Athletic Hall of Honor Inductees 2022

 

Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson was a part of Duncanville ISD for over twenty years as student-athlete, teacher, coach, and athletic administrator.  Chris was a three-year letterman on the varsity baseball team from 1991 to 1993 under Head Coach Bob Rombach.  During the 1992 and 1993 seasons, the Panther baseball team was the dominant high school team in the area. 
In 1992 the Panther baseball team completed their season with a 27-3 record and in 1993 the team record was 28-1.  Chris earned multiple all district and all area honors for his achievements on the baseball diamond during this time as a panther.  After high school,
he played baseball at Navarro College for one season before continuing his baseball
career at the University of Texas at Austin. At UT he was a member of the 1996 Southwest Conference Championship baseball team.  Chris went on to work as a graduate assistant baseball coach at Dallas Baptist University where he completed his Bachelors and Master of Business of Administration degrees.  In 2000, Chris returned to Duncanville ISD as a teacher and baseball coach under Coach Rombach.  Through his hard work and dedication to the Panther Baseball team, Coach Anderson earned the position of Head Baseball Coach in 2007 when Coach Rombach retired. During his time as a baseball coach at Duncanville High School, the Panther baseball teams earned eight playoff appearances and one state tournament appearance in 2002.  In 2010, Chris moved into the role of Assistant Athletic Director for Duncanville ISD.  For the next seven years, Chris worked on numerous facility projects, collaborated with coaches to grow the high school and middle school athletic programs, and hosted and organized an endless number of games, tournaments, and community events.  During his time as Assistant Athletic Director, Duncanville High School teams earned 3 6A UIL state championships, one Max Preps National Championship and he was part of the committee that  hired Coach Reginald Samples to lead the Panther Football program.  Chris is part of a family that served Duncanville ISD in many different ways.  His wife, Michelle, was a teacher at Reed Middle School and later a counselor at Daniel Intermediate for 22 years.  His parents, David and Carol Anderson, both worked in Duncanville schools and served on numerous committees and booster clubs through the years.  Chris and Michelle have three children: Annabel, Amelia and Jacob.

 

Vernon G. Grant II

High School:
Vernon was a 2002 graduate of Duncanville High School. He was a team leader in football and track. He had a burning desire to work hard every day and ignited the team with his attitude and effort. He was a great leader and very coachable. The thing we remember
most about Vernon was his smile. He was a 3-year letterman, All-District junior and senior year and team/defensive captain his senior year.  One of the top prospects in Texas, Grant finished his high school career with 67 tackles his senior season. As a junior, he had 49 tackles and one interception. He was picked to play in the Coca Cola All-Star Game. He
was a second-team Super Team player in Texas Football magazine, and a top-100 Texas
and area recruit. He was listed among the top-50 prospects in the Big 12 region by First Down Sports, and on the top-100 Texas list by Heartland Recruiting. He signed and received a scholarship from Oklahoma State University after receiving scholarship offers from. Notre Dame, Iowa State and Wyoming and a host of others. Vernon also had a very successful  track career.

His Sophomore year he was the first leg on the Texas Relay, District, regional and state championship 4 X100 team.  Their time of 40.23 was the best time recorded in the nation by a high school team. Vernon's Junior year, he was the first leg on a State Runner up team of the 4X100.. Vernon finished third in both 100 meters and 200 meters at the district meet.  The team went on to finish with a Fourth  place team finish at the state meet Being named Team Captain his senior year. Vernon's Senior year and  continuing his role as the first leg, their 4X100  relay team finished  2nd at the UIL State Track Meet.  The Panthers also finished with a Runner Up title this season. 

At Oklahoma State, Vernon Grant was often referred to as the heart and soul of Oklahoma State's defense. Indeed, the three-year letterman and starter was the inspirational leader of a Cowboy defense that helped OSU land in three straight bowl games. He was a star on and off the football field. A veteran of 27 college starts, the 21-year-old Grant was a small but tenacious defensive back who finished second on the team in tackles his sophomore year. Grant was an Academic All-Big 12 honoree who was on course to receive a mechanical engineering degree. He also was the president of OSU's chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. 2002 As A True freshman cornerback finished the season with 62 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. His tackle total was fifth-best on the OSU defense in 2002. OSU's nominee for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after an eight tackle, three breakup, one interception performance against the Aggies. He had six tackles, including four unassisted, in the Houston Bowl win over Southern Miss. 2003 Played in all 13 games and registered eight starts. Grant finished second on the team with 89 tackles, including two for loss, while also tallying four pass breakups. He also excelled in the classroom, where he was named to the Co-SIDA District VI Academic team with a 3.25 grade point average in engineering. 2004: Grant started all 12 games in 2004, finishing with 67 total tackles, the fifth-best total on the Oklahoma State defense. He led the Cowboy defense with nine tackles in the Alamo Bowl game against Ohio State. Vernon was named  District XI Academic All-American and also received OSU's Academic Achievement Award.

Vernon George Grant Jr. passed away on May 23, 2005 from a car accident. His legacy lives on through his son, Vernon Grant III.  He is  a member of the 2022 6A Division 1 State Championship Team and was named District 11-  6A  Defensive Player of the Year.

 

Margaret Thomas

Margaret Thomas moved to Duncanville in 1963.  She started the 3rd grade year at Duncanville and graduated DHS in 1973.  She played for the legendary Coach Sandra Meadows during her high school career.  Margaret was on the Varsity team beginning in 1971 being moved up  in the 2nd half of the season.  During
her junior and senior year, the Pantherettes were District and
Bi-District Champions. In Her senior season of 1973, the Pantherette team made its mark by being the first team to take Coach Meadows to the state tournament. They did not win the Championship that season, but it was this  team that laid
the foundation for the many championships to come. Margaret also ran track for four years and was a regional qualifier all four years in the 440 yard relay and 880 yard relay. She attended Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, Oklahoma, from 1973 to 1978.  

Her coaching career began in 1978 at Rio Hondo High School as an Head Basketball and Track Coach. Margarets' decorated coaching career included stops at Raymondville, Cedar Hill, JJ Pearch, Ennis, Kansas State University and Duncanville High School.  A devoted teacher, Margaret received teacher of the year honors in 2000, 2007, and 2014. She received her Bachelors and Masters degree there and played college basketball and volleyball from 1973/74 to 1976. She came home to Duncanville to do her student teaching under Coach Meadows. While doing her masters work, she was the Assistant Basketball and Volleyball Coach for Southwestern Oklahoma State.

 

Sterling Davis

Sterling Davis, born in Fort Smith, Arkansas and a native of Dallas, Texas graduated from Duncanville High School in 1996. He was a four year starter and the first freshman under coach Phil McNeely to start on varsity. After graduating, he accepted a scholarship to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana after turning down offers from Oklahoma State, Memphis, SMU and Arizona
State. While at Tulane, Sterling obtained a bachelor of arts degree in Media with
a minors degree in Business.  Davis, who finished his sporting career as head
coach of the Glasgow Rocks basketball team in the UK. Sterling spent 17 years
in professional sports as a player, coach, and general manager. Sterling’s basketball career spanned across the South American and European markets. 

Sterling Davis has a passion for giving back to the community, having dedicated countless hours all over the world volunteering in various capacities from charities to community and prison initiatives.  His mission is to inspire youth to strive for an active lifestyle and also preach the message of the importance of education and life goals. He believes he has been blessed with a platform that can positively influence not only the youth but the older generations alike.

 Davis, a devoted husband and father of two children, is currently working as a Police Constable in the UK. A highlight in his policing career includes Queen Elizabeth’s funeral where he was nominated to feature in a key detail for the Queen’s procession. He is extremely proud to be a sporting alumni of the most prestigious athletic program in the country. Duncanville has always been a part of him throughout his travels.

 

Dalton Lott

Dalton Lott was born in Sunflower County, MS and raised in Shreveport, LA. In
1973, Dalton and his wife, Linda, moved to Duncanville where they raised their daughters, Jennifer and Amy, who were both cheerleaders and DHS graduates. While Dalton was building his food brokerage and real estate businesses, Linda taught elementary and junior high school in Duncanville ISD for 29 years before retirement. 15 of those years were  at Central Elementary School.

Dalton currently serves as CEO of Lott Companies. Over the years, Dalton has owned and operated a variety of businesses including Duncanville Dairy Queen, Hopkins Cleaners, Club Marketing Services, Jet Center of Dallas at Dallas Executive Airport, Club Air Charter Services, and multiple real estate companies. Additionally, Dalton has owned and operated Oak Grove Inn and Oak Grove RV Park in Branson, MO, as well as many other entities.

Dalton has long been active in civic affairs in Duncanville and received the “Duncanville Man of the Year” award in 2015. Dalton is a past president of both the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club, he received the Chamber Community Service Award, and he is recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation. Additionally, Dalton has served on the Duncanville Plan Commission, served as president of the Duncanville Education Foundation, and has been a board member of Students in Free Enterprise. 

Education matters tremendously to Dalton, but his true passion is Duncanville Boys & Girls Athletics. He has proudly supported the athletics programs for over 30 years. 

Dalton’s proudest accomplishments are his children and grandchildren. These include his daughters (Jennifer and Amy) and his grandchildren (Audrey, Katherine, Caroline, and Dalton “Dash” James).