State honor for Stoneman Douglas hero Chris Hixon. Ice hockey at Boyd Anderson
Seven individuals will be honored in the Class of 2025 including former Parkland Marjory Stoneman Douglas athletic director Chris Hixon, who will be awarded posthumously the chapter's medal of courage, presented to a wrestler or former wrestler.
On Feb. 14, 2018, Hixon died as he lived—a hero.
He gave his life for the students and staff at Douglas High School while trying to stop a gunman on campus. Receiving national attention, he bravely ran into the 1200 building at the school to confront the shooter and protect students and staff, tragically losing his life in the process.
Born on Feb. 25, 1968, Hixon attended Easton High School before graduating from Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania. During high school, he participated in football, wrestling and track.
After graduating, Hixon enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1986 and transitioned to the United States Naval Reserves in 1992. Throughout his military career, he excelled as a Machinist's Mate First Class Petty Officer. While serving aboard the USS San Diego, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In the reserves, his roles included assignments with Naval Security Forces and Mobile Dive and Salvage. He retired on October 1, 2013, after five years of active duty and 22 years in the reserves — totaling 27 honorable years of service to his country.
Hixon served as a campus monitor and athletic director at Pompano Beach Ely, Hollywood South Broward High School and Douglas. During his tenure as athletic director, he received numerous honors, including the 2007 FIAAA Wayne Taylor Distinguished Service (Meritorious) Award, the 2008 National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association State Award of Merit and the 2017 Broward County Athletic Association Athletic Director of the Year Award.
Posthumously, he was inducted into the Broward County Wrestling Hall of Fame and co-awarded the 2018 ESPY for Best Coach.
Beyond his administrative roles, Hixon was a dedicated volunteer coach in softball, cross-country, volleyball, and wrestling, often stepping in when teams lacked a coach.
Wrestling was his greatest passion, and he volunteered as a wrestling coach throughout his career at Fort Lauderdale High, Ely, South Broward and Douglas.
In 1990, Hixon married Debra, and together they had two sons, Thomas and Corey.
He embodied the motto: 'If not me, then who.'
For more info, visit: https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/.
Ice Hockey at Boyd Anderson
With the success of the two-time NHL Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, hockey continues to grow in South Florida, and former Panthers player Anthony Duclair is helping lead the charge.
The Anthony Duclair Foundation (ADF), in partnership with the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund (IGF), successfully unveiled a state-of-the-art synthetic ice rink a few months ago at Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson High School.
The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Duclair, NHL and NHLPA executives, local officials and community leaders.
Following the ceremony, Duclair, along with hockey players from his development camps, demonstrated the rink in action.
During the program, the City of Lauderdale Lakes officially declared it Anthony Duclair Day. Currently playing for the New York Islanders, Duclair's vision to offer greater access to hockey came when he was a member of the Florida Panthers from 2020-2023 and Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2023-24 season.
'Hockey has given me so much, and my goal is to ensure that more kids, regardless of background, have the chance to experience and fall in love with the game. The recognition from the City of Lauderdale Lakes is truly an honor, and I hope this rink is just the beginning of something bigger.' Duclair said via a press release. 'This is more than just a rink—it's about creating opportunities.'
The synthetic ice rink is designed to eliminate the need for expensive refrigeration and traditional ice maintenance, making it a cost-effective and sustainable to address hockey access The outdoor rink, which first broke ground in February 2024, will serve as a hub for youth clinics, training programs, and community outreach initiatives, helping to introduce the sport to new players who may not have otherwise had the opportunity.
Visit https://duclairfoundation.com/.
Send sports results
For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
New athletic directors, coaches
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
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Compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
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