Induction CLass Of 2026

 Nicknamed “The Franchise” by her soccer coach, Joe Gill, Alyssa Roach ’11 was a standout
athlete immediately upon her arrival on the New Bedford High School campus as a freshman.
She was a varsity athlete in fall (soccer), winter (basketball) and spring (track and field)
throughout her years as a Whaler.

In the fall, Alyssa was a three-time Big Three All Star in the sport of soccer. Over her four-
year career, the girls’ soccer team recorded an overall record of 40-18-6 with the team qualifying
for the MIAA tournament all four years and were co-champs of the Big Three during her
sophomore year. She concluded her soccer career with a four-year total of 64 goals and 18
assists and was named the Standard-Times Player of the Year.

During the winter months, Alyssa was a four-time Big Three All Star who was named to the
Boston Globe Super Team as a senior. Her senior year saw Alyssa average 18.7 points a game
and lead her team to a 20-0 regular season record. That team finished with a 24-1 record after
winning the South Sectional title with a razor-thin victory (47-46) over Mansfield with her
trey with under two minutes remaining giving the Whalers the lead for good before falling in
the state semi-finals to Andover held at the T.D. Bank Garden. During her final three years, the
varsity recorded an overall record of 60-9. Alyssa graduated second on the girls’ all-time
career scoring list with 1284 points behind fellow Hall of Famer Gretchen Rodrigues.

In the spring months, Alyssa joined the track and field team as a means of staying in shape for
her two primary sports but immediately became a valuable member of the program that won
three Big Three championships. She regularly ran the 200 and 400-meters as well as the relays
but also took on the challenge of competing in the 400-meter hurdles as her primary event. She
still ranks number two all-time on the school’s top ten in the 400m hurdles.

At the end of the year, the Standard Times named Alyssa the area’s Girls’ Athlete of the Year.
She was also named the school’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Alyssa graduated from American International College with a bachelor’s degree in
interdisciplinary sciences. She was a four-year starter in basketball for the Yellowjackets and
scored over one thousand points in her collegiate career.

Today, Alyssa resides in Boston. She has furthered her education by gaining her nursing degree
and has since received her master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner from MCPHS. Alyssa
works on a medical surgical unit. 

Nick Pontes ’05 was a three-year varsity basketball player for the Whalers. While at New Bedford High School, the 6’7” athlete also played one year of ice hockey (think Zdeno Chara on skates) and two years of baseball.

But it was on the basketball court where Nick is most remembered. Nick was a key piece on the varsity immediately as a sophomore when he averaged over ten points a game during his first season on the varsity. By junior year, his young New Bedford varsity team was starting to play “Whaler Basketball” as the squad posted a 13–7 regular season record with Nick averaging over fourteen points a game while being named a Big Three Conference All Star. The team advanced all the way to the South Sectional semifinals during his junior year.

The 2004–05 senior year was an outstanding season for Nick and the Whalers. The team recorded a 19–1 regular season record. Home games had in excess of 3000 spectators cramming into the Beardsworth-Gonsalves gymnasium and the Whalers were on a collision course with rival Newton North as the two best teams in Massachusetts. Nick averaged over nineteen points per game, shooting over fifty percent from the floor! He also almost averaged double figures in rebounds as well. In his final game as a Whaler (a heartbreaking loss to Newton North 88–84), Nick scored twenty-nine points pushing his career total to 1002 which still ranks seventh all time in school history. He joins fellow New Bedford High School Hall of Famers Marcus Wills, Tom Barro, Roger Lewis, Dante Balestraci, Brian Rudolph and Steve Wynn on the 1000 point list. Based on his senior year, Nick was named to both the Boston Herald and Globe (Super Team) All-Scholastic Teams. He was recognized as the best player in the area by being named the Courier News Player of the Year and best in the state by being named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. Nick was also a McDonald’s All Star nominee and played in the Coca-Cola All Star game.

Nick went on to play at Bryant University where as a freshman he was named to the Northeast-10 All Rookie team. He was part of Bryant’s transition from a D2 school to D1 and was part of Bryant’s first Division One victory.

Today, Nick resides in Fairhaven and is engaged to Ashley Ambrose. He has three children Sophia (14), Julian (9) and Emery (6). He is Vice-President of Pontes Excavating Company.

Tim Walsh ’00 shares a love for New Bedford High School that runs deep throughout the Walsh family. His great uncle Paul was a long-time school committee member who starred on the gridiron and is a member of this Hall of Fame and shares membership in the Gridiron Hall of Fame with Tim, his dad Pat ’70 and brother Ryan ’02 (also a member of this HOF). His younger brothers Pat and Mike were also standout athletes at New Bedford as well, and his mother, Heidi, was a New Bedford High School majorette.

Tim was a three-season athlete but is best known for his success on the football field that bears his great uncle’s name. He was a four-year starter on some of the best varsity football teams that the high school has seen. Starting as a freshman in football is something that very few Whaler athletes have ever accomplished, and being a two-way starter (tight end and defensive end) for three years is an unusual feat. Tim played in two Super Bowls (sophomore and senior years), was a three-year Big Three All-Star, and was named a Boston Globe and Herald All-Scholastic as a senior. He was a team captain of Head Coach Wayne Hamlet’s 1999 football team and was named the offensive player of the year. For his efforts, he was selected to play in the Shriners All-Star Game and was selected to the Tom Lemming Magazine All-American team.

In the winter months, Tim was a two-year varsity member of Ed Rodrigues’ basketball program. During his junior and senior years, the varsity recorded a 30–12 overall team record. He was known as a tough, hard-nosed player who contributed to the team’s success in many ways that didn’t always show up in the box score. In the spring months, Tim spent time on both the track and baseball teams. His sophomore year, he was part of the baseball team coached by John Seed that captured the Massachusetts D1 Championship.

Tim went on to Lafayette College where he was a four-year member of the school’s varsity Division One football program. A three-year starter, he recorded 55 receptions and scored eight touchdowns; one of those touchdowns came during his junior year when Lafayette beat rival Lehigh for the school’s first win over Lehigh in seven years.

Today, Tim resides in New Bedford with his wife Melissa (also a Lafayette graduate and two-time field hockey All-American) and their children William (11), Aidan (9), and Lily (6). He is very proud that his children all attend New Bedford Public Schools. Tim is an attorney with Markey and Walsh, which is also located in New Bedford

Janelle Ferguson-Watson ’96 was a standout multi-sport athlete whose high school career was marked by excellence in basketball, track and field, and volleyball, while also maintaining strong academic achievement. On the basketball court, Watson earned Honorable Mention Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors as both a junior and senior and was selected as a Big Three Basketball All-Star during her junior and senior seasons. She graduated as the school’s all-time leader in rebounds (514). Her leadership and impact on the game were further recognized when she received the Dave Cowens Award in 1996, an honor given to the school’s top basketball player.

Throughout her high school career, Janelle was also recognized among the league’s elite athletes, earning Big Three All-Star selections all four years - freshman through senior year. Janelle’s athletic talents extended beyond basketball. In track and field, she competed in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing 4th, 3rd, and 2nd in Class A competition during her high school career. She also earned All-State honors with 4th- and 3rd-place finishes as a freshman and sophomore, demonstrating her consistency and competitiveness at the state level. In volleyball, Watson helped lead her team to the state championship victory as a junior, recording an impressive 49 blocks in the championship match. Janelle was named to the Dean’s List in 1995 and 1996, reflecting her dedication both in the classroom and in competition.

After early enrollment at Boston College in the summer of 1996, where she initially planned to compete in track and field, Watson went on to try out for and earn a spot on the 1996 women’s basketball team. At Boston College, she was enrolled in the Carroll School of Management, where she majored in business. Following her time at Boston College, Watson began a successful career in medical administration and management, eventually working as a practice administrator in the orthopedic field.

Her greatest accomplishment, however, is her family. Janelle married her college sweetheart, Kenyatta Watson, and together they raised four children - Jyanni, Kenyatta II, Kenadi, and Jett - all of whom have become standout athletes in their own right. In the past year, her life has been further enriched with the births of her two grandchildren, Kaden and Josie. Watson’s journey reflects a lifelong commitment to excellence, teamwork, and leadership - values first developed through athletics and carried throughout her life.

Tim Gonet ’95 was part of the New Bedford High School Cross Country and Track and Field
program for all twelve seasons that he was a Whaler. An interesting fact is he is the only New
Bedford High School XC and T&F athlete ever to be named a Boston Globe All Scholastic in
all three seasons (cross country, indoor and outdoor).

Tim was already competing at a high level in state competition by his sophomore year and
contributing to Whaler team success. He was a Big Three All Star in cross country and was
part of the 4 x 800 meter relay team that scored at the D1 outdoor meet; a year (1993) that saw the
Whalers capture the All State outdoor championship.

By junior year, Tim had improved to the point that he was now a contender in state meet
competitions. The cross country team finished second in the Division 1 Championships and
then ninth as a team at the All State meet. Tim peaked at the right time by finishing ninth
overall at All State. During winter, Tim finished third in the one mile at the indoor All State
Championship. In spring, Tim led the Whalers to a runner-up finish in the Class A Relays as
he anchored the 4 x one-mile victory and came back later in the day to help the 4 x 800m
relay team to victory as well. At the end of the season, Tim finished as runner-up in the D1 one
mile and sixth in the All State one mile with the team finishing in fourth at the All State meet;
just two points out of second.

Senior year saw Tim probably have the most consistent year across the three seasons of any
distance runner in Massachusetts in the 1994-95 school year. In cross country he won the Bay
State Invitational, was fourth in D1 and twelfth at All State. Indoors, Tim went undefeated
winning the State Coaches Invitational two mile as well as the D1 and All State one mile titles.
During the outdoor season, he captured the D1 title (one mile) and was second (by .3) at All
State. NB clinched the team title with Tim anchoring the 4 x 800 meter relay to a state title as
well as setting a school record in the event. In the 1995 spring season, the Whalers captured the
“triple crown” winning the Class A relays, D1 and All State team championships with Tim
being the top scorer for the Whalers in the championship meets.

Today Tim and his wife Sarah ’95 reside in New Bedford with their two daughters, Lily (19), a
student at Yale and Kiley (15) a student at New Bedford High School. He is a 2000 graduate of
UMass Dartmouth and is a Master Field Service Tech for TRAK Machine Tools. 

Jennifer (Paquette) Porter ’94 was an outstanding multi-sport athlete at New Bedford High School. She was a four-year contributor to the Girls’ Varsity Swimming and Diving Team and as a sophomore, junior, and senior, she qualified for and competed in the 1-meter diving events at both the MIAA South Sectional and State Meets. Her junior and senior year seasons were highlighted by first-place finishes in the 1-meter diving event at the Big Three Meet and selection as a Big Three All-Star. She went on to place 6th at the South Sectional Meet, where she set a school record for 11 dives in a championship meet that remains the school record today.

In addition to her accomplishments in swimming and diving, Jennifer was a dedicated four-year member of the Girls’ Varsity Gymnastics Team. As a freshman, she competed on vault and contributed to a remarkable season in which the team captured the Big Three Championship, compiled a 9–1 record, and placed fifth at the MIAA South Sectional Meet in 1991. During her junior and senior years, Jennifer became a consistent and reliable contributor on vault, bars, and beam. In recognition of her commitment, leadership, and encouragement of her teammates, she was honored with the team’s “Most Dedicated” award during her senior season.

Jennifer also excelled on the softball field, pitching for the Lady Whalers for four years, including two seasons on the varsity team. In her senior year, she compiled an impressive 6–1 pitching record while helping the team to an outstanding 18–5 season. That year, the Lady Whalers won the Big Three Championship, advanced to the third round of the MIAA State Tournament, and Jennifer was named Player of the Game twice and earned Big Three All-Star recognition for her performance. Over the course of her NBHS athletic career, Jen earned an impressive 10 varsity letters and was a member of six teams that captured Big 3 Conference Championships in their respective sports.

She went on to compete in both the 1M and 3M diving events for three years at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where she competed in three NCAA Division III New England Championship Meets. She also broke a school record for 6 dives in the 3M event.

Jen lives in Rochester, MA, with her husband, Matt, and their two children, Harrison and Lillian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree and Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing. She is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and works at Safe Harbor Wellness & Psychiatric Services and per diem at McLean Hospital.

Jack Indio ’88 was a two-sport standout in both ice hockey and baseball during his four-year career at New Bedford High School.

During his four-year career as a varsity ice hockey player, the winger was team captain during both his junior and senior years. Jack was a three-time league all star and a two-time Standard-Times All Star. His senior year saw the Whalers have one of their best seasons in school history by recording a 12–5–3 overall record and qualifying for the MIAA tournament for the first time in thirteen years. In that tournament game, Jack got the Whalers off to a quick start with the first goal of the game, giving the team an early lead before falling to Franklin High School. Jack was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in both his junior and senior year. His senior year, Jack recorded a scoring line of twenty-nine goals and seventy-three assists for a total of fifty-two points. His twenty-nine goals broke the previous single-season mark of twenty-six goals set by Bruce Barboza in 1984. He graduated as the school’s all-time leader in career scoring with sixty-three goals, and he also had sixty-three assists for a total of 126 points, breaking Hall of Famer Dean Snell’s previous mark of fifty-three goals and forty-six assists for a total of one hundred points. Jack was selected to play in “Hockey Night in Boston,” a prestigious all-star game featuring the state’s outstanding hockey players, held at the Boston Garden ice rink.

In baseball, Jack was a two-year member of the school’s varsity team. During his junior year, the team recorded an overall record of 16–3. As a senior, Jack was the starting catcher, and the final season in senior year high school baseball was played with wooden bats. The baseball team finished his senior year ranked as high as tenth in the Boston Globe Division One Coaches’ Poll. Unfortunately, their season ended with a tough 4–3 loss to Weymouth in the South Sectional tournament, leaving the Whalers with an overall record of 14–5 for Jack’s final season.

Today, Jack resides in Acushnet, MA, with his wife Kelly (Dreher), also a former New Bedford High School student-athlete. They have two children, a son Quinn and daughter Rylie Indio Costa, who were also three-sport athletes at New Bedford High School. The Indios also have two grandchildren, Landon (18 months) and Marley (2 months). Jack retired from the City of New Bedford Police Department after twenty-five years of service.

Jeffrey Stott ’81 was a three-year member of the track and field program at New Bedford High School. His bond with the high school ran deep—both his mom, Jane, and his dad, James, graduated from there, with his father having earned recognition as a standout baseball player for the Whalers. Jane’s father, Nick Morris, was a former head football coach at New Bedford High School as well. His brothers Tim ’86 and Mike ’89 are also members of the Hall of Fame.

During his three years at the high school, Jeff contributed to multiple team championships and also attained individual achievements. He joined the team with the intention of competing in the sprinting events which he did throughout his career, but the 1979 outdoor team did not have any returning athletes competing in the pole vault so Jeff “volunteered” to give this very technical event a try. His first meet vaulting was against Dartmouth in late April and resulted in a “no-height” but quickly Jeff began to clear heights and finished his sophomore season by clearing ten feet at the Southeastern Massachusetts Conference Meet and tying the school’s sophomore class record.

As a junior, Jeff began to develop into one of the state’s premier vaulters, scoring in the Class A pole vault and clearing twelve feet consistently during the season. His points helped the team capture the Class A team title as the Whalers went on to also win the All State and New England team championships.

By his senior year, he had developed into one of New England’s premier pole vaulters and also was one of the team’s top sprinters; running the 50‑yard dash indoors and the 100 outdoors as well as being a key member of the 4 × 110‑yard relay. The 1981 indoor team was able to capture the indoor State Division I team championship as well as their second consecutive indoor Class A relay team title. That 1981 spring season saw Jeff capture the Class A by jumping a school record 13’6” and helping the team finish runner‑up in Class A. The record stood until 2010. He repeated the 13’6” jump as he finished as a runner‑up at All States and again at the New England Championships. He was named to the Boston Globe All‑Scholastic team. He was also named the Wayne Souza Memorial Athlete of the Year for the 1980–81 school year.

Today Jeff resides in Newburyport with his wife, Ann. They have two sons, Caleb (29) and Quin (26). Jeff graduated from UMass Dartmouth (SMU at the time) with a degree in Business Administration. He spent his professional career in healthcare management at Boston Children’s, Beth Israel and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and across physician groups affiliated with regional hospitals.

Fred Gomes ’70 was a three-sport standout at New Bedford High School. In the fall, he excelled on the football field and applied his speed during the winter and spring months with the track and field team.

On the gridiron, Fred was a three-year member of the football program as ninth graders were part of the junior high school program until the new high school opened on Hathaway Boulevard in the early 1970’s. As a junior, Fred was a key contributor on the Whaler team that recorded a 7‑0‑1 undefeated season. He showed flashes of his explosive play ability as a junior when he took a pass from Hall of Fame member Tom Farias and took it 74 yards to the house in a 27‑7 win over Bishop Stang. Plays like that were a harbinger of things to come during his senior year. That senior year provided many electrifying runs as “Fast Freddy” scored on runs from the line of scrimmage, on pass plays, punt returns and interception returns throughout the 1969 season. During the year, he had five touchdowns longer than forty yards. In the opening game of the season, he scored three touchdowns (one was a 40‑yard run and one was a 43‑yard pass reception) in the win over Lawrence Catholic and followed it up a week later with four touchdowns (one was a 60‑yard run) in a win over Boston Technical. He took a punt back 85 yards against Taunton in October. In a November win over Attleboro, he scored twice with one being a 52‑yard interception return for a score. Fred did it on offense, defense and special teams. For his efforts, he was recognized by the Boston Globe as an honorable mention running back and was named as New Bedford’s senior outstanding player for the 1969 season. Standard‑Times sportswriter Buddy Thomas recognized Fred as one of his twenty “Buddy’s Best” over the fifty years that Buddy covered local sports.

Fred lettered three years on the track and field team; running the 50‑ and 300‑yard events indoors (in those days many “indoor” races were held outdoors in sub‑freezing weather) and the 100‑ and 220‑yard events during the spring. During his junior and senior years, he took first place in seventeen different meets with wins over teams like Brockton, Newton, Weymouth among other teams across the state and qualified for the Class A Championships in the sprinting events.

Today, the Bridgewater State graduate resides in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Fred was a teacher for thirty‑four years at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical HS. His son, Fernando Gomes Jr., is also a New Bedford High School graduate and former Whaler athlete. Fred has two grandchildren, Emma (7) and Nolan (4).

Michael Longo is the 2026 Special Recognition Award recipient for his support of the New Bedford High School athletic program throughout his thirty-four years as a New Bedford Public School educator.

Mike has always had a great love for sports that began as a student in the West Warwick (RI) School System. The 1969 graduate of West Warwick High School led his varsity basketball team to the Rhode Island Class B title as the team’s starting point guard.

Mike began his teaching career at New Bedford High School after graduating from Rhode Island College receiving an undergraduate degree in history and social sciences. He first served as a social studies teacher in the Tan House before ascending to the role of Gold Housemaster in 1982. From 1981-85, Mike served as the girls’ Junior varsity and assistant varsity basketball coach.

During the decade of the 90’s, Mike was first the high school’s headmaster and in the later part of the decade rose to the role of Assistant Superintendent. This decade saw the athletic program achieve a level of success on a state-wide level that had not been seen before or since. A total of state team championships were achieved during this decade with baseball winning 3 titles, boys’ basketball (2), football (2 Super Bowls), Boys’ Spring Track (2), Boys’ Volleyball (2) and Girls’ Volleyball (1). The school also won the prestigious Dalton Award for the 1993-94 year recognizing the most successful division one school in Massachusetts. Mike was a strong supporter of all teams in the athletic program and celebrating each team’s success with end of season award ceremonies. He took an interest in each individual athlete and would frequently stop a student-athlete during the school day just to let the student know how proud he was of how the student was representing the high school and community. The athletic program had a great culture and it started at the top with Mr. Longo.

Mike went on to the position of Superintendent of Schools from 2002-08 and continued to support the athletic department as the leader of the school system. In 1995, he received the William H. Carney Memorial Academy Human Services Award for outstanding service, dedication and commitment to the youth of New Bedford which is an example of one of the many awards that Mr. Longo has received during his career as an educator.

Mike has been married for fifty-three years (this August) to his wife Mary and together they have three sons, Craig (Jenn), Greg (Sarah) and Jeff (Jen). The Longo’s have seven grandchildren (Jack, Maddie, Dominic, Gianna, Zoe, Anthony and Maggie).