​​​​​​​​1980









Gene Evans: 1920's era semi-pro baseball player - as a top pitcher . His career began at age 16 playing at Jahnig Field against the Homestead Grays. He joined the Bruin Oils later and pitched against several pro teams including the Erie Sailors, one of several pro teams that offered him a pro contract. He decided he was near the end of his baseball career and turned down the offers.














​Gene " Bud" McIndoe: Butler HS graduate who lettered in basketball. He went on to play basketball at Allegheny College, and was named a Littler All-American, and All-State small college player of the year.














​Donald Brown: Outstanding football player at Butler HS as a three year letterman. and team MVP his senior year. and then went on to continue his football career at Wake Forest University being named and MVP Player his senior season and co-captain in 1972. , and the James McDowell Award.  He then became an NFL flexibility coach with the St.Louis Cardinals football team. 













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​​Donald Sherman: A Mid 1930's era Butler HS graduate where he excelled in basketball, football, and track.    















George "Red" Slater: Longtime (62 years) Red coached baseball, and  football at Moniteau HS, and local Butler Youth baseball and football leagues.  














Robert Marsch: He was an organizer, and promoter, of the Butler Area Baseball. Assn., Prep & PONY Leagues, a 27 year veteran of the Pullamn Park Trust and much more.

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Reggie Laconi: Butler HS football and track star. He went on to  Indiana University, in Indiana earning Big Ten honors. He also had tryouts for the 1960 Olympics.   

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1981











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William "Bill" Sutliff:  Caldwell NJ graduate, and a Dean Academy in Franklin MA. and then a Penn State graduate before coming to Karns City from the 1940's through the 1960's as the legendary basketball and football coach at Karns City HS. His 1941 team was 24-1.

















Chuck Fuellgraf: Butler HS and Carnegie Mellon University  football All-Star. He also was an MVP football player in the US Marine Corp.


















Harry Leyland:For over 60 years  he was a local basketball coach in the Butler Catholic Schools. He also coached and served as a coach and director in the Butler Area Midget Football League. 

















Niven Bayer: He was a 1930's era Butler HS graduate who was an outstanding athlete in basketball, football, and track. He helped organize the Butler Cubs and it's many athletic programs. He captained the Cubs teams from 1936 - 1939. His prep school career was at Georgetown Prep.

















Dorothy Anderson Rhodes: She as a 1920's - 1930's tennis star. She played on the men's team at Penn State.




















John "Dutch" Leonard: A 1950's era outstanding basketball player with the YMCA teams and at Grove City College, earning MVP honors.













Ronnie Kline: Known as the Callery Hummer spending 16 years on several Major League baseball teams ( Pirates, Tigers, Senators, and Cardinals). Prior to playing professional baseball he played local semi-pro baseball in the Eagle County League for Callery.



1982
















​William Riddle "Doc" Marshall: An early 1900's professional baseball player. who competed with such immortals as Three Finger Brown, and John McGraw.  He began his career in 1904 with the Phillies, and was sold mid-season to the Boston Braves. The NY Giants purchased him in mid 1906 and then sold him to the St. Louis as a catcher. IN late 1908 the Cubs bought him to handle Three Finger Brown. The Cubs won teh pennant and it was Doc's second World Series appearance. Baseball was a stepping stone to his next career in the medical profession. He became president of the Cook County Medical Assn. until his death in 1959. 

Ralph Dale Youkers: A mid 1930's Butler HS and Westminster football player. He captained the Butler 1935 football season and earned the Capital Theatre MVP Award, and was Honorable Mention in the WPIAL. He then spent four years at Westminster College and again completed his career as team captain.  He returned to Butler as an assistant football coach in 1940, then went on to to the Memphis Air Station to serve in the same capacity. 

​Walter Lonchena: He was a Butler HS center for two years and was part of the 1950 Butler HS WPIAL championship football team. He then went onto Clarion College for four more years of football. After college he returned to Butler as a assistant football coach. He was also a golf coach. His golf teams earned over 200 wins. 















Patrick Madden: He started his swimming career at Warren HS. The school didn't have their own swimming team. He represented himself and earned two letters. He then attended Slippery Rock University and quickly made a name for himself at SRU. He was a four-year letterman and at one time he held six records. He was captain of the team his senior year and was named "Most Outstanding in PA" He also won four titles in the Penn-Ohio meet setting four records. He was also was a three-time NAIA All-American performer in 1959 -60 & 61. He also won Junior Olympic honors at SRU. After college he was an assistant coach for Butler HS and then became the head coach in 1969. 

Sam Cavalero Sr.: He competed in independent sandlot sports for four decades. He helped organize the City Softball League and managed the Armco team for 18 years. He also was very involved in basketball over the same era's. 


Ray Miller: He performed the duties of athletic director at Butler HS for three decades, form 1940-1970. through his efforts, the sports programs at Butler HS were upgraded considerably. He also helped inaugurate midget football into the Butler system of operations. It was Miller serving as president of the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame that helped the organization turn the corner as an annaul event.


John Shipkowski: A 1966 Butler HS graduate who was All- WPIAL in football his junior and senior years. He also was named All-MAC his senior year. He went on to play football at the University of New Mexico from 1968 - 1972. He started 32 straight games at offensive tackle. He played in the North-South Shrine game his senior year. After college he signed with the Dallas Cowboys but missed the physical. He then played all seven games with the Kansas City Chiefs. He ended up spending half the regular season with the New England Patriots in 1974, and finished the 1974 season wit the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. 


1983

















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Randal Huey:Butler HS graduate who lettered in basketball and tack. He was named and MVP and All-Section basketball player. He went on to play basketball at Westminster College where he had an outstanding basketball career. After college he became a basketball coach. 


William Staff:  He was an outstanding football player at Thiel College in the early 1940's.  He also played for the Butler Cubs. He enlisted in the US Air Force in 1942 and was killed in a plane crash. 


Len "Tony" DeFoggi:  A Butler HS graduate who played basketball and football . He continued playing  football in the US Army. He also played for the Butler Cubs.  


















Dr. George Klutinoty: A Butler HS graduate who earned honors in basketball, football, and track.  He went on to attend the US Air Force Academy and Indiana University where he played football.   
















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Rev. Clair Dufford:  A Thiel College graduate in the 1920's who earned 10 letters  in baseball, basketball, and football. He was captain of the 1923 Thiel football team that won the Tri-State Class B championship. 






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​Frank Bell: A Butler HS graduate and a three year starter on the football team. He was part of the  1950 WPIAL championship team. In 1953 he he earned a scholarship to play football at Arizona State University. He also played two years of semi-pro baseball in Tempe Arizona. He coached baseball at Perris High School and football in Rialto Californaia, and was the AD at both schools also. 

















Tom Erdos:A Butler HS graduate earning All-State honors in swimming. He went on to Slippery Rock University where he was named   swimmer athlete of the year. He was named the Outstanding Senior Athlete at Slippery Rock College in 1968. He went on to coach the men and women's swimming at Peters Township HS, and then at Allegheny College.




1984
















Vincent Seezox: A Butler HS graduate who was part of the 1950 WPIAL football champions, and then went on to play for Clarion University lettering twice for the Golden Eagles. He later played football for the Butler Cubs, and a youth golf coach.


















James "Casey" Russell:At Peddie Institute (High School)  in 1931 he set state records in  the long jump and shot put.  Then a four year football and track athlete at Temple University. He went on to play two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.  He coached youth baseball and  other sports for the Butler Cubs organization, and coached for a decade for the Butler PONY League baseball group.



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Frank Herbenick:  Butler HS graduate who played football and track. He went o to play baseball where he named an MVP at Thiel College. After college he became the first football coach at Moniteau HS for five years. One of his teams went undefeated and won the Class B Crown. He also played football for the Butler Cubs, and played for Highfield in the Butler Eagle County Baseball League.


















John "Pump" McLaughlin:  He was the longtime Butler YMCA swim coach.  He also coached the Butler HS swim team. 



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Thomas E. Jones:He began his career as a pistol shot in 1930 and continued for decades. He was a State Policeman champion for seven years. He was a member of the 1938 National winning team. He also earned recognition at the New York World Fair in 1939, and in 1950 he fired two perfect 300 scores at an international match in New Jersey. 
















​Lewis Hays:1950's and 60's commissioner and founder of PONY baseball in 1951, and he was also an Olympic Commissioner.















Loyal Park:Outstanding basketball and football, and track at Mars HS. He went on to play baseball, basketball and football  at Edinboro University earning conference honors. He also spent a couple seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before he began a long coaching career. His first coaching job was basketball with Penn Twp. , then he took a position in basketball and football at Evans City. He moved on to coach basketball and football at Edinboro University. From Edinboro he accepted a job as coach at Boston College, then went to Harvard to coach their baseball team, winning the Eastern League five time, with four trips to the College World Series. He was named New England Coach of the Year three times. His first AD job was at Salem College in West Virginia and then  accepted the same position at Loyola University of Chicago where he served for many years.


1985
















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​Chester Marburger: He was an Evans City HS graduate where he played football, track. He was one of the original founders of American Legion baseball in Butler County back in the early 1950's. 












​John  McNanny: A Butler HS graduate of the early 1940's where he was an outstanding football player. He also played for the semi-pro Butler Cubs football team.He earned Tri-State honors with Cubs in 1942. And returned to play for the Cubs after WW II. He was named the Cubs MVP in 1947 and co-captained the team in 1947 & 48. Those same two years he selected to the All-Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph teams.














​​Mike Surkalo:Mike was the Sports Editor of the Butler Eagle from the 1940's through the 1980's. He was a great promoter of sports in Butler County.











Edward Hepe: Longtime football, and track coach at Butler HS. He also served as their Athletic Director.  Prior to Butler he earned 8 letters at Belair HS in Ohio, and during his senior year he was unbeaten in the 100 & 200 yard dashes. He entered the military and then Slippery Rock University playing football at age 29. His high school coaching career began at McDonald and Ft. Cherry HS's.

















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Mike Glowatsky: Butler HS graduate who lettered in basketball and football in the 1940's era. He went on to play Semi-Pro basketball and on National YMCA teams.

















David Reed:Butler HS graduate in the early 1950's. He lettered in football and track. He went on to play football at Allegheny College. 











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Coyle Lamison: National and International Weight Lifting Champion. He also coached weight lifting at the Butler YMCA.

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1986









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John Morrow: An avid golfer with championship talent the Penn Twp. graduate was first an outstanding basketball player. He went on to play golf for three years at Geneva College. In 1947 he earned Who's Who among students in colleges and universities. 











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John "Grip" Graham: A Butler HS graduate who excelled as a basketball player. At 6'5" he dominated for Butler scoring 45 points in one game when scoring like that was not the normal for high school. He had a two year record of 299 field goals in his era. His senior year he wasnamed the Section 1 Player of the Year. His performances for Butler earned him over 40 college scholarship offers. He settled on West Virginia and started as a freshman.  He did not return for a second season. He played for the Butler YMCA and his team placed  second in the nationals at Scranton. 












Jim McElhaney: A Moniteau HS graduate who only played one year of football. He went on to have a great career at Slippery Rock University in the early 1960's. He made Littler All-American and received an Outstanding Lineman Award in the All-ports Bowl at Oklahoma City. During his career at SRU he caught a record 94 yard passing in one game, and finished with a career record of 1,974 yards, and 114 receptions. He returned to his  high school alma mater briefly serving as the AD. Also after completing his collegiate career at SRU he was given a try out with the Montreal in the Canadian Football League. 
















​​Ester Billowick:She was a local and national golf champion. She was also an outstanding bowler.
















Mike McNallen: Karns City HS graduate where he earned 8 letters in basketball, football and track. He went on to play football and lacrosse at the US Naval Academy. ​















Donald Martin:He was the owner, promoter, and driver at Lernerville Speedway for many years. He earned numerous national honors. 












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Ted Bobbey: A Butler HS graduate where he was an outstanding hurdler for the Tornado track team. For years he owned the 120 yard high hurdles for Butler, shares honors in the mile and 880 relays. After HS he went on to letter four years in track at the University of Pittsburgh. He was recognized as a member of the All- NCAA championship team.


1987












Janet Hollack:  Butler HS and Slippery Rock University outstanding athlete in basketball and track. She was also a USA All-American Hockey player. 













​​Sam Caminiti: He was born with a physical  disability that prevented him form playing sports, but did not stop him from becoming involved in local sports teams. He sponsored many baseball,  basketball, and softball teams from the mid 1950's through the early 1970's. He amassed over 500 wins total in all the sports he manged or sponsored. 

 

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Charles Marburger:  An mid 1940's  Mars HS graduate who lettered four years in football. He football ability earned him first team All-State and a WPIAL Scholarship to play for the University of Pittsburgh, turning down offers from Duke, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. An injury in a scrimmage game ended his football career at Pitt. He spent nearly a year in Presbyterian Hospital to complete his recovery.












​John Stuper:A Butler HS graduate who lettered in baseball and  basketball. He went on to play baseball at Butler CO. Community College, and then was drafted  by Major League Baseball. He started for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 winning game 6. After he finished his professional baseball career, he went on to coach baseball at Yale University starting in 1993.​













​Jim Simons:A Knoch HS graduate where he was a PIAA golf champion. He went to excel at golf for Wake Forest University where he was a two time All-American.  After Wake Forest he moved on to the PGA tour as a professional. Jim was probably best known for nearly winning the US Open in 1971 as an amateur.












​​ Richard Kennedy:  An Evans City HS graduate earning 13 letters in his high school career. He lettered 4 times in baseball, basketball, and football, with 1 letter in track.  Before entering into a long professional baseball career, he spent one year at the Univerrsity of Maryland playing football for the Cincinnati Reds organization for 14 seasons in the Southern Association. 

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John Prokopchak:A Butler HS graduate who was an MVP in basketball. He went on to play baseball at Geneva College and was signed by the Cincinnati Reds.  


1988

 












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George Klaus:A Butler HS graduate who lettered in basketball. He played on the Butler YMCA National Championship basketball teams.  He also played on local softball teams.










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Tom MCGrath:1960's era Butler HS graduate lettering in basketball, football, track, and swiming. He went on to play football at Penn State University where he played in the Gator Bowl.












Lisa (Zilatone) Olsen:A Butler HS graduate who excelled in basketball and volleyball. She went on to play both sports at Calif. Univ. of Pa and Clarion Univ. After college she became high school coach. 










​John "Buzz" Irvine: ​An Evans City HS graduate in teh early 1950's who earned 9 letters in basketball, football, and track. He went to play for the University of Maryland winning the M. Cohen Award, Honorable Mention All-American, and Who's Who in American Colleges. After college he tried pro football with the Chicago Cardinals in 1955 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1956-57. 











Bill Miller: A Butler HS graduate  where he was a swimmer. He went on to swim at Slippery Rock University. After SRU in 1966-67 he became the swimming coach at Seneca Valley HS and had a record of 110-23, with four section titles and the WPIAL championship in 1974. He also was named the 1968 WPIAL Coach of the Year and runner up in 1971. He moved on to Norwin where he had a record of 51-71. From Norwin he moved on to become coach at Clarion University winning eight PA+SAC titles and has had his team in the Division II Top Five for several years. He was also inducted into the Clarion and Slippery Rock University Halls of Fame.














​​​​Janet Anderson:A Moniteau HS graduate who played basketball and softball. She went on to Slippery Rock University playing golf. She became an LPGA Champion in 1982.

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Donald Smith: A 1954 Butler HS graduate  who was an all around athlete. He lettered three times in football and track, and twice in basketball. He went to be a four year letterman at Allegheny College in football and track. He was a leading ground gainer every year at Allegheny.  



1989













David Belowich: A 1968 Butler HS earning four letters in swimming, a John Mixer award winner setting school records in the 100 breaststroke, and the 200 medley relay. He was a WPIAL winner three years straight and a PIAA qualifier. He went on to Grove City College and continued to be a winner, lettering four years straight in swimming. He was a three time NCAA qualifier and captain of the Grove City Swim Team in 1972. After graduating from Grove City he went on to become a coach on the IUP men's swim team from 1972-74. He then spent three years coaching boys and girls at Sarasota High School in Florida. In 1977 he returned to the college ranks of Florida State University as an assistant coach, and in 1981 he to over as the heads women's swimming coach at the University of South Florida. In the same year he moved again to the University of Pittsburgh where he had a long and successful career.












Calvin "Champ" Bowser: A  Butler HS graduate who earned letters in basketball, football, and track. In the summer months he was an outstanding baseball player. Track brought him significant recognition by winning the 1961 PIAA State championship in the javelin event. He tossed the javelin 208'. He continued his track career at West Texas State where he tossed the javelin 245 feet.










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Harold Oram: A four year letter winner at Butler HS in baseball, basketball, football and track. After his successful high school career, he went to Staunton Military Academy for two years. 











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​Edwin Hartman: A Butler HS graduate lettering in basketball, football and track. He went to play basketball and football at Geneva College. 












​Harold Ledford: A local sandlot sandlot softball player form 1947 thru 1950 he pitched six no-hitters in the Butler City League. He also played basketball for the YMCA, and remembered well for his 45 point game  in the National  YMCA Tournament held in Butler in 1952. In their second game he scored 32 points. In another national game he scored 52 points. His highest total came in a City League game for Lokhaiser's Inn tallying 65 points. 

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Paul Smiley: A Butler HS graduate where he was an outstanding football player. He then went to continue playing football at the University of Maryland for three years. During his senior year he became a n assistant coach for Maryland for coach Jerry Claybourne. That experience help land him his first job as the track coach at an urban school that never had a track team. He earned Coach of the Year for the hard work he put in developing a team. He then became an assistant football coach at Gallaudet College, which is a deaf school. He advanced to the head coaching position. He and his players were recognized nationally of TV because of his success. there. IN 1979 he moved on to the Kentucky School of the Deaf in Danville, Ky. He also became the school principal, a teacher, head football coach, and AD. He was named Coach of the Year by Deaf Magazine in 1984.

















Jodie (Imbrie) Smith:A Butler HS graduate who lettered four seasons in basketball scoring 1252 career points , earning WPIAL Girls AAA Player of the Year, also named the Post Gazette Athlete of the Week , The Colt Classic Tourney MVP in 1979, The Big West 15 Team, Butler Cubs Tourney MVP, Butler Catholic Invitational MVP, the Seneca Valley Tournament MVP, Pittsburgh's Fab 5 , named to the Eastern Region AAV Team, All-Section First Team three years straight, and Post Gazette Athlete of the Year in 1989-79. She then moved on continue her basketball skills at Grove City College. At Grove City she was named Grove City Sportswoman of the Year in 1983, East College Player of the Year in 1983, the 1983 Kodak All American team, first team All-American Small College player by the American Sports Federation, Regional Player of the Year by the American Women's Sports Federation, National Academic All-American Second Team, the NCAA All-Regional Tourney Team. She also was named the Grove City Co-Captain all four years, Women's Keystone Conference first team all four years, third in NCAA Division III scoring with a 28.5 average per game.  

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