James “Sonny” Fawns
James “Sonny” Fawns had played high school for the Mt Sterling Trojans. Not much information can be found on his high school career, but he played tackle for the East squad in the East-West All Star football game in 1960. That says volumes, as most linemen do not get press coverage. He had been selected on the all Central Kentucky Conference team, representing the Mt. Sterling Trojans along with teammate quarterback David Brooks. Their coach at Mt. Sterling, Phil Owen, was named as the conference coach of the year.
He was a multi-sport star at Mt. Sterling, graduating in 1961. Fawns, according to a report in the Lexington Herald in August, was also a track and field guy, throwing shot put. It stated he was 6’5 and weighed 250 lbs. and was practicing through the summer, throwing the steel shot consistently at 50 ft. The state record at the time was 52 feet, 6 ½ inches. It isn’t known how he fared that track season.
Fawns signed a grant-in-aid to play football at UK and was among 48 freshmen that fall of 1961 to report. I could not find any more on his career at the University of Kentucky. This is not surprising, given the mass exodus of players there in 1962 when Charlie Bradshaw took over as head coach and the term “Thin Thirty” was given to that 1962 team.
I did find the following: Fawns played in five games for the professional Richmond Rebels club in 1966. James Thomas Larue “Sonny” Fawns was 6′ 6” and weighed 275 lbs. when he played pro football for the Richmond Rebels in the Western Division of the Continental Football League, which operated from 1965 through 1969. There were 22 teams in the COFL. Happy Chandler was the league’s first commissioner. He resigned in January 1966. Richmond folded in 1967.
That bit of info on Sonny’s time as a pro tells me he may have gone on to play college somewhere for three seasons after his one year at UK.
Sonny Fawns made the Mt Sterling Trojans proud as a player. He likewise made the rival Montgomery County Indians proud by sending them some great athletes: his sons.
Fawns’ son Randy was a tackle on the same football team as Mark Ledford for coach Pat Dale. Randy graduated in 1979 and in 2014 he was the athletic director at State champion Collins High School in Shelbyville. Philip and Marion also played for the Indians.
Sonny’s youngest son was a star on the hardwood for Montgomery County. In 1995 the Indians won the Regional Tournament with a double OT victory. Billy Ray Fawns had 47 points in that game. Billy Ray was a 6’7” All-State Second Team selection that season and was the talk of the state. He led his team to a first round OT win over Paintsville, hitting a three pointer with 11 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. He ended that game with 29 points. He averaged 26 points and 13 rebounds on the season. The team fell to State runner up PRP in the quarterfinals. Billy Ray made the All Sweet 16 Team.
