The Lebanon Sports Hall of Fame will induct two new members next week. Derrick Lowe and Brock West are being recognized for their athletic accomplishments during their high school careers.
At 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, a reception will be held at the Nellie Meents Memorial Library at Lebanon High School.
Below are the inductees and a recap of their accolades:
Derrick Lowe, Basketball, 1979-1981
Lowe is a 1981 Lebanon High School graduate and was a standout basketball player for the Yellowjackets before playing one year at Drury University.
“I was very honored,” Lowe said of the induction into the Hall of Fame.
When asked about who impacted his athletic career, Lowe mentioned many people.
“My parents Carl and Dianna Lowe, my brother Brent Lowe, and Uncle John Appleby,” he said. “There was also a group of guys known as the Mudcity Manglers. Rick Caffey, Jim Pearcy, Jim Garrison, Doug Wade, Mark Bumgarner, Ron Hicks, Bill Brandt, Jeff Marshall, and the late James Myers, just to name a few.”
He said his favorite memory from his time as a Yellowjacket was winning the district championship in St. James his sophomore season, advancing the team to the state playoffs.
When he graduated college, Lowe worked in the boat business with his family until 1990, when they purchased Lowe Chevrolet, where he currently works alongside his son, Cooper.
Brock West, Football, 2009-2013
West is a 2013 graduate of Lebanon High School, where he earned All-State honors twice (2011, 2012) in Class 5 as a running back and was named the Ozark Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 (2,080 rushing yards, 31 touchdowns).
Before committing to Evangel University, he finished his high school career with 3,776 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns. He was a four-year letterman and was a three-year team captain in college. He is the seventh leading rusher in Valor history (2,011 rushing yards) and the third leading kick returner (1,012 return yards).
West also received the NAIA Dr. Leroy Walker Champions of Character Award in 2016, a two-time NAIA Academic All-American, and earned Heart of America Athletic Conference honors in 2014 and 2016.
“It was an honor to receive the call,” West said. “As a kid, all I wanted to do was play football on the same field that I saw guys like Justin Britt, Ryan Howerton, and Phillip Archer play on. When I finally got the chance, it was everything I hoped it would be.
“I’m very fortunate to receive this recognition for something that I had such a great time doing.”
West took the time to thank a handful of people for their impact on his athletic career.
“My parents were both huge sports fans and even bigger Brock West fans, and they encouraged and inspired me to work hard in athletics and to have fun doing it,” he said. “Coach (Will) Christian was the best coach I ever played for, and he was and is an even better man than a coach. Tim Cole made a huge impact on my ability to perform on the field in high school and college, and he became one of my best friends in the process. Finally, coach (Brenton) Illum at Evangel continued my streak of playing for intelligent and high-character coaches.
“I was really lucky to have been coached and supported by these folks and many others.”
He also said his favorite memory from his time as a Yellowjacket was being a part of two Ozark Conference championship teams and being part of several big wins over Camdenton.
After graduating from Evangel University, West attended law school at Mizzou. He graduated in 2020 and now serves as a commercial litigation attorney at Husch Blackwell.
