The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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Avon Park High School Baseball: Championships, Coaches, and Professional Alumni

The Avon Park High School Red Devils baseball program is among the most decorated small-town high school athletic traditions in Florida. Playing their home games at municipal Charles R. Head Field—originally built in 1927 for the St. Louis Cardinals spring training—the Red Devils have won eight Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championships, finished as state runners-up seven times, and sent eight alumni into professional baseball.[aphs-school-of-champions][apcc-hall-of-fame][bbref-avon-park-hs]

The high school’s sustained athletic success earned Avon Park its regional identity as the “City of Champions” and the high school’s official designation as the “School of Champions.”[aphs-school-of-champions][apcc-hall-of-fame] Across its history, Avon Park has accumulated 46 FHSAA tournament appearances and played 95 postseason tournament games, ranking near the top of Florida high school baseball records.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

The Eight State Championships (1948–1987)

The official records of the School District of Highlands County and the Avon Park High School “School of Champions” Pride Wall document eight state championship titles across four classifications:[aphs-school-of-champions]

Year FHSAA Classification Head Coach Season Record Championship Game Result Notable Players
1948 Single Class (Unclassified) Ed Carter 22–0 Won 1–0 vs. Jacksonville Andrew Jackson Tigers J.C. Walker (P), Billy Walker (C), Ralph Hill (OF/3B)
1955 Class A Reginald “Guy” Garrett 27–0 Won Class A Title Game Undefeated championship roster
1964 Class B Reginald “Guy” Garrett — Won Class B Title Game Ronnie Jackson (P), Dale Landress
1966 Class B Ralph Hill — Won Class B Title Game Ronnie Jackson (P), Spencer Oberle (OF)
1972 Class 2A Ralph Hill — Won Class 2A Title Game Don Sisemore
1980 Class 2A Ronnie Jackson — Won Class 2A Title Game —
1984 Class 2A Ronnie Jackson — Won Class 2A Title Game Charles Jackson (OF/P)
1987 Class 2A Ronnie Jackson — Won Class 2A Title Game Anthony Gordon (P), Clyde “Pork Chop” Pough, Charles Jackson

1948: The First Championship and the 10-Run Rule

Avon Park’s first state championship team in 1948 was coached by Ed Carter and compiled an unblemished 22–0 record.[apcc-hall-of-fame] The Devils outscored their season opponents by an aggregate of 185 to 17.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Ace pitcher J.C. Walker anchored the staff, winning 14 games while striking out 181 batters and allowing just 23 hits in 93 innings pitched.[apcc-hall-of-fame] In the state title game, Walker threw a three-hitter, struck out 10, and batted 3-for-3 in a 1–0 shutout of the Andrew Jackson High School Tigers of Jacksonville.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

The 1948 team had a direct hand in shaping Florida high school rules. In the state tournament opener against Madison High School, Avon Park scored 21 runs in the top half of the first inning—an outburst that included two home runs by Walker and both a grand slam and a triple by sophomore Ralph Hill.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Following this lopsided contest, the FHSAA instituted the ten-run “mercy rule” terminating games after five innings when one team leads by ten or more runs, a standard rule adopted statewide.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

1955: The Undefeated 27–0 Season and 48-Game Streak

Under head coach Reginald “Guy” Garrett, the 1955 Red Devils finished with a perfect 27–0 record to capture the Class A state championship.[apcc-hall-of-fame][fhsaa-hof-garrett] This season formed the core of a 48-consecutive-game winning streak spanning 1955 and 1956, establishing a Florida high school baseball record that stood for decades.[fhsaa-hof-garrett]

1964 and 1966: The Back-to-Back Mid-Sixties Titles

Garrett led Avon Park to his second state title in 1964 (Class B), concluding a twelve-season head coaching tenure.[apcc-hall-of-fame][fhsaa-hof-garrett] Pitcher Ronnie Jackson emerged during this run, compiling an undefeated 19–0 career pitching record across his high school career.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

In 1966, under new head coach Ralph Hill (an alumnus of the 1948 championship team), the Red Devils captured their fourth state title (Class B).[apcc-hall-of-fame] Senior outfielder Spencer Oberle hit a pivotal home run in the championship final, and Jackson helped lead the pitching staff.[newssun-aphs-banquet-celebrated-100][apcc-hall-of-fame]

1972: Ralph Hill’s Second Championship

In his final season as head baseball coach, Ralph Hill led Avon Park to the 1972 Class 2A state championship—the school’s fifth state crown.[apcc-hall-of-fame] The 1972 squad was anchored by All-State standout Don Sisemore.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

1980, 1984, and 1987: The Ronnie Jackson Dynasty

Former pitcher Ronnie Jackson took over as head varsity coach in 1973 after assisting Hill in 1972.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Over a fifteen-year tenure as head coach (1973–1987), Jackson compiled a 326–105 record (.756), winning twelve conference titles, thirteen district titles, eight regional crowns, two state runner-up finishes, and three FHSAA Class 2A state championships (1980, 1984, and 1987).[apcc-hall-of-fame]

The 1987 championship capped a historic athletic year for Avon Park. Senior pitcher Anthony Gordon earned the victory on the mound in the state championship game.[apcc-hall-of-fame] That same summer, Jackson coached the Avon Park Dixie Majors team—composed primarily of Red Devil high school players, including Gordon, Clyde “Pork Chop” Pough, and Charles Jackson—to the 1987 Dixie Majors World Series Championship, the only World Series title in Avon Park baseball history.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Pough tied a World Series tournament record with three pitching victories, including a three-hit shutout in the championship game.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Several players on this roster, including Pough and Charles Jackson, also contributed to the high school’s 1987 and 1988 Class AA state football championships under coach Hoppy Rewis.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

State Runner-Up Finishes

Avon Park High School teams have finished as FHSAA state runners-up in at least seven seasons:[newssun-aphs-banquet-celebrated-100][apcc-hall-of-fame]

  • 1945, 1946, and 1947: Under coach Ed Carter, Avon Park reached four consecutive state championship finals from 1945 through 1948, claiming second place in the first three appearances before winning the 1948 title.[apcc-hall-of-fame]
  • 1958: Under coach Guy Garrett, the Red Devils finished as Class A state runners-up, led by senior All-Ridge Conference multi-sport star Wendell “Winkie” Williams.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Garrett’s teams reached six state finals total between 1952 and 1964 (winning two, finishing runner-up in four).[fhsaa-hof-garrett]
  • Two seasons under Ronnie Jackson: Between 1973 and 1987, Jackson guided two Red Devil teams to state runner-up finishes alongside his three state titles.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

The Coaching Dynasties

The program’s sustained competitive excellence was maintained through consecutive eras of long-tenured coaches who were often former Red Devil players:

Ed Carter (1940s)

Carter directed the post-World War II program. His teams from 1945 to 1948 went a combined 57–3, never losing a regular season game, and won the 1946 American Legion state title in Miami in addition to the 1948 FHSAA championship.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Reginald “Guy” Garrett (1952–1964)

Garrett coached twelve consecutive seasons, accumulating a 210–35 record (.857 winning percentage).[fhsaa-hof-garrett] His teams reached six state championship games, won two titles (1955, 1964), set the state record of 48 straight victories, and posted the school’s only 27–0 undefeated season.[fhsaa-hof-garrett] Garrett was inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Avon Park Champions Club Hall of Fame in 2012.[fhsaa-hof-garrett][apcc-hall-of-fame]

Ralph Hill (1965–1972)

A 1950 APHS graduate and 1948 championship player, Hill coached eight varsity seasons with a 103–40 record (.720), never losing more than seven games in a single season.[apcc-hall-of-fame] He won two state championships (1966, 1972) before retiring from coaching to continue as a mathematics instructor.[apcc-hall-of-fame] Inducted into the Champions Club Hall of Fame in 2014.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Ronnie Jackson (1973–1987)

A 1966 graduate and undefeated 19–0 pitcher on two state title teams, Jackson coached fifteen seasons (326–105), winning three state championships (1980, 1984, 1987).[apcc-hall-of-fame] He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Champions Club Hall of Fame in 2012.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Mort Jackson (1988–2010)

Jackson served as junior varsity coach (47–4) before succeeding his uncle Ronnie as varsity head coach in 1988, directing the program for twenty-two seasons with a 372–222 record (.626).[apcc-hall-of-fame] His teams captured twelve district championships and made seventeen playoff appearances; he was named FACA Class 2A Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1990.[apcc-hall-of-fame] He served as APHS Athletic Director from 2002 to 2021 and was inducted into the Champions Club Hall of Fame in 2024, succeeded by head coach Kyle Jackson.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Charles R. Head Field and the 1986 NFHS Rule Film

Avon Park High School plays its home games at Charles R. Head Field (400 N. Anoka Avenue), a historic ballpark that served as the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1927 to 1929.[city-head-field]

In the spring of 1986, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) selected Head Field and the Avon Park High School baseball team under Coach Ronnie Jackson to film “Baseball the Right Way.”[apcc-hall-of-fame] This official instructional film demonstrated rules, umpire mechanics, and proper sportsmanship and was distributed to high school baseball coaches and athletic associations across the United States.[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Professional Alumni

Eight Avon Park High School alumni have been drafted into or played professional baseball, documented in the Baseball-Reference School Index:[bbref-avon-park-hs]

Player Position High School Era / Draft Highest Level Professional Career Summary
Tom Gordon Pitcher 1986 (6th round, Royals) MLB (21 seasons) 138–126, 158 saves, 1,928 strikeouts, 3-time All-Star, 2008 World Series champion.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Dee Strange-Gordon Second Baseman / Outfielder 2008 (4th round, Dodgers) MLB (11 seasons) 1,024 games, 1,118 hits, 336 stolen bases, 2015 NL Batting Champion (.333), 2-time All-Star.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Clyde “Pork Chop” Pough First Baseman / Outfielder 1988 (3rd round, Indians) Minor League AAA / CPBL 16 professional seasons (1988–2003), 1,403 games, 192 home runs, 764 RBIs across affiliated, Mexican, and Taiwanese leagues.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Tony Gordon Left-handed Pitcher 1987 (26th round, Mariners) Minor League AA (7 seasons) 167 games, 274.1 IP, 10–16 record, 248 strikeouts with Mariners, White Sox, and Royals organizations.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Tom Smith Outfielder 1990 (7th round, Royals) Minor League A+ (8 seasons) 492 games, 465 hits, 48 home runs, 243 RBIs, .265 career batting average.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Matt Tindell Catcher / Pitcher 1999 (9th round, Mariners) Minor League A (5 seasons) 203 games, 113 hits, 48 RBIs; also pitched in 31 games with Mariners and Brewers affiliates.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Matt Mercurio Infielder 2001 (38th round, Red Sox) Minor League A+ (3 seasons) 238 games, 193 hits, 11 home runs, 88 RBIs with Red Sox organization.[bbref-avon-park-hs]
Emmitt Money Pitcher 1967 (24th round, Astros) Minor League A (2 seasons) 34 games, 100 IP, 74 strikeouts with Houston Astros affiliates.[bbref-avon-park-hs]

(Note: J.C. Walker pitched in the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league system following the 1948 season, though historical register statistics for his tenure are incomplete.)[apcc-hall-of-fame]

Segregation and Segregated Secondary Athletics

During the era of de jure segregation in Highlands County prior to the late 1960s, African American students in Avon Park were barred by Florida law from attending Avon Park High School and participating on Red Devil athletic teams.[aphs-school-of-champions]

Black secondary pupils from Avon Park were bused south to E. O. Douglas High School in Sebring. Major League standout Hal McRae and players for the semi-pro Avon Park Black Tigers (managed by Willie James McRae) developed their baseball talents outside the APHS system on neighborhood sandlots along Castle Street (now Hal McRae Boulevard) and in the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association (FIAA). Full integration of Highlands County public schools occurred in 1968–1969.

References

Where this comes from

Evidence
corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
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unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
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Sources

  1. Avon Park High School, The School of Champions — Avon Park High School, School District of Highlands County (2026)
  2. Avon Park Champions Club, Avon Park Champions Club Hall of Fame Archives (2012–2025) (2025)
  3. Florida High School Athletic Association, Reginald 'Guy' Garrett Profile — Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame (2011)
  4. Baseball-Reference, Avon Park HS (Avon Park, FL) Baseball Players — Baseball-Reference (2026)
  5. Highlands Sun, Avon Park Historical Society Banquet Celebrated 100 Years of Baseball — Highlands Sun (2025)
  6. City of Avon Park, Head Field Complex — City of Avon Park Parks & Recreation (2026)

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