Ralph Voyles will be inducted into the Greer Ring of Honor Friday night. The recognition represents the best of the best athletes and coaches to play at Greer and contributions to the community and their careers.
Voyles, a Greer High graduate of 1953, is this year’s Ring of Honor inductee. He only played football and started on the offensive and defensive lines for former coach Phil Clark’s first two football teams.
Robbie Gravely made the announcement. The announcement, photo and Ring of Honor members will be in the Greer "Yellow Jackets Magazine" on sale Friday night at 6 p.m.
During Voyles’ era it was common to play the entire game, which he did. He was team captain for Greer his junior and senior years and played in the North-South All-Star Game and the Shrine Bowl as a lineman in his senior (1952) playing season.
The 1951 Greer football game went 9-2 and it included an 8-game winning streak to end the season. Voyles remembered a 14-0 road win at Walterboro where it rained so hard, “You had to hold the ball still to keep it from floating away,” Voyles said. His final game with Greer resulted with a 34-0 shutout of District 5, now Byrnes High School.
Voyles earned a scholarship to Newberry College and he started all four years on offense and defense. He was the team captain his final season. He served in the U.S. military upon graduation from Newberry and his first coaching job was at Greer High School as line coach for Coach Clark. He also coached varsity track and field and jayvee basketball.
Voyles joined Spartanburg High School in 1968 as a line coach for eight years under Bill Carr. While in Spartanburg he joined the Wofford College staff where he would coach 18 years with Ayers and then under him when Ayers returned as a head coach. Voyles was named honorary letterman at Wofford for his accomplishments there.
Voyles is retired and lives in Spartanburg with his wife, Timmie. They have four children, Chuck, Mark, Stephen and Anna and five grandchildren.
The Greer High School Athletic Ring of Honor was established in 2003 to recognize coaches and athletes of the past who were standard bearers as an athlete or coach. The inaugural class inducted five and subsequent selections have been based on merit.
Frank Voyles represents the 13th member to be inducted tonight at halftime of the Blue Ridge vs. Greer football game. Committee chairman Robbie Gravely and the committee make a final selection to Greer Principal Marion Waters to approve.
Voyles leads the list of inductees in alphabetical order.
Frank Voyles
Football
Class of 2012
Steve Brown
Baseball, Basketball, Track
Class of 1958
Phil Clark
Football, Baseball, Basketball Coach
Inducted 2003
Jim Cox
Football, Basketball, Baseball Coach
Class of 1950
Jim Few
Football, Baseball Coach & Athletic Director
Class of 2008
Luther Glenn
Football, Baseball, Basketball
Class of 1946
Steve Gibbs
Football, Basketball
Class of 1974
Steve Greer
Football
Class of 1965
Murray Hall
Football, Basketball, Baseball
Class of 1957
Stuart Holcombe
Football Coach
Inducted 2009
Butch Miller
Football, Basketball, Baseball
Class of 1956
June Pruitt
Football, Basketball, Baseball
Class of 1939
Steve Woodward
Football, Baseball, Track & Field
Coach of Tennis, Track, Wrestling & Football
Class of 1965