Walt Marshall

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Marshall’s football career is colorful and spectacular. He has become one of the leading grid tutors in Pennsylvania, by coaching the Purple Demons to the first Eastern Conference Championship in the history of this community. A man of winsome disposition and pleasing personality, Marshall has garnered extensive admiration in the ranks of players, officials and fans. Coal Township provided Marshall with his first coaching job. He tutored the Demons in 1939 and 1940. After taking the boys to camp in the summer of 1941, he left Coal Township to accept a position at Northeast Catholic High in Philadelphia. After spending three years there, Marshall embarked on a college coaching mission. In 1944, he joined Milt Piepul as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College. After one year with the Green Wave, he moved to Lafayette College in Easton, PA., in 1945. In 1946, he went to Canisius, Buffalo, NY, where he spent two years as a mentor. Marshall’s last collegiate coaching assignment was at Auburn University in Alabama. He coached there in 1948 and after spring practice in 1949, returned to Coal Township. His teams are undefeated in 19 straight games, including one tie. Marshall has seen his crews roll up a total of 610 points and hold the enemies to a combined aggregate of 158 in two seasons. Marshall’s top achievement came when the Demons trounced Swoyersville for the Eastern Conference title. From all of us to Marshall we say: “Well done. May you attain still greater heights.”

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Roy Sanders

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Roy Sanders, a versatile athlete in Coal Township High School and at Millersville State College, made himself most note-worthy as a football quarterback, although he did exceptionally well as a basketball and baseball player and a boxer. Sanders quarterbacked Coal Township teams that beat some of the coal region’s toughest rivals. Among them was Mahanoy City. C.T. upset Mahanoy in 1928 by a 14-0 score at Maysville. Under Roy’s inspiring pilotship Coal halted four Mahanoy touchdown drives, one of them on the Demon’s three-inch line. In addition to his yeoman job of running the team, Roy tossed two touchdown passes and booted a pair of bonus points. Sanders was head football coach at Coal Township High in 1946 and served as co-coach with Ed Sutt in 1945. Sanders never wanted to be head coach. He took the job in time of emergency and as a standby favor. Roy performed as a forward in basketball, shortstop in baseball and could box with dexterity. Sanders as a pugilist was might handy with a right uppercut punch. Roy was a big gate attraction at the former Moose Hall at Lincoln and Market Streets when he and Frankie Houser tangled on windup boxing features. Roy was quite a “Joe” – cheerful and jolly and a guy who recognized a person’s good points rather than misgivings and pitfalls.

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George Edwards, Jr.

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Dubbed as “a wrestler’s wrestler”, Edwards, a son of Mr. and Mrs. George Edwards, 500 North Second Street, Shamokin garned one of the most phenomenal records ever recorded by a high school performer. Edwards registered an amazing 74 victories, five losses and one tie, including tournament competition. In addition to his brilliant log, the performer had broken almost every record in Shamokin High wrestling history in his high school career. He had broken six records, one of which is his own, and tied two. After high school, George entered Penn State and continued his winning ways. As a freshman he was 8-0 and the following three years as a varsity performer his record was a brilliant 28-2-1. An All-American in 1965, he also placed second in Easterns and garnered a fifth place in National competitions. After four years as freshman coach at Penn State, he became head coach at University of Virginia in 1968. At that school his wrestlers have won 28 individual ACC championships and the team three ACC titles. Six of his wrestlers have won or shared six most valuable awards in that conference. His teams have won more matches than any other Virginia wrestling coach.

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Tim Katona

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Tim showed early promise as a trackman in elementary school and Junior Olympic competition. In high school he competed in sprints, hurdles, and relays with great success. When the 330-Intermediate Hurdles event was introduced in 1973, Coach Gerry Breslin recognized him as a natural for the event because of his ability to alternate steps as he approached each hurdle. He was undefeated in that event throughout the League and Championship season. He capped his high school career with a victory in the State Championship Meet. He competed as a member of the University of Pennsylvania track team for two years; and was a member of Penn’s 1974 Ivy League Championship Team. He gave up the sport to concentrate on academics in 1975, nd became a Dean’s List Student. He graduated from Penn in 1977 and is now a successful electrical engineer for the Sperry-Univac Company in Southern California.

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William E. Ruffing

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Bill was a 3-sport athlete during those rough and tumble years between 1915 and 1920. He starred in football and baseball; but was outstanding as a basketball player. He captained the basketball team at Mount Carmel in both his Junior and Senior years. He played semi-professionally with the Locust Gap Celtics in the area Big Five League. He was also Player-Manager of the Maysville Tennis Club for 15 years, when tennis was a sport played competitively on a club basis in this area. Later he was an outstanding golfer at the Fountain Springs Country Club. He was recognized for forty years of management of Athletic Association finances at Mt. Carmel High School with a Booster Club award in 1967. Perhaps most notably, he was Treasurer of the committee responsible for the construction of the Mt. Carmel High School Stadium in 1934. He presently serves a Executive Vice President of the Union National Bank in Mt Carmel, and never misses a Penn State home game.

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Earl Dallabrida

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Earl Dallabrida began his athletic career in Kulpmont High School where he was a tree letter-man. He played forward on the basketball team, ran the sprints, High jumped and Broad jumped in track and played both ways in football. He was primarily a running back, but did some passing and all of the punting. Defensively he played a deep safety and ran back most of the punts. Because of an automobile accident in which he was a passenger, Earl played only a few games in his Senior year, but still rated high in the selection of All-State. Graduating in 1942, although being contacted by several schools, Earl spent the next years in the armed forces. Shortly after World War II professional or Semi-professional football became very popular in this area. It was in this brand of ball that he would be remembered. In our immediate area the Anthracite Maroons presented to the fans some very exciting football. This team was made up of players from Mount Carmel, Kulpmont, Marion Heights, Shamokin, and out-lying districts. In the present day of specialists in football, a coach would have difficulty determining Earl’s best position, because he was an outstanding, deceptive running back, a fine receiver and at times a passer. He also did the punting. Defensively, as in school, he played deep safety and probably was best remembered for his punt returns. During this era of semi-pro ball, he also played some with the Pottsville team and the Shenandoah Presidents. Earl is still in our area and resides in Marion Heights.

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Annette Zamboni

  • December 15, 2023
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SCHOLAR ATHLETE Annette Zamboni, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Zamboni of 609 Chestnut St., Kulpmont, Pa. Has been selected Scholar-Athlete to the “Hall of Fame.” Miss Zaboni’s achievements include many trophies for individual and competitive cheerleading, gymnastics, in which she appeared yearly in the “Alice Higgins Dance Review.” baseball and basketball during elementary school. In high school she participated in girl’s track in which in 1979 she made it to District 4-Track and Field Championship in Williamsport, Pa. During her high school years she participated in long jump, broad jump, and high jump. In her senior year she also added running to her accomplishments. Miss Zamboni also competed in the 2nd Quad County All League Meet. She also came in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the Breslin Relays. Scholastically was valedictorian at Mt. Carmel Area High School, Class of 1981. During her high school years, Miss Zamboni served as president of the National Honor Society and Vice-President of Quill and Scroll and National Athletic Honor Society. She was Student of the Month and a member of the varsity cheerleading squad, yearbook staff, girl’s track team, glee club, concert chorus, pep club, French Club, operetta, news reporting staff, Calculus League, prom committee, class day committee, stadium usher and assembly program committee. Miss Zamboni also received the Chef’s Trophy, which is for dedication in sports. Miss Zamboni is currently attending Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, Doylestown, Pa. Majoring in biology.

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Mark Janaskie

  • December 15, 2023
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SCHOLAR ATHLETE Mark, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Janaskie, Shamokin was chosen as a 1981 Scholar Athlete by the Ed Romance Lower Anthracite Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. A graduate of Shamokin Area High School, the scholar athlete was a four-year starter in basketball, being co-captain in his junior and senior years. He was selected to Keystone Big 9 first team in 1980-81, SVC first team in 1979-80, several region All-Star Teams and received honorable mention on the 1980 and 1981 All-State Teams. As a three year starter on the football team, he received honorable mention on the All-State Team. In school, he was a member of the National Honor Society in junior and senior years, was a 3-year member of the Student Council, was a homeroom Representative in 10th and 12th grades, president of the Chemistry Club in his senior year, and a member of Youth Education Association. Mark is enrolled at Bucknell University majoring in Biology.

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Odone A. Rosini

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Born April 24, 1915 is presently a partner in the Rosini Coal Co. He was associated with others in the establishment of a football program at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School and helped to build its football field. Rosini Coal Co. for many years sponsored sports programs in the area and also helped in building several Little League Fields. Odone is a charter member of Suncom Industries and for nine years was a member of the Northumberland Count Redevelopment Authority. His affiliations include the following: Fourth Degree member of Knights of Columbus, Elks Lodge, Moose and Shamokin Valley Country Club.

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Evoldo J. Rosini

  • December 15, 2023
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INDUCTEE Was born February 1, 1913, he was one (1) of nine (9) children of Anthony and Louisa Rosini. He attended Saint Edward’s School. He has for many years been a member of the Shamokin Elks, Moose, Unico National and has served on the Shamokin Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for Shamokin Valley Country Club, Shamokin School Authority, and in 1947 at the age of thirty four (34) was made a board member of the National Mime Bank of Shamokin, and continues to serve on what is now the Pennsylvania National Bank Board. “Ace” has made numerous contributions to sports over the years.

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