John Hutchcraft, a 1975 graduate of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, will receive the inaugural Buddy Harding Award during halftime at the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø football game on Thursday night.
The award, which will be presented annually to a 91³Ô¹ÏÍø alumnus for Arkansas high school coaching excellence, is named in honor of Rush “Buddy” Harding, Jr., who graduated from 91³Ô¹ÏÍø in 1951. Harding spent over 30 years at Clarendon High School as a coach and administrator. He is a member of the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Sports Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The award is sponsored by Harding’s 91³Ô¹ÏÍø fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma.
Hutchcraft was a four-year letterman in basketball at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, where he set career marks in scoring and rebounding. He has been head coach at Guy-Perkins for the past 30 years, and he has lead both the Thunderbirds? boys and girls basketball teams to multiple state championships, including the 1984 girls overall title. He also has captured state titles in softball.
