Meet the inductees for the Thomasville/Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame
Nov. 6—THOMASVILLE — On Thursday November 9, the Thomasville/Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame will induct six new members, giving them a spot on the Wall of Fame and enshrining them forever in the history of Thomasville and Thomas County athletics.
On of these nominees is Alex Mash. Mash is a Thomasville Bulldog and was a key player on the 1988 State Championship team. Mash played defensive end and was named All-Region and All-State in his junior and senior years.
Mash went on to play college football at Georgia Southern where he had a pick six in the Eagles National Championship win in 1990. That was just the beginning of his legendary career with Georgia Southern. Mash was named to the Kodak All-American team in 1992. In 1993, Mash earned First-Team All-Southern Conference honors and was chosen as the league's Defensive Player of the Year as the Eagles finished second nationally and won their conference. Mash still ranks second on the Eagles all-time sacks list with 25 and third all-time in Georgia Southern history in recovered fumbles with five.
Mash went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League for the Shreveport Pirates in '94 and '95. He still resides in Shreveport, Louisiana with his wife Katherine and their four children.
Representing Thomas County Central is Daryl Cleveland. Cleveland is one of the best basketball players to ever come out of the Thomas County area.
In fact, he is the only male Thomasville/Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame inductee to have won a national title in basketball.
Cleveland played for the Yellow Jackets in the mid 1970's and was named to the All-Region and All-State teams while averaging over 25 points a game for Thomas County Central.
Cleveland went on to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Louisville under legendary coach Denny Crum. In 1980, Cleveland helped lead Louisville to a national title and a 33-3 record.
When the Cardinals met then-President Jimmy Carter at the White House, Cleveland presented the President with a t-shirt from "The Georgia Connection," as three players from Georgia, Cleveland, Wiley Brown, and Derek Smith, were on that team. The president specifically congratulated those players during his comments.
Ironically, those same three Georgians are credited with the invention of the high five, an American sports tradition that still lives on today.
Another Bulldog to be inducted is Lamb Andrews. Andrews was a two-sport standout at Thomasville High School in football and track. He was a starting defensive end on the 1974 State and National championship team and in 1975 was named Defensive Player of the Year for THS. Pound for pound, he was considered one of the strongest Bulldogs on the team.
Also a star on the track, Andrews was a state qualifier in the 100 yard dash as well as the 220 and 440 relay teams.
Following his success in high school, Andrews was selected to participate in the 1976 North vs. South Georgia All-Star game. He earned a scholarship and played football at Fort Valley State University.
Though Andrews started at linebacker for his first three seasons with the Wildcats, he moved to running back in his senior year, where he rushed for almost 800 yards and three touchdowns.
After college he was picked up as a free agent in 1981 by the Ottawa Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. For the last 28 years Andrews has served as Pastor at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Macon. He and his wife Geneva have three children, Cedric, Mikesha, and Lamb IV.
