Adair County athletics has a long history of athletes and coaches who have left their mark on the school, and the newest Brown and Brown Adair County Athletic Hall of Fame class adds another group of 10 to that tradition.
The class includes athletes from several generations, along with coaches who helped build Adair County programs and influence the students who came through them.
Cleo Shively
Shively began coaching cheerleading at Adair County in 1977 and coached through 1985 before returning in the 1990s. She continued coaching through 2006, leading teams to competitive success while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and leadership.
Her teams won championships at the 2005 CANAM Central Kentucky Cheer and Dance Competition and the Taylor County Invitational Cheer and Dance Competition. They also placed sixth at the CANAM National Cheerleading Competition.
Her influence extended beyond competitions; she was also a devoted educator for 36 years. Through pep rallies, football games, basketball games and other school events, Shively helped generations of students build pride in their school and community.
Yves White, Class of 1980
White played for the Indians from 1978-80 and became known as one of the area’s top scorers and shooters. During his senior season, he helped lead Adair County to 22 wins as the team spent much of the season ranked No. 2 in the 5th Region.
White was recognized with All-District, All-Region and All-Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference honors, along with Courier Journal honorable mention All-State honors.
He continued his basketball career after high school, leading Lindsey Wilson Junior College in scoring as a freshman before transferring to St. Catherine Junior College, where he averaged 20 points per game.
His induction not only represented his scoring ability, but his excitement and style of play that made him one of the most memorable basketball players of Adair County.
Ricky Groves, Class of 1980
Groves was a four-sport athlete who competed in basketball, football, cross country and track.
Groves earned All-Conference honors in basketball and the team’s Defensive Award.
In football, he was named All-Conference and All-State honorable mention and finished among Kentucky’s leading rushers as a senior. One of his most memorable plays was a 109-yard touchdown run.
He also finished runner-up at the state track meet in both the long jump and triple jump and won a regional championship in the 440-yard run.
Following his high school career, he continued his athletic journey playing collegiate basketball for St. Catherine Junior College.
He is honored not only for his extraordinary accomplishments across four sports, but also his dedication, versatility, and competitive spirit that made him one of the most respected athletes of his era.
Liana Critz Pippen, Class of 1994
A four-year starter, Pippen helped establish the Lady Indians as one of the premier programs in the region while building a remarkable career defined by scoring, rebounding, durability, and leadership.
She also helped lead Adair County to its first Girls’ 5th Region Championship and first Sweet Sixteen appearance during her sophomore season.
She finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,422 points and leading rebounder with 1,002 rebounds. Pippen played in all 122 games of her high school career as the Lady Indians compiled a 78-44 record.
She also competed in track and finished as the state runner-up in the long jump while setting a school record.
Her induction not only honors her for her amazing statistical accomplishments, but the consistency, toughness, and leadership she broadcasted all four years at Adair County High School.
Darren Ballou, Class of 2009
Ballou was one of the most decorated basketball players in Adair County High School history. He helped lead the Indians to Kentucky Sweet 16 appearances in 2007 and 2009 and established himself as one of the top players in Kentucky during his high school career.
As a sophomore, Ballou earned All-20th District honors and was named Kentucky All-State Honorable Mention.
He took another step as a junior, earning All-20th District, All-Region and 5th Region Player of the Year honors.
He was also selected to the King of the Bluegrass All-Tournament Team and named Second Team All-State.
Ballou continued his success as a senior, repeating as 5th Region Player of the Year while earning All-20th District, All-5th Region and First Team All-State honors.
He was also selected to represent Kentucky in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game.
By the end of his high school career, Ballou had scored more than 2,000 points and pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds, putting him among an elite group of players to reach both milestones. His scoring, rebounding and leadership helped make him a key part of one of the most successful periods in Adair County basketball.
After graduating in 2009, Ballou continued his basketball career at Lindsey Wilson College.
His induction into the Brown and Brown Adair County Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes a career that left a lasting mark on Indians basketball.
Greg Bardin, Class of 1972
Bardin was a three-sport standout at Adair County before returning to his hometown and building a successful coaching career.
In basketball, he earned All-SKAC, All-Region, Honorable Mention All-State and East-West All-Star honors. He also lettered in baseball and excelled in track and field, winning SKAC and regional high jump championships before finishing fourth at the KHSAA State Track Meet.
He continued his athletic career at Campbellsville College from 1972-76, lettering in both basketball and baseball.
He was a two-time All-KIAC and All-District basketball selection and finished his college career as a member of the school’s 1,000-Point Club.
Bardin returned to Adair County High School and began a coaching career that included multiple sports.
As head girls’ basketball coach from 1977-87, he compiled a 120-93 record and guided the Lady Indians to the program’s first winning season in 1978-79. His teams finished as district runner-up four times and reached the regional tournament for the first time in school history.
His success also earned him multiple SKAC Coach of the Year honors.
Coach John Peck
Peck took over the Adair County football program in 1987, when the Indians had not experienced a winning season in nearly two decades.
During his term, he helped turn the program around and establish one of the most successful eras in school history.
The breakthrough came in 1989 when Adair County posted its first winning season in more than 20 years and won the PAC Conference Championship.
The Indians followed with back-to-back 8-3 seasons in 1990 and 1991, including the program’s first state playoff appearance in 1991.
The 1992 season brought even more success. The Indians were ranked in the Top 10 in both the Associated Press and LIT Class AA polls, reaching as high as No. 6 in the state, which was the highest ranking in program history at the time. Adair County finished 8-3 and won another PAC South Conference Championship.
From 1989-92, Peck led the Indians to a 30-14 record and a .681 winning percentage, which remains the best four-year winning percentage in program history. He is also Adair County’s all-time leader in football coaching victories with 48 wins and spent nine seasons as head coach.
Peck’s coaching career at Adair County spanned 24 years and also included 10 seasons as middle school head coach, as well as several stints as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator.
He was named PAC Coach of the Year four times and was recognized as a member of the Legends of the PAC Conference in 2021.
Van Giles, Class of 2011
Giles became the first boys’ golfer inducted into the Hall of Fame and was one of the most accomplished golfers in Adair County history. During his sophomore through senior seasons, the Indians went 57-10 and established themselves as one of the top golf programs in the region.
Giles qualified for the Kentucky high school state golf tournament as a sophomore and senior and helped the Indians reach the state tournament as a junior after finishing as 4th Region runner-up.
He was a two-time Heartland Conference Individual Champion in 2009 and 2011 and finished as conference runner-up in 2010.
He was also part of several firsts for Adair County boys’ golf. Giles helped the Indians become the first Adair County boys’ golf team to qualify for the state tournament in 2010. The team also finished third in the region in 2009 and 2011 and won back-to-back Heartland Conference Team Championships in 2010 and 2011.
One of the highlights of his career came Sept. 14, 2010, when Adair County set a program record with a score of 141.
Giles led the way with a 4-under-par round of 32.
Glynn “Red” Nixon, Class of 1958
Nixon returned to Adair County in 1968 as a teacher and coach after graduating from Campbellsville College in 1964.
Over the next several years, he coached multiple sports and became one of the most successful coaches in Adair County athletics history.
Nixon spent several years as an assistant basketball coach before taking over as head coach in 1977.
He led the Indians through the 1983 season, including the memorable 1979-80 team.
His biggest accomplishments came in cross country, where he helped establish Adair County as one of the top programs in the region. From 1968 through 1980, Adair County boys qualified for the state meet every season.
In 1970, Nixon coached an individual state champion, beginning a long run of success for the program.
The highlight came in 1980 when Nixon guided the Indians to the KHSAA Class 2A State Cross Country Championship and was named the Class 2A State Coach of the Year. His teams also won numerous regional and Southern Kentucky Athletic Conference championships, while several of his athletes went on to compete at the collegiate level.
Nixon also coached track and field and golf during his career.
His work as a coach and educator helped shape generations of Adair County student-athletes and made him one of the most influential figures in the school’s athletic history.
1992 Adair County Football Team
The 1992 Indians put together one of the most successful seasons in Adair County football history under coach John Peck.
Coming off back-to-back 8-3 seasons, the Indians continued to raise the expectations surrounding the program.
Adair County climbed into the Top 10 of both the Associated Press poll and LIT Class AA rankings, reaching as high as No. 6 in the state.
The Indians finished the regular season 8-2 and came within two plays of an undefeated season, losing to Glasgow in a memorable double-overtime game.
The Indians finished 8-3 overall, won the PAC South Conference Championship and advanced to the state playoffs before falling to Bullitt East. The season was another major step for a program that had gone nearly two decades without a winning season before Peck’s arrival.
The 1992 team was part of a four-year stretch from 1989-92 in which Adair County went 30-14, posting a .681 winning percentage that remains the best four-year mark in program history.
The team helped establish a new standard for Indians football and created a sense of pride and excitement throughout the school and community.
The fourth annual Brown and Brown Adair County Hall of Fame weekend will begin with a tailgating event on Friday, Oct. 1 prior to the Adair County High School football game. The inductees will be introduced on the field at halftime of the game.
The Induction Ceremony Bruch will be held Saturday, Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. Inductees will receive an allotted number of tickets. Tickets for all others will be available to purchase online. Admission for adults is $30 for the weekend, $20 for the brunch and $10 for children 12 and under.
by Lily Coots
reporter@adairvoice.com
