By Ron Poniewasz Jr.
The Lawrence County Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame is set to expand.
A total of 13 former local athletic stars will be inducted on April 30 at the New Englander. The social hour will begin at 1:30 p.m., with dinner set for 3 p.m.
Jan Budai, Don “Ducky” Costa, Pam Grell, Mike Hambrick, Joe Hudak, Dennis Latess, J.R. McFarland, Angelo Pezzuolo, Fred “Bull” Ryan and Bruce Tanner are the living members.
Pete Quinn, Bob Session and Jacques (Jack) Young will be honored posthumously.
Following are the thumbnail sketches of each of the inductees:
Living
JAN BUDAI
A 1973 Shenango High graduate, Budai was a three-year letterman in football (quarterback), basketball and baseball. He helped lead the Westminster College football team to the NAIA national championship in 1976.
With the Wildcats, Budai was first-team all-section in his junior and senior seasons in basketball and baseball.
Currently, Budai is the head coach for the Shenango varsity baseball team, a capacity he has served in for 21 years. He has won seven WPIAL section championships to go along with two WPIAL runner-up finishes. In addition, Budai has a record of 233-156.
Budai is also a Lawrence County basketball referee and has officiated two WPIAL finals in Class A and Class AA. He has been a referee for 23 years.
DON “DUCKY” COSTA
Costa earned 10 letters in three sports at Ellwood City Lincoln, three each in football and basketball and four in baseball. He made all-conference two seasons and second-team all-state in football in 1954.
After high school, Costa went to Notre Dame on a football scholarship. While there, Costa lettered in football while receiving one letter in baseball as well.
Costa was the head football coach at Ellwood City from 1966 to 1970, posting an 18-20-1 mark while competing in the tough Midwestern Athletic Conference. He was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 1969 after directing the Wolverines to a 7-3 mark.
Costa was the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Xavier University in Ohio from 1970 to 1972 prior to coaching on Karl Florie’s staff at Riverside High School from 1974 to 1976.
In 1983, Costa took over as football coach at Northwestern while remaining on as principal. He compiled a 45-30 record and in 1985 he led the team to the District 10 championship with an 11-1 record including a 40-7 victory in the District 10 title tilt over Reynolds. Costa’s teams made the playoffs in five of his six seasons at the helm.
Costa retired as principal at Ellwood City following the 2004-05 school year but he continues to coach for Curt Agostinelli on the Wolverines’ football team.
PAM GRELL
Grell began to compete in the show hors arena at age 50 after teaching in Ohio, Illinois, New York and at The American School of the Hague in The Netherlands. She started to compete in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio in 1983.
The early years were spent learning how to compete against riders who took up the sport at an early age and who were about half her age.
Grell still continues to compete in classes and despite the age difference she has more than held her own.
From 1994 to 2003, Grell was champion of at least one organization every year, between the American Saddlebred Horse Association of Ohio, Inter County Horsemen’s Association, Inter State Horsemen’s Association and the Penn-Ohio Horsemen’s Association.
Grell began her breeding program in 1995 and her yearling, The Stonewall Connection, won the World Championship in Louisville in 1996.
In 1999, her yearling Crimson Trace won both the TriState and Pa. Futurities. In 2000, her two-year old Crimson Trace was reserve champion in the TriState Futurity and her yearling Nismchke won both the TriState and Pa. Futurities.
Last year, her yearling Good Time’n Kate won the TriState Futurity.
MIKE HAMBRICK
Hambrick was a late bloomer. Now 45, he competes in the Open and Masters Division for discus throwers in his years since his graduation from Slippery Rock.
As a youth, he was first a Little League Baseball star, a three-time local Punt, Pass and Kick champion and a city junior high champ in the shot put.
As a senior at New Castle, he placed fourth in the WPIAL and second in the PIAA meets in the discus with throws in the mid to high 150s.
Hambrick excelled in football and track in high school. He was an outside linebacker and a kicker as a member of the Red Hurricane WPIAL championship team in 1975.
In addition, he was also a boxer and won the Golden Gloves title in 1985 and once made the final cut in the New Castle News Golf Tournament as well.
JOE HUDAK
Hudak began his baseball coaching career at Union in 1976. He compiled a four-year record of 62-30 and led the Scotties to one section title.
Following graduate school at Kent State, Hudak accepted the post of head coach at Geneva College where he directed the program for seven years before attending graduate school at Mississippi State.
After graduate school at Mississippi State, he returned to Geneva before accepting an assistant coaching position at MSU. Overall, in eight years at Geneva, Hudak built a 203-137 record with two district championships and four district runner-up finishes. He produced 16 All-Americans and two professional draft picks while there.
Hudak has been the coach at Winthrop University, a Division I school, since 1992, winning 40 or more games five times. Through last season’s action, Hudak has compiled a mark of 495-335-5 at Winthrop.
In addition to his coaching experience, Hudak was a collegiate shortstop and all-Mid-Ohio Conference pitcher while at Malone College. He helped lead the Pioneers to two NAIA district championships in his four-year career.
DENNIS LATESS
Latess excelled in football, basketball and track and field at Laurel, earning nine varsity letters along the way.
The talented Latess was a two-year starter in basketball at center/forward. He averaged 22 points a game.
In track and field, Latess shattered school records in the long jump (21-5) and triple jump (43-3). The records held up for over 10 years. In 1969 he was the MVP in the field events at the Mars Invitational, the MVP of the Tri-County meet and was third in the WPIAL, just missing out on a trip to the state meet.
Latess was a wide receiver and defensive back, while returning punts and kickoffs as well. During his junior and senior seasons he earned First-Team Tri-County and First-Team WPIAL Class A status at receiver. He also won the Tri-County scoring title as a senior.
After graduation, Latess received a scholarship to play football at Youngstown State. Latess became the cornerstone of the Penguins’ secondary over the next four years, making 155 tackles. He was encouraged by scouts to pursue pro football but opted to finish his undergraduate and masters degree.
In 1988, Latess received his PhD from Ohio State in physical education and natural resources. He was a graduate assistant in backpacking, caving and wilderness survival. He is currently a professor of health and physical education at Youngstown State and continues to coach high school football in Salem, Ohio.
Latess has also climbed Mount Ranier (Washington), Mount McKinley (Alaska) and Grand Tetons (Wyoming).
J.R. McFARLAND
McFarland graduated in 1971 from Wilmington, where he competed in football and track. He earned all-county status in football as well.
McFarland attended Taylor (Indiana), Slippery Rock and Youngstown State universities. He played football at the collegiate level and was an all-Hoosier/Buckeye Conference and all-district nominee as well as earning NAIA Second-Team All-American status at linebacker in Division II in 1976. He graduated from Taylor in 1976.
After college, McFarland got his first coaching job in 1978 for the Greyhounds’ track and field team. He has also coached girls volleyball, winning 13 league titles as well as the WPIAL runner-up in 1986. In track and field, McFarland has coached Wilmington to three WPIAL championships and a pair of District 10 titles.
McFarland, who is currently the Lady Greyhounds’ girls track and field coach, has been coaching and teaching in the Wilmington School District for 29 years.
ANGELO PEZZUOLO
Pezzuolo registered 12 varsity letters at Bessemer High School, four each in football, basketball and baseball.
In high school, Pezzuolo was a four-year starter at fullback and linebacker on the football team. He scored the second-most touchdowns, trailing only his brother Henry in Bessemer annals.
After graduation, Pezzuolo attended Youngstown College and was a key member of the football program before being inducted into the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Pezzuolo started at end, a modern-day receiver, and linebacker for the Penguins from 1951 through 1954. During his four years at Youngstown, the program posted a 20-12-1 record including 14-3 in his final two seasons.
As a freshman, Pezzuolo tied for the team lead with 11 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore, Pezzuolo caught a touchdown pass against St. Francis (Pa.). During his junior campaign, Pezzuolo caught the game-winning touchdown against Gustavus Adolphus.
Pezzuolo earned his degree in Education from Youngstown College and later earned a Master’s in Administration from Westminster College.
Since graduating from college, Pezzuolo has been involved in education for almost 50 years. For the past 12 years, he has been the Executive Director of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV. Midwestern Intermediate is a regional education service agency providing services to 27 public school districts and 61 non-public schools in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties.
FRED “BULL” RYAN
Ryan was inducted into the Amateur Softball Association of Pennsylvania’s Softball Hall of Fame in 2003. He began playing softball in 1965 as a member of the St. Lucy CYO youth team in the Lawrence County CYO Youth League.
Ryan played two seasons in the league and led St. Lucy to the league championship each season with an undefeated record in each campaign.
His organized softball career started with Hyde Drug Store in the 7th Ward Men’s Slo-Pitch Softball League in 1968. Ryan went into the U.S. Armed Forces in 1969 where he played on the base team in Kentucky.
Upon his discharge in 1970, Ryan became a member of the Iron Dukes team of New Castle and the 7th Ward ASA Slo-Pitch League. At one time, the Iron Dukes recorded 105 straight wins.
Ryan went on to play professional slo-pitch softball for the Pittsburgh Hardhats in 1978 and 1979 and with the Pittsburgh Champions in 1980. He also played for the Nationwide Advertising team from Cleveland in the most noted men’s amateur slo-pitch softball league on the east coast in 1982.
During his career, Ryan won numerous MVP and Most Home Run Awards in tournaments played throughout the northeast United States. He was a talented outfielder and moved to first base in the latter stages of his career.
After retiring from playing, Ryan managed his New Castle JO Youth Team to two ASA of Pennsylvania state championships and took the team to play in the ASA 18 & under slo-pitch national championship tournaments.
BRUCE TANNER
Tanner is the son of legendary Pirates manager Chuck Tanner. The younge of four Tanner sons attended Neshannock High, where he participated in golf, basketball and baseball.
In high school, Tanner was a WPIAL Class 15-AA first team all-atar and had the team’s lowest earned run average as well. As a golfer, he competed in the Lancers’ No. 1 position.
Tanner went to Florida State and recorded the Southeast Conference and school record for all-time relief appearances. He also led the Southeast Conference in ERA at 2.44.
Tanner was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 33rd round in high school in 1980 but he did not sign with the club. In 1983, the Chicago White Sox selected him in the fourth round of the amateur draft.
The White Sox traded Tanner to Oakland to complete an earlier deal on Dec. 11,1986. They sent a player to be named later and Gene Nelson to the Athletics for Donnie Hill. Tanner was the player to be named later.
Tanner was 1-2 in his first year in the big leagues with the White Sox. He was injured in 1987 while playing for the Athletics.
Tanner moved on to coaching after his brief playing career ended. He was a minor league coach in the Pirates system for seven years and five years with the Pirates. Tanner served as the bullpen coach for the Pirates from 2001 to 2005.
Presently, Tanner is the Pirates’ instructional team pitching instructor.
Deceased
PETE QUINN JR.
Quinn’s life sadly came to an end in 1975 at age 26 because of cancer.
Quinn starred in football, basketball and baseball at Union. He earned 10 varsity letters, three each in football and basketball and four in baseball.
Quinn earned all-section first-team honors in football and baseball in his junior year and football, basketball and baseball as a senior. In addition, he was the first Lawrence County athlete to be named First-Team All-Section in football, basketball and baseball in the same year.
In 1966, Quinn was a member of the Scotties’ football team that shared a championship with three other schools.
In high school, Quinn played on various baseball teams over the summer in Youngstown.
Quinn played football, basketball and baseball at Geneva College as well. He played football and basketball in college for three years, lettering in football all three years and twice in basketball. He played baseball all four years, lettering every year.
Professional baseball teams were scouting Quinn a great deal until he became ill. In 1971, he helped lead the Golden Tornado to a conference championship.
As a junior, Quinn was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1970 during basketball season. The disease was in its fourth stage and doctors gave him six months to live. However, Quinn fought the disease, marrying his high school sweetheart, Sherry Sumner, and the couple had a daughter, Melissa. He continued playing sports and pursuing a college degree in Business Administration and Industrial Engineering.
Geneva named Quinn as one of its top 100 football players of all-time.
Union Township honored Quinn by naming one of its little league fields Pete Quinn Field.
BOB SESSION
Session lettered in football at New Castle in his junior and senior years. He played left end in football and started every game his senior year. Session also ran track and graduated in 1948.
The 1947 team finished 9-1-1 including a 6-6 tie against Farrell and a 14-13 nonconference loss to Warren.
In the summer, Session played in the County Baseball League on the Ecclesian Club Team managed by Mike Annarella. Session was an outfielder.
Session, who died last year, continued playing baseball while serving his country in the Navy during the 1950s.
JACQUES YOUNG
Known as the “Pump Handle Pugilist”, Young was a popular boxer from 1904 to 1918. He won a majority of his fights, only losing on days in which he had multiple fights.
Young’s biggest fight came in Youngstown in 1908 against world champion wrestler Fred “Demon” Bartell. After a fight refereed by a wrestling official and being misreported, some believed that Young had killed Bartell. However, Young knocked Bartell out in the 13th round.
Bartell was sent to the hospital and Young was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Bartell, who was still alive. Young was released and re-arrested several weeks later when Bartell’s condition worsened. Bartell had suffered temporary paralysis and brain damage as well as loss of memory of all events six weeks prior to the fight.
Young had a difficult time scheduling a bout for nearly eight months.
Young died in 1967.
