Centre County Sports Hall of Fame Unveils 2023 Inductees

A pair of record-setting Philipsburg-Osceola Area Senior high school professional athletes highlighted the just recently introduced 2023 Centre Region Sports Hall of Fame course of conscripts.

Blazing a trail was 2000 graduate Jon Apartment, who received more choose induction than any other athlete in the ballot background of the CCSHoF.

Arguably the most decorated athlete in P-O's history, Apartment was a first-team all-state linebacker, a first-team all-state catcher and also a PIAA fumbling champion. He was named to the Big 33 group, after that went on to play at the College of Maryland, where he started 50 consecutive video games as a long snapper, gained an Unique Teams Player of the Year recognition as well as captained the 2004 Terrapins.

He was prepared by the NFL's Oakland Raiders and also played for 15 years as a specialist, twice being called to the Pro Dish. The Raiders likewise called Condo a team captain as well as granted him with a Commitment to Excellence Award throughout his tenure.

Kelly Kephart Rees, P-O Class of 1997, joined Apartment as a 2023 conscript. She was a four-year starter in 4 sports for the Girl Mounties as well as made an overall of 16 university letters.

Rees played in 10 Area 6 champions, consisting of four in volley ball, 3 in softball, 2 in golf and also one in basketball.

On the ruby, she never ever dedicated an error in the 48 Mountain Organization turns she played in as well as still holds the Lady Mountie record for all-time hits with 108. Her sports diversity also generated 1,262 points on the basketball court, and she enhanced her education and learning while playing golf at Penn State, where she gained a doctorate level.

Kephart Rees is currently P-O’s athletic director.

In softball she did not dedicate an error in her 48 video games of Hill Organization play. She holds the Girl Mountie document for hits with 108. In basketball she scored 1,262 points.

Nine other regional individuals were likewise inducted right into the 2023 course from the voting participants of the CCSHoF.

DAVE BREON
Bald Eagle Area — Softball

Dave Breon introduced an excellent softball job as a fast-pitch hurler after graduating from BEA in 1971. He put together a 561-396 record over a 33-year career.

He began training the video game as an assistant instructor with the Girl Raiders of Bellefonte. He then led the Lewistown Senior high school softball team as head train for five years before taking the helm at BEA in 2004. There, he led the Girl Eagles to five seminar titles, 4 Area 6 championships and four western regional titles. BEA won PIAA championships in 2005 as well as 2009 as well as was runner-up in 2004 as well as 2008.

Breon lugged his softball experience and also expertise into the business globe by offering personal direction to softball athletes. He coached 11 pitchers whose groups got to the PIAA finals, and also 35 whose groups got to the District 6 finals.

ERIC BRUGEL
State College — Wrestling

Eric Brugel collected a set of PIAA wrestling titles for the Little Lions as well as was called Superior Wrestler of the 1983 state tournament. His grappling resume likewise consists of two northwest regional and also three Area 6 championships.

His fumbling occupation proceeded at Penn State, where he was a two-time team captain of the Nittany Lions. He won the Eastern Fumbling League champion twice and also was named an All-American by the 1984 season.

Brugel's other occupation highlights included a national junior Greco-Roman champion and induction right into the Pennsylvania Fumbling Coaches Hall of Popularity.

JOSH HULL
Penns Valley — Football

Complying with a notable job at Penns Valley Area Secondary School, Josh Hull made a spot at linebacker as a walk-on with the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, at some point functioning his means into a starting placement. As a Nittany Lion, Hull's football return to included second-team All-Big 10 linebacker standing and also choice to the All-Big Ten Academic team, as well as he was a Big 10 Distinguished Scholar Award victor. He additionally made Academic All-American status.

After his playing days in Happy Valley wrapped up, Hall went professional and also spent time with the NFL's St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and also Jacksonville Jaguars. His last professional period played out in 2014.

DOUG TAYLOR
Bald Eagle Area — Wrestling

Doug Taylor finished from BEA in 1988 and also lugged with him some very successful wrestling achievements. Throughout three years, he put together a 109-17-2 document, with 59 double fulfill wins to simply six losses and 2 connections. He was a three-time Centre Region Tournament victor, a two-time champion of the Manheim Tournament and also a two-time Top Hat champion.

He also won the District 6 title as well as regional title twice and placed in the PIAA competition on three occasions. He caught PIAA gold in 1988.

His grappling career continued at West Virginia, as well as in 1993 he put 5th as an All-American in the 1993 NCAA competition. He was also called as the Mountaineers' Superior Wrestler in 1993.

KEN WALKER
Bellefonte — Football

Ken Walker showed his sports capacity as a three-year letter champion on the gridiron and on the mat at Bellefonte Area High School. He additionally won a pair of letters on the baseball ruby.

As an elderly, he positioned third in the PIAA wrestling event and also was the 3rd baseman for the Red Raider baseball group, which completed the period as the third best team in the state.

After graduating in 1987, Walker continued his football profession at Lock Haven, where he was a four-year starter on the football group. He captained the group in 1990 and also 1991 and was called a PSAC Defensive Player of the Year. He presently ranks four in the college's history in total takes on.
Pedestrian additionally battled while at Lock Haven and was a two-time PSAC place winner and also two-time NCAA qualifier.

His sporting activities occupation continued after university as a 10-year football train and also wrestling trainer of the Ashley Ridge Senior high school football team in South Carolina. His football group appeared in nine playoffs during his 10-year stint, as well as his fumbling team won 7 state championships.

LARRY WISER
Bald Eagle Area — Football

Larry Wiser is a member of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame completely reason. The 1968 BEA grad published a 217-97-1 document as the head instructor at Clarion Senior high school, which makes him the winningest train in school and also meeting background. He is also the second winningest trainer in the history of District 9.

His teams showed up in 10 District 9 Course An as well as 2 Class AA champions, winning in 1997, 2009, 2013 and also 2017. Clarion got to the state's semifinals in 2013 and the quarterfinals in both 1997 as well as 2017. His groups won or shared 10 championship game.

Wiser was a three-sport professional athlete at BEA and won the distinguished James Snyder Honor.

The above individuals will be sworn in with the remainder of the class at a banquet on Oct. 22 at the Scholar (formerly the Penn Stater) at Penn State.

Three Centre Region athletes were inducted posthumously.

ANN INFIELD
State College — Track and field and cross country

Some trains instructor, while other trains do. Ann Infield was absolutely one that did.

Infield trained the State High girls track and also field group through eight unbeaten periods, covering it with a state champion in 1978. She was also the creator of the Woman Little Lions' cross-country team that shed simply one competition over a five-year duration. Her groups put in the top 5 in each year they joined the PIAA satisfy under her guidance.

She is a member of the Pennsylvania Track and Area Hall of Fame.

The exact same year her State High women won the state champion, Infield set a women's world document for 10,000 meters while winning the New york city City Mini-Marathon. Also that year, she was recognized as Pennsylvania's Senior high school Track as well as Field Train of the Year, due in part to her group winning the Pennsylvania senior high school track and also area champion.

She was the very first high school women's instructor picked as an honorary instructor of the Penn Relays and was the only female coach honored when State University Area High School won the CENPAC track as well as field championship.

Upon retirement after the 1978 period, Infield functioned as sports director for ladies's sporting activities at State High.

RON PAVLECHKO
State College — Football

After lettering as an offensive lineman for the Nittany Lions of Penn State from 1968-1970, Ron Pavlechko started a remarkable coaching career.

He accepted an English training position with State College Area Senior High School in 1971 and also joined the university football program as an assistant instructor. Six years later on, he changed Jim Wiilliams as the head instructor after Williams carried on to end up being an assistant instructor at Penn State.

During his mentoring job with the Little Lions, Pavlechko created a 117-103-4 document as well as coached groups to undefeated normal season documents in 1981 and 1992.

His Little Lions won four District 6 championships under his managements and also got to the PIAA semifinals in 1992.

He approved the placement of athletic supervisor at State High in 1996 and also served in that capability till his retirement. He was additionally president of the Central PA Chapter of the National Football Foundation and University Hall of Popularity.

GAWEN STOKER
Bald Eagle Area — Football

Gawen Stoker confirmed he understood the game of secondary school football with his 248-197-4 career mentoring document.

The majority of that time was with the Hairless Eagle Area varsity football program, where he posted a 152-85-2 general record as well as led the group to the school's initial Area 6 champion in 1988. He also coached at Wellington, Ohio; Trinity Senior High School in Washington, Pennsylvania; as well as at Indian Valley in Lewistown.

He was the District 6 and also District 7 director of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Organization as well as acted as the head train of the west squad in the 1981 Big 33 video game.
His involvement in the Huge 33 proceeded in 1984 when he was named game supervisor. That title carried on for him to the Mid-State/Uni-Mart Traditional from 1985 with 1995 and to the National City Standard in western from 1997 to 1999.

He was one of the owners of the CPFCAA All-Star Video Game, which is now referred to as the Lezzer Lumber Classic.

He was sworn in right into the Scholastic Football Coaches Organization Hall of Fame in 2000.

"We are excited regarding our 2023 Course of Hall of Fame inductees," claimed CCSHOF Head of state Keith Bierly. "We are pleased that it was a record citizen turnout. The prominent Centre County sporting activities including football, wrestling and also softball caused the selection of wonderful professional athletes and trainers.

"It was especially pleasing to see an inductee from every Centre Region public senior high school," Bierly said.