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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is proud to induct six deserving members into this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame. All of the information for this year’s inductees was supplied by MGCCC achivist Charles Sullivan and Ken Flanagan.
From deep in the corner about 20 to 25 feet away from the basket, that’s where Ernie Schroeder was at his best on the basketball court. In the days long before the 3-point shot, Schroeder made opposing teams respect outside play with his shooting touch. “Ernie was one of the top three outside shooters I ever coached,” former head basketball coach Mel Carpenter recalls. “I always wonder what he could have scored under the current 3-point rule.” Schroeder came to Perkinston on a half basketball scholarship after playing at Pascagoula High School. As a 6-foot freshman, Schroeder started several games for Carpenter’s 1956-57 team, which scored more than 100 points in three different games and finished as the second-highest-scoring team in the nation. “That team was ahead of its time. We ran a lot of fast breaks and got transition points whenever we could. It was exciting to watch. No one got a lot of playing time since we were constantly rotating players, so we kept running,” Schroeder says.
That intellect was also seen in the classroom. Schroeder was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society and served as president. By the end of his freshman year, Schroeder had a full scholarship and earned the college’s D.L. Hollis Athletic Trophy, which recognized the student who best promoted athletics. A year’s worth of seasoning made Schroeder an offensive weapon his sophomore season. During the season opener, he scored a career-high 18 points. He would go on to set four new career highs that season, including a 37-point game against Clarke Junior College. Schroeder’s outside shooting was key to the team’s South Division runner-up title. The Daily Herald reported, “Ernie Schroeder hitting of a set shot from about 25 feet with regularity led Perk to its victory over Jones with a 26-point effort.” Schroeder finished the season averaging 14 points a game and being named All-State second team and the team’s most outstanding player. Just weeks after leaving the basketball court, Schroeder was on the tennis court helping the college defend its conference championship. He posted more than a dozen wins in both singles and doubles without ever losing a match. “It’s true that I never lost a match, but it’s really important to remember that I was the No. 6 player on the team. That’s the last man on the roster. In those days, it was tough for some schools to get a full roster. I remember playing guys they got out of gym class the day of the match.” Schroeder was offered several opportunities to continue playing college basketball but decided it was time to work on his goal of becoming a lawyer. He went on to Mississippi State in 1960 and then to The University of Mississippi’s Law School in 1963. “It seems like I’ve been to every college in the state, and I wouldn’t give up experiences at Perkinston for any of them. If I could have, I would have stayed at Perk for four years.” After law school, Schroeder returned home to Pascagoula and joined a prestigious local law practice. Over the next 40 years, he took part in seven “landmark” cases that shaped Mississippi law, and he earned the reputation as a highly qualified insurance defense attorney. Schroeder has kept up his ties with Gulf Coast, attending homecoming events for several years and sponsoring a scholarship for Jackson County students. “It seems like I’ve been to every college in the state, and I wouldn’t give up experiences at Perkinston for any of them. If I could have, I would have stayed at Perk for four years.”
A short road trip from Biloxi to Perkinston in the spring of 1963 set Earl P. King Jr. on his life’s path. He had transferred to Biloxi High School from Terrebonne, La., the year before and wasn’t eligible to play football his senior year. King needed a good tryout to make Coach George Sekul’s football team. “I gave everything I had that spring day. I finished the tryout and looked up at Coach Sekul and said, ‘How’d I do?’ He said, ‘Sign here, kid.’ I thank God every day that I drove up Hwy. 49 for that tryout. Looking back, it was just one of those defining moments every person’s life needs.” King received a full football scholarship to Gulf Coast, which allowed him to afford college. In his freshman year, King played both sides of the ball, starting as a halfback on offense and cornerback on defense. In the season opener against Holmes, King defined his style of “hard- nose” running “blasting up the middle” with a 4-yard touchdown to seal the victory. “I just loved running over players. The coaches would always say, ‘It’s easier to run around someone,’ but I just loved running straight through someone,” King explains. On the defense, King showed earlier his ability to stay with the opposition. He helped secure a decisive victory over the East Mississippi Lions when he intercepted a pass and ran it back 40 yards for the TD. Along with lettering in football and track, King was also named as honorable mention to the 1963 All-State team.
King averaged 5.7 yards per carry and was selected first team All-State as a “halfback” and earned a full football scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. After a successful junior season as a starter at USM, King’s career path took a turn when an injury ended his football dreams. “It was then that I realized how important my college education at Perk was for my future. I knew I wasn’t going to be a pro athlete, but I was going to be a pro businessman.” Following in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his father, King had the ambition to start his own business. He returned to Louisiana with $2,700 in seed money, a college degree in marketing and the idea for a trucking company. Now, King Trucking Inc. has a vehicle fleet that crisscrosses the South every day and employs more than 50 people. “Many of the lessons I learned at Perk have been built into this company. Teamwork is important everywhere, not just on the football field. Also, the discipline I learned in the classroom helped me start and grow this business.” King calls Morgan City, La., home now and is grooming the second generation of Kings to run the family business. He was recently appointed by Louisiana’s governor to the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. Forty-one years after trying out for Coach Sekul, King says he’s still traveling the course set in front of him by that spring road trip “I’ve tried to show my appreciation to the college by supporting two scholarship programs. Not everyone can play football to go to college. I just want students to get the same chance I received at Gulf Coast. It really was the genesis of the person I am now.” “It was then I realized how important my college education at Perk was for my future. I knew I wasn’t going to be a pro athlete, but I was going to be a pro businessman.”
From the moment her dad converted a dirt patch in their yard to a basketball court by putting up a used goal, Kay James has loved shooting hoops and coaching players. “The goal had a backboard, so it was the best in the neighborhood. All the kids and I would play until it got dark. I’ve just grown up loving the game.” James’s feel and knowledge of the game allowed her to expand beyond her childhood court. She has coached on every level, from the pros at Madison Square Gardens in New York City to kindergartens at summer camps in Hattiesburg. Her first career-building step was in the fall of 1965 at the Perkinston Campus. “My twin brother Danny received a basketball scholarship from the college, and I followed him up here. Coach Sue Ross got me involved with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), since the college no longer had a women’s team. It was pretty informal. You supplied your own shoes, but at least I was playing.” James played basketball in an era when athletics and women’s roles in society were competing head to head. The Gulfport native still remembers clearly the stigma attached to female athletes. “People really had a problem seeing woman as feminine if they played a competitive sport. It’s rewarding to see how women’s athletics have progressed in my lifetime. Female athletes are so much more respected now.”
The following year, James transferred to Mississippi State College for Women, because it was the only four-year college in the state that supported women’s basketball. Her senior season, the team won the AAU national championship. After graduating, James realized the only way to stay involved with basketball was through coaching. She earned her master’s degree in 1970 and her first head coaching position a few months later. “The state of Georgia was starting a new physical education program geared toward high-school and college women. They needed female coaches. I didn’t have a lot of experience, but I had the education and was willing to move. It was the chance I needed.” And she made the most of her chance. While at Berry College, her teams won three state and regional titles and the Small College National Championship in 1976. The next year, James was lured back home with the offer to be the University of Southern Mississippi’s first full time women’s basketball coach. James spent the next 22 years coaching the Lady Eagles and became synonymous with women’s basketball throughout the country. During her tenure, James won five conference championships, made eight appearances in the Nation College Athletic Associations (NCAA) tournament (including a run into the Sweat 16), was named the conference’s Coach of the Year four times and received the NCAA’s highest coaching award in 1998. The summers were also busy for James, she coached on five Olympic qualifying basketball teams. She retired from coaching at USM in 1999 but two years later was part of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). James is now back in Hattiesburg working with the Christian-based Upwards Basketball League coaching third and fourth graders. “I didn’t retire from basketball; I just retired from USM. The most important part of basketball isn’t the wins and loses but the relationships you form with players and coaches. Besides, I have to keep practicing. I’m sure there is basketball in heaven. I’ve seen the pictures where the hoops are hanging over the angels’ heads.”
The first time Josh Wells ever strapped on a pair of shoulder pads and hit the grid iron was his junior year at Carver High School in Pascagoula. “I didn’t even know how to put the pants on right. I was the laughing stock of the locker room. But I knew I wanted to play.” Just three years later he was receiving national football recognition. Carver High School went on to win two conference titles, and Wells started receiving invitations from colleges. After a four-day try out at Gulf Coast, Coach George Sekul called him into the office. “Sekul said, ‘We are impressed with your ability, and we want you on this team, but there is a good chance you’ll be the only black athlete on the team. I just wanted you to know that before you made a decision.’ The idea was a little overwhelming, and I thought about it all night.” Wells made his decision the next day when he stepped into the huddle. “I’d been practicing with the first team all week, and we had already started to bond. I knew then I didn’t want to leave these guys.”
To drive home the point, Sekul avowed, “I don’t mean just junior colleges. I mean all state colleges, junior college, universities all of them.” For Wells part, he says, “I didn’t come to Perk for any state wide distinctions. I came to play football and win. Coach Sekul and staff treated me as a regular student athlete, and the students always saw me as just a member of the team.” As a starting freshman, Wells was an offensive tackle weighing just 192 pounds. What he lacked in size he made up for in pure strength. “I had my own off-season workout plan. I worked as a longshoreman on the docks in Pascagoula carrying huge bags of fertilizer all day starting at the age of 18. That’s a good upper body workout.” The 1967 team flexed its offensive muscle throughout the season, scoring more than 50 points per game against two opponents and at least 30 points in each of six other games. The team went on to crush Pearl River and win the state title. Wells was named All-State honorable mention and a letterman. In his sophomore season, Wells played on the other side of the ball. The Bulldog defense dominated shutting out four teams and held three other teams to less than seven points each game. Despite going 9-1, Wells still remembers the 1968 season with some regret. “The loss to Jones for the state title still hurts to this day. I injured my back a few games before. I just couldn’t get my energy level up. I truly think we were better coached and more talented.” After the season, Wells earned first team All-State honors and an honorable mention as an All-American. He played two more years of college football at Southeast Louisiana University on scholarship and was named All-Conference twice. After trying college coaching for a year, Wells branched out from football into several other fields. He was a supervisor at Ingalls Shipyard, a certified police officer in Moss Point and Orlando, Fla., and is currently an industrial construction manager for projects around the world. “Looking back now, I realize Perk and college are where I learned the basic skills for my adult life. I still consider my Perk teammates my true friends, and I try to keep up with as many of them as I can.”
The low roar of Bulldog football fans along with the soft glow of stadium lights were easy to hear and see from Henry Rath’s childhoodhome. It was only a short walk from his home to the Perkinston Campus and during football season Rath made sure the path was well beaten. “For the longest time, I never knew you could play football anywhere else but Perk. It was a goal of mine to play football for Perk from the second grade.” Before he could put on a Bulldog uniform, Rath was a Bullpup at Perkinston Agricultural High School. He took advantage of every opportunity to represent Perk playing three sports - track, basketball and, of course, football. He delighted his mother almost every week when his name made the paper. “She kept every one of those articles from the Daily Herald. She was a Perk grad as well, attending in the 1930’s. She even played basketball for the college. Perk has always been part of our family’s tradition.” For Rath, the Bullpups best season came in 1955 when the team went 9-1 and ended the season with a win in the Dairy Bowl against Notre Dame Biloxi.
Rath made an easy transition to college football and was a starter his freshman season. In his first game, Rath added another page to his mother’s scrapbook when he caught the game-tying pass and was described as “literally exploding his way over for the score as two Bobcats sought desperately to restrain him.” Despite the team’s struggles, Rath was named All-State second team and lettered in football and track his freshman year. The Bulldogs were much improved in Rath’s sophomore season going 7-3. Even after missing one game with a shoulder injury, Rath still led the team in rushing with 5.2 yards per carry and was the state’s top punter. Rath was named an All-American and All-State Honorable Mention. He received three scholarships to play football but in a twist never actually graduated from Perk. “I tell people all the time, I’m the only person to be on the Perk Campus for five and half years and not to graduate. I decided to go to Memphis State and their coach wanted me to report immediately, so I finished my degree there.” Rath earned a spot as a starter his second year at Memphis State and was named “Player of the Week” four times. After earning a Bachelor’s degree, Rath was offered a tryout with the Green Bay Packers but, instead, chose to take his first full-time coaching job as an assistant at Northwest Junior College. Rath remained in coaching for the next 17 years. He was a head football coach and athletic director for three different high schools before becoming an assistant coach at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1970. He earned a Master’s degree from USM and made the transition into educational administration. Rath served as principal at three high schools during the 80’s and was elected superintendent of the Stone County School system in 1992. Rath is officially retired after 40 years of service to the state’s education system but continues to stay busy with consulting work around the state. “Perk set me on my path. From the beginning, I knew I was going to college and was going to get an education. So much of my life is tied to Perk. I met my wife, Jeanette, there and I discovered my life’s ambitions there. “
Since Joseph Brockhoff was a 15-year-old working with a New Orleans youth baseball team, he has known coaching would be part of his life. “From an earlier age, I’ve understood baseball and wanted to pass that knowledge along. It’s a game of extreme fundamentals. Talent is important, but I still believe hard work will overcome most odds.” Before this Metairie, La. native became a nationally known coach; he learned the game as a player on every level. His senior year at East Jefferson High School, he was named All-Prep as a catcher. After graduation, Brockhoff made his own way to Perkinston Junior College. “I just came up for a visit. I wasn’t even being recruited by the college. When I left the campus, Coach Mel Carpenter had me feel so welcome and I knew that’s where I wanted to play baseball.” As a freshman, Brockhoff was a starter in right field. Despite not being behind the plate, Brockhoff made his presence known at the plate. He displayed versatility with the bat in two games against the Jones Bobcats. Brockhoff sealed a win in the first game with a three run homer and laid down two squeeze bunts to tie the second game. Carpenter’s 1957 club went on to win the state title.
“That was a big moment for me in several ways. Of course, winning the game but there was a Yankee scout in the stands. It was one of the reasons I was invited to a tryout in Hattiesburg.” Their winning streak came to an end against East Mississippi in a one game showdown for the state championship. Brockhoff still remembers the game’s turning points. “It’s still a disappointment. If I could get the guys together I’d replay that game tomorrow. I really believe we were the better team. I do think that game was a reason the state went to a playoff system.” Brockhoff finished the season hitting .340 and was named the team’s Most Outstanding Player. He was drafted by the Yankees and spent two years in the team’s farm system. After earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Brockhoff made the transition to coaching. He returned to his high school alma mater in 1968 as head baseball coach. It took only a few seasons for Brockhoff’s philosophy of fundamentals and hard work to pay off. His teams won back-to-back state championships in 1971 and 1972 and four district titles. After being named New Orleans’ High School Coach of the Year, the University of Tulane offered Brockhoff its first full-time position as head baseball coach. Over the next 19 seasons he laid the foundation for a nationally recognized program. He led the Green Wave to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament seven times and 3 conference titles. He retired from Tulane in 1993 and is still the program’s most winning coach with a record of 641 wins. Brockhoff says his success at Tulane was shaped by his time at Perk. “My two years at Perk were pivotal to my life. It gave me the opportunity to grow. Now, my son Brian is playing for the Bulldog Baseball team. It’s hard to over emphasize the effect the college has had on our family.” |
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 © 2003 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Last Modified: September 7, 2004 4:21 PM Email Webmaster: keith.lee@mgccc.edu |
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Ernest
R.Schroeder
“Ernie
was competing against 6’5”-6’6” guys every game.
This is where his intelligence and competitiveness was utilized. Not only
was he an outstanding athlete, but he was one of the smartest players
I’ve coached,” Carpenter says.
Earl
P. King Jr.
By
his sophomore season, King’s use of power and quickness was obvious
to all opposing coaches. He broke the 100 yard mark twice that season
with 111 yards against Jones and 134 yards against East Central. The Daily
Herald described him as an “animal” who was “hard to
bring down on the run”.
Diana
Kay James
While
at Perk, James also played tennis, the only Mississippi junior college
sport sanctioned for women at that time. In 1967, James along with her
partner, Nancy Vogle, won the state’s doubles title, which was a
key reason the team won the overall state championship.
Josh
M. Wells Jr.
With
that decision, Wells became the first African American to earn an athletic
scholarship at Gulf Coast. A few days later, Glenn Larkin and Morris Richardson,
also recruits from Carver H.S., made the team’s final cut. According
to Coach Sekul, these three players became the first African Americans
in state history to play for a previously all white state college.
Henry
Willis Rath
“In
those days, high-school teams dreamed of local bowl games. We weren’t
even expected to stay close in the game with Notre Dame. The stands were
packed and somehow we found a way to win. “
Joseph
Edward Brockhoff
Brockhoff’s
best season was in 1958, along with an amazing 14 game team winning streak.
Only three games into the season, Brockhoff had a defining moment hitting
the game-winning homerun over Hinds in the 11th inning.