INDUCTEE If you were going to make a list of the top 5 athletes ever to play at Mt. Carmel High School you would have to include the name of Tom Vernon. He won 12 letters as a Tornado athlete, and was outstanding in every sport. He is the only athlete in the school’s history to be named All State in both football and basketball in the same year. The list of accomplishments goes on: He holds the single game scoring record for basketball, a 45 point effort against Pottsville in 1955. He was the first player to score 1000 points in a career; and his 25.3 points per game average in 54-55 is still the Tornado record. He began to compete in track as a junior…up to that time he concentrated on baseball in the spring. He became an immediate sensation. He went to the state track finals in two events, high jump and discus. Meanwhile, he led the Tornado baseball team in both hitting and pitching. As a senior he was Captain on all four major sports squads; and was named to Scholastic Sports All American team at end…the only Pennsylvanian to achieve that honor. Tom was not just a high school flash. As a football recruit at Michigan State he made an immediate impact. He started at end for three years for the Spartans, during which time their record was 32-12-2. He starred in the Rose Bowl victory over UCLA in 1956; and in 1958 won the Oil Can Award for the squad member who had the best attitude, enthusiasm, and humor… He signed with the Boston Patriots in 1960 and was their last cut at tight end. He finished that season in the Eastern Coast semi-pro league and led the league in receptions and touchdown passes (16 in 10 games). He was offered a contract with the Washington Redskins the following year, but because of 1-A draft status opted to coach the Mifflin High School team in Columbus, Ohio. He remained coach there for 5 years, and during the same period continued to play semi-pro with the Columbus Colts and the Columbus Capitols. He was frankly, ahead of his time. He had the athleticism and grace of a small man in a big man’s body. Certainly one of the finest athletes ever to wear the Tornado red and white.

SCHOLAR ATHLETE Jen continues the proud tradition of Mt. Carmel Area athletes who combine success on the athletic field with outstanding accomplishments in the classroom. As a scholar she is first rate; she has received the Distinguished Honor Roll all four years of High School; and is Secretary of the National Honor Society. She recently compiled a 1240 combined SAT score. As an athlete she has been equally successful. She lettered four years for both the Cross Country and Track teams. She is co-captain of both squads as a senior. She was the tea,’s top finisher at Districts and a member of the Schuylkill League All Star Cross Country team. As a track star she is a member of the 4×800 relay team which finished second, first and third each of her first three years. She had made the Schuylkill League All Star team in track each of the last three years. She also competes in the 400 meter, 4×400 meter relay, the 800 meter and long jump. Jen is very active in school and community activities. She is the daughter of Ernie and Bonnie Parisella. She will enroll in Bucknell as a pre-law major in the fall.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Brian, a senior at Lourdes Regional, is a young golfer you will be hearing about in the future. He is a terrific all around athlete; but once bitten by the golf bug he abandoned all other sports activities to concentrate on his first love. Brian has led Lourdes to three straight SIAL Championships. Last year he won the District IV Championship over two-time district champion Greg Klebon of Shamokin. He came from behind, shooting even par on the tough White Deer Golf Club course to win the title over his chief rival, who had won the previous two years. Brian has played well in the big tournaments, an excellent sign in a young golfer. He hits the ball a long way, and is an excellent putter. That is a lethal combination in a golfer…and a sign that success is about to follow.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD JOEL GONZALO Only the fourth player in school history to be names All State in successive years. Was Tornadoes All-Time Leading Receiver, with 123 catches for 1850 yards and 20 TD. Also had team record 11 interceptions and 14 passes broken up. Team Co-Captain, he was Reading Eagles receiver of the year. An outstanding basketball player he recently became only the second Tornado to pass the 500 assist mark. MIKE HIGGINS Started 50 consecutive games for the Big Red. Holds career record for yardage: 5177: completions: 355: and touchdown passes: 55. Holds the season record for completions: 116. He was Reading Eagle’s Small School Offensive Player of the Year, and is Associated Press Small School First Team All State Quarterback. He is ranked number one in his class, and has been Class President as a Junior and again as a Senior. He also won the 1993 Mike Terry Award. SHAWN SHEPTOCK Co-Captain of this years squad, Shawn led the team in tackles, 144. The third best performance ever at Mount Carmel. He registered 4 ½ sacks and had 23 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Finished with 300 tackles, (third best career performance). On offense carried 110 times for 558 yards and 8 touchdowns. First Team All State and All Anthracite. Was All Anthracite Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year. Will continue career at Bloomsburg University. MARK BURNS Led team with 14 sacks for minus 134 yards. Had 60 tackles, 28 for minus yardage. Recovered 3 fumbles, broke up 6 passes and blocked one punt. First Team AP Small School All State, All Anthracite and Press Enterprise All Star. Most impressive aspect of his senior year performance is that he played only a little as a junior, coming from nowhere to his terrific senior year. He will continue his plying career at West Chester State University.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (COACH BRESLIN’S REPORT) “The Mile Relay Team was the backbone of that undefeated track squad. Made up of only one natural quarter miler, Adam Williams (who also won the State Championship in the 440), the remainder of the team was made up of George Teufel, a sprinter; Jake Patrick, a hurdler, and Bob McCann, a half miler. But they blended together to win at the Penn Relays and in every other meet they entered, including the State Championship. In the State Meet that ‘45 Team scored more points than any other Mount Carmel Team before or since. There were two firsts by the relay team and Williams and Place Ribbons for Teufel in the hurdles ad Tom Cole in the Shot.” (RUNNERS REPORT) “It was a raw, rainy day and each ember of the relay team had already labored through their separate events. Patrick ran in both hurdle races, Teufel ran in both dashes. McCann had completed an exhausting 880 race and Adam Williams had already won the State 440 Championship. The track was covered with water on both turns, and Coach Breslin juggled the order of runners to compensate for the conditions… Teufel, McCann and Patrick carried the baton in that order…leaving Williams a four yard deficit to overcome. Adam pursued the leader until he caught him at the 220 yard mark, and at the final turn both began their kick to the wire. The outcome was assured, for their was no one who could match the heart and drive of Adam Williams over the last 160 yards of a quarter mile race.”

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The 1945 squad of coaches Mike Terry and George Wrona began the season under a lot of pressure. After the stunning success of the 1944 team which had won 11 in a row and the Eastern Conference Championship they felt pressure to maintain the unbeaten streak and to repeat as champions. Coach Terry knew his team would be strong again defensively; but in an attempt to add some punch to the offense he moved Bernie Barkouskie, who had been a two tackle to fullback on offense. Barkouskie became a battering ram in an offense which emphasized ball control. The defense performed as expected, giving up only three touchdowns and a total of 20 points in the 10-game regular season. In the title game against Larksvillw, the Wildcats trailed 12-6 late in the game when they began a sustained drive, featuring the powerful short-yardage runs of Barkouskie. With the time running out, and a first down at the Larksville 5 yard line, Barkouskie carried three consecutive times to the one yard line. With fourth and one, Larksville gathered for one final shot by Barkouskie. Instead, the Cats ran the Buck-Lateral series, faking to Barkouskie then pitching wide to George Rick, who walked into the end zone, completely taking Larksville by surprise.

INDUCTEE “Vic” Dall was a big, strong, tough, intelligent, mostly quiet guy who was universally requested by people who knew him as an athlete, official, and school administrator. Viewed from the perspective of a seventh grader, he was imposing…a guy so big he seemed to fill up the room. You just knew that he was not a guy seventh graders messed around with too much. He was a member of the 1927 State Championship Team. (Was there any one on that team who was not successful in life as they were athletically?) From there he went on to Villanova University where he played the other end opposite Mike terry. Their coach at Villanova was Harry Stuhldreher, one of the immortal “Four Horsemen.” After graduation he returned to Kulpmont as an assistant to Mike Terry, and after a year let to join Walter Levine’s staff in Mount Carmel. When Levine was replaced by Al Jones he continued as an assistant for another three years. In 1937 he was co-coach of the Tornadoes, along with Joe Ambrose. After a year he left coaching and became a PIAA Official, and became one of the most respected officials in the area. He continued as an official until 1950, when he was persuaded by Mike Terry to coach linemen for the Tornadoes. He remained in that capacity until 1956, when he again gave it up and concentrated on his administrative duties as principal of Mt. Carmel Junior High School. Vic was an excellent administrator, and was instrumental in setting up the jointures between Mount Carmel and Moutn Carmel Township, and later the addition of Centrailia, Kulpmont, and Marion Heights. “The Bull”, as he was known to a generation of students, was a respected and admired member of the community. A terrific athlete who was also an exemplary student and teacher. He is a wonderful addition to our Hall of Fame.

INDUCTEE “Lefty” Kerdock was a Mount Carmel buy who has the dream and almost made it come true. He grew up fantasizing about playing with the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1928 he achieved step 1 by being signed by Branch Rickey, then general manager of the Cardinals. He began his career in the South Atlantic League, and began to progress through the Cardinal Farm System. In 1934 he was added to the roster of the 1934 St. Louis Cardinal Championship Team for Spring Training. He sustained a heart-breaking arm injury in training, ruining any chance he had of being on the opening game roster. However, the Cardinals loved his attitude and Coal Region approach to work; and they carried him with them team as batting practice pitcher. He later filled the same role as batting practice pitcher for the Phillies until 1940. He attempted a comeback with Binghampton in the New York Penn League and Hazleton in the Eastern League. But the arm no longer had the zip and he eventually retired. He returned to Mount Carmel…and for a time helped to manage the Mount Carmel Legion Teener Team in concert with Frank Merges, another Mount Carmel player with a distinguished minor league career. He died in July 1979. Never quite fulfilling the dream of playing with the Gas House Gang Championship Teams.

INDUCTEE “Sheppy” was a dominating football player on every level. Yet he got better as he went along, and by the time he finished at Bloomsburg University he held most of the career and season tackle and defensive point records for the Huskies. A tipoff on how well he was regarded at Bloomsburg: he was team captain for four years, 1982, 83, 84, 85. He was the most valuable player in 84 and 85; and the University’s undergraduate male athlete of the year in 83-84. “Sheppy” led or tied the team in tackles in 35 of the 43 games in which he played. In his four year career at Bloomsburg, he started and played in every game. He was first team AP All American Linebacker in both the 83 an 84 season, and All East the same years. He once registered 17 tackles in one game against Millersville State. He was so much fun to watch. Much is made about how offenses made special plans to handle Lawrence Taylor in his prime as a linebacker for the New York Giants. But in his way, on his level, Frank Sheptock was every bit as dominant. He was always on or around the ball, and more importantly, he made the people around him better because of his presence. He also holds Mount Carmel records for tackles in a season (166) and tackles in one game (24). A great, great football player, Frank Sheptock is Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Wilkes University. His team was 1993 MAC Champions and participated in the NCAA playoffs. His 94 teams was Freedom Division Champions and ECAC Southeast Champions.

INDUCTEE Tommy Cole was a special athlete. A great combination of strength and intelligence, speed and power. You might say he was bred for the job. He set the school shot put record, broken in 1992 by Mike Fantanarosa. But until Mike got in the act, that record was strictly a family affair. Held originally by Tom’s Dad, the record was in turn held bu his uncle, Dan Ficca, his brother, Lou and finally Tom with a heave of 56 feet 9 inches in 1981. He won the District Championship in both 81 and 82: and as a senior finished second in the state indoor championship and 6th in the outdoor championship. That year, they were the only meets he did not win. But it was as a footballer that he achieved special status. As a senior Red Tornado he scored 9 touchdowns and was an all league, All State and All American Linebacker. Strength training was always an important part of his training regimen; and spurred on by his father, Tom who was almost visionary in his recognition of the importance of weight training to athletics. Tommy bench pressed 400 pounds as a junior in high school. Not coincidentally, the only other Tornado athlete to accomplish that at the time was his brother, Lou. Tommy started three years as a linebacker for Brown. As a senior he led the ream in tackles and had two interceptions. He was the heart and soul of a Brown defense that was number one in the Ivy League and the East and seventh in the nation. That team shout out four of its opponents, setting a school record in the process. He was player of the week after a 15-tackle performance against Penn; and the recipient of the Hillhouse Limited Award as the unsung hero of the football squad. Tommy graduated Cum Laude from New England School of Law. He is presently an associate with Clark, Lauder, Fortenbaugh & Young in Philadelphia.