After waiting a century, Badger Hall of Fame inaugural is nigh

By Piper Banning

We are small, but fierce.  The Bonners Ferry Badgers have, since infancy, housed athletes in the four walls of each school in Boundary County, some of them superlative.  Athletes and super fans have come and gone and now we have a way to acknowledge the best of the best.  On November 16 the community is invited to the Bonners Ferry Badgers Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductee Banquet in the Exhibit Hall at the fairgrounds.

The event will start at 5 p.m. with a social, dinner at 6 p.m.  The inductees will be acknowledged and awarded for their years of Badger athletic excellence. Tickets are $50 each and are available for purchase at Riverside Auto, Mountain West Bank and Under the Sun.

The birth of the Bonners Ferry Badgers Athletic Hall of Fame came from the minds and hearts of Annie Swift, Travis Hinthorn, Wendy Hawks and Danny Swift some months ago.

Travis, being a part of the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame, spurred into action what we shall from now and forever henceforth call the Bonners Ferry Badger Athletic Hall of Fame, designed to acknowledge all worthy Badger athletes who must then dress up to humbly and graciously accept the honor.

When asked why task fell to the four of them, Travis responded, “Well, we waited 100 years for someone else to do it!”

So they did it!

“I have always admired other schools’ halls of fame,” Annie said. Casual mentions planted seeds of ideas that grew over time and conversation. “We sat down in May, put our ideas together and decided we could make this a reality for Bonners Ferry High School.”

On Saturday, November 16, four individuals; Janis Tucker, Tim Mercer, Bill Hayden and Ron Smith, and one team; the 1975 Badger football team of which Mercer was part, will become the first inductees to be enshrined.

Travis’s wife and middle school teacher Kelly Hinthorn compiled the following:

Janis Tucker was the first to be selected.  She attended Bonners Ferry High School and broke the school record for discus in 1976 which went unbroken until 2004. She went on to become a beloved teacher, coach, wife and mom of three children, and though retired, remains active in the classroom and as a coach.

Tim Mercer was born in Bonners Ferry in 1957.  He participated in many sports over his school years; including baseball, basketball, track and football. He wanted so badly to play high school football, but his mom was hesitant telling him that he would break his leg, and that he did … the first game of his freshman year! He overcame the injury and went on to play offence and defense his sophomore and junior years for the Badgers. Tim was a state champion more than once and was named Athlete of the Year in 1975 by Coach and Athlete Magazine. On August 3, 1975, Tim passed away from head injuries sustained in a car accident. His #30 Jersey was retired and he is memorialized every year at BFHS with the Tim Mercer Award, given to an underclassman for their outstanding athletic achievements.

The next inductees were a class, the entire football team class of 1975. They were a force to be reckoned with. The team went undefeated in the regular season and each member will be acknowledged in November for their hard work and the legacy they created.

Bill Hayden was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, where he played football and basketball in high school and was selected team captain and Second Team All State as a senior.  Bill was part of the coaching staff that took the only State Championship Football team from Bonners Ferry and he was awarded Coach of the Year two times for the State of Idaho.  Bill is so grateful to be inducted but knows that it would never have been possible without the excellent kids and athletes who crossed his path throughout the years.

Although he never played Badger sports himself, Ron Smith is the epitome of what it means to be a Badger fan. Ron and his wife Evelyn have attended nearly every home game for every Badger sport. Ron was given the name, “Mr. Badger” by Dan Meeker some years ago, and it stuck!  Ron is excited to be afforded this distinguished honor.

GO BADGERS!