The Marion-Crittenden County Football Hall of Fame will induct three new members Friday night during a halftime ceremony. The Rocket football team opens its season Friday, Aug. 29 hosting Caldwell County. The new inductees will be the late James "Burlap" McChesney, a star end in the mid 1940s who went on to play four years at Western Kentucky University; Bill Tabor a versatile back and lineman during the mid 1940s who went on to a collegiate baseball career at Murray State; and Ronnie Moss, one of the most prolific running backs in Crittenden County history whose career was cut short because of a knee injury as a senior in 1989.
Additionally, former Rocket coach Pat Gates, who was selected to the Hall of Fame last year, will be officially inducted at the halftime ceremony. Gates, who retired from coaching after last season, was unable to attend the 2002 induction because he was coaching Caldwell County's football team on the night of the ceremony.
The following are profiles of each of the Hall of Famer's careers.

JAMES "BURLAP" McCHESNEY
At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, "Burlap" McChesney was as big and as rough as they came in the mid 1940s while he played defensive end and receiver for the Marion Blue Terrors.
On defense, he was a henchman and on offense a fierce blocker and a sure-handed receiver.
Jimmy Feix, a native of Henderson and one of Western Kentucky University's most renown quarterbacks and coaches, fondly recalls McChesney, who died two years ago. Feix, who played against McChesney in high school and with him at Western, says he was a rugged player.
"He was a big, tall guy and great target for me as a passer. He was a tough, physical type player. You didn't mess around with old Jim, he knew all the tricks."
Feix described a game in high school when he was playing defensive back for Barrett Manual Training School (Henderson High) and going up against McChesney and the Blue Terrors.
"I remember him coming down to block me. He would hunt you down and lay on a pretty good lick on every play," Feix said.
McChesney carved out a niche as a defensive player in high school.
"That was his forte," said Bob Swisher, a Hall of Fame member and former teammate at Marion High School.
McChesney was a starting end on the 1946 team known as the Phenomenal 13 because of its thin roster that resulted in a baker's dozen playing most of the minutes. That team lost one game all season long.
"I remember when we went down to play Murray High. It was their homecoming and it was the largest crowd to watch a game to that date at Murray," Swisher recalled. "We won 15-13 when Burlap blocked a punt that resulted in a safety to win it."
McChesney was also an excellent center on the Marion basketball team during his high school days. He graduated in 1947.
At Western, he played four years, lettering in 1950 and 1951. A starter on defense, he also rotated into the regular rotation at receiver.
After college, McChesney, an ROTC graduate, went into the Army as a second lieutenant and served in the Korean War. After that, he taught school and eventually earned his doctorate degree. He started the degree program in recreation at Eastern Kentucky University and retired as chairman of the department in the early 1990s.

CHARLES "BILL" TABOR
A five-year letterman for the Marion High School football team, Tabor was Mr. Versatility from 1943-47.
He started out as a center on the line then moved to halfback and linebacker later in his career.
One of the milestones of his career came during his junior season when Tabor intercepted a pass against Morganfield and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown. His speed and agility on that play caught the attention of the Marion coach, who then moved him to running back where he finished the season and earned All-State Honorable Mention honors the following year.
A captain of the 1946 and 1947 teams, Tabor was a central figure to the Blue Terror's 8-1 season in '46. That was the team known as the Phenomenal 13. He said the team was loaded with boys who had fought in World War II then came back home to finish their last year of high school. Many of them had eligibility left and played on the football team until they turned 20 years old.
"We had six kids who where veterans and most them played until about mid October before they were too old to play, according to high school rules," recalled Tabor, now 74.
A standout basketball player and tremendous baseball player, Tabor was a three-sport star in the mid 1940s.
"The word on Tabor was 'versatility,'" said former teammate Bob Swisher. "Bill would be one of the three most versatile athletes in Marion High history along with Clinton Easley and Roy Conyer (another Hall of Famer)," Swisher continued. "You could use the world 'versatility' over and over again describing him."
He played collegiate baseball at Murray State and semi pro ball in the old KITTY League before moving to Minnesota where he was a popular and very successful baseball coach at Robbinsdale Senior High School in Minneapolis. He spent most of his 30-year coaching career at the Minneapolis school.

RONNIE MOSS
In many observers' minds, Crittenden County has never had a better running back than Ronnie Moss.
As a junior, Moss rushed for 1,505 yards and was the third leading rusher in the state for that 1988 season. In 1989, he was the top returning back in Kentucky, but tragically saw his career come to a staggering halt during a pre-season scrimmage game against Lone Oak when he tore a ligament in his knee.
"I knew I was done as soon as it happened," Moss said, recalling the injury that wiped out his senior season and still torments him to this day. "My knee swelled up like a basketball and I knew then it was over."
Despite missing what arguably would have been his most productive season, Moss still ranks No. 2 on the all-time Rocket rushing list with 3,480 yards. Only David Beverly has more, 3,911.
One of the most memorable games of Moss' career was homecoming against Reidland in 1988 as a junior. During the first half, Moss carried the ball five times, scored four touchdowns and rushed for over 200 yards. The Greyhounds tackled him only once in the first half and he finished the game with 249 yards on eight carries. That year, Moss was an All-State Second Team selection and had three games where he rushed for more than 200 yards.
Pound-for-pound, Moss was probably one of the toughest defenders, too. At 5-6, 155 pounds, he was solid as a barbell and used his quickness and strength to become one the most feared defensive backs in western Kentucky.
Among personal highlights, Moss ranks his team's 20-7 victory over Caldwell County in 1988 and a nail-biting 27-26 win at Hancock County the same season. The victory over Caldwell was Crittenden's third in 15 years at the time and Moss had a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown to ice the win.