BENSON - Dwight Hinnant, Mike Wooten, Glenn Nixon, Wanda Watkins, Harvey Heartley, Congressman Bob Etheridge and Fred Bartholomew were inducted into the Johnston County Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night at West Johnston High School. Bios and speech excerpts from each of the Hall of Famers follow.

Harvey Delafone "Bones" Heartley

Bones Heartley began his basketball career playing for coach Reginald "Hawk" Ennis at Johnston County Training School (later Johnston Central High School) in Smithfield. During his outstanding high school career he served as captain of his team, was named All-state for 1950-51 and selected as a member of the all-tournament team.

Heartley played for coach John McClendon at North Carolina Central University. While at NCCU he attained numerous honors, including all-CIAA, third-team All-American and most valuable player at NCCU. He was inducted into the NCCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984 and the school retired his jersey in 2000. Heartley also played baseball at NCCU.

Heartley began his coaching career at Buckland High School in Gates County, going on to win two county championships.

He moved onto Cooper High School in Clayton where his 1963 team won the N.C. High School Athletic Committee 2-A state boys championship and the Wake-Johnston championship, earning coach of the year honors again.

Heartley moved to Ligon High School in Raleigh where he won his second state championship (the NCHSAC 4-A title) in 1967. He also coached the Ligon boys and girls tennis teams to state championships in 1967-68.

The St. Augustine's men's team won the 1973 NAIA men's basketball championship and the 1983 CIAA Southern Division title. He earned CIAA coach and athletic director of the year honors in 1984. His team was also an NCAA Division II runner-up.

As a son of an educator, he was motivated at an early age to pursue education in both education and athletics. His principle that he promoted in the classroom, on the court, and in his personal life was and still is: conceive it, believe it and achieve it. Though he is now retired, he continues to promote academics and athletics by sharing his philosophy and principles with youth and adults throughout our state.

"We weren't able to play in games together in the 1950s but we still played against Robert Poole and those great Clayton and Smithfield teams. We'd just find an open gym and slip in one by one. We couldn't go in together; that would have caused problems. But those were some of the craziest, best games I've ever seen."

"Hawk Ennis taught us three things. The first was, be in shape. If you played for Reggie Ennis, you played in shape. We knew that if we were within 10 points of you in the last six minutes, you were going to lose. ... The second was you have to know what the game is all about. ... And the third was you have to have a will to win. ... I tried to instill those same traits in my teams."

Frederick L. Bartholomew

Affectionately known as "Mr. B," Fred was born in Warren County and graduated from Graham High School in Warrenton. During high school he was all-conference in football and baseball. After high school he attended and played baseball at Louisburg College. Following graduation from Louisburg, he later attended East Carolina College where he received a Batchelor of Science degree in physical education. He received his master's degree in educational administration from East Carolina University in 1996.

Bartholomew officiated high school basketball and baseball games in the 1960s and also played semi-pro baseball with several organizations. He began his teaching and coaching career at Smyrna High School where he was named coach of the year in basketball and baseball. In 1964 he initiated the football program at Smyrna High School.

Mr. B moved to Princeton in 1970 and became principal of Princeton School.

During his 28 years as principal, he initiated many educational and athletic programs for both middle school and high school. He was instrumental in establishing one of the first two sports medicine programs with a nationally certified trainer in the Johnston County School System.

During his tenure, he oversaw construction of a new football field, renovation of the high school gym and construction of the middle school gym. He also helped with tennis courts, two new baseball fields and softball fields with lights and irrigation as well as a new field house.

Mr. B has held various leadership positions within the Carolina 1-A Conference and served on the board of directors of the N.C. High School Athletic Association from 1982-86 as well as the NCHSAA executive committee during the same time.

Bartholomew was elected to the Johnston County School Board in 2000 a served as chairman from 2002-07. He has played an instrumental role in ensuring that the district's construction program forged ahead, leading the cause for two successful bond referendums. He was elected to the N.C. School Board Association as an All-State Board Member.

He still resides in Princeton with his wife, Deanne. He is the proud father of three children and grandpa to four.

"There are so many people who have helped me be a success in life. I owe so much credit to the Princeton Advisory Board, Al Musgrave, William Wellons, Harvey Brooks, Rick Boyette, Shelly Marsh, Paula Wooten and the 100s of coaches and support staff for what they've helped us achieve."

Congressman Bob Etheridge

Bob Etheridge was born in Sampson County but spent all of his school-age years in Johnston County. He attended Cleveland School, a union school that housed grades K-12. He graduated with the class of 1959.

Etheridge played both baseball and basketball at Cleveland School for coach Bruce Coats. The growing teenager was a hard-hitting second baseman as a freshman but moved to first base for his final two years when he grew beyond six feet tall. On the basketball team, Etheridge developed an accurate jump shot that, together with his height, made him a key part of the school team, particularly during his senior year.

The son of tenant farmers, Etheridge worked for two years after high school graduation saving enough money to enter Campbell College in the fall of 1961, the year Campbell moved from a two-year to a four-year institution. During the two years after high school graduation, he grew to his mature height of 6-foot-6 and played basketball for club teams in the Raleigh area.

Arriving at Campbell as a day student, Etheridge took advantage of Campbell basketball coach Fred McCall's offer to all students to a weeklong tryout for the team. At the end of the tryout period, coach McCall tossed the young Johnston County man a uniform. After one semester, Etheridge was accorded a scholarship for tuition and after the first year he was on full basketball scholarship.

With his height and a deadly jump shot from the corner, Etheridge became a go-to player as time went on and he matured. He scored 24 points in the first half of a game against High Point College. Etheridge served as co-captain during his senior year and has always accorded coach Coats and coach McCall status as "my mentors when I was growing to maturity."

Etheridge married Faye Cameron just after college, was called in to the U.S. Army and on his discharge settled in Harnett County. He later owned a building supply store and a radio station, was vice president of sales for Sorenson-Christian Industries and later served four years on the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. He took a leading role in consolidating the county's small high schools and began the life-long interest in improving public schools.

After being elected to the N.C. House of Representatives in 1978, Etheridge quickly became a chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He introduced the Basic Education Plan, which pumped millions of dollars into the public school budget for North Carolina. During his 10 years in the House, Etheridge continued his basketball playing days, playing a key role when lawmakers from North Carolina and South Carolina got together for a basketball challenge game.

In 1988, Etheridge was elected for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, becoming the only non-educator to hold that post. In eight years as superintendent, Etheridge quickly cut the state bureaucracy in half and instituted an accountability system that has greatly improved student test scores.

In 1996, Etheridge was elected to Congress from N.C.'s second district. He is currently serving his sixth term.

Four institutions of higher learning have conferred honorary degrees on Etheridge: Campbell University, Fayetteville State University, Pfeiffer College and Shaw University. He is also a member of the Campbell Sports Hall of Fame.

Etheridge and his wife, Faye, have three children and five grandchildren.

"Coaches are overworked and underpaid, just like teachers. I would have never been where I am had it not been for Bruce Coats and every other coach I've ever had."

"Athletics are an integral part of school. They always have been and always will be. For a lot of boys and girls, it's the hook that keeps them in school and they go onto become doctors, lawyers, business people, teachers and, if they're not so lucky, even congressmen."

"I'm truly honored but I can't help but think that you just needed one more person here tonight because I don't belong in this group of notable honorees. ... I pray that you will be forgiven for the mistake you've made tonight."

Dwight Hinnant

Dwight Hinnant graduated from North Johnston High School in its inaugural year, 1965-66. Hinnant, the school's student body president, played baseball and basketball at North Johnston after having played both at Micro High School in his first three years.

Hinnant's prep basketball career concluded with him helping lead the Panthers to the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference titles (regular-season and tournament), the District I title and a spot in the eight-team state championship tournament. He was named all-conference, all-tournament, 2-A all-east and all-state in all classifications. He concluded his high school career as Johnston County's all-time leading scorer.

He followed his successful high school basketball career by playing for four years at Pfeiffer University.

Hinnant returned to Johnston County in the mid-1970s after teaching and coaching in Stanly County for three years. His career in school administration saw him go from assistant principal to principal at Wilson's Mills to principal at Clayton High School to assistant superintendent to associate superintendent.

He was the Johnston County Schools athletic director from 1993-2003 before retiring.

While the county athletic director, Hinnant was proudest of helping to upgrade facilities countywide. West Johnston High School was built during his tenure, track programs were added at North Johnston and Princeton and middle school athletic programs were expanded as well.

Hinnant and his wife, Julia, have retired to Oak Island, N.C., and have a son and grandson who live in Smithfield.

"Every one in this room tonight can thank a teacher or coach. When I broke my arm and crushed my shoulder in the seventh grade, Margie Turner, my teacher came to the hospital for all 17 days I was there to help me keep up with my academics. She didn't have to do it but she did it to help out one of her students, teaching me a lesson about giving to children that I never forgot."

"I want to thank all of the teammates who passed me the ball to shoot. Because I figured out at an early age that the guys who score the most points get to hang out with the prettiest girl and get their name in the paper."

Wanda Watkins

Wanda Watkins was born in Johnston County and grew up in the Cleveland community. She graduated from South Johnston High School in 1975, and then attended Campbell University where she received her bachelor's degree in 1979 and her master's in 1983.

Watkins was an outstanding female athlete at South Johnston High School, playing volleyball and basketball, the only two sports offered for females at the time. She was an all-conference point guard for four seasons and was a member of South's 1974 NCHSAA state championship squad. Watkins was selected to play in the 1975 East-West N.C. Coaches Association Game in Greensboro.

Her outstanding athletic ability allowed her to play at Campbell where she became the college's first female athletic scholarship recipient. He was captain of the basketball team in 1978-79, captain of the softball team from 1977-79, the basketball team MVP for 1978-79 and the school's most outstanding female athlete in 1978 and 1979.

Her leadership ability led to Watkins' appointment as a graduate assistant coach for the women's basketball team in 1979. She became the school's first full-time assistant coach the following year. She also served as Campbell's softball coach in 1981 and was named head women's basketball coach a year later. She continues to serve in that role.

Coach Watkins has achieved many honors, becoming the winningest coach in women's basketball at Campbell and her 27 seasons at one school ranks 28th all-time among coaches in NCAA Division I women's basketball history. Her 409 career victories rank her as the 37th winningest active coach in NCAA Division I. She has coached 33 all-conference award winners and 85 Atlantic Sun All-Academic team members. She was named conference coach of the year in 1987, 1991 and 2001.

Her teams won conference championships in 1989 and 2000. She led Campbell to six Big South Conference Championship games, two NAIA District playoffs and two NAIA District Finals and one NCAA Division I tournament appearance.

Watkins continues to live in the Cleveland community.

"I'm so grateful for the foundation that was laid for me at South Johnston. So many helped lay that foundation and it had a tremendous impact on me in college and athletics."

"Whatever was important to me was important to my family and that made me feel so loved. I'm thankful for all of the sacrifice my assistant coaches have made and I thank God for the people who have been placed in my life that have been so special."

Mike Wooten

Mike Wooten was born in Ronaoke, Va. and moved to Johnston County in 1969 when his father was hired as an assistant principal at the newly completed Smithfield-Selma High School. While a student at Smithfield-Selma, Wooten excelled in football, wrestling and track from 1978-81. He was an all-state and all-conference selection in football at tight end and defensive end, playing in the North-South All-Star Game after his senior season. He received a full football scholarship to Virginia Military Institute.

He played center at VMI from 1981-85. He was selected his senior year as co-captain and received Division II pre-season all-American honors. In 1985, he was named the all-state senior for all Virginia colleges and graduated with a degree in economics before being commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army and later received an honorable discharge.

After graduating from college in 1985, Wooten signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. He was released the last cut but was later called back by Joe Gibbs in 1987 to play during the NFL strike. During the '87 season, the Redskins were able to win three conference games to launch Washington onto the Super Bowl. Although the strike team known as the "scabs" was not part of the team during the Super Bowl, they played a very important part of that season and were vested for that year due to the number of games they played.

Wooten began officiating in 1986 for middle and high school games. Opportunities led him into the college football officiating ranks at the Division II level (the South Atlantic Conference) before moving into the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2003. He currently serves as an umpire (behind the defensive line and linebackers) and has received post-season games for the past three seasons, calling the 2006 Texas Bowl, the 2006 Golden Isles Bowl and the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. He also called the Army-Navy game in 2005.

Wooten continues to be very active in the local community. He is employed by Four Oaks Bank in Smithfield, a volunteer fireman with the Smithfield Fire Department and an active member of the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Smithfield Parks and Recreation advisory board, a coach for numerous youth teams, campaign chairman for Habitat for Humanity Bankers Build and an active member of the Princeton Church of God.

Wooten is married to Paula Holland Wooten and has two children.

"It's not about what I've done. Athletics is about building relationships. Relationships between player and team, player and coach, player and family and player and official."

"Coaches and my family didn't invest time in me for the money. For all of the people that invested in me, I can't give it back, which makes me truly blessed."

Glenn Richard Nixon

Glenn Nixon was born in Buffalo and graduated from N.C. State University in 1955. He began his teaching and coaching career at Beulaville High School in 1957 and moved to Clayton in 1959.

During his 25 years at Clayton High School, he served as football coach and his teams were perennial playoff contenders. During his 15 years as athletic director at Clayton, he increased the total athletic program from four activities to 15 teams in eight different sports. Following his retirement from coaching, he served as Johnston County School's athletic director until 1994.

Nixon had a final football head coaching record of 203-95-4 at Beulaville and Clayton. He served as an assistant coach for the North-South All-Star Game in 1971, assistant coach for the Shrine Bowl in 1975 and as Shrine Bowl head coach in 1982. He was recognized as the N.C. Athletic Director of the year in 1985.

Nixon was named to the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1996 and to the N.C. Athletics Director Hall of Fame in 1999.

During his coaching career he was recognized with numerous awards and honors. He has served on several boards within the NCHSAA, including a stint on their board of directors from 1979-83.

Since his retirement, coach Nixon has put much of his time and energy into his hobby of creating beautiful portraits in pastels. His work has been featured in numerous art shows.

Coach Nixon and his wife of 55 years, Joyce, divide their team between their home in Clayton and their beach home. They have three children and eight grandchildren. His two sons both played and coached football, his oldest grandson is currently coaching in high school and his other grandson is playing college football.

"I have to give credit to my wife, Joyce Nixon, who gave me my first coaching job. She got me to coach girls basketball and the rest is history."

"Four men all born and raised in Johnston County were so important to what we did at Clayton. Jeff Adams, Jimmy Barbour, Andy Pleasant (who was a manager for me in the sixth grade my first year) and a guy who looks older than I do, Gary Fowler. I was very fortunate to get four men like that to work with me."

Editor's Note: All biographical information was provided by the Johnston County Hall of Fame selection committee. Speech excerpts were compiled by D. Clay Best