Six inductees comprise fourth installment of Rosewood Hall of Fame

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on October 12, 2007 3:18 PM

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An electric company president, former Homecoming Maid of Honor, a pair of dynamic basketball standouts, a regional tennis champion and a previous head football coach comprise the fourth installment of inductees for the Rosewood High School Athletics Hall of Fame.

Tommy Pate, Lisa Tew Gaskins, Karen and Sharon Bond, Bryan Daniels and Steve Craft will be honored during halftime of Friday evening's home game against North Johnston. Kickoff for the Class 1-A Carolina Conference affair is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Branch Pope Field.

President of Wayne Electric Co. Inc., Pate tallied more than 900 points during his basketball career for the Eagles. He lettered in baseball and basketball, and earned honor graduate status for his senior year.

Pate eventually attended and obtained honor graduate status at Atlantic Christian College, now called Barton College. His two children, Thomas III and Mary-Katherine Pate Hixson, are the fourth generation of family members who graduated from Rosewood.

Gaskins excelled on the softball field during the mid-1980s. She won the Golden Glove award in 1985-86 and grabbed All-Carolina 1-A Conference honors in 1987.

One of the more-popular student-athletes on campus, Gaskins received accolades as Miss Rosewood (1986) and Homecoming Maid of Honor (1986-87). She currently lives in New Bern with her husband Wade and two children -- Patrick and Samantha.

Gaskins is employed with the Craven County Schools system as a teacher's assistant in kindergarten.

"My heart is currently entertaining a transition in education," said Gaskins. "Life is about learning ... life-long learning."

One of coach Gordon Crocker's better players during his career, Karen Bond achieved success on and off the court. She garnered most improved and most valuable honors on the team level, and all-conference and all-state honorable mention from her peers.

Bond attended Peace College for two years and transferred to East Carolina University. She obtained a B.A. in theatre arts/speech communications and currently serves as an assistant vice president for Wachovia Bank.

A resident of Hickory, Bond spends her "free" time as the minister of music at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and she has composed her own gospel CD entitled "We Must Work."

Meanwhile, Sharon Bond's hard work didn't go unheralded, either. Like Karen, she collected numerous awards during her basketball career and attended Peace College.

Sharon eventually transferred to ECU, also, and played for the Lady Pirates during her junior and senior seasons. She graduated in 1989 with a B.S. in biology. After graduation, Bond entered the medical field and received her registered nursing degree and an encoding certificate.

She currently supports Rex Hospital and her company, Lexipro.

Daniels secured the No. 1 seed as a freshman on the men's tennis team and never relinquished that spot. He was named the team MVP each season until he graduated in 1988. His four-year varsity career, included a singles runner-up effort in eastern regional play (1986), two regional doubles titles (1987, 88) and a state runner-up (1988).

The son of Lonza and Sue Daniels, Bryan still resides in the Rosewood community but now with his wife Debbie and their two children -- Hannah and Cameron. Daniels owns Daniels Furniture along with his sister, Faith, and he is actively involved at Victory FWB Church in a number of capacities.

Craft started the Rosewood High football program on the junior varsity level in 1969. That 40-member team posted a 6-0 record. Two years later, Craft's first-ever varsity team logged a 5-5 ledger and that led to Craft earning coach of the year honors.

In 1973, Craft guided Rosewood to the state championship and an 11-2 record. He continued to enjoy success and eventually posted a 60-37 career mark before departing Rosewood in 1979.

Craft spent time coaching football at North Johnston and D.H. Conley. He was named the Pitt County Area Coach of the Year in 1987 and coached in the annual East-West All-Star football game in 1989. He spent 35 years working with high school athletes, including a three-year stint as Conley's athletics director.

Now retired, Craft resides in Winterville with his wife, Mary. Their children -- Mary-Kathryn and Stephen -- live in Columbia (S.C.) and Greenville, respectively.