A man who has the one elusive title every coach after him has failed to achieve. Two All-Americans who reached the pinnacle in their respective sports and a national champion are key figures from the oldest high school in Bay County.
Today, we kick off the first of the News Herald's "Mount Rushmore" of high school athletics series, which will feature all six Bay County schools, highlighting the significant and quintessential figures of the athletic programs at each school.
All-County TeamsWho was the player of the year as part of the All-Bay County boys tennis teams?
All-County TeamsWho starred as the player of the year as part of the All-Bay County girls tennis teams?
The players and coaches who grace the mountain are determined by the impact they had on the program, the community and beyond. We at the News Herald appreciate our readers and would love to get you involved.
Accompanying each article is a poll where you can vote for someone you believe would be perfect for a fifth spot on the mountain.
Coach John Cobb
"Mr. Bay High" in every aspect of the name, John Cobb was a standout running back and baseball player for the Tornadoes. Cobb would go on to play for Memphis State University, where he began his coaching career in 1958.
In 1973, Cobb would find himself back in Panama City, but this time as the football coach at Bay High. Three years later, he became the first and only coach in Bay County history to win a state football championship, an achievement that still stands today.
The legendary coach's life and legacy remain as the Bay High gymnasium is named after him and the impact he had on the community.
Kelly Landry Mehrtens
A multi-sport athlete, Mehrtens was a star track and field athlete, holding county records in the shot put and discus throw. Mehrtens won a state championship in the discus and would go on to throw at the University of Alabama. She earned All-American honors in 1985 and notched a fourth-place finish in the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Mehrtens now serves as the Executive Director of The Trust, which is associated with the National Football Players Association and is a pathway for professional players beyond football.
Tashia Morehead
Arguably the greatest basketball player to come out of Bay County, Morehead was a terrifying force in the paint. A two-time FHSAA Class 5A Player of the Year, Morehead averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds her senior season and was named Florida Ms. Basketball in 2001.
Morehead would go on to play at Gulf Coast Community College, where she averaged 23.1 points and 9.6 rebounds in two seasons. She won a national junior college championship, scoring 46 points and earning MVP honors in an 81-42 victory over Western Nebraska.
Morehead then transferred to play at the University of Florida, where she averaged 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds and declared for the WNBA draft in 2005, selected with the 32nd pick in the third round by the Washington Mystics.
Coach Misti Wonders
Wonders was the leading figure of a dynasty that spanned the better part of a decade. Since the inception of cheer as a competition in 2008, Wonders led the Tornadoes to state every year and won four FHSAA state championships (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016).
Wonders left a lasting legacy with cheerleaders such as Ashley Mosley, Chandler Haligas and Natasha Goodman, who all went on to cheer at Florida State.
Wonders added to the lengthy resume in 2021, when the cheer team won the Universal Cheerleading Association National High School Championship in Disney World.
Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
Most Popular
Comments / 0