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MPISD Hall Of Fame

MPISD Athletic Hall of Fame Spring 2022

MPISD announces the 2022 Spring Athletic Hall of Fame honorees: Cathi Brown, James Buchanan, Joey Chism, Laniedra Moore, and Ashley Self.

Each inductee will be recognized Tuesday (Feb 15) before the Varsity home basketball game against Hallsville, starting at approximately 7:00 pm. We will have a private, pre-game ceremony for the inductees, their families, and close friends. Each inductee will wear a commemorative gold jacket during the pre-game ceremony to recognize their selections, and we will display the portraits of each inductee in the hallway of the Willie Williams Gymnasium. 

Cathi Brown

Cathi Brown graduated from East Texas State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Physical Education. She was a teacher for MPISD from 1981 until her retirement in 2013. She served as the Mount Pleasant High School Lady Tiger softball coach from its inception in 1992 until 1994, then as a Coach and Athletic Coordinator at Mount Pleasant Junior High from 1995-2000. Brown was instrumental in creating the first Lady Tiger softball team and took them to the first UIL State Softball tournament.

“My greatest memory is being able to be a part of establishing the girls’ softball program and seeing them achieve the highest level of success in such a short period,” said Brown. “The 92-93 season comprised an exceptional group of athletes. Their journey to success and going to State is a long-lasting memory for the girls and has been a special memory for me. Going to State is something that few scholastic athletes get to experience, and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”

Three of her athletes from that state team earned softball scholarships from Northeast Texas Community College. When asked what encouraging words she had for student-athletes, she said, “As a coach, I would say to student-athletes to prioritize academics over athletics. Work as hard on the field but even harder in the classroom. Remember your character is much more important than your talent, and always maintain a coachable posture.”

Brown has been married to her husband, Ricky, for 54 years, and they reside in Cookville. They have two children, Shawn Brown and Sheri Brown Dimaggio, and five grandchildren, including Avonlea, Emily, Michaelann, Cross, and Ellison.

James Buchanan

James Buchanan graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1969 before earning an Associate’s Degree in Business from Tyler Junior College. He played basketball for the Tigers, making a place on the All-District and All-East Texas teams his senior year. However, his fondest memory is winning the MP tournament in 1969 in double overtime.

When asked what the Hall of Fame honor meant to him, he said, “I am honored to be included with the great athletes and coaches of the MPHS Hall of Fame. I would tell the student-athletes: If you love a sport and work hard, and do not give up, you will be successful regardless of the scoreboard, and to apply that as you begin your journey into adulthood. I learned that when you work hard, I saw the fruits of my labor in high school and later in my adult life when I created a business.”

Buchanan owned Northeast Texas Machine and Tool for 44 years until his retirement in 2016. His wife of 50 years, he and Patti, live in Mount Pleasant. Together they have three children, Ashley, Brad, and Stacie, and nine grandchildren, including Dakota, Braden, Livi, Denver, Bentley, Brooklyn, Sophi, Mckinley, and Britton.

He closed by saying, “I am honored to be inducted in the Hall of Fame in the gym named after a great coach and man, Willie Williams.”

Joey Chism

Joey Chism graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1997 and has coached basketball at his alma mater since 2005. 

As a Tiger basketball player, he earned multiple accolades, including All-District, All-Region, and District MVP. After graduation, he attended and played basketball for Jacksonville College, Western Illinois University, and St. Edward’s University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology.

His most significant memory is reaching the Regional tournament in back-to-back years. When asked what impact athletics has had on his life, Chism said, “Athletics has molded me into the person I am today by showing me how to persevere when things get tough. It has shown me the importance of teamwork and hard work to reach my goals in life.”

Chism continued, “The Hall of Fame is a huge honor that I never expected to receive. I am truly humbled by the honor. I hope student-athletes will see what hard work can achieve. I want them to know there is no excuse for anyone to work harder than them. Failure will come, but your reaction to failure will determine your future. ‘It is not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up’ – Vince Lombardi.”

Chism is the current Head Basketball coach at Mount Pleasant High School. His wife of 18 years, he and Lori reside in Mount Pleasant with their three children, Payton, Carter, and Malori.

Laniedra Moore

Laniedra Moore graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1999, where she was a member of the Lady Tiger softball, powerlifting, and track teams. In addition, she was a Tiger Doll and an MPHS Tiger Cheerleader. In track, Moore advanced to State in the 110m hurdles three times, placing 4th at State her senior year and qualifying for nationals. She was the district champion all four years of high school and the regional champion as a freshman. Laniedra was also the district champion in powerlifting, qualifying her for the state meet. She played centerfield and shortstop for the Lady Tigers in softball, leading the team in home runs and stolen bases. After graduation, she attended North Central Texas College on a full softball scholarship. She led the team in triples and stolen bases, and they listed her on the All-Star team.

When asked what this honor meant to her, Moore said, “It’s an honor to be recognized and a great accomplishment. I’d like to thank my mother for supporting me and showing up to almost, if not every, game, meet, or dance. She’s really my biggest fan even now.”

Moore worked at a Target Warehouse and graduated in December with an Associate’s degree. She is currently in the nursing program at Texarkana College. She has been married to Olan Wilis for five years, and they reside in Tyler.

Ashley Self graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1997, where she played volleyball, basketball, softball and ran track for the Lady Tigers. Her list of athletic awards is lengthy. She earned All-District team status in volleyball, basketball, and softball.

She earned MVP honors in basketball, softball, and track and was an All-State 1st baseman her senior year. In addition, she qualified for regionals in the high jump four times and earned a 7th place state ranking in the high jump in 1996.

After graduation, Self attended and played softball at Northeast Texas Community College. She then transferred to St. Edward’s University, where she played softball and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Criminal Justice. She continued to earn accolades, including NTCC Softball MVP, Academic All American, All-Conference, and the Dean’s List.

When asked about her favorite MPHS athletic memory, Self said, “My senior year, when we finally made it to the playoffs in basketball, was a great experience. Even though we lost our area game to Midlothian, it was still an accomplishment because many of us had worked so hard for four years to get to that point.”

About the Mount Pleasant Athletic Hall of Fame, Self said, “It is truly an honor to receive this. I loved being a Mount Pleasant Tiger. It meant something to me every single time I put on a uniform and stepped onto a court, field or track. I was proud to represent my school, my coaches, my teammates, and my family. To the student-athletes, be proud of your school and your team, represent them with class. You can be an outstanding player, but if you do not have the right attitude, you will not go far, and better yet, you will not be the person that successful organizations will pick. Be a great teammate and competitor, love the game you are playing and enjoy the team you are playing with.”

In closing, Self added, “I owe a big thank you to Coach Alston. Without her pushing me, I feel like I would have never been successful at anything in my life. I thought about her a lot when I was playing college softball. The stress of being a student-athlete can be overwhelming when you are in college, but I always believed that she was the reason that I had the mindset and tenacity to accomplish anything I put my mind to. My parents have always had a big impact on my success. I thank them every single day for never allowing me to quit at anything in my life. And their support, I can’t say enough about that. They didn’t miss a game. They were always there rooting me on in the freezing rain, the 100-degree weather, all across the State and US, they were my biggest fans, and I love them so much for that. To be able to look into the stands, off the field, and see them cheering me on at everything I did was priceless and one of the reasons I excelled as an athlete.”

Ashley lives in Fredericksburg with her husband, Chris Spain, and two-year-old son Lucas. She works as a Data Center Specialist at Dell Technologies.