By The People’s Paper MS
WESSON, Miss. — Eight former Copiah-Lincoln Community College athletes and coaches will have a new place in Co-Lin history Thursday when they are inducted into the college’s Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2026 class represents decades of achievement across basketball, football, golf, softball, tennis and baseball, but their stories share something beyond wins and championships.
Many of the inductees carried the lessons they learned at Co-Lin into careers, coaching, ministry and service to their communities.
The Co-Lin Athletic Alumni Association will induct Frank Chatman, Curtis Hobbs, Dusty Hutto, Leonard Johnson, Allen Kent, Victoria McDonald, Floyd Bradley Ratcliff and Pat Williams during the Alumni Association Awards Reception at 3:15 p.m. Thursday in the Thames Center on the Wesson Campus.
The ceremony is part of Co-Lin’s Homecoming festivities.
Frank Chatman: From the Court to Mentoring Young Athletes
Chatman helped make the Co-Lin men’s basketball program one of the nation’s toughest teams from 1986 to 1988.
During his two seasons with the Wolves, Co-Lin went 33-2 and finished seventh at the NJCAA National Tournament. Chatman averaged 10 points per game while earning Honorable Mention All-State and Third Team All-Region honors.
He ranked second on the team in assists and third in steals while connecting on 44 three-pointers at a 46 percent rate and shooting 83 percent from the free-throw line.
One of his most memorable moments came when he hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against Rochester Community College in New York.
Chatman continued his basketball career at Mississippi College, where he earned two varsity letters and was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Week twice.
He later played professionally in Portugal for Sanjoanense, averaging 44 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals per game and earning Player of the Week honors four times.
Today, Chatman uses basketball and ministry to mentor young people in the Missouri City and Sugar Land, Texas, areas. He founded and directs H-Town Next Level Basketball Academy and has twice been named Youth Basketball League Coach of the Year in the Houston and Fort Bend areas.
He is also an ordained minister and founding pastor of Open Doors Life Church in Rosharon, Texas.
Chatman and his wife, Vanessa, have been married for 27 years and have four children.
Curtis Hobbs: A Wolf Pack Standout Who Reached the Professional Ranks
Hobbs made his mark on Co-Lin football, earning All-State and All-Region 23 honors before being selected for the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game.
He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player and earned Player of the Year honors.
Hobbs continued his football career at Nicholls State University from 1982 to 1983. He led the Colonels in receptions and finished his career fourth on the program’s all-time receptions list. His performance also ranked him 11th nationally in NCAA Division I-AA receptions.
His career continued into professional football when the Jacksonville Bulls selected him in the eighth round of the draft.
Today, Hobbs lives in Magee and remains active in his church and community as a deacon at St. Peter M.B. Church.
He and his wife, Gloria, have two children and three grandchildren.
Dusty Hutto: Bringing a Love of Golf to the Next Generation
Hutto excelled on the Co-Lin golf team, earning Second Team All-American and Second Team All-State honors.
He was part of a state championship team, recorded the conference’s lowest scoring average in 1999 and won individual medalist honors three times during his Co-Lin career.
After Co-Lin, Hutto continued playing golf at the University of Southern Mississippi.
He eventually turned his knowledge of the game toward coaching and now serves as the golf coach at Franklin County High School, where he works with the next generation of golfers.
Hutto lives in Roxie and is the father of five children.
Leonard Johnson: A Championship Quarterback
Johnson helped lead Co-Lin’s football program from 1986 to 1987 and served as quarterback of the undefeated 1986 championship team.
He earned All-Conference and All-American honors during his Co-Lin career before continuing his education and football career at Alabama A&M University.
Johnson continued playing quarterback in the semi-professional ranks with the St. Petersburg Sharks of the Southern States Football League.
As the Sharks’ starting quarterback and a veteran leader, Johnson helped guide the team to a championship following the 2001 season.
A Clearwater, Florida, native and former Clearwater High School quarterback, Johnson has remained involved with the sport through coaching and working with young athletes in the Clearwater and Dunedin areas.
Allen Kent: A Coach Who Helped Build Co-Lin Athletics
Kent’s connection to Co-Lin began as a student-athlete. He played baseball for the Wolves and graduated in 1984.
Years later, he returned to Co-Lin and spent 16 seasons leading the Lady Wolves softball program from 2002 to 2018.
Under Kent, Co-Lin won two Region 23 championships and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament championship game, finishing as national runner-up.
His coaching success earned him MACCC Coach of the Year honors three times and Region 23 Coach of the Year honors twice.
Kent later continued serving Co-Lin athletics as golf coach from 2020 to 2026. During that time, he coached three individual NJCAA National Tournament appearances, while his team also earned a No. 2 national academic ranking.
A Mississippi State University graduate, Kent remains involved in athletics as a high school softball umpire.
He lives in Brookhaven with his wife, Wanda. They have one son and two grandchildren.
Victoria McDonald: A Lady Wolves Basketball Standout
McDonald helped lead the Lady Wolves to one of the strongest stretches in program history.
During the 1984-85 season, she averaged 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as Co-Lin finished 30-2 and reached the MACJC State Tournament championship game.
The following season, McDonald averaged 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game as the Lady Wolves went 28-4. Her performance earned her MACJC First Team All-State honors.
She continued her basketball career at Jackson State University, where she earned Newcomer of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and First Team SWAC All-Conference honors.
In 2015, Jackson State’s Alumni Players Association Hall of Honor recognized McDonald as a Legend for her athletic achievements, sportsmanship, integrity and character.
McDonald now serves with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department Transportation Division. She is the mother of three children.
Floyd Bradley Ratcliff: From the Tennis Court to Public Service
Ratcliff represented Co-Lin on the Wolf Pack tennis team and helped the program win the 1981 MACJC Championship.
A member of the Class of 1981, Ratcliff continued his education at Mississippi State University before beginning a career defined by public service.
He spent 28 years with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and another 20 years serving his community through the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
A longtime Brookhaven resident, Ratcliff remains deeply connected to the community.
He and his wife, Janet Bullock Ratcliff, have two children and four grandchildren.
Pat Williams: From a Championship Season to the NJCAA World Series
Williams was a key part of the Co-Lin baseball program and a member of the Class of 2005.
During his time with the Wolves, Williams helped Co-Lin capture South Division and Region 23 championships and advance to the 2005 NJCAA World Series.
His performance at the national tournament earned him a spot on the NJCAA World Series All-Tournament Team. He also earned All-Region and All-District honors and was recognized as an Academic All-American.
Williams continued his baseball career at Delta State University.
Today, he works for Shell Pipeline and lives in Crystal Springs with his wife, Lyndse, and their two children.
He continues to give back to the sport through baseball camps and one-on-one player development, helping young athletes learn from his experience.
A Homecoming Honor
The eight inductees will be honored Thursday alongside Co-Lin’s other 2026 Alumni Award recipients during the Alumni Association Awards Reception.
Admission to the reception is free.
The Homecoming celebration will continue Thursday evening when the Co-Lin Wolf Pack hosts East Central Community College at 6:30 p.m. at Stone Stadium.
For these eight new Hall of Famers, however, Homecoming will be about more than returning to campus.
It will be a chance to revisit the place where many of their stories began — and to celebrate the lasting impact they have made long after leaving the Co-Lin campus.
Read more local sports and community stories at thepeoplespapersms.com.
