TIFTON, Ga. — It’s been a long time coming, but Baldwin High School graduate Worth Hartry Jr. has finally been entered into the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame.

Hartry (Class of ’72) was a big time standout on the basketball court in his first two years of college play as he was named Most Valuable Player as a freshman in 1973 and then again as a sophomore in 1974. He made his presence felt right from the start putting up monster numbers of 23.1 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game in his inaugural season as a Golden Stallion.

The induction ceremony was held on the ABAC campus in Tifton Friday night.

“It’s an honor that I wasn’t prepared for really,” Hartry told The Union-Recorder Thursday in advance of his induction. “I’m really excited about it.”

Hartry added he was looking forward to making the trip down to Tifton, as he had not been back since leaving in 1974. He admitted that he knew absolutely nothing about ABAC until then-head coach Lowell Mulkey came to Milledgeville to recruit him. Hartry obviously liked what the coach was selling because he elected to take his talents to the two-year college after finishing at Baldwin. He said a major highlight of his time as a Golden Stallion came when the team traveled to Panama to take part in a friendly international competition. The massive heat and adjustment to international rules were too much for ABAC to overcome as they fell to the Panamanians in two games. Hartry said he and his teammates also got to take in some sights while in South America as they stared in wonder at the Panama Canal.

“I heard about it in class, but I didn’t think I’d get the chance to go out there and see it,” he said. “I’d seen it long before in a book, but there it was right there in front of my eyes.”

He recalled rivalry matchups with Middle Georgia College out of Cochran and a homecoming to Milledgeville as the Golden Stallions took on Georgia Military College as other highlights of his ABAC career. In a matchup with GMC in his sophomore season Hartry put up huge numbers with 36 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Hartry was also selected as All-State and All-Region for his efforts as a freshman. After finishing up his two years in Tifton Hartry went on to finish out his eligibility at Piedmont College in Demorest.

Hartry played under head coach Paul Weitman at BHS, and attributed a lot of his success on the court to his coach.

“He taught me a whole lot about basketball when I first came to Baldwin High,” the former basketball star said. “Coach Weitman was really a good coach.”

Baldwin’s best season in Hartry’s tenure came back in 1971 when the Braves finished as the fourth place team in AAA. BHS fell to eventual state champions Carver-Columbus in the semifinals and then again in the consolation game to Northeast High School out of Macon.

He looks back at his time both as a Brave and a Stallion fondly, saying, “I had a good time at Baldwin High and at ABAC.”