Wharton and Beyond

The list keeps growing of folks who come from Wharton and go on to be recognized for great things in the big, wide world. Recently, there’s Roshunda Jones-Koumba, a 1999 graduate of Wharton High School. She received the 2022 Excellence in Theatre Education Award at the 75th Annual Toney Awards. Jones-Koumba is a drama teacher at Houston’s G.W. Carver High School. And recently, we wrote about Coach Andrea Kearney, a Wharton product who is the head basketball at DeSoto High School, a 6A school near Dallas. Among many other achievements, she won back-to-back state championships at DeSoto. Let’s mention one other: she was named “coach of the year” by both the Dallas Morning News Texas High School Coaches Association. And there are many others in the past who have long been recognized for excellence far beyond Wharton in Wharton’s history. Horton Foote (1916-2009) received Academy Awards for his screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies. Foote also received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play The Young Man From Atlanta. Dan Rather was the CBS Evening News anchor whose Wharton home sits on the grounds of the Wharton County Historical Museum. He is well-known for his reporting during Hurricane Carla, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. Van Broughton Ramsey is a costume designer whose credits include Emmys for the Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All and Lonesome Dove. From som published lists of some of other notables from Wharton, Texas: Bert Adams, baseball player. Jesse McI. Carter, United States Army Major General in World War I. Larry Dale, blues singer and guitarist. Thyra J. Edwards, journalist, social worker. Van G. Garrett, poet. Albert Clinton Horton, first Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Jim Kearney, quarterback, Prairie View A&M, Pro Football, NFL Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Lathon, former professional football player. Leroy Mitchell, former professional football player, American Football League. Robert Parker, track and field coach. Carl Reynolds, professional baseball player. Memo Rodriguez, professional footballer for Houston Dynamo. Heath Sherman, former professional football player. David McCann "Mac" Sweeney, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Billy Waddy, NFL wide receiver. And who did we miss? Let me know! Thank you. “Players win games, but teams win championships.”

Roshunda Jones-Koumba

Andrea Kearney, a winning coach for school, hometown and family

Coach Andrea Kearney does her hometown proud. And no one could be prouder than another coach, her father, Paul. Andrea Kearney’s list of accomplishments are long, real long. She’s the head basketball at DeSoto High School, a 6A school near Dallas. For instance, she won back-to-back state championships at DeSoto. One championship, alone, would have made history for the school. The Dallas Morning News named her “coach of the year.” The same honor also came from the Texas High School Coaches Association. Among the rest of his accomplishments is this one: head coach at Michael Jordan’s “Jordan Brand Classic” tournament. You get the idea. She’s something special to Wharton, and to her Mom and Dad, the city and schools of DeSoto, and her profession. And I can’t wait to meet her. I am also going to talk about her dad, retired Coach Paul Kearney, whom I have known since a small group of people put together the Boys and Girls Club in Wharton years ago. I saw him many a day, back then, at the old gym at Dawson Elementary, with that whistle around his neck guiding young people — what a blessing. The Dawson campus is now the home of Just Do It Now. I also know Paul, as a musician, a very fine, working musician, in a well-known band, the Superior Band, also with his also talented brother, Cj. I also know Paul for being instrumental in bringing the largest festival here in the history of Wharton, the James Simmons Jr. Juneteenth Celebration. I feel certain Paul will love me writing about his daughter, but I also feel certain he will not like me writing about him. It’s one of the many fine things about him — his humility. Wharton is so darn lucky. Thank you, the Kearneys. And thank you, readers. “Players win games, but teams win championships.”