DCHS to Retire Jerseys of Two Former Basketball Stars

Two former DCHS basketball legends will soon be honored.
During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education granted a request from the DCHS basketball program to retire the jersey of Jerry Foster. Board member Jerry Wayne Johnson asked that the jersey of the late Rosa Stokes also be retired. The board requested that the ceremonies be held on different nights of basketball at DCHS.
Foster was a basketball star for DeKalb County during the 1970’s and went on to shine as a college and professional athlete. He graduated from DCHS in 1976. After his playing days, Foster became a teacher and high school coach. Foster was head coach of the DCHS Lady Tiger basketball program from the 1993-94 season to 1999-2000. He is now a teacher at Northside Elementary School.
Coach Foster was recently diagnosed with cancer and is being treated. DCHS hosted a fundraiser for him and another is scheduled next month. DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb West School will have benefit basketball games for Coach Foster on Saturday, January 6 at DeKalb Middle School. It’s called “Battle on the Hill”. The junior varsity game will start at 3 p.m. followed by the varsity game. Proceeds will go to Coach Foster. Everyone is urged to come out and support this event.
At the time of her death in August 2003, Stokes was head women’s basketball coach at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia.
Stokes was a star athlete for the DCHS Lady Tigers (Tigerettes as they were known then) during early 1980’s. She graduated from DCHS in 1983 and then played collegiate basketball at Cumberland University in Lebanon (1984-89) scoring more than 1,000 points. Stokes was a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville during the 1989-90 season and Murray State University in 1988-89. From 1990-92, she was the assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University. Stokes came to Georgia Southwestern State University as coach after a five-year run with Long Beach State University in which the last two were as the associate head coach. Previously, she served two years with the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga as assistant coach.
In other business, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps gave his monthly report on personnel.
Employment:
Justin Coats, Mechanic
McKenzie Dunaway, Education Assistant at DeKalb West School
Leave of Absence:
Kim Violet, Custodian at Northside Elementary School
Resignation:
William Jennings, retirement, DCHS teacher.