NeveHarms Junior and Jackie coordinated basketball and golf events for the Elks organization on an international level when Junior served as the Grand Athletic Global Director for 20 years. The Watkins’ founded and ran the Hersey Hawkins Summer League for 35 years. Junior was the league commissioner while Jackie oversaw scoring, scheduling and other matters. Each served on the Peoria Park District Athletic Advisory Board. Junior has been a member of the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame board for over 20 years and Jackie has lent her singing voice to the GPSHOF banquet for years. The couple was involved with PHY (People Helping Youth), a non-profit designed to help Little League Baseball at State Park. Junior has been a volunteer official for Caterpillar Leagues and a volunteer host for the IHSA state basketball tournament.
| 2007 Tri-County Co-Male Coach of the Year PAT RYAN In his 18th season as head football coach at Metamora High School, Ryan coached the Redbirds to an unbeaten season and the Class 5A IHSA state championship. With two Big Ten signees leading the way on the field, Ryan's team returned to the state title game for the fifth time in his tenure and won the school's first championship since 1975. The 14-0 season ran Ryan's career record to 173-40. |  |