Persistence delivers Fitch a Hall of Fame

By John Bassetti

The Falcons’ first class will be inducted on Oct. 11.

AUSTINTOWN — Think back to civilization before the cell phone.

Then before TV.

Then before the Great Depression.

Then before the 19th Amendment was ratified.

On Jan. 1 1916, Austintown Centralized School was dedicated with an opening enrollment of 267, 16 of whom were in the high school.

That’s how long Austintown schools have been without an athletic hall of fame.

Until now.

“It’s closing in on 100 years of football,” Tim Kelty said of the length of time the sport and sports in general have been played at the school.

Kelty, a vice principal at Fitch High School, is also chairman of the school’s first hall of fame.

“That’s years and years of athletics and of athletes who have gone through the halls,” Kelty said of a school that had close to 800 students in the graduating class of 1982, before tapering off to a class of just more than 400 that graduated in June.

As the force behind the school’s first hall of fame, Kelty did a lot of research and then went before the board of education.

“I wanted to make sure everything was done right with the eligibility process and categories for enshrinement,” Kelty said. “It was getting the right people doing the right things at the right time. After all these years, the board graciously embraced it and the people of Austintown have embraced it and I’m happy.”

Those first Austintown students, who were transported in horse-drawn carriages before the school was dedicated in honor of John Fitch in 1922, wouldn’t recognize the first hall of fame class, but they might identify with the type of person selected.

“After all these years and no hall of fame,” Kelty said, “people ask me if it was tough selecting. No, it wasn’t. Only because those we picked were three sport-plus and some still hold records to this day. That differs from the 21st-century athlete who is specialized in one sport. It was a no-brainer.”

In addition to 11 athletes, two coaches and two contributors, the hall will include two former teams that stood out in Fitch history: the 1931 boys basketball team that won the state Class B title and the 1972 cross country team that won a state championship.

“Alan Scharsu still holds records in the country today,” Kelty said of one of the athletes scheduled for induction Oct. 11.

The overdue recognition comes after previous attempts to organize or approve a hall of fame failed.

Fitch lagged behind other schools because past attempts to approve a HOF were shot down.

But Kelty couldn’t give a specific reason.

“Why didn’t it go through? I don’t know,” Kelty said. “That was before my time. I do know it takes a lot of work and a lot of people involved to make it work right. Timing is everything. We had a board that was very supportive and the community was ready. We’ll celebrate it big time.”

Kelty, a Fitch alum who played football, said tradition and pride played a role in his decision to implement some form of recognition for former students, who, in turn, could motivate today’s student-athletes to strive for excellence.

“At 40 years old, I still have lot of pride in my school. That’s what I want kids to have today.”

His objective is to recognize and reward members who contributed to the success enjoyed by the high school.

“I want to strengthen the bond between school, community and alumni. If this doesn’t strengthen it, I don’t know what will. This is what I’m looking for.”

The potential to trigger untapped fund-raising certainly exists, but Kelty isn’t using the hall for that purpose.

“We wanted to make a connection, but only to reach out to the community,” Kelty said. “We have one common bond and that’s the school. It’s special to me and I know it’s special to the hall of fame selectees.”

After having contact with the individuals slated for induction, Kelty said he gained an appreciation for them.

“Jack Morrison [Class of 1955] went on to play for Army, when it was the last Army team to go undefeated and beat Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium,” Kelty said. “To top it off, he had the winning catch.”

bassetti@vindy.com