Pictured left to right is Perry Holland, Ansley Long, Nancy Dixon and Emily Williams.
Central High School hosted the 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony honoring inductees Perry Holland, Ansley Long, Nancy Dixon and Emily Williams.
Coach Perry Holland’s relationship with Central High began in 1971 when he became the Head Football Coach of Whitesburg’s 8th-grade football team. Over a 9-year period Whitesburg amassed a 54 and 6 record. Many of the players from Whitesburg helped build the foundation for Central Championship years and played at the collegiate level.
Coach Holland started his High School Coaching career at Mt. Zion High School where he served as head track and field coach for both Girls and Boys, actually starting the girls’ team, he coached JV basketball for boys and girls, and was an assistant football coach. His track team became Region Runner up Boys 79-80, with 6 state qualifiers.
Coach Holland’s move to Central in 1980 was inspired by Central icon Billy Maxwell, who asked him to apply for the track position promising that a track would be constructed that summer. He supervised the construction, as the first official track was built at Central High School. His coaching duties at Central included—8th-grade girls’ basketball, 8th-grade boys’ basketball, Varsity girls’ basketball, Varsity Boys Basketball, Varsity Football secondary coach, and scout for future opponents for five years. Including the two state championship years. Coach was also the head coach of Track and Field both girls and boys.
Coach Holland started the girls track program at CHS. During that time the girls were region champions in 82 and 83 and placed 4th in state in 83. The boys’ team were region champions in 1983 beating state powerhouse West Rome, coaching the state champion in long jump in 1982 and 83. Coach Holland was named the region coach of the year in girls track in 1982 and region coach of the year for boys in 1983.
Coach Holland led Central’s Boys Varsity Track team to a record 13 first place finishes at the Carrollton Relay, multiple relay championships, and a state title before becoming Head Track and Field Coach at the University of West Georgia. He also coached championship middle school basketball teams and developed numerous athletes who entered the Central Athletic Hall of Fame.
Beyond Central, he directed Carrollton Recreation and AAU Track, chaired state and regional track organizations, hosted major championships, and earned the Outstanding Coach Award in 1982. At West Georgia, his teams finished runner-up at state meets, produced All-Americans, and he was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year in 1985.
He later coached multiple sports at Hogansville and Callaway High, earning several Coach of the Year honors, guiding athletes to state titles, and sending many on to college careers.
Together with his late wife, LaNelle, who volunteered for Central athletics for decades, the Hollands supported the school community for over 55 years. Their six children were deeply involved in Central activities, continuing the family’s legacy in academics and athletics.
Ansley Long has been a proud member of the Central Lion family since kindergarten, attending Central Elementary, Middle, and High School. During her time at Central Middle and High, she participated in Drama Club, Art Club, and excelled in AP Literature courses.
On the track, Ansley made her mark early. She lettered all four years in track and field and served as captain of the women’s team. She qualified for the Georgia High School State Championship every year, with her senior year marking her greatest accomplishment—winning the 3-AAA State Title in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 5.5 inches. That jump not only earned her a gold medal but also set a Central High School record that still stands today.
Throughout her career, Ansley held school records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and the 4×100 meter relay. After graduation in 2015, she earned a full athletic scholarship to Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, where she competed for four years. Her collegiate career was equally remarkable. In her final meet, the NCAA Division II National Outdoor Championship, Ansley finished as national runner-up in the long jump with a personal best of 20 feet, 6.25 inches, which remains Shorter University’s school record. She also set the university record in the 100 meters (11.55 seconds) at the Gulf South Conference Championship.
Her college accolades include:
- All-Conference First Team (100 meters, 4×100 meter relay, and long jump in 2018 & 2019)
- Two-time Gulf South Conference Weekly Award winner
- Six-time Gulf South Conference yearly event champion
Alongside her athletic achievements, Ansley excelled academically, graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Marketing, consistently making the Dean’s List with a 3.5 GPA. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in General Business.
Today, Ansley proudly serves in the United States Army. Since enlisting, she has been stationed in South Korea, North Carolina, and currently Germany, with a deployment to Iraq in 2024. Her service has also given her the opportunity to visit over 12 countries alongside family and friends.
Ansley credits her success to her family’s unwavering support, especially her father, whom she thanks for his mentorship, coaching, and timeless efforts.
If given the chance to share words of encouragement with younger Lions, Ansley says, “Keep going and never give up.”
Nancy June Maxwell Dixon is not just a Hall of Fame inductee—she is home. She is home to anyone who meets her, anyone who is loved by her. And if you know Nancy, you know this—she loves everybody.
Nancy’s story is woven into the very fabric of Central. She first walked these halls as a first grader in 1962 and proudly graduated in 1974. During her years here, she was a dedicated member of the Varsity Band, a color guard member, a four-year Varsity Basketball player, a State Literary finalist in typing, and part of a singing trio. After attending West Georgia College, her path circled right back to Central, where for 35 years she faithfully served as Media Clerk and Registrar—helping students every single day with patience, kindness, and a smile.
But Nancy’s roots at Central run even deeper. Her grandfather, Rhudy Maxwell, was an educator here in the early 1960s. Her parents, Billy and June Maxwell, poured their hearts into this school system. And Nancy has carried forward that same love, that same dedication, that same spirit of service. Truly, she is her mother’s daughter.
Family has always been Nancy’s heartbeat. She is the second oldest of six children—Ray, Tommie, Luke, Lorie, and Tommy Eason. She married Richard Dixon, Carrollton High School Class of 1966, and together they raised three children—Linsey, Lane, and Dan—all proud Central graduates. Now her greatest joy is in her grandchildren—Kennedy June, Julia, Annie June, and Macey—the next generation blessed by her love and example.
What makes Nancy extraordinary is not just what she has done, but how she has done it. She has lived by the simple, profound command: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” She treats everyone like family. A lifelong member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, she has shown us all what it means to live with kindness, with service, with love—and yes, with really good cookies. Nancy has taught us that a smile given is a smile received.
Nancy is like a deep-rooted oak tree, planted in Central’s soil. She has stood tall with strength and grace, offering shade and shelter to those who needed it, guidance to those who sought it, and love to everyone she encountered. Her branches stretch wide across this community, and her roots run deep into the history of this school.
It is only fitting that tonight, we celebrate Nancy June Maxwell Dixon—not just for what she has done, but for the way she has lived: faithfully, joyfully, and always with a heart turned toward others.
Emily Williams, a 2017 graduate of Central High School, excelled both in the classroom and on the field. Finishing with a GPA above 4.0, she also lettered all four years in varsity softball, serving as a cornerstone in the circle for the Lions. During her career, Central captured two regional championships and, in 2016, the Georgia High School State Championship—the first in school history. At that tournament, Emily threw three no-hitters and a one-hitter, striking out an astounding 74 of the 84 batters she faced.
Her dominance earned her numerous accolades, including multiple Region and All-Area Pitcher of the Year titles, All-State recognition, and the 4A State Pitcher of the Year award. She was also named the Georgia Dugout Club 4A Player of the Year. In 2016, Emily etched her name in the national record books with 22 strikeouts in a 7-inning game against LaGrange High School, placing her third all-time in the nation. She closed her senior season with a record of 25–4, 436 strikeouts, and a 0.654 ERA—achievements she credits in part to Coach Minick’s motivating leadership.
Emily went on to continue her softball career at Mississippi State University on a full scholarship. There, she set the program’s career strikeout record with 420 and ranks among the best in school history in opponent batting average, strikeouts per seven innings, and saves. In 2021, she was named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watchlist.
Excelling academically as well, Emily earned dual bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law. She was named to the SEC Honor Roll all four years.
Following her undergraduate career, Emily attended the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law, where she contributed to the school’s Law Review. Her published article advocated for greater protections for juveniles during police interrogations. She graduated Cum Laude in 2024, the same year she married fellow Mississippi State Bulldog Britt Hall.
Now an associate attorney at a personal injury law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, Emily has passed the bar and is building her legal career with the same dedication and drive that marked her time on the softball field.
Emily remains deeply grateful for her Central Lion roots and is honored to join the Central Hall of Fame.
Central High School Principal Mr. Kelly Edwards presented each of the Hall of Fame inductees with a plaque during pregame. The Central Lion family congratulates the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees, Perry Holland, Ansley Long, Nancy Dixon and Emily Williams.
