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 48 Number of NJCAA National Championship events that are scheduled for the 2009-10 academic year.
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Hinds Community College to induct five to Sports Hall of Fame
September 9, 2009(Raymond, Mississippi) The 2009 Hinds Community College Sports Hall of Fame honors these distinguished former Eagle athletes and coaches with an induction dinner Oct. 8, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Raymond Campus Wellness Center. Inductees are Pruitt Blalock of Brandon, Doug Fowler of Clinton, Carl Harris of Pulaski, Dr. Cleon McKnight of Jackson and Deborah Nichols of Raymond. For details, please contact the Institutional Advancement office at 601.857.3363.
When Pruitt Blalock (1958) played halfback and fullback with the Eagles football team, he gave it his all, according to his fellow alumni members of the undefeated 1957 Eagles. Team alumni still count on Blalock as their "contact man," the one who makes it his mission to see team members are recognized for their 1957 season. Blalock has been the uniting force behind the annual team get-togethers that perpetuate the shining 1957 season. He has compiled a book of mementos for the team and also distributes a quarterly team newsletter. In addition to his service on the Hinds football team, Blalock also played baseball both years. While serving in the Army during the Korean War, Blalock played on the Army European Championship football team. After Hinds, Blalock received his bachelor's degree in education and mathematics in 1960 from Mississippi College. He worked at Byram High School as athletic director and coach, but left there in 1962 to sign on with Boy Scouts of America. As he rose in the ranks with BSA, his duties took him to Tennessee and South Carolina before he took his post in Brandon where he retired in 1989 as professional scout executive. Blalock was the Hinds Athletic Alumni Chapter's charter vice president in 2002 and became president of the chapter in 2005. He and his wife, the former Peggy Ann Fugate, reside in Brandon and are the parents of Richard Blalock, Sharron Blalock Mathis, Raymond Blalock and Ashley Blalock Pickel.
Doug Fowler, who served Hinds as both coach and administrator, restructured and rebuilt Eagles track and field to create a formidable program. Fowler's teams won State Junior College championships from 1980 through 1982, South State championships from 1980 to 1983 and a then-Region 7 championship in 1982 that qualified them to compete in the National Junior College Championship. Before coming to Hinds, Fowler taught mathematics and driver's education and coached track, football and basketball at Philadelphia High School (1967-1969) before spending the next 10 years at Quitman High School. During his first year of coaching at Hinds he was named Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College's (MACJC) Track Coach of the Year in 1979. While coaching track, Fowler also served as assistant Eagles football coach. In 1981 and 1983, he was named Junior College All-Star Football Coach. In 1981, Fowler also took on the duties of district director of janitorial services, which, in 1986, added the areas of energy and maintenance services. With added responsibilities, he went full-time into administrative work as district director of facilities from 1987 until he retired from Hinds in 1995. Fowler is a graduate of Grenada High school. He studied pre-engineering at Holmes Junior College after serving in the U.S. Navy, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in mathematics in 1966 from Delta State University. He holds his master's degree in physical education and athletic administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's certification in school administration from Mississippi College. He resides in Clinton with his wife the former Karen Truitt. They are the parents of William Bryan Fowler, Shelley Truitt Fowler and Bradley Edward Fowler; and they have seven grandchildren. Harris was recruited to Hinds by coach Troy Ricks, where he averaged 14.7 points per game. He continued his education at Mississippi College and lettered in basketball for two years. Harris holds his master's degree in education from Jackson State University. He started his coaching career in 1960 with boys and girls basketball at Sand Hill High School. From 1965 to 1973, Harris coached boys' basketball at Morton High School and finished with a record of 201-65. While at Morton, he led two teams to win South Mississippi tournaments, with one losing in the state finals. In 1966, Harris was Little Dixie Conference Coach of the Year; and in 1970, he coached the South All-Star Team. During his 13 years of coaching, Harris' teams produced 54 tournament championships. Winning 70 percent of his games, Harris' overall coaching record is 312-95. Harris turned his career in a new direction in 1973, becoming manager at Roosevelt State Park in Morton. Under Harris' leadership, Roosevelt State Park added a swimming pool and water slide, a motel and a scenic observatory. Before he retired from RSP in 1999, he was named Manager of the Year and earned recognition for the State Park Earning the Most Revenue. While residing in Morton, Harris was a deacon and member of First Baptist Church of Morton, and from 1978-1979, he served as president of the Morton Chamber of Commerce. Harris and his wife, the former Alice Winstead, reside in Pulaski where they are members of Independence United Methodist Church. Their children are Carl Harris Jr., Lori Harris Porter and Chris Harris.
Dr. Cleon McKnight served Hinds not only as a chemistry instructor for 32 years, but also as a landmark tennis coach who took Hinds tennis into the national spotlight. When he discovered the game of tennis at age 30, McKnight was teaching chemistry and coaching women's basketball at the Utica Campus and first began coaching tennis there. The Bogue Chitto native transferred to the Raymond Campus in 1985 and soon began to re-establish Hinds tennis for serious competition. During the next 15 years of coaching, his teams won 90 percent of their matches, finishing with an overall record of 430-47. In 1995, McKnight became the first black American to be inducted into the Mississippi Tennis Association Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was the first black American to be inducted into two national tennis halls of fame, the NJCAA Women's Tennis Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. During his Hinds career, his men's teams, whose record stands at 249-37, won nine state and eight NJCAA Region 23 championship titles (1986-1988, 1991-1995 and 1999) and had five undefeated seasons. McKnight's women's teams enjoyed a 181-12 record and captured eight state and eight NJCAA Region 23 championships (1989-1992, 1994-1995 and 1997-1998). They had four undefeated seasons. McKnight's honors also include being named men's and/or women's Tennis Coach of the Year 14 out of the 15 years by MACJC, MAC and NJCAA Region 23; Coach of the Year by the Mississippi Tennis Association (MTA) in 1992 and 1999; and MTA Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003. McKnight is a graduate of E.H. Harris High School in Brookhaven. He received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in chemistry at, respectively, Alcorn State University, 1967; Southern University (Baton Rouge), 1970; and Kansas State University, 1976. McKnight resides in Jackson with his wife, Gloria. They are the parents of Christopher McKnight and Cleon McKnight Jr.
Deborah Nichols (1969) came to Hinds from Central High School in Jackson. She played tennis and volleyball for her two years at Hinds and also was a manager for Lady Eagles basketball. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at Delta State College (now Delta State University) and took her first position teaching for physical education for two years at Long Beach Junior High School. She began teaching physical education in the Raymond Campus athletic department in 1973, a role she filled for 31 years. Nichols' longest-running "side job," and the one for which she received many honors, was serving as softball coach from 1977 to 1997. Her team alumni honored her coaching career with a reunion in July 1997. She retired in 2004 as chair of the Health and Physical Recreation Department. Nichols' softball teams produced six state championships, four Region 23 championships and four National Junior and Community College Athletic Association (NJCAA) appearances. The Lady Eagles were named 1995 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year in Slow Pitch Softball. She had 10 players selected All-American and four selected Academic All-American. The Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) named her Mississippi Junior College Coach of the Year four times. Since her retirement, she has continued teaching in the athletic department on a part-time basis. She has continued her long-time volunteer service as coordinator for senior adult activities at Raymond Road Baptist Church. In this capacity, Nichols arranges for seniors to make visits to shut-ins, teaches a weekly aerobics class, leads a monthly Bible study, and plans and coordinates trips. Nichols resides in Raymond. |
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Pruitt Blalock 
Doug Fowler 
Carl Harris
Dr. Cleon McKnight 
Deborah Nichols