The School District of Lee County is pleased to announce the Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame inductees for 2021. The five high school athletes, two coaches and two contributors to high school sports inductees will be honored at a banquet scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are available for purchase for $25 per person.
Athletes
- Jaylen Watkins – Cape Coral High School
A dual threat who played quarterback and defensive back for the Seahawks, Jaylen was First Team – All Area, Second Team – All State, along with being the FACA District 16 Player of the Year. He participated in the US Army All-American Bowl. After high school he attended the University of Florida where he participated in 48 games with 28 starts. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles and is currently with the Los Angeles Chargers. - De Angelique Waithe – East Lee County High School
A four-year letter winner in basketball for the Jaguars where she led her team to a district runner-up. She was All Area in 2014, with a 1000-point career along with being a finalist for Miss Basketball in Florida. After high school DeAngelique went onto a stellar career at Long Island University. She currently is playing professional basketball in Europe for the Essex Rebels where she is averaging 16 points per game. - Jessica Wagner – North Fort Myers High School
She played volleyball for the Red Knights and then went onto the University of Tampa to continue her playing career. At UT she was a three time first-team All American and All Conference player. Her Tampa team was National Champions and she was MVP of the Tournament along with being Player of the Year. She currently is playing professionally in Europe. - Mario Henderson – Lehigh Senior High School
He played football for the Lightning and then went onto Florida State to star on their offensive line. He was selected to participate in the Senior Shrine Bowl. After college he was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders where he was a four-year starter at offensive tackle. - Joeseph Casey Coleman – Mariner High School
He played baseball for the Tritons where he was a four-year letterman, first team All-State and the Class 5A Player of the Year. Following high school, he attended Florida Gulf Coast University where he was All-American. Following college, he FGCU’s first baseball player to make the MLB when he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.
Coaches
- Dwayne Donnell – Dunbar High School
Coach Donnell has had girls’ basketball teams make it to the State Final-Four seven times. In 2012 he became the first girls’ basketball coach in Lee County to win a state title. He has accumulated 537 career victories and still going. - Richard Hoptar – Fort Myers High School
Coach Hoptar started the first girl’s cross-country program in Lee County in 1977. He coached two Team State Champions in Cross Country. He started one of the longest running cross country meets in the state, The Fort Myers Optimist XC Meet. He also coached track and tennis.
Contributors
- Richard Anglickis – Lehigh Senior High School
Richard was instrumental in Lehigh Senior and other schools getting built for the Community of Lehigh. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars since 1994 for Lehigh athletics. Because of his love and dedication to Lehigh Senior Athletics, the LSHS gymnasium was dedicated to him in 2006. - Vito Mennona – Mariner High School
Vito was the first baseball coach in the history of Triton athletics. Along with coaching at Mariner he also coached at Cypress Lake and Fort Myers high schools. He is most known for the 20 years he was the athletic director at Mariner along with the transforming work he did with the Lee County Athletic Conference and the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (FIAAA.)
Each high school can nominate as many as three people per year to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. Outside organizations can nominate one person. Athletes must have graduated at least seven years prior to their nomination. Coaches and contributors must have a minimum of 20 years’ service in the School District of Lee County. The LCAC Hall of Fame Committee narrows the field and selects the inductees. The first class was inducted in August of 2012.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will also be honored at this year’s banquet since their ceremony was cancelled last year. Members of the Class of 2020 are:
- Kurt Benkert
- Thomas “Tommy” Bohanon
- Lynda Brown Case
- Brodrick Jenkins
- Kacy Smith
- Cyndi Capel
- Frank Drake
- Stephanie Martin
- Andre McGill Sr.
Anyone interested in purchasing tickets to the Hall of Fame Banquet should email David LaRosa at DavidPL@leeschools.net
