BAY MINETTE — The Baldwin County High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee inducted six individuals for the Class of 2024 during pre-game festivities before the Tigers’ football game against St. Paul’s.

The new inductees include James Caldwell (1967); Willie Sanders (1977); Jyon Corbett (1980); Andy Bryars (1995); Jimeshia Bennett (2009); Tcheneavia “Coco” Knight (2014) and Associate member Elizabeth Bridges Byrd. In addition to the plaques received during the ceremony, each member's name will be added to the Hall of Fame display in the BCHS lobby.

James Caldwell graduated in 1967 and was a two-sport varsity athlete lettering in football and track. In football, he was a 1965-66 All-County Honorable Mention and in 1966-67 was an All-County and All-State selection. Caldwell played in the North-South All-Star Football game. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama and Troy State. Caldwell has been awarded “Salesman of the Year” five times for Galaxy Carpet Mills. Presently, he is a partner in Diamond Living. James and his wife, Debbie, reside in Montgomery. They have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

Willie Sanders graduated in 1977 and was a 2-sport athlete, lettering in football and basketball. In football, he was an All-County, All-Region, and All-State selection. As a 6-foot-2, 190-pound running back, he was a force on the football field. Sanders was also invited to play in the AHSAA All-Star game. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama, Alabama State, and then-Faulkner State Community College. Sanders worked in law enforcement for 8 years in Alabama and 28 years in Virginia. Willie and wife, Brenda, reside in Rice, Virginia.

Jyon Corbett graduated in 1980, lettering 3 years in football. He was selected for the All-County and All-Region teams and was an Honorable Mention All-State selection. At Baldwin County High School, he was a member of the Key Club and National Honor Society. He received a football scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. After attending USM, he received a Business and Marketing degree from Troy State and a Mechanical Engineering degree from UAB. Presently, he is the financial manager for Baldwin Gynecologist and Aesthetics. Jyon and his wife, Judy, reside in Gulf Shores. They have 3 children and 1 grandchild.

Andy Bryars graduated in 1995 and was a 2-sport varsity athlete lettering in soccer and football. In soccer, he was the team captain, a two-time All-County forward, a 4-year letterman, Most Valuable Player, All-Region, and set the all-time scoring record for BCHS boys' soccer. In 1995, he was the kicker for the football team. After high school, Bryars attended Auburn University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in the Class of 2000. A resident of Mobile, Bryars serves as Assistant Vice-President of Tri-State Maritime.

Jimeshia Bennett began her softball career with BCHS as a seventh grader while attending Bay Minette Middle. She was named Rookie of the Year as an eighth grader. During her 6-year career as a Tiger softball player, she was a 2-time All-County player and was awarded the opportunity to play in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Softball game. Bennett signed with then-Faulkner State Community College, becoming a Lady Sun Chief where she was a 2-year starter. She finished two seasons at FSCC holding a top-5 spot in almost every category, including a .442 batting average (second in the league), .761 slugging percentage (second in the league), and was second in the league in RBIs with 39. She was also named to the NJCAA 2011 All-Region XXII Fastpitch softball first team. Bennett now works as a Project Manager at a digital health tech company. She is the daughter of Jimmie and Sandra Bennett and mother to Easton. Bennett resides in Alabaster and still spends much of her time at the ball field — now as a softball mom.

Tcheneavia “Coco” Knight graduated in 2014 and was an outstanding basketball player. Knight led BCHS, coached by Robert Wills, to the 6A South Regional during her senior season. She had the opportunity to play varsity basketball as an eighth grader after leading her middle school team to the County Championship. In 2011, she was named to the 6A South Region All-Tournament team and in 2014 was selected for the Coastal Alabama Girls’ Sweet 16 third team. At Shelton State Community College, she led her team to the Alabama Community College Championship. In 2016, Knight was an NJCAA All-American, leading her Shelton State team to a third-place finish at the National Championship and a District Championship. Knight’s jersey was selected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame “Ring of Honor” in Knoxville, Tenn., which celebrates the accomplishments of young athletes across the country.
In 2016, she was an Alabama Community College Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, North Division Player of the Year, First-Team All-Region, and a 2-time Alabama Community College Conference Player of the Week. In 2015 and 2016, she was an ACCC All-Tournament selection. In 2015-16, she finished the season with 98 total steals, ranking her eleventh nationally, and scored in double digits 29 times. After Shelton State, she played for the University of Alabama Women’s basketball team. Knight now lives in Bay Minette and is employed as a Sales Specialist.

Elizabeth Bridges Byrd graduated valedictorian of the BCHS Class of 2003. She was a Tigerette all 4 years and served as the Tigerette captain her junior and senior years. After high school, Byrd attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. While at USM, she was a 4-year member of the university's precision high-kick team, the Dixie Darlings. She was voted Dixie Darling of the Year her freshman season in 2003, served as Lieutenant in 2004, and as a Captain in 2006. After graduation, Byrd kicked off her engineering career working in the oil industry in Louisiana and Texas. In 2010, a job change moved her back to Bay Minette, and she has coached the Tigerettes ever since. She also coached the Tiger Guard from 2010-2016 and began coaching the BMMS Dance Team, known as the Tiger Paws, in 2015. The BMMS team has now absorbed into the BCHS Junior Varsity Dance Team, newly established in 2024 to continue to cultivate a pipeline for exceptional dancers for the Tigerette legacy. During her tenure, the Tigerettes have won numerous Best in Class and Best Overall Dance awards at Marching Band competitions, with the 2023 competition earning the Best Overall, a perfect 100 score. The Tigerettes have also won many Dance Competition awards outside of Marching Band Season.
Byrd is a founding member of Tiger for Life which helps provide additional funding for various BCHS athletics and programs. She was recipient of the Varsity Spirit Band Coaches’ Leadership Award for 3 years and was recognized by Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama in 2022 as a Leading Lady of Alabama. She and husband John are parents to Ella Brooke and John Carlis and the family resides in Bay Minette. Byrd serves as General Manager at Quincy Compressor, located in Bay Minette.