CAIRO — Since 2009, the Grady County Sports Hall of Fame has honored its fair share of influential athletic figures, from Teresa Edwards to Bobby Walden to Bill Stanfill. 

On Friday night, four more names entered those ranks, with Michael Best, Brenda Davis-Moody, Mark Carr and Tom Fallaw all being inducted.

The ceremony also took time to honor standout Cairo High School seniors Walter Grant, Cole Phillips, Emerson Hancock and MacKenzie Puckett, as well as the 1990 and 1998 Cairo state championship teams in football and track, respectively.


Best moved to Cairo to run a skating rink after graduating from Thomasville High School in 1978. From there, he moved on to radio and has served as the voice of the Cairo Syrupmakers for the last 35 years. That hasn’t been the only hat he’s worn during high school events, as he has served as the emcee for pep rallies and almost every home athletic event the high school takes part in. 

He has also lent his voice to many community events — including the Hall of Fame ceremony itself. He has served on the Cairo-Grady County Chamber of Commerce and was recognized as the Man of the Year by the chamber in 1990.

“It’s a big honor,” Best said. “Doing the job I’ve done through the years I’ve heard all the names of these people that have meant so much to sports in Grady County. Really, all I’ve done is talk about them. It’s a big honor that they feel I belong in this group.”

Carr was a standout track and field player during his time at Cairo, winning region titles in the broad jump, high jump and pole vault — along with state championships in the latter two — in 1957.

He was the region champion in the pole vault and high jump during his senior year, and went on to play at the University of Georgia, graduating college in 1962.

Despite those achievements, they were outdone by his time serving as a helicopter medical pilot during the Vietnam War from 1964-1969. He has been honored with many military awards, including two silver stars, for his service.

Fallaw served as the head coach of Cairo’s football team for twelve years after being promoted to the position in 2003. He amassed a 116-34-0 record and led the Syrupmakers to a state championship in 2008. During Fallaw’s time as head coach, Cairo reached the state finals twice and won seven region titles.

He now serves as Cairo’s athletic director after stepping down from the head coaching job at the end of the 2014 season.

Moody was a prominent athlete in track, cross country and basketball for Whigham High School before graduating in 1985. In track, she won three individual state titles and was a member of five relay state championship teams.

She also helped bring Whigham a state title in cross county and was a part of two region titles on the basketball team during her freshman and sophomore years.

“My dad’s biggest sports hero was Bill Stanfill,” Best said. “For him to know that me and Bill Stanfill were in the same honor, I think that would be great. I don’t feel worthy.”