AHSAA Mourns Deaths of Veteran Coaches
Morris Higginbotham and Charles Sikes, two of Alabama’s highly-respected high school football coaches, passed away recently.
Higginbotham, 86, who grew up in Birmingham where he attended Phillips High School and later the University of Alabama, died after a long bout with Parkinson’s Disease on Monday, June 13. His coaching career began in 1952 and included stops at Walnut Grove, West Blocton, B.B. Comer, Enterprise, Hueytown, Scottsboro and Hewitt-Trussville over the next 27 years. He also served as head coach at Livingston University.
He retired with a 190-73-8 career record and won five state championships--three at West Blocton, one at Walnut Grove and one at Enterprise. Named coach of the year twice, he had 24 players who went on to play in college. He also had two high school football fields (West Blocton and Hueytown) named in his honor and was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Sikes, 74, passed away on June 11 at his family farm near Montgomery. He taught and coached at Hinesville, GA., Valley High School, Carver and Sidney Lanier high schools in Montgomery and South Montgomery Academy over a 33-year span. He was also an avid outdoorsman and served as a hunting guide upon his retirement.
Both men touched the lives of many during their teaching/coaching careers.