The 2026 class of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHF) will be honored this Sunday, April 26th, 2026 at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Doors open at 2pm with the ceremony at 3pm. Attendance is free, and food will be served from 2-3pm.
This year’s class includes:
- Basketball player Willie Allen
- Football player and coach John Bunting
- Referee Bill Dixon
- Runner Betty Holston Smith
- Coach Warren Crutchfield (posthumous)
- The Holy Cross girls basketball team 1977-1982
“These inductees have brought recognition and honor to our community in their respective fields,” says MCSHF Board Chair Bob Milloy. “It is a stellar group and the induction ceremony will be one fabulous evening.” This is the 7th class of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame. This year’s six inductees join the 35 other members of the Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be free to attend, and more information can be found at www.mcshf.org. More about this year’s inductees:
Willie Allen led Richard Montgomery to a state title in basketball, while also winning three county championships. The Rockville native was All-Met three times, all state, and a high school All-American, averaging 25 points and 23 rebounds per game as a senior. He became the first African American scholarship basketball player at the University of Miami, where he averaged double-doubles in points and rebounds for all three years. Willie is still 2nd all time on the Hurricanes rebound list, which led to his induction in the University of Miami sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Willie was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1971 but chose to play in the ABA for a season before going to Belgium to play professionally. Willie retired in 1977 and pursued a career in marketing, and moved to his wife’s hometown of Milwaukee. In 1993, he switched careers and became a farmer. He has received numerous grants and awards for his work in urban farming, sustainable foods, and creating jobs in agriculture. He has written a book and appeared in a documentary about farming. Willie received an honorary doctorate of Agriculture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2012…