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Morgan Wootten is one of the most successful coaches in high school basketball history. Those from the Washington metro area may remember him for the legendary success of his DeMatha Catholic High School basketball team. During his close to 50 year tenure, DeMatha won more than 1,200 games and never lost more than two in a row. One of the most historic moments of his career was the team’s unexpected win up against a powerhouse team led by a player we now know as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

WUNC’s The State of Things – Before Coach K There Was Morgan Wootten Read More

Filmmaker Bill Hayes and college basketball assistant coach Dereck Whittenburg sat knee-to-knee on a commuter jet together six years ago on a three-hour flight up the East Coast. When they landed, the two had pledged to produce a documentary together about legendary DeMatha basketball coach Morgan Wootten, one of the most successful coaches in the high school history.

The Washington Post – DeMatha’s Morgan Wootten featured in film as ‘The Godfather of Basketball’ Read More

In their documentary, Morgan Wootten: The Godfather of Basketball, they explore the legend behind the first high school coach to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Herald Sun – He’s considered the ‘Godfather of Basketball.’ A new film explores how a Durham native reached basketball fame Read More

Producer Bill Hayes spent his childhood working hard on his father’s 300-acre tobacco and dairy farm in Mount Airy, waiting for the day when he could leave small-town North Carolina to make it big.

Chapel Hill Magazine – Carrboro TV Producer Uncovers ‘The REAL Mayberry’ Read More

Mount Airy native and North Surry High School grad Bill Hayes reached a milestone in his career recently, with his 1,000th television program on the air.

Mount Airy News – Mount Airy Native Reaches Career Read More

The mythical television town of Mayberry, a peaceful, folksy burg presided over by the amiable, homily-dropping Sheriff Andy Taylor, was based on Mount Airy, in Surry County, N.C., the hometown of Andy Griffith. It’s also the hometown of Bill Hayes, the producer-director of this documentary about Mount Airy and its residents, both past and present.

Indy Week Read More

Mount Airy has had its version of a Hollywood premiere, which produced rave reviews about the documentary “The Real Mayberry.”

The Earle Theatre downtown was packed for its debut Saturday night, when admission was by invitation only.

Mount Airy News – ‘Real Mayberry’ opens to rave reviews Read More

After a career spent creating non-fiction television programs that have aired around the world, Mount Airy native Bill Hayes realized the most compelling story needing to be told was right in his own backyard.

Mount Airy News – ‘Mayberry’ hits the silver screen Read More