The Bobbys comes to Sumter Opera House on Thursday night

The Bobbys, The Sumter Item's Espys-style awards show named for Sumter legend Bobby Richardson, is inching closer and closer. Sumter Opera House will host the biggest night in Sumter sports Thursday night, June 20, and tickets are still available for the event.

Tickets are no longer available for purchase in advance, but you can buy them at the door. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Doors will open for The Bobbys at 6 p.m. for a night filled with the area's brightest stars.

Richardson will again be a featured guest this year. The keynote speaker will be another local legend: Dexter Davis.

Davis was a starter for Clemson between 1988-90 and helped the Tigers reach a 10-2 record and finish in the top 12 each year. After his junior year, he was a fourth-round draft choice in 1991 and played for six years with the Phoenix Cardinals and Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams. He has taken college and high school coaching jobs, is a business owner and active in the community after returning to his hometown of Sumter to be a part of Liberty STEAM Charter School. In 2022, he was the recipient of the 2022 Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award.

Along with two staples of the Sumter community, we'll celebrate the winners of 15 voted categories for The Bobbys. These awards include Best Football Player, presented by Simpson Hardware and Sporting Goods, Best Baseball Player and Best Male Athlete, both of which are presented by Wright Way Plumbing, and Best Softball Player, which is presented by Sumter Trophy Shop. The other categories are Best Female Athlete, Best Team, Best Coach, Best Boys and Girls Basketball Players, Best Boys and Girls Cross Country and Track Athletes, Best Volleyball Player and the newest award, Best Soccer Player. We will also present the Thompson Award for Courage and celebrate the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year.