INDUCTEE Johnny Patrick is really amazing. He started competing in sports at age 16, and 70 years later is still competing…and winning. If it requires hand-eye co-ordination, and it involves a ball, my bet is that Johnny Patrick will beat you at it. Baseball, golf, pocket billiards or bowling…he played the best in the region and the country, and much more often than not, ended up winning. Two years after he took up billiards, a mere 18-year old, he was matched up with a known money shooter named Stan Madalis and beat him for $440.00, a fortune in those days. Three years later, his reputation was made in a highly publicized money match with John Campbell, who until then was considered the best money shooter around. Pocket billiards was a big thing in those days. But for a sport to capture people’s imagination a rivalry must exist. Wilt vs. Bill Russell. Palmer vs. Nicklaus. Hogan vs. Snead. In those days, it was Patrick vs. Kotch. Patrick and Kotch played 1000-point matches in 8 different places. And their rivalry was so big that a match between those two superstars in the Mount Carmel High Gym raised $11,000. for a war bond drive. By the late 40’s a billiards league was such big stuff that its results dominated the local sports headlines. And Patrick’s team won when he defeated his old rival, Kotch, in the deciding match by a score of 100-73. He played against three World Champions and did well each time. He still plays competitively, and last year, playing for the Sunbury Moose, he played 90 games and won 73 times. He only ran 126 balls in a competitive match. In 1960, he discovered bowling and became a champion. He once bowled 289 in competition, missing the perfect game when he left a pin standing on his next to last ball. In 1968, the golf craze swept the Coal Regions. He was a natural. He won his division at the tough Bucknell University Golf Course. Last year he shot his age, 86, at White Deer Golf Course. He also Competed in a statewide basis in golf, bowling and billiards. Since 1983, he won 19 medals in those events at the Seniors Championships held each summer at Shippensburg.

INDUCTEE Ron Grossman joins his father as a member of our chapter’s Hall of Fame. He won 11 letters as a Tornado athlete, and in 1963 was the first winner of the Mike Terry Award and an Honorable Mention All State and Big 33 Player. He had a wonderful college career at Princeton where he also letters in football and track. In those days the Ivy leagues were as good as anybody, and the 1965 teams for which he lettered were undefeated and ranked number 13 in the nation. He was Honorable Mention All Ivy his senior year. During the 3-year period he played at Princeton, the Tigers were 24-3, one of the most successful periods of their football history. He has remained active in sports and jogs 25-35 miles per week. Additionally, his interest in sports has led him to a specialty in sports medicine. He is team physician for the Princeton Football Squad. He also served on the Medical Staff for the United States Olympic Committee. Dr. Grossman lives in Hopewell, New Jersey. Both his daughter Rebecca and his son, Hunter, are outstanding athletes.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT ATHLETE When the Hall of Fame began to honor local athletes in 1078, our founder, Ed Romance, wanted a special category to honor those special people who were able to star in the classroom as well as on the playing fields. Since then we’ve had some outstanding honorees, but none more deserving than Joe Greco III. “Joey” joins his Grandfather, Joseph “Doc” Greco, who was honored in 1978, and his Father, Joe, Jr., honored in 1989 as Hall Honorees. Look at his record: Ranks second in a class of 130. G.P.A. 96.06. Class President 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. President of Student Council. National Honor Society and Mt. Carmel’s Representative at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar. He will sing the lead role in the class operetta and has been an altar server for 10 years. Athletically he has lettered four years in both football and track. He co-captained last year’s Tornado football squad and was an All League All Star in the 4×100 sprint relay team. “Joey” is an excellent selection to continue our tradition of Excellent Student Athletes.