Induction Class Of 2001

Michelle (Girard) Sparks a 1985 graduate was a four-year member of the track and field program whose performance proved her status as one of the school's all-time greats. She accomplished this despite having to overcome a variety of season-threatening injuries that she had throughout her career.

During her junior year, Michelle was the Class A 440-yard champion. As a senior, she recorded the ninth fastest time in the country in the 660-yard run (1:27.3) during the indoor season. That same season, she finished fourth in the 600-yard run in the Eastern States Championship as well as finishing ninth in the 880-yard run at the Indoor Nationals.

Upon graduation, Michelle enrolled in Georgetown University where she was a four-year varsity performer. Her performances at this level placed her in the upper echelon of middle-distance runners in the Big East Conference. Representing Georgetown, she participated in the Texas Relays, Penn Relays, and the NCAA Division | Championship meet. Recognized as an Arthur Anderson Scholar, she graduated from Georgetown with a B.S. in Business Administration and is a C.P.A.

Today, Michelle and her husband Jim have relocated from Hong Kong to the USA with their children Jordan, their nine-month-old daughter, and Jack, their eighteen-month-old son. While in Hong Kong, Michelle started a company, Net Dimensions, which is a software company that she will continue to operate from their new home in Redondo Beach, California.

Scott Allen as a New Bedford High School athlete had an incredible love for his chosen sport, ice hockey. Hockey has been his passion and his means of earning a living. In short, aside from his family, hockey has been Scott's life.

This 1984 graduate "cut his teeth" in the sport of ice hockey in New Bedford at the Hetland Rink. A three-year varsity performer for the Whalers, he scored five goals in one game as a sophomore. As a senior, Scott was captain, the top scorer (19 goals and 28 assists) and an all-star in the now defunct SMC Division I.

Scott's first major career decision was to postpone college. In lieu of accepting one of the many college offers, Scott traveled to Seattle to play in the West Coast Junior Hockey League. Scott has since played professionally throughout North America for a total of ten years.

Scott has now made the transition from player to coach. He is currently the head coach of the Johnstown (Pa.) Chiefs of the Eastern Hockey League. The Chiefs have affiliations with both the Calgary Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.

Scott and his wife Traci met during his second year of junior hockey while playing for Waterloo, Iowa in the U.S. Hockey League. They have two young daughters. Mackenzie and Camryn.... Hockey has certainly been a major influence on Scott's life.

Jose Rocha arrived at New Bedford High School in February of 1981. He was a sixteen year old sophomore who spoke two languages, Portuguese and the language of a national-caliber distance runner: extremely committed, tough as nails, with the heart of a champion.

In cross country, Joe was a high school All American based upon his performance at the Kinney National Championships in Orlando, Florida. He set school records in the two mile both indoors (9:13.8) and outdoors (9:09.9), as well as the 5000 meters (14:41.0). His time for the 5000 was the fastest in the country by a high school student. He won the Class A title in the two mile run during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as well as the State and New England titles during the spring season. The Boston Globe honored him as an All-State performer in cross country and track. He was the Globe's track athlete of the year in 1983. He was also recognized by Runner's World Magazine as a member of their super team for the 1983 season.

He culminated his high school career by not only winning the Wayne Souza Athlete of the Year Award but also the James Murphy Award for academic excellence! Joe continued his education at Boston College where he was a three-time NCAA All American. Added to this are: Big East Champion (cross country): ICAAAA champion (5000m); and the Penn Relays champion (10,000m. and fastest time in the country that year). Upon graduation, Joe left BC as the school's Athlete of the Year 1988 and has also been recognized as its Big East Track & Field Athlete of the Decade and is a member of the Boston College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Today, Joe lives, teaches, and coaches track and cross country in Peabody, MA. He is married to the former Gina Braz. They have three children: Catarina, Marcel and Claudio.

A 1976 graduate, Wayne Souza established himself as one of the all-time great athletic talents ever to compete for the Whalers. Wayne participated in football and track. Under Coach Bruce MacPherson, Wayne's talent and versatility were displayed in a variety of positions. Playing quarterback as a senior, Wayne was moved at mid-season to a running back position. He responded by rushing for 337 yards and scoring four touchdowns in the next two games which resulted in two Whaler victories.

In the sport of track and field, Wayne could do just about everything. As a senior he was the Class A champion in the 220-yard dash (22.2) as well as the Class A runner-up in the high jump (6'7"). He also participated in the long jump (21 + feet), shot put (45') and threw the discus over 130 feet. Wayne led the Dick Ponte coached track team to the Class A and All-State Championship. In recognition, Wayne was named the school's Athlete of the Year.

Upon graduation, Wayne accepted a football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. He quickly established himself as one of the Badger's blue-chip athletes continuing his display of talent and versatility. The ninth leading receiver in the Big Ten, he keyed a sterling comeback against Purdue scoring a touchdown and catching a pass for the two-point conversion to tie the game.

The promise of an impressive Senior year as a Badger and expectations by the coaching staff of U of W that Wayne would be drafted by the NFL were not to pass. Unfortunately, Wayne lost his life in a drowning accident that summer. Wayne's memory is kept alive through the Wayne Souza Memorial Athlete of the Year Award. Yes, the award that he won in 1976 now bears his name.

It was fortunate for the New Bedford High School track and field program that Dennis Rock and Dick Ponte's paths crossed in a physical education class. Without fate intervening, the state of Massachusetts would have waited a few more years before it saw its first sub-14-second-high hurdler!

As a junior he began his career, finishing 3rd in Class A and 5th in the All-State Meet. Just a beginning.

hurdles. No hurdler in Massachusetts had ever broken 14 seconds before "the Roadrunner". He was the Class A indoor champion in the 45-yard-high hurdles an event for which he holds the school record (5.7). He was the outdoor Class A as well as the New England champion in the 120-yard-high hurdles, holding the New England meet record record.at (14.1). Dennis also held the 50-yard, 100 yard, and 120-yard low hurdles school records when he graduated. His time of 13.9 (120HH) is still the school record today.

Upon graduation in 1974, Dennis accepted a scholarship to Penn State where he was coached by the legendary Harry Groves. He and 1976 Olympic Silver Medalist (400m intermediate hurdles behind Edwin Moses) Mike Shine teamed up to provide the Nitanny Lions with a powerful 1-2 punch in both the hurdles and sprinting events. They combined in 1976 to set the Penn Relays shuttle hurdles record. Dennis graduated in 1978 with a B.S. in Physical Education and Health.

Today, Dennis lives in Carrollton, VA with his wife Michele (former New Bedford native Michele LaPlantel. They have one son, Jason (JD) who will be entering high school in the fall. Dennis is a branch manager for Motion Industries.

The name Steve Caton must be mentioned when the discussion is centered around who possessed the smoothest, classic middle distance running style in New Bedford High School history. His running form was picture perfect; a stride that propelled Steve into the high school record books on numerous occasions during his career.

provided the punctuation mark to an absolutely fantastic high school career.

In that year, he was the Class A champion in the 1000-yard run during the indoor season; captured the 880-yard run in the Class A and State meets during the outdoor season; won the Eastern States Championship which during the 70's amounted to being the National Champion. His time for this event was 2:14.5 for 1000 yards, the fastest time in the country posted by a high school student, and he did it on a flat armory floor!

This undefeated senior year, complete with state championships, school records and nation leading times garnered Steve high school All American honors leading to numerous scholarship offers. The scholarship offers brought Steve to Georgetown University where as a freshman he posted such times as 1:48 in the 880-yard run. It led him to such venues as Madison Square Garden and the Milrose Games as well as Franklin Field and the Penn Relays. Unfortunately, Steve paid dearly for his efforts, a degenerative knee condition cut short his career.

Steve graduated from Georgetown with a degree in Business. Today, Steve is almost ready to introduce Southeastern Massachusetts to the sport of rock climbing. His facility, Carabiner, located between Keith Junior High School and the High School is slated to open in the near future.

Richard Ponte has been associated with New Bedford High School athletics for virtually his entire lifetime. He has been affiliated with the Whalers as an athlete, and as a coach as well as the school's Director of Athletics, Health and Physical Education.

As an athlete, Dick was a three-sport varsity performer. He was a lineman on a stellar New Bedford football team in the fifties, played basketball as well as compete in the shot put in spring track. Upon graduation in 1960 he attended Southern Connecticut State College where he continued his athletic career as a member of the school's football program. He graduated in 1964 with a BS in Health and Physical Education.

Dick returned to the New Bedford Public School System as a physical education teacher and coach. He was the Head Track Coach from 1967-78. His 1976 spring track team captured the Class A and the All-State titles. He also served as an assistant football coach as well as the school's head Cross Country Coach 1975-77.

It is as the school's Athletic Director (1982 - present) that Dick Ponte has had the most far-reaching impact. Under his direction, eighteen additional teams have been added during these past nineteen years. Seven new sports, Gymnastics, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball (boys), Soccer (girls), Cross Country (girls), and Indoor Track (girls) have become a part of the school's varsity athletic program.

Dick has two children, Christy, who lives in San Francisco, and Steve, who lives in Cambridge. They are both directors of residential group homes.

Mr. Everything! One of the most heavily recruited athletes ever to come out of S. E.

Massachusetts. Ernie excelled on the gridiron, diamond and in the classroom.

Fine did it all, he ran, threw, caught kicked and tackled his way to stardom. Among his many highlights was a tremendous 275-yard rushing and five touchdown effort in less than three quarters against NB Voke (48 - 0)! He is also in the record book for his amazing seventy-nine-yard punt against arch-rival Durfee High School. As a quarterback, he threw a winning seventy-yard touchdown against Walpole in a rain drenched 7-6 game.

He did it all so well that his efforts were rewarded with All Bristol County and All State honors. His career exploits earned him entrance into the first group of inductees of the New Bedford High Gridiron Club Hall of Fame.

 In baseball Ernie had similar success. A three-year starter whose teams winning percentage exceeded .800 (35 wins - 8 losses), he had a lifetime batting average of .333. In his senior year, he led his state tournament team (14 - 1) with an outstanding .388 batting average. His versatility showed as "Tarzan", in addition to his hitting prowess, was a great pitcher with a .900 winning percentage (9 - 1)! For his efforts in baseball, he earned All Bristol County honors in both his junior and senior years.

Ernie received the coveted Alfred P. Sloan National Scholarship to Dartmouth College. He later graduated from Duke University Law School and practiced law in Rhode Island. Following a successful law career, he was appointed to a State Judgeship in 1986 and was eventually appointed to a Federal Judgeship by President Ronald Reagan. 

Today, the Chief Rhode Island District Federal Judge resides in Rhode Island with his wife Jan They are the proud parents of Ernest, Russel and Laura and the grandparents of three little Torres. He is the son of Hall of Famer Ernest "Big Tarzan" Torres.

A truly amazing athlete, Ernie excelled in both football and baseball. An All-Bristol County football player, Ernie teamed with Clarry Haskell, Joe Guisti, Logie & Warpie Doane, Johnny Fonseca and Jim Pickett under the guidance of Coach James Murphy. This era of football was perhaps the most productive years for N.B.H.S. football; 26 straight regular season wins. "Tarzan" Torres never played for a N.B.H.S. football team that lost! His two-way play was a key factor for this stunning achievement.

A big game player, Ernie will be remembered for his eighty-five-yard touchdown run against Durfee in 1932 to win the game. Ernie went on to have a brilliant post high school career playing semi-pro for the Murphy Club and the highly respected Hyannis All-Stars.

As outstanding a career in football as he had, many argue that his baseball play was even more outstanding! His baseball heroics earned him two years of All-Bristol County honors. His career batting average was a very impressive .459, his power stats show an unheard of .745 slugging average! Ernie went on to play in various baseball leagues during the depression years, earning dollars for his talent.

Mr. Torres married his high school sweetheart, the late Hilda, and has two children, Judge Ernest Torres and Janet Venice. He also has five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Today, Mr. Torres, a retired Captain from the New Bedford Fire Department, lives an active life in his beloved city of New Bedford.