BY ANDREW FAISON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
andrew.faison@yahoo.com

FRANKLIN—Franklin Sportman’s Association recognized three men during its 31st Hayden High School Reunion Honors Breakfast on Friday.

This year’s honorees were Franklin High School Football Coach Darren Parker, Franklin Parks and Recreation Director Frank Davis and retired Philadelphia teacher Randolph Brown.

“We have something outstanding with these three men,” said Master of Ceremonies Larry Rose, a retired college basketball referee from Courtland who was inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame earlier this month. “It’s just a fantastic great day for us.”

Brown is a 1959 graduate of Hayden High School and graduate of Virginia State University and Norfolk State College. A lifetime member of the American Legion, he operates a limousine service in Philadelphia.

“I was delighted and I appreciate the Sportsman’s Club for honoring me today,” Brown said after the ceremony.

A graduate of Jefferson High School, Davis went to Virginia State University before joining the Air Force and serving in Vietnam. He returned to VSU, where he earned a degree in recreation management.

Davis, director for the City of Franklin Parks and Recreation, has been a photographer for many years, shooting for newspapers in Richmond, the Suffolk News-Herald and The Tidewater News.

“It’s always an honor to receive something like this from the Sportsman,” Davis said.

Parker has been the head football coach for Franklin High School since 2004 and served for five years as a defensive coach. He led the Broncos to state titles in 2004 and 2008.

A graduate of Southampton High School, Parker was a four-year defensive starter for the Hampton University football team.

“This is truly a big honor and it’s great to be here today to be among so many,” he said. “It’s always great to be around the people who really make this community what it is.”

The Sportman’s Association promotes and supports athletics in the City of Franklin and Southampton County.