February 13 was no ordinary doubleheader basketball game in the Dickinson gymnasium. Sure, the boys basketball team took care of business as usual with a sweep of First State Military Academy. But in between the JV and varsity matches, the Dickinson community convened in the gym to celebrate the induction of the new members of the school’s Hall of Fame. This year’s class included: 

Antwane Grant—employed in the MYP briefly a few years ago before pursuing one more football opportunity. He was a record setting WR at Nassau Community College and had two highly productive seasons at Western Kentucky before playing briefly for the Cincinnati Bengals. He also had stints in the NAL, CFL, and AFL and was the AFL’s co-Rookie of the Year in 2019.

Xie’ara Maybank Mercado—a 2007 graduate and member of the girls’ volleyball team, Xie’ara was an all-state middle hitter on the 2006 team that set a school record for most victories (15) in a single season. She would go on to play a prominent role at Elizabeth City State University (NC), where she earned All Conference for four years and helped her team to unparalleled team success. 

Paul Niggebrugge—a 1975 graduate, Paul was all-state in three sports. Baseball was his primary sport and he earned a scholarship to play at Temple University where he was a four-year starter. He was drafted by the Mets and had a short career in the minor leagues before going into coaching. He coached Caravel Academy baseball for 31 years, winning 5 state championships and appearing in the finals 9 times. Note: Niggebrugge was unable to attend the ceremony and will be recognized on Saturday, May 10 prior to the McKean-Dickinson baseball game. 

Sheila Cassidy—spent 24 of her over three decades in education in room F106 directing the band and choir and continues to work in the district when the need arises. Ms. Cass opened the world to students when she took her show on the road, amassing over 150 trophies and plaques from local, state, regional, national, and even international competitions.