EMAIL: manateehighalumni@gmail.com
MAIL: P.O. Box 15103 Bradenton, FL 34280
TELEPHONE: 941-792-8460 941-920-6698
Alumni Association By-Laws require registration and graduation from Bradenton High, Manatee County High or Manatee High School for membership.
2026 MHS Athletic Hall of Honor Inductees
2026 Class - Athletic Hall of Honor
Wayne David Dimond - Class of 1965 - Student Athlete - Football
Van Rodney O'Quinn - Class of 1965 - Student Athlete - Football
Robert Bruce "Bob" Bowling - Class of 1966 - Lifetime Achievement
Michael Robert "Mike" Wortman - Class of 1979 - Student Athlete - Football, Baseball
Beth Susan Greig McIntosh - Class of 1983 - Student Athlete - Softball
Hunter James West - Class of 2002 - Student Athlete - Soccer
George Albert Strouse, Sr., Coach - Track
1989 State Championship Football Team
Click the link and ENJOY our 2026 Athletic Hall of Honor Banquet Video
Enjoy these photos from our 2026 Athletic Hall of Honor Banquet. Thank you to Billy Dzwonkowski of Billy D Photography, MHS Class of 2006, for capturing the evening in these awesome photos.
ROBERT BRUCE "BOB" BOWLING - MHS Class of 1966 - Lifetime Achievement
Bob graduated from MHS in 1966 and attended our 2025 banquet when we announced his name as a 2026 inductee for his lifetime achievements. He was very proud of this honor, and we regret that he could not accept the award in person, as he passed away on July 4, 2026.
Bob played football, basketball, and baseball at MHS. He was the quarterback and held the record for most consecutive completions until Cord Sandberg broke it in 2011. He was the varsity football captain, earned all-county honors, was named top senior athlete in 1966, and played 3rd base in baseball. He served on the M Club and Student Council, as well as in Future Farmers and Anchor Admiral Court.
Bob earned scholarships for both football and baseball at Fort Scott Jr. College and Baker University in Kansas before being drafted into the United States Army, where he honorably served.
He was the Asst. Coach/coordinator at Miami Edison, Manatee, Zephryhills, Groveton, TX, Lumberton, TX, Mexia, TX, and Palmetto High Schools, and the Head Coach at Pasco and Palmetto High School. He served as Athletic Director at Pasco, Palmetto, and Braden River High and was inducted into the Braden River Hall of Fame. Bob was Coach of the Year in 1997.
During his tenure in various coaching, administrative, and leadership roles, he touched and changed countless lives. He was always a player-oriented coach, never losing sight of his calling by guiding young people to better lives through discipline and hard work. He always gave his all to everyone else and was loved by all who knew him. The foundation he learned during his time at Manatee to honor tradition, strength, and integrity helped shape who he was as a husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, coach, mentor, and friend. Coach Bowling left a lasting impression on every school he worked at, especially in Manatee County. He truly dedicated his life to better high school athletics in Manatee County.
Coach Bowling's daughter-in-law, Kelly Bowling, nominated him. Bob's son, Matt Bowling, is the MHS Athletic Director.
WAYNE DAVID DIMOND – MHS Class of 1965 - Student Athlete
Wayne was active in high school and a rugged three-sport athlete. In football, he was an offensive guard, co-captain of the team in his senior year, a "Mr. Football" finalist, and the recipient of the coveted Tommy Paul Award as MVP of the Homecoming game. Wayne was selected for the All-County Football Team in his junior and senior years.
He was active in many clubs while in high school, including the National Honor Society, Student Council, M Club, White M, Hurricane Men's Club Sportsmanship Award, and Boys State Delegate. Wayne was one of three students selected for the MHS Hall of Fame and the first local student to earn a National Merit Scholarship. On the 12th-grade placement test, he earned a perfect 495 and was the only person known to do so. He was a straight-A student, disproving the adage that athletes are all brawn and no brains. He received a full academic scholarship to FSU and transferred to USF after one year.
Wayne was born in Venezuela and came to Manatee County from PA in 1955. He taught math & science at MHS from 1970–1974 and coached freshman track and JV and varsity football.
Wayne moved to Bayshore High School when the school opened in 1974, where he coached football and track, started the Bayshore High School Chess Club, and, at the time of his death, coached wrestling. He wasn’t the type of wrestling coach who watched from the edge of the mat but a rousing, intense man in the gym who had a special relationship with his students and athletes. He built a wrestling program that ranked among the top Class 3A programs and was one of the most powerful in the state.
Tragically, Wayne was killed in an automobile accident in 1984 at the age of 37, leaving a devastated family, students, athletes, and friends. He was nominated by Eric Silenzi.
BETH SUSAN GREIG MCINTOSH – MHS Class of 1983- Student Athlete
Beth played softball and was active in the Distributive Education Club at Manatee. She was granted a 2-year scholarship to Edison Community College in Fort Myers, FL, where she played slow-pitch softball.
After earning her AA degree from Edison, she tried out for the fast-pitch women's softball team at Florida South College in Lakeland and was awarded another 2-year scholarship from 1985 to 1987.
In 1986, she was named a first-team South Region All-Star and, that same year, a 2nd-team All-American. Beth earned first-team All-American in 1987, and her coach was quoted as saying, “Beth is an extremely quick athlete and is very talented in every phase of the game. This is a real tribute to her talents and hard work. She is an excellent athlete and a fine individual.” Beth graduated from Florida Southern College with a BS degree in Psychology.
During the summer of 1987, she was recruited by the Hi-Ho Brakettes, a legendary amateur women's softball team from Stratford, Connecticut. Beth had the honor of playing alongside major athletic talent, including future Olympian Dot Richardson.
Beth was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at Florida Southern College in 2010. She has taught in Manatee County since 1990 and plans to retire in May 2027.
Kenneth Bowers, Class of 1984 and our 2023 Athletic Hall of Honor inductee, nominated Beth.
VAN RODNEY O' QUINN – MHS Class of 1965 - Student Athlete
Van was a member of the Interact Club and played football and ran track at Manatee High. He was Captain of the football team in his senior year and a member of the All-Conference and All-County Football Teams. Van was a three-year letterman in track at MHS. In football, he played both ways, and his nomination says he was a stud offensive tackle and defensive guard. At the MHS Awards Assembly, he was honored as the Outstanding Football Player of the Year and was accorded All-County, All-Western Conference, and honorable mention for All-State.
He received a full ride to the University of Miami, where head coach Charley Tate said, "That kid is tough as pig iron." He was one of two centers on a 38-man squad and started at the defensive guard position when the University of Miami met FSU in the Tangerine Bowl. When Joe Kinnan graduated from MHS in 1963, he predicted big things for Van, who was his teammate, saying, “I’ll tell you one thing, Van hit the line as hard as anybody on our team.”
Van retired after a 42-year career with Publix and started buying and selling real estate, which he still maintains. He lives in Bradenton and was nominated by Coach Andy Gugliemini.
GEORGE ALBERT STROUSE, SR. – Track Coach
George Albert Strouse, Sr. graduated from the University of West Virginia in 1942, where he was captain of the Mountaineer track team and a hurdler and sprinter. He earned his master's degree in physical education, coached at WVU, and arrived at Manatee County High School in August of 1947.
George coached football, basketball, and track at Manatee for 10 years, and his last three track teams won State Championships. His 1955 Track Team was inducted into our Athletic Hall of Honor in 2017. George left MCHS in 1957 and went to St. Pete High which his success continued as his teams won 3 State Championships at St. Pete High. His next coaching position was at Lakewood High, where he stayed until retiring in 1984. George was quoted as saying, “Everybody loves a winner, but nobody loves a loser.” He continued, “But not me. I’ve had a lot of great athletes, but I could never forget those young men that didn’t quite have as much talent as some of those that were outstanding.”
All told, Coach Strouse's teams won more than 300 meets, 14 Athletic Conference titles, 13 district titles, and six state titles.
He was inducted into the Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Florida Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame, and the St. Pete High Sports Hall of Fame.
The 1955 Manatee Leaves Yearbook was dedicated to George, and his daughter donated to our scholarship fund for an extra copy. The best part was that George signed his picture in that book for one of his students who donated it to us, and having the book with his autograph made it very special.
Coach Strouse passed away on Christmas Day in 2003 in Sun City, Arizona. Bill Howard, MCHS Class of 1957, nominated him.
HUNTER JAMES WEST – MHS Class of 2002 - Student Athlete
At MHS, Hunter played soccer and served in the National Honor Society. He captained the 2001–2002 boys’ soccer team, which finished the regular season 29–0–1 and ranked No. 1 in Florida and No. 2 nationally.
The soccer team was inducted into our Hall of Honor in 2021. Hunter scored 54 goals and 25 assists as a senior at MHS, and that is still a record at MHS. He was NSCAA All-South Team; NSCAA Scholar Athlete in the All-Region Team; First team All-State; First team All-Area; News Channel 40 High School Athlete of the Week; and MHS MVP.
Among other awards, Hunter was the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year, the NSCAA Florida State Player of the Year, and an NSCAA All-American. Hunter played club soccer for the Tampa Bay Kickers, a team that won four state titles; played Division 1 college soccer for USF, where he led the team in goals every year; and made the All-Conference team all 4 years in college. Toronto Football Club drafted Hunter in the 2007 MLS draft.
MICHAEL ROBERT 'MIKE' WORTMAN – MHS Class of 1979 - Student Athlete
Mike played baseball and football at MHS, was a member of Mu Alpha Theta and White M, and excelled academically, graduating in the top 4% of his class of 423 with a 4.9 GPA.
He began his Varsity Football career in 1976 as the backup quarterback and started the last 5 games at running back. In 1978, his senior season, he was the starting quarterback for a Manatee team that went 8-2. During his senior season, he completed more than 50% of his passes for 1,174 yards, which was the first time in school history that a quarterback had thrown for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He also set a new school record for touchdown passes in a season with 12. In addition, he led the team in rushing with 454 yards. He was MVP of the Homecoming game his senior year and an All-County selection at quarterback.
He led the team in passing yards and touchdown passes in 1978 and passed for 1,271 yards from 1976 - 1978. He was a three-year starter for baseball at 3rd base and shortstop, and a Golden Herald nominee in 1979.
Mike was sent on to play collegiate football and baseball at Maryville College in Maryville, TN. He later returned to Maryville College to coach football for 8 seasons, coaching the running backs, tight ends, and receivers. He holds the distinction of coaching the number 1 and number 3 receivers in the history of Maryville College, which was founded in 1819.
Due to his outstanding performance on the field, Mike’s name appears many times in the Manatee Magic 75 years of football book.
1989 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM
The 1989 team put the finishing touches on a dream decade. It proved to Florida High School football that the Hurricanes are the team of the 1980s, with a 21-8 victory over Miami Carol City to bring home the 3rd state championship of the decade.
The Canes finished the season 13-1, and Coach Kinnan and his mighty Hurricanes finished the decade 96-25, earning the title "the best big-school team in Florida this decade." Manatee’s trademark wasn't raucous enthusiasm or high emotion; the team stuck to business and won the state title with surgical precision. Before the game, an unexpected event happened when the players were presented with a letter from Coach Kinnan in their hotel room. Joe Kinnan is a man of few words, but his message moved many to tears and had more impact on the team than we’ll ever know.
The Manatee fans bought almost 1,000 more tickets than Carol City, the charter buses arrived 90 minutes before the start of the game, and the Hurricanes side of the stands was already almost half full long before the game started. As with any team the players have to work together and anticipate the next move and the mighty ‘Canes delivered.
The Hurricanes rushed for 304 yards against a Carol City defense that was supposedly designed to shut down the running game. Even more telling, 179 of those yards came in the 2nd half and when the Panthers took their only lead of the game at 8 – 6 in the third quarter, the Canes marched right back down the field, scored a touchdown and never trailed. The Carol City coach was quoted as saying, “We were beaten in the trenches by a better team.”
The 1989 roster listed 57 players and 8 coaches. Four players and one coach are deceased. Both Nadine Dietch and Tiffany Price-Cumberland nominated the team.