Manatee High School Hall Of Honors

2016 Inaugural MHS Athletic Hall of Honor Inductee

Class of 1963 - Joseph Francis "Joe" Kinnan, Jr. - Coach

Joe was the same kind of football player that he wanted all his players to be. He was a two year starter on the football team where he played offensive and defensive guard under Head Coach Wheeler Leeth and Bob Stewart. Manatee was 8 – 2 and won the Western Conference championship in 1962. The team lost its opener 20-7 to Sarasota but bounced back quickly. Two weeks later, Joe recovered three fumbles against Tampa Chamberlain, the 1961 mythical state champion, and the Canes pulled off a 7 - 6 upset. The Canes held 8 opponents to a touchdown or less and won the school’s first WC title in 6 years. Joe was responsible for a lot of that defense. Joe was one of four MHS players who were named All-Western Conference. In the 1962-63 school years, he received varsity letters in 3 categories. A red “M” for athletics, a white “M” for academics and a blue “M” for music. Kinnan won five state titles (1983,1985,1989,1992 and 2011) and 290 games as the head coach at Manatee High School, in the Bay Area as he built a program regularly ranked among the best in the nation. Kinnan had a 290-72 record in 29 seasons as coach. He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame and, in 2007, was one of 12 coaches named to the Florida All-Century High School coaching staff for the first 100 years of prep football in the state. In 2013, he won the voting for the top high school coach in Florida in a USA Today contest. His record of accomplishments is definitely impressive and his legacy will always be remembered at MHS. Lastly Joe was with the University of South Florida Bulls Football Team as a Consultant. Joe now enjoys a well earned retirement.

2018 MHS Athletic Hall Of Honor Inductee

Class Of 1963 - Edwin Raymond "Ed" Mahoney - Student Athlete

Ed enrolled at MHS as a junior from Gary, Indiana in 1961 and started as a junior on the MHS Conference Championship and State Qualifying team. He averaged 15 points per game, was All Conference and voted MVP in basketball. In 1962 the team was Conference Champion and State Qualifying. Ed averaged 26.5 points per game and was voted one of the ten best players in the State of Florida. Ed still holds MHS single game scoring record of 49 points. He was All Conference and All State in basketball and voted MHS MVP in basketball two years in a row. Ed ran track and in his Jr. year was runner up in 440 in State while never losing a race in the 100, 220 and 440 during the regular season. He broke state records in the 440 six times including at the state meet. In his senior year, the team was Conference Champions and he broke the state record in 440 another 5 times and ran a 48.6 school record in the Clearwater Invitational. He was undefeated in 100, 220 and 400, and was voted MVP in track two years in a row. In addition to his abilities in basketball and track, while at MHS, Ed was a member of the baseball team, Key Club, “M” Club, Senior Notable, Inter-Club Council, Anchor Club Admiral Court and graduated with high honors. Ed received his bachelor’s degree from University of Florida where he played and lettered in basketball and track. He is listed as one of the top 440 runners in the country by Track and Field magazine. Athletics ran in the Mahoney family as Ed’s Mother was a professional golfer and his Father was a professional boxer. Ed lives in Granite Bay, CA and was nominated by Joe Kinnan, Class of 1963.

2019 MHS Athletic Hall Of Honor Inductee

Class Of 1963 Gary Dean Trapp - Student Athletic

Gary arrived in Bradenton in 1951 and after attending Ballard Elementary and Walker Jr. High, he became a part of MHS Class of 1963. While playing number one on the boys tennis team his sophomore year and basketball all three years, he switched to his first love – baseball – starting in his junior year. Gary became the ace pitcher on the 1962 Western Conference Championship baseball team and leading hitter and pitcher of 1963 Florida State championship team. He was also a key player on the 1962 American Legion State Championship team. Gary earned a baseball scholarship to Manatee Junior College and University of South Florida where he pitched the first shutout in school history. After college, tennis again became his first sport and he was able to become the number one ranked tennis player in Florida in several of the adult age group categories. He was also able to obtain top 10 ranking in many age groups in the sport of racquetball. Gary has managed his CPA practice in Bradenton for the last 40 years, has 3 children, seven grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Gary was nominated by his brother, Richard Trapp.

2021 MHS Athletic Hall Of Honor Inductee

Class Of 1963 Charles William Willey - Student Athletic

Charles William Willey was nominated by Jill Hershfield, is a graduate of MHS Class of 1963 and is being posthumously inducted as a student athlete for football and baseball. Charles was a member of the 1962 Western Conference Championship Football and Baseball Teams. On the football team, he played defensive back his first 2 years and defensive back, running back and quarterback his final year. Near the end of the 1961 football season, the ‘Canes were playing in St. Pete against Northeast High Vikings. The ‘Canes were leading 20-6 and the Vikings were on the ‘Canes 5 yard line. On the final play, the NorthEast quarterback threw a sideline pass to a Viking receiver and the fans sat in disbelief as Charles intercepted the pass and began his long run to the endzone. When the horn sounded signifying the end of the game, the play had not been completed yet. Not realizing the game wasn’t really over, an MHS cheerleader started running out on the field to congratulate Charles who was running toward the endzone trailed by four Northeast players. Fortunately, Charles cut to the left and the cheerleader never got to “throw the block” she looked poised and ready for. On the baseball team, Charles played infield and pitched and was All Conference in 1963 while helping the team with the 1963 State Championship. The baseball team was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor in the Inaugural Class of 2016. He also played on Post 24 American Legion team for 8 years and was a member of the Legions 1962 State Championship Team. After graduation in 1963, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds and played minor league baseball for 2 years. Charles graduated from University of Georgia with a BA in Advertising Public Relations in 1968 and finished his MA program in Communications at the University of Wisconsin in 1980. Charles entered the United States Army in 1969 where he proudly served for 23 years retiring in 1992 as a Lieutenant Colonel. In Germany he was a Pershing 1A battery Commander and a primary planning officer for the deployment of Pershing II nuclear missiles in West Germany. The successful deployment led to the signing of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987. Returning to the states, he served at the Pentagon and at Ft. McPherson, GA where he was a public information officer for Army Central Command. After retirement, Charles was a spokesperson for Georgia Department of Veterans Service and Georgia Department of Revenue. Charles was notified that he had been chosen for induction into the 2021 Athletic Hall of Honor on 10/20/2020 and we’re very happy we were able to speak to him and share the good news before his death just a few days later. His daughters, Kerri Campbell and Laura White accepted the award for their father.