Atha is Mr. Benton Central

OXFORD, Ind. (WLFI) -  Dick Atha recently celebrated his 81st birthday and how did he do it? By leading a Bison cheer at a football game while the PA announcer informed the crowd that it was his special day. He has spent many years at Benton Central. He was the athletic director, the principle, a coach, and now he spends his time helping wherever he is needed.

"If you ask me what Dick Atha means to Benton Central? It's a complicated question because he is everything that you need him to be," said Benton Central Athletic Director Jim Puckett.

"I went to the first ever consolidation meeting ever held for Benton Central. Benton Central along with my family is my life," said Atha.

Atha has touched countless lives during his life and his time spent at Benton Central. He has inspired many individuals one of whom, is Central Catholic's Tim Bordenet. Tim spent time as a baseball coach at Benton Central and became very close to Atha. Now, Tim truly considers him his mentor.

"In my time at Benton Central, he just had a great impact on me. He really led me into wanting to become an athletic director," said Central Catholic Athletic Director Tim Bordenet.

These days, you can almost always find Atha at a Benton Central sporting event supporting his beloved Bison. And it's usually not very hard to find spot him in the crowd. Mainly due to the pants and gold shoes he wears or you can just listen for his voice as he fires up the crowd with a cheer.

 "What's that spell? Bison! Tell them again. Bison! One more time. Bison! Bison!" said Atha in a cheer to the Benton Central crowd.

Atha plans on continuing to support the Bison for as long as he can and the Bison community truly appreciates his devotion to the green and gold.