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Two Former MHS Athletes To Be Honored

By Staff | Aug 1, 2012

Two student-athletes from the late-1980’s are among eight honorees who will be recognized at the 27th annual Magnolia Athletic Boosters Life Achievement Awards Banquet.

The public event is scheduled this Saturday, Aug. 4, at Magnolia High School. A social hour starts at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at Witschey’s in New Martinsville or from banquet chairman Brent Gamble at 304-455-3234.

The honorees, with graduation year, are Larry Heck (1988) and Scot Kiggans (1989).

They will be feted along with six other Magnolia graduates: Wayne (Mac) McCaskey (1962); Forrest Miller (1972); Darren Cook (1983); Sherry Lemasters Bachman (1985); Alicia McCaskey Hissom (1987); and Scott Kriss (1987).

Here are capsule summaries for Heck and Kiggans:

HECK-A four-year Blue Eagle football player, he was selected team captain as a senior. He also competed in track two years.

He graduated from Waynesburg College in Sports Medicine and is a nationally-certified athletic trainer.

Employed the last 10 years by World Wrestling Entertainment, he has traveled the country, and world, with the WWE including two trips to Iraq for the Tribute to Troops tour as well as China and venues across the U.S.

Heck has appeared on national television events including Monday Night Raw, the longest running cable show in history. His work includes travel about four days a week with international travel about every two months.

Before joining WWE, he worked for three professional teams – the Amsterdam Admirals in the World League of American Football, the San Antonio Texans in the Canadian Football League, and the San Antonio Dragons in the International Hockey League. While in Texas, he was a member of the San Antonio Sports Foundation Board of Director as Medical Coordinator. The Foundation brought Olympic sports to inter-city children.

He has been a speaker the last two years at the National Athletic Trainers Association Symposium. He addressed students about his career.

A resident of Kernersville, N.C., he and wife Tracy are parents to Sydney, Eliza, and Londyn.

KIGGANS – He was a four-year baseball and football player and earned first-team W.Va. Class AA all-state and All-Valley honors as a pitcher for the 1989 state Double-A title team.

As a senior, he was 9-2 as a pitcher and hurled 14 straight shutout innings in the post-season, including a regional tournament no-hitter vs. Ravenswood. In football, he was a member of two state Class-AA playoff teams including a 10-2 record squad as a senior.

He graduated from West Liberty State in elementary education and received a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from the U.S. Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala.

Since 2001, he has been the head baseball coach at York Comprehensive High School in South Carolina, after serving from 1997-2000 as junior varsity head coach and varsity aide.

His varsity teams qualified for state playoffs nine times and won two region titles in 2002 and 2008 when he was selected region Coach of the Year, as well as York County Coach of Year in 2008.

Kiggans has coached 22 players who played college baseball, one state Gatorade Player of the Year, and a Major League Draft choice currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization.

He also has coached football since 1996 and has been the seventh grade assistant coach since 2006.

Active in school and community projects, he has been a Special Olympics volunteer and organized free youth camps and summer baseball camps.

He also served as American Legion baseball coach from 1997-2001 and is currently the York Junior Legion coach. He has been a volunteer for the local Humane Society, Earth Day,America Recycles Day, and Salvation Army.

A teacher in the York, S.C. School District since 1996, he currently works at York Intermediate School.

He and wife Debby reside in Fort Mill, S.C.