2021 Hall of Honor Inductees

LEGACY MEMBERS

Todd Graham

Todd Graham

North Mesquite High School Alum & Poteet Football Coach 

Todd Graham knows a thing or two about winning. A member of the first undefeated team in North Mesquite’s history, Coach Graham’s success in football only grew from there.  The All-State defensive back earned a scholarship to East Central University and briefly signed with the Arizona Cardinals before turning to coaching in 1988. His former coach Bill Taylor hired him as an assistant at Poteet High School, where he stayed until 1990. After several more stints as an assistant coach, Graham landed his first college head coaching gig in 2007 at Rice University. He immediately led them to a bowl game – something that had not been done since 1961. Graham went on to coach for Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State, where he won the 2013 PAC-12 Coach of the Year.  In 2020, he was named head coach of the University of Hawaii, where he still currently serves. At the time of his induction, Graham boasts an impressive 60% head coaching record.

 

Watch a video on Coach Graham here.

Milt Whitehurst

Milt Whitehurst

Mesquite High School Alum & Navy Veteran

Milt Whitehurst defines success. As a student at Mesquite High School, Whitehurst was an exceptional athlete. While an important part of the Skeeters’ football team, Whitehurst also excelled in track and field. After winning district in the 440-yard dash, he narrowly missed qualifying for state by finishing third at the regional meet. After high school and upon graduation from North Texas State University in Denton, Whitehurst enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served as a surveillance pilot aboard the Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet during the Vietnam War. Whitehurst also had flight duty during what is now known as the “Pueblo Incident,” wherein a U.S. Navy research ship was attacked and captured by North Korean forces. Following his retirement from the military, Whitehurst continued to fly as a commercial airlines pilot for over 15 years.

 

Click here for more on Milt.

Mickey DeLamar

Mickey Delamar

Mesquite High School Athletic Dir. & Head Football Coach

Mickey DeLamar is an icon in Mesquite. Joining the district in 1970 as a freshman football coach, DeLamar never looked back. For 37 years, he rose through the ranks of athletics and established a legacy in Mesquite. In 1987, DeLamar took the reins of the Skeeters and immediately made an impact as he was named District Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1989. The year 1994 saw him transition into a front-office role as the district’s athletic director.  His tenure as Mesquite AD saw the district win a football state championship and led to hundreds of students landing scholarships to play at the next level. In 2006, DeLamar was elected to the Texas High School Athletic Director Association’s Hall of Honor. Succeeded by fellow 2021 Hall of Honor inductee Steve Bragg, DeLamar retired from MISD in 2007 but left a footprint that will be remembered for years to come.

 

Find out more about Mickey in this video.

COACHES

Steve Bragg

Steve bragg

Mesquite ISD Athletic Director and North Mesquite High School Head Football Coach

Steve Bragg was meant for the Mesquite Hall of Honor. For 34 years Bragg taught, coached and mentored his way into the history of MISD sports. A native of Mesquite, Bragg played football at McDonald Middle School and later for North Mesquite High School. Returning to North after college, Bragg served as the head coach for the NMHS boys soccer teams in the late ‘80s and was named The Dallas Times Herald’s 1987 Soccer Coach of the Year. After a brief stint away from the district, Bragg returned in 2001 to lead the Stallions to multiple playoff appearances and a top 20 ranking in the state of Texas. In 2007, Bragg was promoted to athletic director, and under his leadership a record number of student-athletes received scholarships. In 2018, he cemented his legacy by overseeing the creation of the Mesquite Hall of Honor along with Superintendent Dr. David Vroonland before retiring from the district in 2019.

Watch this video to get a better understanding of Coach Bragg's impact.

Gary Taylor

Gary taylor

Mesquite High School Boys Basketball Coach

Gary Taylor is a winner.  For 14 years, Taylor led the Mesquite boys basketball team to successes it had never had before. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin University, Taylor joined MISD in 1987 as an assistant coach. In 1994, he took over as head coach and never looked back. Taylor drove his team to become district champions in 1999, landing the Skeeters their first playoff appearance in over 50 years. This feat earned Taylor The Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year. The next several years saw Taylor and his Mesquite High teams win district championships, reach state tournaments and nearly win a title. In 2007, he joined fellow Hall of Honor inductees Steve Bragg and Donna Capps in the front office where he served as assistant athletic director.

 

Click here to watch more about Coach Taylor.

PLAYERS

quincy acy

John Horn High School Basketball (Class of 2008)

Through college success and NBA dreams, Quincy Acy has never forgotten his roots in Mesquite. The forward averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game throughout his tenure at Horn High School, leading the team to its first-ever playoff berth as a junior. Ranked as the 80th overall prospect, Acy earned a scholarship to Baylor University. At Baylor, he boasted 100 career victories and established the program’s record for career games played. The 2011 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 37th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Acy would go on to play for the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns before leaving to compete overseas. Despite the busy schedule of an NBA player, Acy established and maintained his Quincy Acy Foundation Basketball Camp. Held at Horn High School and hosted by Acy, this free camp provided fundamental teaching and an environment to play for boys and girls in the Mesquite community.

 

Watch a video on Quincy's impact.

Cynthia horton wilburn

North Mesquite High School Girls Basketball (Class of 1988)

Cynthia Horton Wilburn was dominant. The 1985-86 Newcomer of the Year led the charge for Coach Donna Capps’ Stallions over the next three years. In her first season, the sophomore was First-Team All-City and First-Team All-District. Her junior year saw her win the Southwestern AAU offensive MVP and another selection to the All-District First Team. A long list of accomplishments became a regularity for Horton Wilburn by her senior season. She was honored by the Mesquite Exchange for dedication to excellence, named to several all-tournament teams, earned a place on the first team for All-State and was named the Class 5A Player of the Year by The Dallas Morning News. Upon graduation from North, Horton Wilburn attended Stephen F. Austin University, where she played on the Lady Lumberjacks basketball team.

 

Follow this link to see more on Cynthia.

Daylan HOlt

Mesquite High School Baseball (Class of 1997)

Daylan Holt achieved at every level. His sophomore year saw him double as a two-sport athlete as he played both varsity football and baseball. He led his Skeeters baseball teams to win district each year he was in high school, and together  they reached the regional finals in both 1996 and 1997. The accomplishments only continued in college, where he became a legend for the Texas A&M baseball program. Throughout his tenure at A&M, Holt was selected to multiple All-American and tournament teams and was awarded the opportunity to play for Team USA. In 1999, he led the entire country in total home runs with 34, a single-season record that still stands for the Aggies. After leading Texas A&M to the College World Series in 1999, Holt was named the team captain before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2000 MLB draft. He went on to play in the minor leagues for the Athletics, White Sox and Dodgers until 2004. Holt was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

 

See more about Daylan's history here.

Khat bell

North Mesquite High School (Class of 2011)

You might need a few hands to count the amount of accomplishments Khat Bell has achieved throughout her volleyball career. The 2007-08 District Newcomer of the Year exploded onto the volleyball scene in Texas, collecting All-District honors four straight years. In addition to winning Blocker of the Year, Bell represented the United States at the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship in 2009. The three-time district MVP was ranked as the number two recruit nationally and earned a scholarship to play at the University of Texas. At Texas, she was a three-time All-American, four-time Big 12 first-team member and won a national championship with the Longhorns in 2012. After college, Bell played internationally in the Philippines and Turkey and is now playing in South Korea. Her competitive nature was showcased to a different type of audience when she appeared as a  contestant on the second season of the American TV series The Circle in 2021.

 

See what makes Khat special in this video.

TEAMS

1986 & 1987 North mesquite high school soccer

State Tournament Qualifiers

No one saw the 1986 and 1987 North Mesquite soccer teams coming except for the teams themselves. The Stallions coach, Steve Bragg, had no experience coaching soccer before he took the reins in the early 80s. In just a short time, he built the team into a powerhouse in Texas. Led by several all-state players, the Stallions defeated top-ranked Richardson Pearce High School on the way to a state semifinals appearance in 1986. The magic was still there in 1987 as the Stallions held onto a #1 or #2 ranking throughout the entire season. The team charged to an incredible 20-2 record before again falling in the semifinals round. While the team never made it all the way, the back-to-back district champions made a lasting impression in MISD athletics history.

 

Relive the magic by watching this video on the team.