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Belleview’s Mount Rushmore faces took over the big three American sports during their eras. Their all-time greats are teaming with storied college careers, records that stand the test of time, and plenty of athletes that issued firsts for the Rattlers.
Two of the faces of Belleview's Mount Rushmore are talented football players who made historic impacts while the school was in its infancy. Our third spot is reserved for a basketball trailblazer with a style before his time. The final member is a softball legend who's won at every level she's played.
After searching through the county and Belleview record books, we’ve narrowed it down to four athletes.
We are asking readers to vote online for which athlete should join them in a digital poll. You can find that with this story at ocala.com.
But we need your help. Vote below to tell us who you’d add to the monument.
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Cody Wells | Football | 2003
Cody Wells stands as one of the great athletes of the early 2000s, an era that keeps emerging as an all-time moment for Marion County athletes. Between the turn of the millennium and 2003, Wells laid out players in the backfield while taking the school's all-time interception record for himself.
Wells's production and promise from the safety position lifted him to three-star status and a top 50 safety ranking from Rivals.com. He turned down in-state school, Florida State, UCF, and USF, where his older brother played, to play for Lou Holtz at South Carolina.
Wells immediately saw time on the field, recording nine tackles as a true freshman with the Gameco*cks. Over the next four seasons, he increased his production across the board.
Alexis Day | Softball - Volleyball | 2015
You’ll find Alexis Day’s name more than the Belleview Rattlers logo on the softball field. In her four-year career, she rewrote the softball record books with every swing she took during her senior year.
Belleview’s home run leader? Day, 23 in a season, 45 in a career. Belleview’s hit leader? Day, 5 in a game, 62 in a season, . Stolen bases? Day, 3 in a game, 37 in a season, 89 in a career. She did all this while being a four-year varsity middle blocker on the volleyball team, totaling 269 career kills and 1837 blocks.
You name an offensive category. Day is hovering around the top three. Adding to her high school résumé are two Star Banner Player of the Year awards, two district championships, and a scholarship to one of the winningest players ever to represent Belleview softball.
The winning didn’t stop when Day tested her bat at the next level. During her four years with Division I Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, she won two MEAC conference championships and earned two appearances in the NCAA Division I softball tournament. By her senior year, she was leading with a .321 batting average, slugging for.464, hitting two home runs, knocking in 16 RBIs, and 39 total bases.
Lamar Rembert | Football | 1999
The class of 1999 produced two class-leading athletes who made their Mount Rushmore teams. The first is Tim Yarn of North Marion, and Lamar Rembert joins him as one of Belleview’s foundational athletes.
Rembert was a two-sport star rushing his way into the county record books on the football field and the track. In just three seasons, he was an anchor for Belleview football’s first playoff win while compiling 4,319 rushing yards, and 55 touchdowns for records. The record has since been passed, and after 25 seasons, it’s still the fourth most yards ever accumulated by a Marion County football player.
Rembert won three Star Banner Player of the year awards in 1998 and 99. In the spring of '98, he won track athlete of the year, breaking 100, 200, and 400-meter dash records, including three state tournament berths in the 100. In the fall of '98 he was crowned the best football player in the county.
With all the raw talent and statistics Remebrt exhibited throughout high school, he became a coveted running back prospect. Furman won his services when he earned a role in the running backs room, returned a kickoff, and blocked a punt during his four seasons in South Carolina.
Steve Berg | Basketball | 2002
Berg built his basketball career one jump shot at a time. The 2002 Star Banner Player of the Year was a potent scorer who, after twenty-two years, led the Rattlers in all-time points.
Berg is part of one of ten Marion County teams in history to make the state title game. His sharpshooting and winning ways attracted several colleges, including Division II Eckerd College.
From the start of Berg's freshman season, he was indispensable. The shooting guard had a prolific career from beyond the three point line, holding the program's second-most attempts and makes in a career. In 2005, he was named the Sunshine State Conference MVP.
