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Class of 2018
Kevin Watson
ATHLETE
1983-1986
The late Kevin Watson was three-sport athlete at Celina High School from 1983 to 1986, best known for playing quarterback on some of the best Bulldogs teams of all-time—including the legendary 1985 semifinal squad.
During Watson’s football career, the Dawgs amassed an impressive 31-16 overall record, highlighted by the 11-3 mark of his junior year. Individually, he passed for 1,714 yards and 13 touchdowns and also excelled on defense from his safety position, where he recorded 13 interceptions. His awards included multiple all-district honors and an all-hidstate honorable mention. Besides his stellar football career, Watson also lettered in basketball and was considered one of Celina’s best baseball players.
Melissa Denton Smith
ATHLETE
1991-1994
Melissa Denton Smith played basketball for Celina High School from 1991 to 1994, where she became one of the best Lady Bulldogs of all-time while playing on history-making teams, which sported an impressive overall record of 104-33, advanced to the State Tournament three years in a row, and finished as State Runners-up twice.
Individually, Smith ranks as one of the Top 15 scorers with 1,201 career points and is solidly in the Top 10 for both rebounds and steals, with 581 and 232 respectively. She was recognized with numerous awards, including multiple all-conference, all-district tournament, all-region tournament—including an MVP, and all-midstate honors. She was also all-state honorable mention her senior year and played at the next level on scholarship at Cleveland State.
Frank Kyle
ATHLETE
1901-1908
The late Frank Kyle was one of the most successful college athletes to ever call Clay County home, because at some point in his career he played not just one, but three sports at Vanderbilt University from 1901 to 1906, and he also served as Mississippi’s head football coach in 1908.
He was best known for being Vanderbilt’s star quarterback and defensive back on the gridiron, where he led his team to a 35-3-2 record. Kyle made the All-Southern team three years and was voted team captain in 1903. He also played basketball and pitched for the school’s baseball team as a postgraduate law student in 1906, all before returning home to Celina where he ran a successful timber and rafting business with his brothers until his death in 1929.
Brent Burchett
ATHLETE
1987-1990
Brent Burchett played football for Celina High School from 1987 to 1990 and was one of the finest athletes of the Russell Richardson era. He was a versatile player who possessed an elite combination of quickness, speed, and determination.
The Bulldogs had an amazing 21-3 record during Burchett’s years as a starter. His explosive hitting, paired with his skill as a rusher and receiver, aided his team’s success, while earning him all-district honors as a senior. After high school, he also enjoyed a dominating decade of playing men’s softball across the southeastern United States, where he was granted a host of Defensive MVP awards for his crafty glove skills.
Chris Bartlett
ATHLETE
1996-2000
Chris Bartlett was a two-sport athlete at Celina High School from 1996 to 2000. He was a star for the Bulldogs on both the basketball court and the football field, evident by his 1,394 career points and a Tri-Lakes Conference MVP (1999-2000) on the hardwood, to go along with being named a TSWA All-State wideout/running back on the gridiron.
During his basketball career, teams he played on claimed a district championship and a region runner-up, advanced to a pair of Class A Mideast Sectional tournaments, and completed back-to-back 26-win seasons. Besides being considered the conference’s top player his senior year, Bartlett’s awards included multiple all-conference, all-district tournament—including an MVP, and all-region tournament honors.