VIN'S PEOPLE: Southeast High's Athletic Hall of Fame to welcome sensational new class

Vin Mannix
·2 min read
Vin Mannix
Vin Mannix

Big ups to Southeast High’s 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. It includes the Noles 1985 girls basketball state champs, boys basketball coach Bob Carroll, athletes Chountelle Bullock, Mike Gorris, Adrian “AD” McPherson, Faye Swilley and the Cucci family as contributors.

They’ll be honored at Southeast on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at: gofan.co/app/events/1009114?schoolId=FL6058

The '85 girls Class 3A state basketball champs, coached by Hall of Famer John Harder, went 29-3 and, led by Bullock, the leading scorer and rebounder at power forward, they included Leslie Baker, Tina Brooks, Tonya Combs, Jeannell Copeland, Laura Coulter, Tammy Freeman, Karen Horne, Delceda Neasman, Diane Roberts and Cathy Walls.

Carroll’s Noles went 371-131 from 1984-2000, were unbeaten 1995 5A state champs (35-0) and Final Four qualifiers three times (1993-94-95). Carroll was '95 Florida Coach of the Year, '98 Class 6A Coach of the Year and coached three Mr. Basketball honorees: Clifford Rozier, LeRon Williams and McPherson.

The 1985 Southeast girls basketball team went 29-3 en route to Class 3A state basketball championship.
The 1985 Southeast girls basketball team went 29-3 en route to Class 3A state basketball championship.

Gorris was a three-time wrestling state champion at 112 pounds ('87), 119 ('88) and 130 ('89).

McPherson was Florida’s first Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball in the same scholastic year (2000-01) as a Southeast senior.

Swilley starred in basketball and track all four years and was on the 1976 Class 3A state champion 880-medley relay team with Tonya Brown, Robin Key, Katie Mitchell and alternate Lydia Copeland.

The Cucci family roots are intertwined with Southeast athletics. Parents Olga and Genarro Sr. were the Noles’ first booster club parents. Sons Gennaro Jr., Steve and Patrick starred in football, wrestling and baseball during the '70s. Patrick was Class 3A state wrestling champ at 149 in 1978.  And daughter Maria was a cheerleader.

Then in the next generation, Steve’s son, Stephen ('99), played football and baseball while son Chris ('01) saw his athletic career cut short due to health reasons.

· Mike Fraticelli is 39. Again.

· Mary and Randy Miller just celebrated their Golden Anniversary.

· And Ashley and Logan Wells celebrated their fifth.

· A bow to April Sampson, 24 years waitressing at Popi’s Too in Palmetto.

· Alexie Beck is 11.

· Lakewood Ranch High alum Colton Gordon is 5-5 pitching with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Astros Triple A affiliate in Texas.

· Uh, oh! Nate Varnadore is one year shy of the Big 4-0!

· Good luck to Jill McGarry on her new solo venture: McGarry Marketing.

· And senior Manatee Sugar ‘Cane Samantha Trent is 17 while mom Beth is 39. Again.

Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. Twitter: @vinmannix.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN MANNIX: Southeast HS Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes new class