2023 Hall of Fame
Sierra (Carver) Backus - Basketball
Sierra is a 2010 graduate of CCHS where she was an excellent athlete excelling in multiple sports. Sierra is being recognized for her time on the Lady Panthers basketball team where she scored 1,347 career points despite being injured for a majority of her junior year. As a freshman she was selected to the 2006-2007 Class AA 3rd Team All-State team, while helping her team advance to the Final Four in the West Virginia Class AA state tournament. She was also named 1st team All-LKC in 2007-2008 & 2009-2010 and 1st team Class AA All State team her senior year during the 2009-2010 season.
Sierra was also a great volleyball player recording over 1,000 kills in her career and earning 1st team All-LKC honors in 2008 and 2009 and 2nd Team ALL-State honors in 2009. As a member of the Lady Panthers softball team she also earned 1st team All-LKC honors in 2008.
Sierra received multiple offers to compete in college, but ultimately decided to focus on her education. She graduated from West Virginia Tech in 2014 with her RN BSN degree. She began her nursing career at CAMC Women’s & Children’s hospital where she was named ER Nurse of Excellence in 2018 and was promoted to charge nurse for 5 years before taking another job.
Sierra enjoys fishing and joined the WV Kayak Anglers series in 2022 where she was named Rookie of the Year and Female Angler of the Year.
Sierra lives in Lizemores with her husband, Philip, and daughters, Raylee and Kallie.
Meghan (Cole) Grant - Basketball
Meghan is a 2007 graduate of Clay County High School. She was a four-year letterman and amassed 1,597 career points during her tenure. During her time on the floor the Lady Panthers recorded a 72-28 record including back to back trips to the West Virginia state tournament in 2006, advancing to the Elite Eight, and 2007 advancing to the Final Four. Meghan was selected to the All-LKC team all four years and was named 2003-2004 Class AA All State Honorable Mention, 2004-2005 Class AA 3rd Team All State, and 2005-2006 Class AA 2nd Team All State.
She was the 2005 LKC Night of Champions foul shooting champion, 2006 LKC Night of Champions Scholar Athlete, and was selected to the WVSSAC Class AA All-Tournament team her senior year.
Meghan went on to further her career at Concord University where she is currently ranked 3rd in overall career 3-point field goal percentage at 37.9 percent and 13th in career 3-point field goals made with 96 during her 63 games for the Lady Mountain Lions and shot an overall 41.4 percent from the field. She graduated with an Elementary Education degree from Concord University in 2011 and earned a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist from Marshall University. She is currently working as a physical education teacher at Lakeside Elementary.
Alysia Hively is a 2008 graduate of CCHS where she excelled on the softball field. In 2005 and 2006 she was selected to the 1st team ALL-LKC team, as well as 1st team Class AA All State team. During her junior year, in 2007, she tore her ACL and was unable to compete. Her senior season, although she only played half a season, she help lead her team as Sectional Champions. She was selected as 1st team All-LKC and received Class AA All State honorable mention honors.
Her efforts were noticed at the collegiate level and she was awarded a scholarship to play at Marshall University where she was named a 5-time NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete award, as well as being named a 5-time Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. In 2013, she helped lead her team to win the Conference USA Championship and was named March 2013 Conference USA Hitter of the Week. She was also selected as the 2013 CapitalOne Academic All-District team.
Alysia graduated from Marshall University and in 2019 completed her doctorate to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She currently lives in Charleston and works as a physical therapist with the birth to three program and covers the Clay area
John E. Coulter - Contributor
John is a 1957 graduate of CCHS where he was a 2 year starter at quarterback and was starting guard on what has been called arguably the greatest basketball team ever assembled at Clay County High School. They finished the season 19-1 and followed that up with an 18-2 record before losing in the sectional championship.
After high school John attended Central Piedmont College – Charlotte. He worked 37 years in the airline industry and spent a majority of this time working in the computer department. He finished his career working as a computer contractor for Wachovia Bank and Blue Cross, Blue Shield.
John was a founding member of the Clay County High School Athletic Hall of Fame where his computer skills have proven a great asset to the organization. John worked tirelessly to gather statistics, photos, and information since the hall of fames inception seven years ago.
John has 4 children, 3 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren and enjoys spending time biking the Elk River Trail.
Christy Fitzwater - Basketball
Christy is a 1991 graduate of Clay County High School where she excelled on the basketball court amassing over 1,000 points and helping lead her team to 2 trips to the WV Class AA State Tournament. She was also named to the WV Class AA All State Team her senior season, 1990-1991.
Christ went on to play basketball at Glenville State University where she amassed 1,103 points, 574 assists, and 219 steals in her career.
Christy currently working as a physical education teacher at CCHS and is currently giving back to CCHS serving as the head coach of the Lady Panthers basketball team.
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