The final six members of the Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame?s Class of 2018 are being announced today, completing the the 18-member group.

This group includes four athletes selected from 1990s and two highly-successful coaches ? Kelly Kish (?94), Brian McFarland (?95), Ryan Lucas (?96), Fred Ray (?99), Coach Earl Loucks (football) and Coach Dave McKim (gymnastics).

This year?s Hall of Famers will be honored on Friday, Sept. 7 with an afternoon luncheon at the high school for the inductees and their families and those attending (or their representatives) will be introduced to the crowd that night at the Purple Riders? home opener against Union Local.

Previously-announced inductees include John Bennett (’37), Charlie Becca (’43), Ralph Short (’46), Dick Thomas (’49), Bob Joseph (’50), Raymond ‘Bill’ Dorsey (?52), Joe Reasbeck (’63), Mike Frazier (’75), Dale Schaal (’75), John Miller (’76), Diana Swearingen (’80) and Mike Kuri (’85).

Next week, the announcement of the four selections to the ‘Wall of Honor’ will be revealed.

Here’s a look at this week’s selections:

Kelly Kish (1994)

A three-time All-Ohioan in high school and a four-time NCAA Division II All-American in college, she could simply run like the wind.

Her four-year track career started rather quietly as she placed third in the D-II District in the 400-meters (1:03.6) and qualified for the D-II Regional as a freshman, but she elevated to all-Ohio status as a sophomore by placing sixth at the OHSAA Division II State Track Championships in the 800-meters in a school-record time of 2:18.56. She had earlier placed first in the OVAC (2:28), Belmont County (2:30), D-II District (2:20) and regional (2:19). She was also the OVAC champion in the 400 (1:03.17) and as a member of the Riders? 4×800-meter relay team (10:18).

During her junior year, Kish was first in the D-II District in the 1600-meters (5:21) and fourth in the regional (5:23), but was unable to compete in the state meet due to a stress fracture. She was also first in the OVAC in the 1600 (5:14.8) and 3200 (11:35.7) — both school records — and was named the East District Female Athlete of the Year.

Her final year on the track again saw her claim all-Ohio honors, this time finishing fifth in D-II in the 3200-meter run (11:27.10 after winning the district title (11:45) and placing fourth in the regional. In the OVAC, she was first in the 3200 (11:41), second in the 1600 (5:29) and second in the 800 (2:32) while in the Belmont County Meet, she took first in the 3200 (11:39) and second in the 1600 (5:27).

In cross country, Kish lettered three years.

As a sophomore, she was ninth in the OVAC (21:22), second in Belmont County (20:22), 12th in the district (21:05) and 26th in the regional (21:24). She gained all-Eastern District and all-OVCCL honors.

As a junior, she placed second in the OVAC (20:24), second in Belmont County (19:09), second in the district (20:42), sixth in the regional (19:46) and ninth in the state (19:05) to gain all-Ohio status. She was named the East District Co-Athlete of the Year.

As a senior, she was fourth in the OVAC (21:08), first in Belmont County (19:31); third in the district (21:17) and a regional qualifier.

She also went on two outstanding years at Ashland University before being sidelined due to injury.

Kish was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American in track as a freshman — finishing fourth in the 10K (36:22.59) and seventh in the 5K (17:32.92). She is the women’s outdoor 5,000-meter record-holder (17:10.65) and has several freshman records ? outdoor 3,000-meters (9:58.64), 5,000-meters (17:10.64), 10,000-meters (35:47.06); and indoor 5,00-meters (17:33.06).

She was also a two-time NCAA Division II All-American in cross country, finishing 21st in the as a freshman (18:45) and 27th as a sophomore. She earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors in 1994 and was the GLIAC Women’s Runner of the Year in 1995.

After graduating and recovering from her injury, Kish competed in the 2001 Raleigh (North Carolina) Marathon (3:51); was a three-time winner of the Tour De Ashland Half Marathon; ran the Ogden Newspapers 20K in Wheeling in 2002 and 2008; ran the Columbus Half Marathon in 2011, finishing second in her age group (1:29); along with numerous 5K and 10K races. She began crossfit training in 2014, competing in the 2017 Crossfit Open. She has a personal best dead lift of 345 pounds

Brian McFarland

(Class of 1995)

This multi-year, two-sport letterman was known for his hard hitting, both in football and baseball.

On the gridiron, this talented running back/linebacker capped his senior season by being selected to The Associated Press all-Ohio Division IV first team defense after collecting 108 tackles. A co-captain of the Riders’ 8-2 record squad which outscored its opponents 344-119, he also gained first team all-Eastern District, all-OVAC Class 3A and all-Valley ?big school? accolades.

He received all-OVAC honorable mention honors as a sophomore and was a second team pick as a junior; all-Valley second team as a junior and all-Eastern District honorable mention as a junior.

On the diamond as a pitcher/third baseman, McFarland helped the Riders to a 16-7 record and an OVAC Class 3A runner-up finish as a senior. He received all-Ohio Division III honorable mention along with first team all-Eastern District Division III, all-OVAC Class 3A, all-Valley ‘Big School’ and all-Eastern Ohio Baseball League honors.

As a sophomore, he was first team all-Eastern District and special mention all-Valley and as a junior he gained first team all-Eastern District and all-EOBL and special mention all-OVAC.

McFarland attended Waynesburg College for two years, playing two seasons of baseball and one season of football. He was a first team all-Presidents Athletic Conference selection with a two-year pitching record of 12-4, earning conference Pitcher of the Year honors in 1998. He was also an Academic All-American selection.

He transferred to Youngstown State University and played two more years of collegiate baseball, serving as a team captain as a senior and posting a two-year pitching mark of 11-10.

McFarland also played four years with the Maynard American Legion Post 666 team and he also played for the Columbus All-Americans in the Wooden Bat League in 1999.

Ryan Lucas

(Class of 1996)

Another versatile, three-sport Purple Rider standout (baseball/football/basketball), he becomes the third member of his family selected for the ‘hall.’

In baseball, Lucas finished with a career batting average of .355 with 15 home runs, more than 80 RBI and 15 pitching victories as a four-year letterman. As a senior captain, he posted a 7-1 mark on the mound with a sparkling 0.61 earned-run average and was selected first team all-OVAC as a pitcher-shortstop. A three-time all-Eastern Ohio Baseball League selection, he played in both the OVAC and EOBL all-star games.

In football, he was a three-year letterman who played multiple positions during his career (wide receiver/quarterback/safety/kicker/punter/and kick-off/punt returner). As a senior captain, he collected more than 600 yards receiving with an average of 25 yards per catch and two TD receptions. He also made four field goals including a game-winner against Cambridge in the season opener.

His gridiron all-star accolades includes honorable mention all-Ohio Division IV and first team all-Eastern District, all-OVAC and all-Valley and he was named the team?s 182 Percent Award winner.

In basketball, Lucas was a three-year letterman, averaging 12 points per game for his career, and was the team captain as a senior when the Riders reached the OHSAA Division III Regional semifinals. He had the school record for single-game, season and career three-pointers from the time he graduated until the marks were broken in 2008.

Lucas was named the Ohio District 12 Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior and he also received the Tony Suriano Award at MFHS that year for the best student, athlete, commitment and effort as voted on by the coaches.

He earned a scholarship to play Division I baseball at Drexel University in Philadelphia where he was a four-year letterman/starter (two years at shortstop; two years at third base) and the team captain as a senior. He had a career batting average of .280 with 150-plus hits, 16 home runs and 112 RBI.

He returned to his alma mater as an assistant baseball coach under Jason Marling (2003-05) and his brother, Josh Lucas (2006-10).

Fred Ray

(Class of 1999)

A four-year performer in three sports (football/basketball/track), he was a co-captain and the quarterback of the Purple Riders? first OHSAA football playoff team in 1998. That team posted a perfect 10-0 regular season and earned the No. 2 ranking in the final AP Division IV state poll before falling 69-44 to Youngstown Ursuline in the playoffs.

The 6-2, 185-pound Ray was named first team all-Ohio Division IV along with first team all-Eastern District, all-OVAC and All-Valley ?Big School?.

He was also the starting QB as a junior, leading the ?97 squad to an 8-2 record.

He earned all-Ohio honors in track as a member of the Riders? 4×100-meter relay team that placed sixth in the OHSAA State Track Championships in 43.87 seconds during his junior campaign (also on that team were Rich ?JR? Thomas, Tony Collette and Chad Brinker). He was the OVAC long jump champion (21-5) as a senior and a member of the conference record-setting 4×100-meter relay team (43.2) along with Thomas, Collette and Jay Wallace that spring as well.

In basketball, Ray averaged 10 points and nine rebounds per game and was named all-Eastern District, all-District 12 and second team all-OVAC Class 3A as a senior.

He was named the Ohio Valley ?Athlete of the Year? by The Intelligencer as a senior and was named all-Valley in all three sports.

Ray went on to a fine four-year career as an option quarterback at Ohio University. His career statistics included 129-of-249 passing for 1,607 yards with 10 TDs and six interceptions along with 231 rushes for 949 yards and 18 TDs.

Ray then played for the Ohio Valley Greyhounds of the Indoor Football League and then started to play for the Huntington Hammers of the Ultimate Indoor Football League, but switched over to becoming the team?s offensive coordinator instead. He was an assistant coach at Martins Ferry in 2007, at Fairview High in Kentucky from 2009-2012 and at River Valley High in Bidwell (O.) in 2013 before returning to Fairview as head coach in 2014.

Earl Loucks

(Football Coach)

One of two coaches in Purple Rider football history who had two separate stints in charge, he’s second on the all-time victory list behind Dave Bruney with a stellar overall eight-year record of 65-13-3 including two undefeated seasons.

His first go-round lasted three years from 1921-23, with the Riders putting together a run of 9-1, 8-1-2 and 7-3 seasons and outscoring their opponents by a whopping 602-172 margin.

Loucks returned to MFHS in 1933 and kept the ball rolling with a 9-1 mark that year followed by 10-0 in 1934, 6-3-1 in 1935 and 10-0 in 1936 before going 6-4 in his final year in 1937. The ?34 unbeaten team gave up just nine points all season and the ?36 squad yielded only 27.

Dave McKim

(Gymnastics Coach)

A 1952 graduate of Ferry High who was a three-sport athlete (track, football and basketball), he returned to his alma mater as a teacher/coach and established one of Ohio?s premier gymnastics programs over a decade before the sport eventually faded away state-wide.

He joined the MFHS staff in 1970 as a physical education/driver’s education teacher, and in the first year of gymnastics (1971) he led the Riders to the regional championship and a berth in the state meet. What followed under McKim?s intense leadership was an 8-0-1 dual record, first place in the regional and fifth place in the state in 1972; 8-0 in duals, first in the regional and fourth in the state in 1973; first in the regional, fifth in the state and the Ohio Valley champions in 1974; first in the regional and a state qualifier in 1975; third in the regional and Ohio Valley champions in 1976; third in the regional, fifth in the state and the OVAC champions (the only year the conference had a gymnastics meet) in 1977; and third in the regional and eighth in the state in 1978, the final year of the program.

McKim also served as the head track coach in 1971 and was an assistant for several years.