INDUCTEES Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame

Dale Blaney, a Hartford native, was a standout basketball player, who averaged 21.9 points and led the Braves to the district title as a senior. A starting guard (1983-86) for West Virginia, he scored 1,520 career points that placed 14th all time. A fourth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, he also appeared with the Washington Bullets. Blaney, along with his father Lou and brother Dave have built a family legacy in auto racing. Dale is racing for the Andrew Motor Sports team and has won numerous major races, standing eighth all time in all star feature wins with 40.
Ross Browner, a Warren Western Reserve High graduate, led the Raiders to the 1972 Class AAA state championship. He went on to play for Notre Dame and was an All-American in 1976 and 1977. He received the Outland Trophy (1976) and the Lombardi and Maxwell awards (1977). He was selected eighth in the 1978 NFL draft by Cincinnati and played eight seasons for the Bengals and ended his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
George Burns was born in Niles in 1893 and moved to Philadelphia at an early age. His major league baseball career spanned from 1914-35. He led the American League in hits in 1918. Burns was traded to Cleveland, rotating at first base as the Indians won the World Series. He hit .361 in 1921 and then went to Boston. As a member of the Red Sox, he got the first hit in Yankee Stadium and completed an unassisted triple play. After a 1924 return to Cleveland, Burns experienced the best year of his career (1926) as he batted .358. He was named AL MVP beating out Babe Ruth.
Al Campana, a native of Hubbard, led the Eagles' football team to their only unbeaten season in 1943. He served a three years with the U.S. Navy before attending YSU from 1946 to 1949. He scored 39 touchdowns and averaged 6.5 yards a carry for the Penguins and was named Little All- American three times, twice a first-team selection. He joined the Chicago Bears in 1950, becoming the only Hubbard football player to compete in the NFL. He retired from football to serve as teacher and coach for the Struthers school system.
Willie Davenport, a 1962 graduate of Howland High, is one of only eight athletes to ever participate in both the winter and summer Olympics. He won the 1962 Ohio Class AA high hurdle championship and attended Southern University, where he earned two degrees. Davenport was a member of five Olympic teams. A leg injury prevented his performance in the 1964 games, but in 1968 he set an Olympic record while winning the gold medal. He competed on the USA bobsled team in the 1980 games at Lake Placid. He continued to work in Baton Rogue, La., as a youth director, in addition to his duties directing the U.S. Army track program. He also served on the board of directors of the United States Olympic committee. His life was cut short by a sudden heart attack in 2002.
Randy Gradishar, a Champion native, excelled at all levels. After participating in football, basketball and track at Champion High, he was a three-year starter and two time All-American at Ohio State (1971-73). Coach Woody Hayes called him the greatest defensive player he coached at OSU. Selected 14th in the 1974 NFL draft, Gradishar joined the "Orange Crush" defense unit. He played in seven Pro Bowls, earned five All Pro awards and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1978.
David Jenkins, a Warren native, has had a large impact on Warren athletics throughout his life. He earned All-Ohio honors while helping the Raiders go 20-0 (1979-80). At Bowling Green State University, he earned All-Mid American Conference honors twice and was selected Player of the Year (1984). He returned to Warren to help the young people through his works as a coach in the Warren City Schools and his continued leadership of the Rebecca Williams Community Center.
Rex Leach, a Canfield resident, is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of high school basketball. He led the Vienna Flyers to the 1955 Ohio state championship. His career total of 2,581 points stood until 1985. He was named all state as a junior in 1954 with a 26.8 points per game average and was chosen again in 1955 when he scored 42.2 points per game.
Bill McKinley, a native of Kinsman, was a Major League Baseball umpire for 20 years. Beginning in 1946, he worked 25 World Series games and made three All-Star game appearances. He worked an incredible 2,200 consecutive game from Aug. 17, 1946 to Sept. 1, 1960. He called 3,578 games and helped to thwart a game-fixing scheme in 1960. He died of a heart attack in 1980.
Andy Pike, a Attleboro High, Mass., and Otterbein College graduate was head football coach at Newton Falls High (1960-79) and posted a 97-82-6 record, which included a 26-4 run (1968-70). He was instrumental in the creation of the Trumbull County Association in 1968 and the driving force behind the TCCA. Football player of the Year banquet. He passed away from heart difficulties in 1998.
Bob Price, a Girard native, led the McDonald football team to a 26-0-1 record from 1968-70. His first squad finished fourth in the final state poll and scored 474 points in nine games, an average of 52.7 points. The 1969 team went 9-0 and claimed the Class A title. A tie with North Jackson High prevented a third consecutive perfect season. Following his success at McDonald, Price served as the coach at Austintown Fitch until 1975, compiling a 29-19-1 record.
Pete Prokop became Liberty High's basketball coach in 1950 and led the Leopards for 22 seasons. His teams won 372 games and lost 112, which included nine league titles, eight sectional titles, two TIA championships and a regional tournament crown. His 1961 squad was beaten in the state final by two points. A four-time Trumbull County Coach of the Year, Prokop was named Ohio Class A Coach of the Year in 1961. In 1970, he received the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame award. He also led the Liberty golf program (216-40) and six Leopard teams qualified for the state tournament.
George "Bullet" Rado was a standout lineman at Brookfield High from 1929 to 1931. He attended Duquesne University (1932-34) where he is recognized as one of the school's greatest players. He played in the College All-Star game against the Chicago Bears. He played end, guard and center for the Pittsburgh Pirates (Steelers) and the Philadelphia Eagles. His 5-9, 194 pound size earned him the nickname "Mouse" from his teammates.
Bo Rein, a multisport star, was a member of the great Niles football teams of 1960-62. During his senior season, he rushed for 943 yards on his way to All-Ohio honors. He scored 108 points in seven games. A graduate of Ohio State, he was a key component on the 1968 national championship team and was selected to the All College World Series team. He was the head coach at North Carolina State and Louisiana State. His life was tragically cut short by a plane crash during a recruiting trip.
Earnie Shavers, born in Garland, Ala., in 1946 moved to Braceville during childhood and attended Newton Falls High, participating in football, track and weightlifting. Considered to be the hardest puncher in the history of boxing, he was the runner-up in the 1967 Golden Gloves tournament. He avenged that loss in 1968 and went on to win the 1969 state and National AAU heavyweight championships. He enjoyed great success as a pro, staging epic battles with Muhammed Ali, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes. He retired in 1984 with a career record of 82-14-1, with 78 knockouts. He currently resides in London.
Carl Singer was a dominant offensive lineman for the Niles teams in 1960-61 and earned All-Ohio during his senior season. At Purdue University, he played offensive tackle and gained All-American recognition in 1965 as well as Big 10 honors. He appeared in 39 games for the Boston Patriots from 1966 to 1968. He retired after an injury and lives in Arizona.
Paul Warfield, one of the all-time great receivers in NFL history, was a multiple sports standout in football and track at Warren Harding High. He won the 1960 state broad jump title and set the record for the 180-yard low hurdles. He earned All Big 10 and All-American while at Ohio State and was a first-round NFL draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1964. Bolstered by Warfield and Jim Brown, the Browns went on to play in five straight conference championship games. Traded to the Miami in 1970, he was a key element of several Dolphins' teams and was a standout on the undefeated (1972) Super Bowl championship squad. He returned to Cleveland in 1977 after stints in the World Football League. He caught 427 passes for 8,565 yards and scored 85 touchdowns for the Browns. A six time All Pro selection, Warfield appeared in eight Pro Bowls.
Edward Zale "EZ" Whitaker excelled at all sports while growing up in Mineral Ridge. He found his calling on the football field, leading the Rams to two undefeated seasons and a 1963 state championship. The 6-4, 250-pound offensive tackle was a first team All Ohio pick and second team Prep All American. He lettered three years at Pittsburgh University serving as tri-captain his senior year (1968). Whitaker received the Scholar-Athletic Award given to the top academic record. A teacher, administrator and football coach at Mineral Ridge, He died of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 39.