​ SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Danny Venn is an achiever. At Coal Township High School he was an outstanding three sport athlete. He never lost a match as a member of Coal’s boxing team. After graduation he was a member of an undefeated college football team; and late on compiled a record of 22 wins and 1 draw as a 155 pound boxer for the Navy Air Corps team at Olathe Kansas. As a dog breeder, his “Venn’s Home of Champions” kennel has been the East’s most consistent producer of Field Trial Winners. He’s produced 23 Field Champions; and in 1977 and again in 1979 produced the Pennsylvania Grand Champion.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Terry Faust is another person whom the competitive fires just never went out. After a High School Career in Township to the 1962 Southern Division Championship and played as a guard on the 1962 District 4 Basketball Championship team, Terry played softball and turned to coaching midget football in order to stay active. Ever an organizer, in 1962 he helped build a Softball field in Ferndale. This project evolved into an excellent sports complex, which includes lighted softball and little league fields plus a playground area. Terry is President of the Ferndale Sportsmen’s Club, which runs the complex. He is being honored for his contributions to local sports.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Bob Greco is another of those unsung people who have had tremendous positive effect on the athletic lives of our kids. Like others before him, Bob finished his High School Basketball career still needing an outlet for his competitive drive. He played on several semi-pro teams including the Locust Gap Apollos for a while; but when the opportunities to play dried up he turned to coaching as an outlet. He coached St. Peter’s CYA Team from 1960 through 1965, and the Holy Spirit Team from 1966 through 1980. His teams have always been fundamentally sound, having winning records of 19 of 20 seasons. He has also won two and third in the State CYA Championship.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Gene Mattucci loves sports. He also loves kids and cooking. We all know how successful his restaurant is-that’s testimony o how well he cooks. Not so many know how he satisfies that love for kids and sports, however. For openers, Gene has given away more than 300 pizzas a year for more than 30 years. The pizzas were given to members of the Tornado Football team at first, but later to members of the baseball, basketball, track and wrestling team were included. Additionally, a Mount Carmel Area Sports Banquet is not complete without the presentation of the “Chef’s Trophy” to both the participant and his or her mother.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT If your recollection of Girl’s Basketball is two bounces and stop; and fouls called for “over guarding” you’ve been away a long time. Today’s girls game has pressure defense, the fast break and pretty girls who dribble and shoot just like the boys do…and sometimes better. Nobody combined the above attributes more than Mount Carmel Area’s freshman sensation, Maria Fantanarosa. In her first season with the Tornado Varsity Maria scored 886 points, a state record. That many points used to be a pretty good career for most Coal Region basketball players, regardless of sex. She’d led the Schuylkill League in field goals (351), free throws (185) and free throw attempts (306). Six times she

INDUCTEE John “Witt” Gilchrist was one of the greatest football players ever produced in Trevorton and an outstanding baseball star. He was once described as an athlete who could provide any coach or player with good sound advice. He participated in games against some of the best gridiron aggregations in the state, among teams on which he played were the famous Shenandoah Presidents. The Mount Carmel Wolverines of the Anthracite League, the Shamokin Second Street Team and The Shamokin Maroons. While playing with Shenandoah Presidents in 1925, he played against the Frankford Yellow Jackets at Philadelphia, at the now J.F.K. Memorial Stadium. He would play in Philadelphia on Saturday and then travel to Atlantic City, N.J. to play on Sunday. “Witt” was noted for his ball carrying ability and was classed as one of the most difficult ball carrier to tackle because of his unique method of running and speed. He played baseball for the Trevorton Orioles between the years of 1917 to 1935. One summer while playing for the West Cameron Baseball Team at Rolling Green, he had the longest home run ever hit at that field. Football and baseball were not the only sports he participated in. For a short while he also played on a basketball team in Trevorton. We are sure if he would have lived at another time, he would have gone on to play professional football or baseball. W ​

INDUCTEE Roger “Red” Barnhart started playing baseball at the age of ten. From 1930 to 1936 he was a member of Kurt Shaffer’s Indians. He played for Trevorton form 1936 to 1941. In 1941 he went to Trenton, New Jersey, where he played until 1943. During that time he was nominated to the All State National Baseball Congress team in a tournament at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. In 1944, “Red” played with the Trenton Giants, in 1945 he played with the Jamestown Falcons. For the next two years he played baseball in Pennsylvania for a Bradford team and a team in Sunbury. In 1949 he returned to play in the Interstate League and played for Mahanoy City in the North Atlantic League in 1951. “Red” was a baseball manager in the Black Diamond League, Elysburg, Benton, Twin and Tri County Leagues. For four years he was a Commission Scout for the Washington Senators. Many of our High School Students will remember “Red” as their football trainer. He was a football trainer at Trevorton High School for 16 years, at Line Mountain High School for 2 years, and several years at Our Lady of Lourdes High School. From 1969 to 1974 he was also the Trainer for the Shamokin Area High School Football Team. He also trained for several years with the Coal Crackers and the Chambersburg Cardinals.

INDUCTEE Attorney Charles Ambrose was a graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School, Conway Hall Prep School in Carlisle, and Dickinson Law school. He was a 3 sport athlete both in High School and Prep School. He once competed against the legendary Jim Thorpe in a meet between Conway Hall and the Carlisle Indian School. He practiced lay in the Coal Region from 1910 until his death in 1958. During this period 1920 through 1940, Mr. Ambrose was the leading football official in Eastern Pennsylvania. He handled many of the early pro games in this area.

INDUCTEE Felix was a native of Kulpmont, attended Mount Carmel High where he played end and captained the 1931 team. Wilkes-Barre G.A.R. was the only team to score on and defeat the Tornadoes 13-6. Upon graduation he enrolled at Perkiomen Prep where he lettered in track and football. Matriculating at LaSalle College, Kadel played varsity football four years under Marty Brill of Notre Dame fame. He also captained the track tea, at LaSalle. Kadel joined Mike Terry’s coaching staff at Kulpmont, and played pro-football two season with Shenandoah and Allentown. In 1943 he joined Nick Kotys at Pottsville High. After six successful seasons, he became head coach as Kotys went on to Yale University. As Pottsville head coach Kadel won three consecutive Keystone Championships. He won the Southern Conference but lost to Swoyerville 20-2 in the play-off. Sportscaster Ed Romance and Kadel purchased the Pottsville Packers in the Easter Professional Basketball League. They defeated the Harrisburg Caps for the League Championship.