The Chillicothe High School football program was among the honorees on Sunday night when the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame ushered in its Class of 2020. Honorees also included Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, and University of Missouri defensive lineman Justin Smith. The Hall of Fame also honored William Jewell College basketball coach Larry Holley, with the Jameson native winning the Pinnacle Award.
Chillicothe’s Hornets earned a place in the hall with seven appearances in the Show-Me Bowl championship game between 1970 and 1993, winning five state championship trophies and two runner-up positions. The five state titles (1970, 1972, 1978, 1985, and 1991) were won by Head Coach Bob Fairchild, who won 287 games in 34 seasons (1963-1997) at CHS, including runner-up finishes in 1988 and 1993.
In 1998, the Hornets coaching position went to Phil Willard, who led the school to more gridiron success, with a 144-74 record before his retirement in 2017.
