CAPITAL AREA CHAPTER/PA SPORTS HALL OF FAME 2018 HALL OF FAME NOMINEES LIVING NOMINEES ANDERSON, JIM Football. Longtime NFL assistant coach who was a three-year varsity athlete at Harrisburg s old John Harris High, where he played on three Central Penn Conference championship teams. He was a starting offensive guard on the Pioneers 1965 undefeated football team. Played collegiately at Taft Junior College before transferring to Cal Western University. Started coaching career in 1970 at Cal Western before joining the staffs at UNLV and Southern Methodist. Best known for his work in the NFL with Cincinnati, where he was the Bengals running backs coach for 29 seasons. His proteges included Pro Bowlers James Brooks, Harold Green, Corey Dillon, Lorenzo Neal and Rudi Johnson. His 29 seasons with the Bengals remain a franchise record for most seasons by a position coach with the team. BITTING, DAVE Coaching, administration. Longtime high school boys basketball coach at Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin who also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lebanon Valley College. Coached baseball at Central Dauphin for four seasons before shifting fulltime to administration, where he has spent the last 17 years as an athletic director, first, at Cumberland Valley and now at Lower Dauphin High School. He also has served as a chairman or representative for every sport either with District 3 or the PIAA. COLLIER, RON Baseball. After a once-promising pitching career in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees ended with an arm injury, Collier began coaching as an assistant for Lower Dauphin High s baseball program and ended up spending 45 years with the Falcons. In that time, Lower Dauphin won 707 games and 22 division or league championships. He was a three-sport athlete growing up in Alexandria, Va., before lettering in three sports at Mansfield University. While in college, he twice was selected in baseball s amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators, but opted to finish school. He again was selected in 1969 by the Yankees and signed with them. DAVIS, RONALD Coaching, football. Played football at Harrisburg s John Harris High in the late 1960s before playing at Shippensburg University. He began his coaching career in 1976 for Mickey Minnich at Steel-High and remained in the Harrisburg area over the next 34 seasons either as a head coach or assistant coach. In addition to Steel-High, where he was an assistant from 1976-89, his coaching stops included Central Dauphin from 1990-96; Harrisburg High from 1997-2001; Cedar Cliff from 2004-07; and Hershey in 2009. He was named the Mid-Penn Conference Class AAAA coach of the year in 1996 for his work at Central Dauphin after turning the Rams from a 2-8 team into an 8-2 team that qualified for the district playoffs.
DRAYER, LUKE Football and wrestling. Earned seven letters at Hershey High during his scholastic career with three in football, three in wrestling and one in track before graduating in 1978. Nominated to play in the Big 33 Classic after his senior season. Played four seasons, starting in three of them, for Lafayette College s football team. Teamed with Dr. David Joyner in 1992 to start Joyner Sports Medicine Institute. In 2002, he founded the Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, which now has 155 centers across 14 states. Inducted into Hershey High s Hall of Fame in 2013. DIGGS, RICHARD Ricky Football. Former star at Harrisburg s John Harris High who in 1974 became the first 1,000-yard rusher in Shippensburg University history. While at Shippensburg, he was named to first team All-PSAC and tied the school s single-season record for touchdowns with 15. He began his college career as a defensive end before switching to running back. He later was the head football coach for five seasons at Morgan State University, and also served as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina, the Citadel and the Air Force Academy. ECKROTH, DEBBIE Golf. One of the best amateur golfers to come out of the Harrisburg area. Graduate of Central Dauphin High School in 1988 before playing No. 1 at the University of South Carolina s women s golf team from 1988-93. Among her first-place finishes were the 1988 Pennsylvania State Girls Championship, and the Pennsylvania Women s Amateur championships in 1990 and 1991. She competed in four U.S. Women s Opens in 1990, 1991, 2000 and 2001. She also competed in the European Women s Pro Tour in 1995 and 1996, as well as the LPGA Tour in 2000. At the same time, she played in the Symetra Futures Tour from 1993-2007, a span that included wins in the 1994 Victoria Advocate Classic and the 1997 Red Cross Classic. She now is the golf pro at Manada Golf Course in Grantville. FOREMAN, DONALD Hockey. Longtime linesman in the American Hockey League with a career that spanned four decades from 1959-83. Due to AHL policy, the Oberlin native exclusively worked home games for the Hershey Bears from 1960-70. He then averaged, including travel, 80 games per season from 1970 until he finally retired from the AHL in 1983. During his time in the AHL, he also was a referee in the North American Hockey League from 1971-76 and worked games in the NHL during the 1978-79 season. Hockey career started as a player in the Junior leagues with Winnipeg in 1956. Prior to becoming a linesman, he played in the AHL for Providence during the 1958-59 season. FREEDMAN, LARRY Baseball and basketball. Starred in both sports at Susquehanna Township High School and Penn State. He was the first 1,000-point scorer at Susquehanna Township, where he averaged 20 points per game before becoming a two-sport letterman at Penn State from 1956-60. He pitched for the Penn State baseball team that qualified for the 1958 College World Series. After college, he played one season of semi-pro basketball for Williamsport in the Eastern Basketball League in 1962.
FRISCO, ROD Sports writer. Frisco spent 25 years of his award-winning sports writing career at The Patriot-News, where he was the newspaper s No. 1 beat writer for high school football, wrestling and track. His expertise made him one of the best, if not the best, wrestling writers in Pennsylvania. He has been inducted into the District 3 Wrestling Hall of Fame, as well as the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was one of the most prolific sportswriters at The Patriot-News, totaling more than 5,700 byline stories from his arrival there in 1985 until his retirement from the newspaper industry in 2010. He now is the communications director, webmaster and director of corporate sponsorships for District 3 of the PIAA. GONZALES, GEORGE Coaching, lacrosse. Began his coaching career in 1974 in New York state before serving as the varsity head coach at Harrisburg Academy from 1975-2006. His teams won 47 of 54 matches from 1990-93, and twice finished second in the Mid-Penn championships in 1997 and 1998. He was instrumental in the formation of the Mid-Penn s lacrosse league and directed Harrisburg Academy s summer lacrosse camps from 1985-2006. One of the pioneers in coaching lacrosse in Pennsylvania, where more than 45 high schools now have varsity programs. HOUCK, WILLIAM Bill Track and field. A 1954 graduate of the Carson Long Military Academy, where Houck also played football and basketball. Was undefeated in the javelin, shot put and discus. After graduation, he was a medal winner in AAU competition, topped off with a javelin throw of 248-7 at the age of 51 during master s competition in 1987. MARTIN, LAUREL HERSHEY Field hockey. She was an integral part of the pipeline of All-American field hockey players from Lower Dauphin High School, where she played for 2004 Chapter Hall of Fame inductee Linda Kreiser. After graduating from Lower Dauphin in 1987, Martin became a three-time, All-American at the University of North Carolina, where she played on the Tar Heels 1989 national title team. She also played for the U.S. National Team in the 1994 World Cup, and later played in the 1995 Pan-American Games and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She was inducted into the United States Field Hockey Association s Hall of Fame in 2004. She now is in her 17 th season as a college coach with the first 10 at Lebanon Valley College and the last seven at Stevenson College in suburban Baltimore. POLLIHAN, JIM Soccer. The original coach of the Harrisburg Heat pro indoor soccer team from 1991-99. He was an outstanding player both in the indoor and outdoor game. He played with the prestigious United States National Team from 1976-79, while also playing professionally outdoors with Rochester from 1976-80 and indoors with New York, Houston and Baltimore from 1978-84. Holds the distinction of scoring the first goal in the history of the Major Indoor Soccer League in 1978. He became the head coach of the Harrisburg Heat in 1991, building that franchise into a perennial playoff contender.
SHADLE, DAVID Coaching, basketball. Spent more than 25 years coaching the boys and girls basketball teams both at Upper Dauphin Area s high school and middle school. Started as the boys coach at the middle school in 1984 before moving up to the high school in 1991 as the girls varsity coach. Over the next decade, he won two Tri-Valley League championships and three coach of the year awards. He then spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Susquehanna University women s team before returning to Upper Dauphin High in 2005 to again become the girls varsity coach, a position he held through 2011. His return to Upper Dauphin brought another league title and a fourth coach of the year award. In all, he coached 686 games, winning 381 of them with 231 of those victories posted with the girls team. SHAFFER, MARIO Football. Earned three varsity letters in football at Hershey High School, and played in the 1980 Big 33 Classic and the East-West All-Star games. Played on Hershey High s championship team in 1978 and was named to the Capital Area Conference all-star team in 1979. Played four seasons on the offensive line at the College of William & Mary, where in 1983 he was named to both the Kodak and Associated Press All-American teams. Had tryouts in the mid-1980s with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was inducted into William & Mary s Hall of Fame in 2000. SMITH, CLARENCE Basketball. One of the finest basketball players if not the finest player in the history of Susquehanna Township High School, where he was a member of the Class of 1967. Played collegiately at Villanova University, where he was a starting forward on the Wildcats NCAA Final Four team in 1971. He was part of a five-man recruiting class that posted a 66-18 record at Villanova in three varsity seasons under legendary coach Jack Kraft. After college, the 6-foot-5 Smith played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Prior to joining the Globetrotters, he was invited to play for the Dallas Cowboys, who were intrigued by Smith s athleticism and who previously had success in turning basketball players into football players. UMBERGER, RANDY Coaching, administration. Longtime coach, athletic director and administrator from Lower Dauphin High School, where he was a three-time letterman in football and wrestling before earning a wrestling scholarship to the University of Maryland. He won two ACC championships while at Maryland before returning in the early 1970s to teach at Lower Dauphin, where he became a head coach in wrestling, soccer both boys and girls lacrosse, golf, volleyball and swimming. He also spent more than 20 years as the school s athletic director, a span over which he was named the 2005 Pennsylvania State Athletic Director of the Year for Region IV. VELOZO, DON Sports broadcasting. A radio and TV broadcaster for 35 years whose work was closely associated with the Steel-High Rollers, as well as calling state championship games involving high school teams from the Harrisburg area. He also was the host of a local TV show, where his guests included Muhammad Ali, and was a columnist for the old TV Host magazine. ZEMA, RAY Football. Spent 25 years coaching scholastic football at all levels, including serving as an offensive and defensive coordinator, at programs in Steelton-Highspire, Cumberland Valley and East Pennsboro. Played three seasons as a fullback and linebacker at Freeport High School before becoming an All-PSAC selection at Clarion University. He also is a member of the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame.
DECEASED NOMINEES BIMLE, DOLORES Shortie Official, coaching. Instrumental in helping establish the girls softball program at Middletown Area High School in 1974. She also coached varsity and JV girls basketball and field hockey at Middletown. Officiated NCAA Division III field hockey and basketball games for more than a decade. Passed away in 2014. GREEN, DENNIS Football. Longtime college and NFL coach who played at Harrisburg s John Harris High School from 1964-67 before playing football at the University of Iowa. Coaching career began in 1972 as a graduate assistant at Iowa before becoming the running backs coach at Dayton, Iowa and Stanford universities. He was a special teams coach in the NFL with San Francisco in 1979 before returning to Stanford in 1980 as its offensive coordinator. Later became the head coach for five seasons at Northwestern University, where in 1982 he was named the Big 10 Coach of the Year, and then was the head coach for three years at Stanford. He returned to the NFL in 1992 as the head coach at Minnesota, where in 10 seasons he led the Vikings to a 97-62 record and two NFC championship games. He also coached the Arizona Cardinals for three seasons. Passed away in 2016. HORROCKS, MICHAEL Football. Former quarterback both at Hershey High and West Chester University. He was the co-pilot of United Flight 175 that was hijacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. His plane was the one used by terrorists to crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. At Hershey High, he played for legendary football coach and 2008 Chapter Hall of Fame inductee Bob Gump May. During his collegiate career at West Chester, he completed 226 of 458 passes for 3,236 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also passed for at least 200 yards on five occasions at West Chester, including a career-high 377 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-15 victory over Shippensburg on Oct. 15, 1983. He passed away in 2001.