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OC lifer Shelton leaves legacy

OC lifer Shelton leaves legacy
Long-time Obion Central booster and former player Ross Shelton may be gone, but he didn’t forget about the school’s football program.
Stricken with cancer, Shelton — prior to his death — requested that all memorials in his honor be made out to the OC Quarterback Club.
Thus, the OC QB Club has announced the formation of the Ross Shelton “Be An 11” Scholarship Fund along with this season’s winners.
The scholarship fund will award four seniors from this past season’s team with a $1,000 one-time gift to attend their chosen institution of higher learning.
The recipients are Devin Palmer, Spenser Maloney, Steven Patton and Mikey Arnett.
Shelton, who died in February, was unquestionably a “lifer” within the Rebel football program.
His father, J.W., served as a long-time assistant for the squad under Charles Akers.
Meanwhile, Ross Shelton — whose son Bret graduated in 2009 and also played at OC — was part of the school’s first two teams to achieve a substantial level of success.
When Shelton was a sophomore running back in 1973, Central posted a then-program best 8-2 campaign and advanced to the Civitan Bowl, where the county locals lost a 13-7 decision to McKenzie. It was the first of four eight-or-more win seasons that OC has had to date.
The ’74 campaign —Shelton’s junior season — was simply put, the greatest in the school’s history to date as the Rebels finished 9-2 and capped the season with a 34-6 rout of Oakhaven in the Civitan Bowl.
Shelton, who threw left-handed, split time as the team’s starting quarterback with Brent Cary in ’74. The nine wins still stand as the program’s most in a single campaign.
During Shelton’s senior season (’75), Central was in the hunt for a bowl game berth until the final week of the regular season. The Rebels finished 5-5 as Shelton exited the gridiron for the final time as a high school athlete.
Donations to the Shelton scholarship fund may be made through the at occhsrebels.com or by sending them directly to OC QB Club treasurer Crislen Bone at 2555 Bradford Pear Lane, Union City, TN 38261.
Checks can be made payable to the OCCHS Quarterback Club with “memo” denoted as Ross Shelton.
For more information, contact Rebel football coach Shawn Jackson at 676-6719 or QB Club president Tammy Patton at 676-1357.