FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Athletic Department
WHITMAN-HANSON ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
2026 CLASS OF INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
Induction Ceremony: October 4, 2026 • Pembroke Country Club 5pm
The Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Athletic Department is proud to announce the 2026 Class of inductees into the Whitman-Hanson Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s class represents the finest tradition of Panther athletics, honoring student athletes, coaches, a championship team, and a devoted community contributor. The induction ceremony will be held on October 4, 2026, at Pembroke Country Club. Tickets will go on sale in June.
STUDENT ATHLETES
Chris Colclough — Class of 1987 | Football, Wrestling, Track & Field
One of the most decorated multi-sport athletes in Whitman-Hanson history, Chris Colclough earned 11 varsity letters across football, wrestling, and track and field, capturing five league championships, four captaincies, three MVPs, four All-League selections, and three All-Scholastic honors. He was named WATD Player of the Year and WATD Athlete of the Year, was selected for the Shriners Game, and compiled an undefeated dual-meet wrestling record with a Marshfield Holiday Tournament Championship (Outstanding Wrestler), Sectional Championship (Outstanding Wrestler) and 2 state-place finishes. Chris went on to play football and track at UMass Amherst and later served as a Selectman for the Town of Hanson, president and head coach of Hanson Youth Football (winning three of four Super Bowls), and an assistant coach at Whitman-Hanson for seven years.
Mike Cronin — Class of 1967–68 | Football
Mike Cronin was a standout Co-Captain of the 1967–68 varsity football team whose senior season numbers were remarkable: 48 catches for 784 yards and 9 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and 64 points scored. Over his two-year career he totaled 1,071 receiving yards, 71 receptions, 20 interceptions, and 92 points, and returned 43 punts for 602 yards including two touchdowns. He earned All-Scholastic honors from the Brockton Enterprise, Herald Traveler, Boston Globe, and Patriot Ledger, was named to the Old Colony League All-Star Team on both offense and defense, and was selected for the prestigious Harry Agganis All-Star Game. After college, Mike devoted 40 years as Program Director at the Colorado Boys Ranch, a nationally recognized residential psychiatric facility for troubled youth, earning the John Evans Award as Youth Worker of the Year.
Michael Pakalnis — Class of 1983 | Football, Baseball, Basketball
Michael Pakalnis was a multi-sport standout who led the Panthers to a 10–0 regular season record in 1982 as
starting quarterback, earning Boston Globe Division 2 Player of the Year honors along with All-Scholastic recognition from the Boston Globe and Brockton Enterprise and a Shriners Game selection. He was a Patriot League and Enterprise All-Star in both 1981 and 1982. In baseball, Michael was a four-year varsity starter and 1983 team captain, earning the Hardie Pearce Award as OCL League MVP along with All-Star honors in his final two seasons. He went on to Harvard University, where he played varsity baseball all four years, was named All-Ivy League as a junior and senior, was team captain as a senior, and earned All-New England honors in his final year.
Devin Petta — Class of 2009 | Soccer
Devin Petta is the second all-time leading scorer in Whitman-Hanson soccer history, ranking just behind fellow Hall of Famer Lauren Bonavita with a career total of 103 goals and 44 assists for 147 points — including a remarkable 39-goal senior season. A four-year starter at striker and two-year captain, Devin was a cornerstone of teams that compiled a 73–10–1 record, won league championships in each of her four years, and were ranked as high as Top 5 nationally. She earned All-Scholastic honors from the Brockton Enterprise, Quincy Patriot Ledger, Boston Herald, and Boston Globe for three consecutive years, was selected to the All Eastern Mass and All State teams, and was ultimately designated an All American. Devin went on to Northeastern University on a full scholarship, where she broke the school’s freshman goal-scoring record and was named Rookie and Player of the year. Her soccer career was ended there by three ACL injuries. However, she still holds the record for quickest hat trick.
Emily Trapp — Basketball
Emily Trapp left Whitman-Hanson as its all-time leading scorer (1,599 points) and rebounder (815), a record-setting legacy that speaks for itself. A three-time All-Scholastic and two-year team captain, the forward-center capped her career by averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game as she led the Panthers to a perfect 16–0 record in Patriot League play — one of three league championships she was part of over the course of her career. Brockton Enterprise Player of the Year in girls basketball, Emily also competed in the volleyball program,. Her head coach Jim Daley, who coached varsity basketball for 30 years, called her “the finest offensive player I have coached.” Emily went on to continue her basketball career at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y.
Cortney Kelly — Class of 2001 | Soccer, Basketball, Track & Field
Cortney (Kelly) Russell was a force of nature throughout her four years as a three-sport athlete, leaving an indelible mark on soccer, basketball, and track and field. As the floor general of the basketball team, she helped deliver a league championship under Coach Jim Daley, earning her reputation as a composed and dynamic point guard. On the track, she rewrote the record books — setting school records in the 100m, 200m, 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, sprint medley, and javelin relay — while claiming league championships in both the 100m and 200m. Her excellence across all three sports earned her perennial league All-Star honors and multiple All-Scholastic selections by the Brockton Enterprise, a testament to her rare versatility and competitive drive.
Cortney carried that same fire to Fitchburg State College, where she competed in cross country, basketball, and track. She started at point guard all four years, earning the team's MVP award, Female Rookie of the Year honors, and the prestigious Leadership Award — a reflection of the impact she had both on and off the court. On the track, she broke the MCAC 100m record and claimed three consecutive league championships. Her track career came to a heartbreaking end when she tore her ACL in her final college basketball game, but her legacy as a competitor was already firmly secured.
Since hanging up her sneakers, Cortney has channeled that same dedication into a calling far greater than athletics. For over 20 years, she has devoted herself to serving students as a special education teacher, including the last nine years as the Therapeutic Classroom teacher at Central Elementary School in East Bridgewater — shaping young lives with the same heart and commitment that once defined her on the field and court.
COACHES
Coach Pat Forbes | Football & Baseball
Pat Forbes spent more than 30 years coaching football and baseball at Whitman-Hanson, winning multiple league championships in both sports and participating in multiple Super Bowls and Eastern Massachusetts Baseball tournaments. A longtime member of Bob Bancroft’s storied football staff, Pat brought the same tireless devotion to baseball — washing uniforms, building batting cages, running fundraising golf tournaments — and was regarded by peers and players alike as the complete model of a high school coach: knowledgeable, disciplined, organized, and utterly devoted to his athletes. He guided two of his baseball teams to the sectional finals and multiple other teams to strong tournament runs. He is the winningest baseball coach in Whitman-Hanson history with more than 300 career wins.
Mike Driscoll | Football & Track & Field
A proud alumnus of Whitman-Hanson, Mike Driscoll returned to contribute to the community that influenced him. As a student, he excelled in both football and track. His coaching career at Whitman-Hanson spanned 25 years, during which he served as an assistant coach for football and girls track and field before assuming the role of Head Coach of Football in 2011, Head Coach of Girls Indoor Track in 1997, and Outdoor Track in 2003. He received recognition as both MSTCA Coach of the Year and Boston Globe Coach of the Year in 2010. His 1999 team secured the school's inaugural Indoor Track Championship, and he went on to win four league titles in indoor track and four in outdoor track. In football, Driscoll was honored as WATD Coach of the Year in 2013 and AIFO and Patriot Ledger Coach of the Year in 2018. Known for his unwavering dedication to Whitman-Hanson, Mike Driscoll concluded a distinguished 25-year coaching career at the school.
TEAM
1965 Whitman-Hanson Football Team — Class of 1966
The 1965 Panthers made history as the first Whitman-Hanson football team to win a state championship. They swept through eight Southeastern Conference opponents unbeaten and untied, scoring 199 points while allowing just 26, and captured the Class C Championship. Under Head Coach Teahan and assistants Larson and Albrecht, the team relied on fundamentals, belief, and unit cohesion. Notable individual members included John Benson, named Quarterback of the Year by radio station WOKW, and Ken Orcutt, who went on to an outstanding football career at Northeastern University.
CONTRIBUTOR
Bob Hayes — Lifelong Panther Contributor
Bob Hayes has dedicated decades of his life to the success of Whitman-Hanson Athletics in a remarkable variety of capacities. He served as director of Hanson Youth Football and Basketball for many years and volunteered with both organizations in numerous roles including coaching. He has also given countless hours to the high school athletic program as PA announcer, scorekeeper, ticket seller, chain gang volunteer, concessions worker, and fundraiser. As a longtime school committee chairman — a role he held for approximately 20 years — Bob consistently advocated for Whitman-Hanson athletic programs, understanding the profound value they offer to students and the broader community.
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The 2026 Whitman-Hanson Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on October 4, 2026 at Pembroke Country Club.
Whitman-Hanson Athletics
Hall of Fame
Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Athletic Director
Office (781) 618-7433
Cell (617) 838-0994
Classroom (781) 618-7159
Fax (781) 618-7084
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