John Hall, a 1973 graduate of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, is in the “Hall” in Chesterfield, VA. John was inducted into the Matoaca High School Athletic Hall of Fame last Friday in a ceremony followed by an introduction at the Warriors’ evening football game.
John did it all for the school in a long career at Matoaca, coaching for 45 years and 87 seasons. He was the golf coach for 17 years, winning the district title often and taking the team to a state runnerup finish in 2012.
Hall coached track and field at Matoaca for 35 years along with 17 years of cross country. He was the first soccer coach ever for the Warriors and even spent time coaching the ninth grade basketball team. He was there for whatever was needed, driving the bus or washing uniforms when necessary.
“I did everything,” he said. “Back then if you coached you had to drive the bus.”
Chesterfield is located just outside of Richmond, an area John had only been to once before taking the job.
“I was at Douglas Freeman for the Lewis football game the week before they played T.C. Williams(in 1972),” he said.
John graduated from Radford University in 1978 and took a job at Matoaca as a history teacher. He also taught a little math and some special education, but he’ll long be remembered as “coach.”
Before starting his career in education John spent time as the Clubhouse Manager for the Salem Pirates baseball team. He particularly remembers 1975.
“It was a wonderful time,” he said. “I recently came across the team photo from that season and Rod Scurry was the only player to make it to the big leagues, but it was so much fun. I got to know Murray Cook, who might be the most famous person from Salem. My wife(Dawn) taught Murray in school.”
Cook, who started his career in the Municipal Field clubhouse, has become the world’s highest authority on constructing baseball fields and facilities, most recently doing the field at the Bristol Speedway for the Major League game played there between the Reds and Orioles. There was no foreshadowing that two Hall of Famers would come out of that 1975 clubhouse in Salem, VA.
John and Dawn have a daughter, Sarah, and two grandsons. Elliot is five years old and Ian is one. John notes that Elliot already loves golf.
Now retired, John stays busy officiating track and field. He was excited to have been chosen to officiate an NCAA indoor meet when it was held at Virginia Beach.
“I do the high jump and pole vault,” he said, then added with a chuckle, “You know it’s funny, more often than not you see the shortest guys officiating those events.”
John went into the Matoaca Hall of Fame with a basketball coach, a wrestler and a girls’ soccer player.
“It’s been a labor of love,” he said. “I never applied for another job.”
