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Chick-fil-A Florence Athletic Hall of Fame class celebrates

Updated Jan. 5, 2025, 11 a.m. by SCOTT CHANCEY Sports Editor 1 min read

FLORENCE , S.C.

-- For a hall of fame inductee, the speech is everything.

It reflects upon the past, directs gratitude at those who helped make dreams possible and it gives a glimpse into what's for the future.

Shequita Bacote waits for a flower to be pinned to her dress before Saturday night's induction ceremony for the Chick-fil-A Florence Athletic Hall of Fame at the Florence Center.

Bacote was one of six inductees.

Six inductees who were enshrined Saturday night into the Chick-fil-A Florence Athletic Hall of Fame spent this past week working on their speeches.

While doing that, they found it more fulfilling then they could have ever imagined.

The memories returned as if they played a game with their teammates just yesterday.

Bacote is a 1998 graduate of West Florence High School where she played softball from 1996-98.

Bacote "Mainly, it was reflecting on the love of the game and the bond, the friendships made while playing softball," Bacote said before the banquet at the Florence Center.

She was all-region two years, all-conference one year and all-state during her senior season (1998).

As team captain, Bacote led the Knights in home runs and RBIs that year and was the North-South All-Star game MVP.

"But my favorite memory was my first home run, and it being against South Florence," Bacote recalled.

"South played home games at Freedom Florence at the time, and this home run was to straight center." She went on to attend S.C.

State University from 1998-2002 and earned MEAC All-Conference 2nd Team honors while leading the team in triples.

She continued her softball career at the amateur level, which has taken her across the country at different points.

A 1998 graduate of South Florence High School, Clark was a multi-sport standout for the Bruins.

Clark She lettered four years in basketball, three in volleyball and two in track.

But it was on the basketball court where she shined the brightest.

Clark earned all-region honors her junior and senior years, was all-state and team MVP her senior season and was a North-South All-Star.

"I came from an athletic family.

For me, the memories that came back while writing the speech were the memories of my dad (Wes Clark) and him being my first coach from the city league to AAU," Clark said before the banquet.

"He followed me everywhere I went to play in high school and college, and all the good things that came with that.

"This is something that would make my dad proud," she added.

"He was a student-athlete as well (at South Carolina State).

It's a legacy that continues." After high school she earned a scholarship to attend Wofford.

Clark still ranks eighth all-time in blocked shots (101), sixth in blocked shots in a single season (59) and fourth in blocked shots per game (7 in 2001).

She also led the team in blocks in 2001 and 2002.

She also went on to earn a law degree from N.C.

Central University.

A graduate of Florence High School (McClenaghan) in 1943, Costas was a three-year letter-winner while playing basketball and tennis.

She attended Winthrop College while competing in field hockey, basketball and dance during her time before graduating in 1947.

Costas Costas was the first recipient of the Hellams Award her senior year at Winthrop, which was awarded to the senior in the Physical Education Department that showed character, leadership, professional skills, enthusiasm and social qualities.

It was a family project in putting together Costas' speech.

Daughter Vicki Underwood delivered Saturday's speech, but brother J.P.

Costas, and sisters Maria Costas and JoAnn Nance also provided valuable input.

"The main thing we remember was always having the house in the neighborhood where kids would come here to play," Underwood said before the banquet.

"She also coached Maria, JoAnn and myself at different points in our careers.

"We think this is going to be a very proud moment for momma," she added.

After college, Pauline both coached and played slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball at various state, regional and national levels while also staying involved in the Florence Community including as a former board member for the Hall of Fame.

A member of West Florence High Schools class of 1982, Farmer went on to graduate from S.C.

State (1988) and earn degrees from Cambridge College (2005), Gardner-Webb University (2019) and Columbia College (2020).

Farmer He began coaching in 1988 at West Florence as the head JV football coach and assistant on the varsity squad.

He also was the head JV girls basketball coach, assistant varsity coach and head varsity girls track coach.

Farmer was inducted into the S.C.

Track Hall of Fame in 2017 after having coached nine 1A state track champions during his tenure.

He was a four-time state Coach of the Year, seven-time 1A Coach of the Year, two-time National Coach of the Year and 20-time region Coach of the Year.

"When you become a coach, you think you know your stuff, but you don't," recalled Farmer, now football and track coach at Calhoun County.

"I learned how to become a coach through the coaches from here.

They taught me how to be professional." Farmer was also a five-time region football coach of the year and was the head coach for the 2021 North-South All-Star game (Touchstone Energy Bowl) and the 2023 head coach for the Sandlapper squad in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

Of course, Farmer's speech brought back those other memories.

"I wanted to be an NFL player, but I knew from a young age I wanted to coach," Farmer said.

"And I was given the opportunity, and Rocky Rietkovich in recreation taught me so much when I worked for him as well.

All this set the foundation for my career.

Once I left Florence, I knew how it should go, and I understood where the foundation started." A 1978 graduate of West Florence High, Miles stayed close to home and attended college at Francis Marion, where he graduated in 1982.

He was a two-sport star with the Knights lettering three years in football and four years in baseball.

Miles On the gridiron, he was a starting quarterback and defensive back and earned all-conference and MVP honors his junior and senior years.

On the diamond, Miles was a third baseman and pitcher and earned all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons as well.

He also played for Florence Post 1 in 1977 and 78.

At FMU, he played every inning of every game for his entire four-year career with the Patriots.

"I'm a believer, so I'm going to give God the glory," Miles said before the banquet.

"Coaches special to me will be there like (then-West Florence baseball coach Bob Kleinknecht and then-Francis Marion baseball coach Gerald Griffin).

I'm going to center the speech primarily on the people who were there for my career and thank the committee.

"Those defining moments in my life set by five or six coaches will always be special to me," he added.

"And of course, I'll say something about my dad, Jim." Miles' coaching tenure began in earnest in 1984 when he was an assistant varsity baseball coach for South Florence.

He became the head coach in 1985 and was there until 1988.

He also served as the Bruins JV football coach in 1983 and was an assistant varsity coach from 1984-88.

Miles also started the Florence Christian School football program and was head coach from 2008-2012.

A 1981 graduate of Bennettsville High School, Page went on to attend and graduate from Winston-Salem State in 1986.

He began his Florence journey in 1993 as the head coach of the Tigers.

From 1993-2012, Wilson went 127-90 with 13 playoff appearances, three region crowns (1996, 2003, 2005), 10 FSD1/F1S City Championships, three lower state final appearances and earned the 2007 3A state title.

Page Sure, those were among the memories that returned to Page.

But one memory was most vivid.

"I was 29 at the time and living in Orangeburg, and it was between paychecks; I got my last suit cleaned and had a tankful of gas.

I came here to interview for the Wilson job with $8 and a dream," Page said before the banquet.

"When I left that interview, I felt I did a good job and was prepared to be a head coach.

I look back and reflect on how all this worked out in my favor.

"Once I became coach, I wanted to get some wins and get the program going, not knowing this was my primary destination," he added.

"I wouldn't have wanted things to work out any other way." A three-time region Coach of the Year (1996, 2003, 2005), Page was the S.C.

Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2007.

He went on to coach Lower Richland High School before coming back to the Pee Dee in 2016 as the offensive coordinator at West Florence.

This past season, Page returned to the sidelines for his second stint as head coach of the Tigers.

He was inducted into the S.C.

Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023.

The South Florence Bruins' football team was recognized for winning its second SCHSL 4A state championship in the past three years.

The hall of fame honored the City of Florence's Recreation Services, Athletics, and Sports Tourism Department.

The same honor also went to the Florence County Parks and Recreation Department.

Ellis, who retired as Coastal Carolina's men's basketball coach in December 2023, is a member of four Halls of Fame after entering the Alabama Sports Hall in 2021 and Clemson's in 2013.

He was already part of the Mobile Sports and Cumberland University Halls of Fame.

Ellis is the ninth-winningest coach in NCAA Division I history with a record of 828559 (906571 overall).

He is also just one of four coaches in NCAA Division I history to make multiple NCAA Tournament appearances with four separate schools and was named conference Coach of the Year six times in his career.

He is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to win at least 170 games at four different institutions.

Ellis was a two-time ACC coach of the year at Clemson, where he coached from 1984-94.

He coached the Tigers to their lone regular-season conference crown in 1990.

One-time Florence resident Sharone Wright was a star on that 1990 team that reached the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.

Ellis also won 10 regular-season or tournament championships in his career with the final ones being the 2014 and '15 Big South tournament crowns at Coastal Carolina.

FLORENCE, S.C.