Dane Johnson was a four-sport letterman for the Carroll Dragons in the early 90s
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Dragon Sports by Rick Herrin
“We are pleased to announce thisbryear's class of the CISD Athletic Hall of Honor,” Carroll ISD Athletic DirectorbrKevin Ozee said. “The individuals selected have had a tremendous impact layingbrthe foundation for the program and for the current success of CISD Athletics. Inbrcreating the Hall of Honor, it is our goal to honor the past, protect thebrtradition, and build for the future.”
This year's inductees in the Carroll DragonbrAthletic Hall of Honor include:
Dane Johnson
Regarded as one of the school's all-time great athletes, Johnson was abrfour-sport letterman (football, basketball, baseball, track) and star duringbrCarroll's reign in the Class 3A days. Johnson finished his high school careerbrwith three state championship rings (two in football, one in basketball). “GreatbrDane” was a first-team all-state running back and defensive back on the 1992brand 1993 undefeated state championship teams. He was named the 3A DefensivebrPlayer of the Year in 1993. He was a starting guard on the 1992-1993 statebrchampionship basketball team and played centerfield on the baseball team.brJohnson, an all-conference safety at Texas Tech, went into coaching afterbrcollege and is currently the Flower Mound High School head football coach.
Kris Brown
One of Johnson's teammates, Brown was a sidekick in stardom. Known for hisbrgolden leg, the former all-state Dragon kicker added to the position's legacy atbrCarroll. Brown was also a standout quarterback and helped lead the Dragons tobrthe 1993 3A title and 16-0 record as a junior first-year starter. Brown wasbralso an outstanding catcher and a guard on the Dragon boys' basketball team.brBrown, who also starred at Nebraska, recently retired after a 12-year career inbrthe NFL playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans. He currently livesbrin Omaha, Nebraska. His younger brother Drew has followed in the familybrfootsteps as a junior kicker at Carroll.
Chauncey Willingham
Few have contributed more to Carroll ISD's athletic success than Willingham. Forbr38 years and counting, he has touched nearly every Carroll athletic program andbrcampus. Willingham has served multiple roles in the district and thrived as thebrgirls' basketball coach for several years producing numerous playoff teams andbrcollege-bound players. He kept the program at a high level, similar to hisbrsuccess as the cross country head coach for 10 years. Willingham has alsobrserved as head track coach, interim head boys' basketball coach, interim athleticbrdirector, swim coach, assistant baseball, football and tennis coach, assistant principalbrand is currently the Director of Facilities.
Ken Cook
With five state championship rings, including two as a head coach in twobrdifferent sports Kevin Cook is the most decorated coach in Carroll's richbrhistory. He arrived at Carroll in 1979 and coached the Dragon basketball teambrfor 23 years and a 1993 Class 3A state title. Cook also served as head baseballbrcoach and steered the Dragons to the 2A state baseball championship in 1982. Inbrfootball, he was the defensive coordinator assistant on the Dragon footballbrteams that won 3A titles in 1988, 1992 and 1993. He also served as the TexasbrAssociation of Basketball Coaches president in 2002-2003. Cook is currently thebrhead girls' basketball coach and girls' athletics coordinator at Boswell HighbrSchool in Saginaw.
GenebrStanford
Stanford was one of the original members of thebrDragon Council, a small group of loyal supporters to Carroll ISD. Before hisbrpassing in 2009, he was the leader in capturing the history of Dragon footballbron video. Perched atop old Dragon Stadium, he began filming games in the late 1980sbrand continued for more than two decades. At that time, Carroll was much more limitedbron staff and equipment. Stanford, a former engineer, voluntarily edited gamebrfilm in his basement and provided his footage to the Dragon coaches and boosterbrclub. The video production Stanford provided continues today.
Rick Herrin is the Carroll ISD Communications and Marketing Department's Video Webmaster. He also works closely with the athletic department covering events and managing sports news for the district. He is a long-time follower of Dragon athletics and formerly covered Carroll as a sports reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Grapevine Sun.