Induction Class Of 1997

Arguably the finest female athlete in the history of the school, Cathy excelled in swimming, basketball and softball.

In the pool, she set a record (since broken) in the 100-yard backstroke while, on the softball diamond, she was an outstanding center-fielder and daring base-runner who went on to win league and Standard-Times All-Star honors.

But her best sport was basketball and, in three seasons, led her team to a combined record of 43-4.

Cathy went on to enjoy a successful collegiate career, starting at Emmanuel College and finishing with three outstanding seasons at UMass Dartmouth, where she is currently the women's head basketball coach.

As a player under head coach Bob Parker, Matos established himself as arguably the best high school all-around soccer player of all time.

With Matos leading the way, New Bedford captured three league championships and Eastern

Massachusetts titles in his junior and senior years.

After graduating from the University of West Virginia where he earned All-America honors in 1973 and '74, Matos was the first player chosen in the American Soccer League Draft. He went on to play professionally for the Philadelphia Atom and New England Teamen in the North American Soccer League as well as the Rhode Island Oceaneers of the American Soccer League.

Matos has been a teacher in the New Bedford Public School System since 1977 and has coached the New Bedford boys' soccer team since that time.

The 1969 graduate played football, basketball and baseball for three years. In football he was a quarterback. In basketball he played guard and in baseball, he was among the top pitchers in the state in his final two seasons.

His all-around talents were recognized when he was voted the Athlete of the Decade at New Bedford High.

After graduating from American International College in 1975 where he played football and baseball, Tom signed a major league contract with the Red Sox and went on to be named the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Unfortunately, Farias was forced to retire prematurely because of an arm injury.

The 6-3 scoring machine propelled his team to a couple of Greater Boston League championships in the late 1960s. He also was a former Tech Tournament Most Valuable Player, despite playing on a runner-up team.

Barao closed out his high school career by ranking as the school's all-time scoring leader.

One of the most heavily-recruited athletes in school history, Barao eventually accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Wisconsin but later transferred to the University of Rhode Island from where he graduated.

In addition to basketball, he also excelled on the soccer pitch as a goalie and was a smooth-hitting, slick-fielding, left-handed first baseman with the baseball team.

He was the dominant cross country and track figure of his era. During the 1950s, he captured more than a dozen major individual titles, including both the New England cross country and New England outdoor one-half mile championships. He left school having set records in the 300 (32.8), 440 (50.3), 600 (1:13.5), 880 (1:55.7) and 1000 (2:17.2).

John also excelled on the soccer field and on the basketball court and in 1958, was recognized as the top performer in Greater New Bedford by The Standard-Times.

It was the final season of coaching for the legendary Win Dodge, and Watkins made sure it ranked among the coach's more successful ones. 

Watkins scored 19 touchdowns to rank second in the Bristol County scoring race. The effort also helped New Bedford win 9 of 10 games and finish runner-up to Gloucester in the final State Class B rankings.

His senior year was a little less memorable but despite the discomfort of a nagging knee injury and the headache of learning a new offense under first-year head coach Amos Taylor, Watkins tallied 44 points. He also capped his high school career but leading the Crimson to an upset victory over heavily-favored Durfee on Thanksgiving Day. 

During his senior year, Watkins caught the eyes of several college coaches, including those of Woody Hayes, the rookie head coach at Ohio State. And, in the summer of 1951, Watkins said "thanks. but no thanks" to such schools as Fordham, UConn, Holy Cross, Boston University and Brandeis to become a Buckeye.

He joined the varsity team late in his freshman year, after having opened the season with the JV team. In his three-plus seasons with the Buckeyes, Watkins compiled an impressive biography:

•  All-Big 10 and All-Midwest selection as a junior in 1953.
•  Honorable mention on Associated Press, and International News Service All America teams.
•  Third-team selection on The Sporting News and Mr. Z's All-America team.
• AP and Big 10 "Back of the Week" for scoring four touchdowns in a 33-19 rout of California in a 1953 nationally televised games.
• Fourth in the nation in rushing with 875 yards as a junior helping him finish in a tie for sixth-place in scoring with 66 points.

Watkins was a second round draft pick of the Chicago Bears and, in 1955, became the first black member of the NFL's storied franchise. He enjoyed a five-year professional career with both the Bears and Chicago Cardinals.

Here is a look at the other Hall of Fame inductees.

"Starch" was one of the greatest all-around athletes to wear the red and white uniform of New Bedford. Between 1939 and 1942, he earned nine varsity letters in three sports — baseball (4), basketball (3) and football

(2) He was a captain in every sport and a three-year captain in basketball.

He was an All-Tournament selection in basketball for three consecutive postseasons, a four-year All-Bristol County League choice in baseball and became the first New Bedford athlete to perform on state championship teams in football and basketball. 

Grabiec went on to coach basketball at New Bedford and became the first player in school history to win a Tech Tournament as a player and coach, after coaching the 1961 team to the title.

People knew the late coach as "Win" and, as a three-sport mentor at New Bedford from 1932-1950, that's usually what he did.

His football teams won numerous Bristol County League championships and were a combined 47-10-3 against rivals Durfee, New Bedford Vocational and Fairhaven. His 1941 team won a state championship.

His basketball teams posted an overall record of 248-99 and twice his teams went on to capture Tech Tournament titles.

Dodge was elected to both the basketball and football Coaches' Hall of Fame in Massachusetts as well as the Football Coaches' Hall of Fame in Rhode Island.