The 2024 Mississippi Delta Community College Sports Hall of Fame banquet is slated for Saturday, April 20. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for Meet and Greet and dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. in J.T. Hall Coliseum. The program will follow immediately after.
This year's inductees include:
- Lesia Duncan - Lady Trojan Basketball
- Darryl Gooden - Trojan Football
- James "Bubba" Harrist - Trojan Baseball
- Bedar "Bee" Paul Petro Jr. - Trojan Baseball and Football
And this year's Jimmy Bellipanni Distinguished Trojan Award recipient, Joyce Jones "JJ" Walker - Lady Trojan Basketball and Softball and Trojan athletic volunteer work.
Tickets for this year's event are $25 per person and can be purchased at: https://msdelta.formstack.com/forms/sportshalloffame.
Donations to the Hall of Fame can be made at https:/www.supportmdcc.com and click on "Give Today."
Past winners will be on hand as well as SJC/MDJC/MDCC athletic alumni for a night of celebration of Trojan athletics.
Below is a biography of each of this year's inductees.
Joyce “JJ” Walker
The 2024 Jimmy Bellipanni Award Winner and a dual sport Lady Trojan – was a member of the MDCC Lady Trojan Softball and basketball teams from 1980 to 1982. The Moorhead native was an award winning athlete at Gentry High School and brought her skills to campus under the direction of Head Coach Buddy Walden who coached both basketball and softball.
Walker – a standout in both sports – was honored as Best Offensive Player her freshman year and was Most Valuable Player her sophomore year in basketball.
On the softball field, Walker played third base her freshman year and first base and outfield her sophomore season. Walker was a member of the inaugural softball team for MDCC. The team made it to the state playoffs and built a firm foundation.
Walker was voted All Conference in both sports. She noted her basketball career started as the “sixth man” as Coach Walden told her she played better coming off the bench. She then started her sophomore year and continued to lead the team.
After MDJC, Walker went to work for the City of Moorhead and now the City of Indianola.
Leisa Duncan
From 1983 to 1984, Rosedale native, Lesia Duncan helped lead the Lady Trojan basketball and softball teams achieve success. Following in her older sister, Cathy Duncan Webb, athletic foot steps, she was part of Coach Buddy Walden’s Lady Trojan teams.
The third baseman/shortstop was an All State Player in both 1984 and 1985. On the basketball court, Duncan was All State in both 1984 and 1985. She was also selected to the All Star Game in basketball.
She would take those basketball talents onto Mississippi University for Women where she was awarded Most Improved Player. Originally, Duncan wanted to play at Delta State University for Head Coach Lloyd Clark but while at MUW, she competed against Lady Statesmen legend Bernadette McDonald who later coached at MDCC.
Her post athletic career included coaching at Pearl River Community College as well as working in Nantucket before coming back south to Memphis to graduate from the University of Memphis. She now lives and works in Knoxville with the Department of Human Services.
Darryl Gooden
As a member of the Mississippi Delta Community College football team, Darryl Gooden was an outside linebacker for the 1989 and 1990 teams. Gooden, a Broad Street High School Alum, originally signed with Jackson State University as well as MDCC. He decided his best option was to succeed at Moorhead. Gooden found his way to the starting team after his first game when he came on to help shut down a Pearl River quarterback.
His efforts on the field earned him All State Linebacker and played in the North/South All Star game. Gooden also was part of the Trojan basketball team and the track team where he placed second in the State Track and Field Shotput event.
Gooden’s football skills garnered him plenty of attention from higher level colleges and universities but a visit to NAIA Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee changed his path. He became a Kodak All American and is a member of the Carson-Newman Ring of
Honor (1998.) His football career included teams in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.
He now teaches in Arizona where he also established the Keeping Teachers Teaching non profit. He also sits on several boards for Arizona based organizations working with youth.
James “Bubba” Harrist
The West Monroe, Louisiana native made his way to Moorhead to compete in the toughest JUCO baseball conference. James “Bubba” Harrist was recruited by legendary coach Jimmy Bellipanni but retired before he came to campus. His career blossomed under Head Coach Terry Thompson as Harrist a member of the 1986 and 1987 Trojan baseball teams.
Harrist was a member of the team that was ranked as high as #2 and won the Regional and was Runner Up. In the Eastern District Playoff. The Louisiana native originally signed with a Division III Arkansas college but a high school teammate, Al Hamby, had signed to play football at MDCC. He tried out and impressed Coach Bellipanni and became a Trojan.
His career continued at Louisiana Tech University his junior and senior seasons. Upon graduation, Harrist worked in banking and then changed careers becoming a Registered Nurse.
Bedear “Bee” Paul Petro Jr.
Leland native, Bedear “Bee” Paul Petro Jr. was a member of both the Mississippi Delta Junior College baseball and football teams. The Leland Academy graduate was a Trojan in 1972 and 1973. He later attended Ole Miss Pharmacy School graduating cum laude in 1977.
Petro was a third basemen and outfielder for Head Coach Jimmy Bellipanni and was a defensive back for Head Football Coach Jim Randall.
“I enjoyed those two years of my college life more than anything,” Petro said of his time at Moorhead. “Those college years were the best two years of my life.”
The football team won the state championship his sophomore season. The baseball team sported a 10-3 overall record. After pharmacy school, Petro worked for Greenwood Leflore County Hospital, Chaney’s Pharmacy and Walmart Pharmacy.
