs teams home opener with Lincoln County. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Logan Stadium.

JEFF MILLER

Jeff Miller was a standout football and basketball player at LHS and was a first-team Class AAA all-state tight end for the playoff-bound Wildcats.

A three-year starter, Miller was captain of the Logan football team his senior year.

With the Wildcat basketball team, Miller was a McDonalds High School All-American nominee in 1991 and was a two-time all-state selection, including a first-team pick his senior year.

He participated in the 91 North-South Game, was the 91 USA Today West Virginia Player of the Year and was a two-time all-state tournament selection.

Logan made three straight state tourney appearances (1989-91) in Millers years with the Wildcats. He was the only player in LHS history to score 1,000 points, grab 500 rebounds and dish out 500 assists for a career.

Miller went on to play college basketball at Alderson-Broaddus where he scored 1,506 points, had 633 rebounds and handed out 332 assists. He also made 208 3-pointers, an all-time school record.

He graduated from A-B in 1995 with a BA in history. He is currently employed by Arch Coals subsidiary as a safety professional.

Miller is married to WVOW radios Erin Williamson-Miller. His parents are Herman and Norma Miller and his brother is Kevin Miller who also played basketball and set college records at the University of Charleston.

DAN RUSH

Dan Rush was a standout basketball player at Logan High School from 1988-91.

Logan had a 44-0 home record in Rushs years with the Wildcats.

He was the 1991 teams co-captain and was a member of Logans Class AAA state championship team of the same year. At the seasons end, Rush was an all-state tournament pick, was on the all-state team and was a McDonalds All-American Honorable Mention selection.

He currently lives in Pinehurst, N.C., with his family.

Rush said hes pleased to be named to the Logan Hall of Fame.

With respect to the Hall of Fame recognition, I was happy to receive the news of the selection and I am honored to be inducted along-side my former teammate and fellow state champion Jeff Miller, Rush says in an e-mail. Jeff was a talented point guard and one of the best at delivering the assist. Im especially excited to be recognized with my brother, who taught me a lot about the game of basketball. Todd is one of the most talented ballplayers Ive been privileged to watch and to compete with. The sharing of his talents and encouragement made me a much more effective player.

Rush went on to play college basketball at Bridgewater (Va.) College where he led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in scoring for 1995 season with a 25.6 points per game average. He was later named as the conference player of the year and was an All-American selection.

Rush currently ranks sixth all-time at Bridgewater in scoring with 1,756 points.

PRESTON WATKINS

Preston Watkins, a 1966 graduate of Logan High School, was a three-sport letterman at where he excelled in football, basketball and baseball.

During his senior year in football he led the Wildcats to a 7-2-1 record. He was a vital part of the famed Willie Akers fast break during basketball season and was an outstanding first baseman for the baseball team.

He credits his athletic experiences at Logan High School as the place where the foundation was laid for a great college career.

After graduation he earned a scholarship to Bluefield State College and devoted his athletic skills to football. He had an outstanding career for the Big Blues.

During his freshman year he earned an honorable mention position on the All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team.

From his sophomore year through his senior year, he was a first-team member of the WVIAC All-Conference team, and he was chosen as the Offensive player of the year in 1971, his senior year, as a wide receiver.

For his career he had 157 receptions and ranks fourth in the WVAIC in career touchdowns with 34 and ranks eighth in the WVIAC career all time receiving list with a total of 2,809 yards. He also ranks 28th in points scored with a total of 204 points.

After his Bluefield State years he continued his football career when he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League. He also had the opportunity to try out for the Washington Redskins of the NFL.

Preston resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife Renee. They have four children: Cheya Dixon, Lisa Berger, Preston Watkins II and Christopher Watkins.

TODD RUSH

Todd Rush was a 1988 honor graduate at Logan High School where he was the Valedictorian of his class.

As a junior he was an honorable mention all-state selection, and during his senior year he was chosen as a second-team all-state player.

As a senior he averaged 25 points and eight rebounds per game for the Wildcats.

As a result of his accomplishments he was chosen to play in the North-South game. He placed second in the Slam Dunk contest prior to the game.

After graduation he attended Bridgewater College of Virginia where he continued his excellence on the hardwood. He became the fourth all-time scorer with a total of 1,784 points and a career scoring average of 17.5 points per game.

As a sophomore he made the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference second team.

During his junior and senior seasons he was a first-team All-ODAC selection.

Because of his leadership skills he was a three year co-caption of the Bridgewater basketball team.

Other honors include All-South Atlantic Conference Honorable Mention as a sophomore and a first team selection during his junior and senior years. He was also chosen as the MVP of several tournaments that Bridgewater College participated. Todd was a recipient of the ODAC Basketball Officials Post-Graduate scholarship.

Rush graduated from Bridgewater College in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science Degree and double major in Business Administration and Economics. He has a Masters of Sport Management degree from the University of Richmond. The graduate program included an internship with the New Jersey Nets. He was a merchandising assistant and oversaw in-game relations during Nets basketball games.

Rush resides with his wife, Julie, in Chevy Chase, Md. He continues to give his time to basketball, coaching in the Montgomery County, Md., youth league.

The golf outing is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. with the lunch starting at 11.

The cost is $125 per golfer (includes luncheon and dinner).

Tickets for the dinner only are $30 and can be purchased at the door.

For more information contact Wyatt Scaggs at Baisden Brothers at 304-752-3775.