[caption id="attachment_230" align="alignright" width="293"] Class of 2008[/caption]

Coach

Sonny was a college football player and nationally ranked power lifter.  He joined the wrestling team at Auburn never having wrestled.  In 1968 and 1969 he was the strength coach at Auburn. Over the next 27 years he coached wrestling and weight lifting at Opelika (AL), Largo, Boca Ciega, Countryside, Dixie Hollins and Indian Rocks Christian High School's.  Coach Blackwelder pioneered High School weight lifting in Alabama.  He hosted the first two State Championships in 1972 and 1973.  Sonny has over 300 career wins as a wrestling coach.  He coached with the World Class Wrestling for many years winning State Championships in Freestyle and Greco-Roman.  His off season clubs traveled to or hosted teams from Mexico, Puerto Rico, New Foundland, Turkey, Japan and South Africa.  In the twilight of his career he had the determination to begin a brand new wrestling program at Indian Rocks Christian School. He coached there until his retirement in 2007.