Fly to be inducted into Whitfield Hall of Fame tonight

Longtime basketball and baseball official and former Rocky Mount resident Ron Fly will be inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame during ceremonies Friday at 7 p.m. at Goldsboro High School's auditorium. 

Ron, who now lives in Goldsboro, and his twin brother Don have called hundreds of games in the Twin Counties - including in the gym at Rocky Mount High School where I first saw then both call a basketball game. 

I had trouble telling them apart back in the winter of 1973, and I still do now! The duo has been in stripes or in shirts and chest protectors for the past 40 years.

As usual, a great cross-section of sports dignitaries from across the state will be inducted with Ron this evening. Also being inducted from this area are N.C. Wesleyan head trainer Carol Carson and Edgecombe County native and Northern Nash assistant football coach Richie Pridgen. Pridgen was head coach at Wilson Fike for many seasons.

This is the complete list of honorees for the 40th annual event: 

— Former NFL and UNC star and Goldsboro native David Thornton

— Former voice of the Tar Heels Woody Durham 

— Air Force Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers

— Former ACC champion tennis player Alexander “Andy" Andrews

— A five-time N.C. Sports Writer-of-the-Year recipient Wilt Browning

— Richard Bell, Arkansas tight end in late 1950s
— Carol Carson, head athletic trainer at N.C. Wesleyan College
— Wes Chesson, played in NFL with Atlanta and Philadelphia
— Bill Davis, served in World War II and played football at Duke
— Ron Fly, well-renowned basketball official
— Wells Gulledge, Mount Olive graduate who coaches at Kinston High
— Mark Johnson, retired head baseball coach at Sam Houston State
— Robert P. Kennel, former football player at N.C. State
— Ray Korn, prep and collegiate standout athlete from New Jersey
— Mac Morris, compiled 400-plus victories as basketball coach
— Wendell H. Murphy, Duplin County native and agricultural genius
— Richard Pridgen, former head football coach at Wilson Fike
— William Rowe, started 8-man football program at Parrott Academy
— Don Shea, former sports director at WTVD-TV in Durham
— Carl R. Tacy, former men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest
— Timothy Taft M.D., played soccer and ran track at Princeton University
— David Thompson, played on N.C. State's 1974 National Championship basketball team
— Jerry R. Tolley, lettered in four sports at Holmes HS in Edenton
— Robert Vaughan, started men’s basketball at Elizabeth City State
— Lindsay Warren, Washington native has served several positions
— Tony Womack, played in Majors with Pittsburgh and Arizona
— Larry Worsley, played for legendary Everett Case at N.C. State