Trumbull county Hall of Fame

The 13th Annual Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet is slated for Sunday, with 14 new members set to be enshrined during ceremonies at DiVieste’s Banquet Center, Warren. Matt Underwood, television play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Indians on SportsTime Ohio, will be guest speaker. Tickets — $25 each for members and $30 for non-members with a table of eight priced at $210 — may be obtained by calling Chuck Potashnik, president, at 330-856-6219, or Bob Fick, vice president, at 330-540-2733. In addition to the 2013 class, a recipient will be honored with the first Pete Prokop Memorial Coaching Award. Honorees include:

LISA ALDRIDGE-BASKETBALL — Graduated from LaBrae High School in 1980. Averaged 22.0 points per game as a senior. Was Trumbull County “Player of the Year” as both a junior and senior. Was a Third-Team All-Ohio selection as a senior. Holds 10 girls’ individual basketball records, including most points in a game (37), most free throws in a game (21), most points in a season (516), most field goals in a season (190), most free throws in a season (136), highest free throw percent in a season (82 percent), most points in a career (1,548), most field goals in a career (595), most free throws in a career (350) and highest free throws in career (74 percent).

LEN BATCHA-SPORTS OFFICIATING — Posthumous selection. Graduate of David Anderson High School (1948) and has been resident of Trumbull County since 1967. Served as a basketball official for 41 years, a football official for 40 years and a volleyball official for 18 years. Officiated 26 years of tournament basketball. Officiated (2) girl’s State Finals games. Officiated 22 years of O.H.S.A.A. state football play-offs. Had (6) state finals football assignments. Officiated five years of sectional and district volleyball tournaments. Is a member of Lisbon High School Athletics hall of Fame.

JIM BORGEN-CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS (BOXING) — Helped promote several amateur and pro boxing shows in the area. Has assisted with publicity and promotion of World Champions harry Arroyo, ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Greg Richardson and Jeff Lampkin. A contributing writer to Boxing World magazine. Has promoted more than 30 sports memorabilia and baseball card shows in Trumbull County. Is a boxing historian and writer and has been inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers & Associates Hall of Fame.

DOUG DATISH-FOOTBALL — Graduate of Howland High School and The Ohio State University. Earned four football letters while in high school for the Tigers. Was 2001 Division II State “Defensive Player of the Year.” Started 40 regular season and one play-off game for the Tigers. Led team in sacks in 2001. ESPN and USA Today All-America selection. Only player in OSU history to start 10 or more games at three different positions. Led Buckeyes to 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 Big Ten titles. Runner-up for 2006 Rimington Award (Best Center in NCAA). Was First-Team All-Big ten in 2006. Academic All-Big Ten from 2002-06. Drafted by Atlanta Falcons (2007) and also played two seasons with Tennessee Titans.

JOHN GILLEN-SPORTS ADMINISTRATION-FOOTBALL — Became athletic director at Warren JFK in 1971 and oversaw transformation of department from (4) sports to currently (18) for both boys and girl’s. As A.D., oversaw two perfect football seasons (1971, 1979) and two perfect basketball regular seasons (1979, 1996). His state championships include 1991 football; 1979-80 boys basketball; Associated Press state basketball champions (1996-97); tennis mixed doubles (1976) and over 10 individual state track and field champions. Has overseen three First-Team All-Ohio boys basketball players, one All-Ohio “Basketball Player of the Year” five First-team All-Ohio football selections. Is one of the founding members of the Mahoning Valley Conference and is a member of the Trumbull County Coaches Association.

REID LAMPORT-MULTIPLE SPORTS — Set 10 records as a quarterback at Newton Falls High School Guided the Tigers to their only Trumbull County “AA” League title. Directed Newton Falls to combined 17-3 overall mark his junior and senior seasons. First-Team All-Conference and All-District selection during junior and senior seasons. Played shortstop on baseball team and batted .500 as a senior. Led team in home runs. Was an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection in basketball. Three-year starter at Bowling Green State University where he still holds record for yards per completion at school. Has coached football and softball during illustrious scholastic coaching career. Won 533 games (third all-time in the state) and posted a .814 winning percentage while coaching softball at Poland High School , leading team to 19 conference titles (in 22 years), 19 Sectional titles, 16 District titles, (4) Regional titles, (4) State Final Fours, (2) State runner-up titles and (1) State Championship. Is the (4)-time OHSFSCA “Coach of the Year” and (17)-time MVCA “Coach of the Year.” Was the Gatorade “Regional Coach of the Year.” Is member of the Poland High School Athletics Hall of Fame and O.H.S.A.A. Softball Hall of Fame as well.

JAN LENDAK-BASEBALL — Member of Warren’s first Little League in 1952 and was member of 1960 Class “B” Girard Zicard team that finished fourth in the nation. Earned athletic scholarship to Kent State University. Was member of Warren Class “AA” Golden Stallion team. In 1959, was first Warren G. Harding High School baseball player to be named All-State. First recipient of Youngstown Class “AA” League’s Bobby Adams Memorial Award. Set new batting mark in Youngstown Class “AA” League when he batted .515. Has bowled (4) 300 and at age 67, carries a 223 average.

AL LOPEZ-COACH-ADMINISTRATOR — Former Superintendent of Schools for LaBrae Schools. A three-sport letterman in football, basketball and baseball at Salem College. Was a baseball and basketball coach at Braceville where his teams advanced to the 1959 basketball Regionals and 1960 baseball state tournament. Was appointed to the OHSAA Northeast District Board as a Class AA representative on January 1, 1972, serving over five decades in that capacity. Was Northeast Board president in 1975 and past treasurer as well.

TOM MILLER-BOXING — Noted amateur boxer who began judging amateur boxing in 1992. Began judging professionally in 1994. Judged first World Title Fight in 1996 and has judged over 400 professional bouts all around the world and in 21 countries. Has judged 81 world title bouts and 24 regional title bouts, a total of 105 title fights. Has judged over 4,000 amateur bouts, including 2,000-plus K.O. Drugs High School tournament fights. Currently belongs to WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, NABF, USBA and U.S. Amateur boxing organizations.

STEVE POTASHNIK-BASEBALL — An outstanding catcher, he started playing baseball in the first year of Warren’s Little League in 1952. Was an American Legion all-star. Was a catcher who played for coach Paul Hughes at Warren G. Harding High School Played Class “B” for Girard Zicard and was named to the NABF All-Star team that played for the national championship. Played collegiately at Bowling Green State University. Had professional try-outs with the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. Played 10 years in the Warren Class “AA” League.

ED PUSKAS-SPORTS MEDIA — Sportswriter and editor in the Mahoning Valley since 1995 ancd current sports editor of the Youngtown Vindicator. Has been a sports reporter and beat writer and has drawn many major, noteworthy assignments in a sportswriting that began in 1985 at The Star-Beacon in Ashtabula. Joined the Tribune Chronicle in 1995 as a sportswriter and copy editor, became assistant sports editor in 2000 and sports editor in 2005. Became Vindicator sports editor in 2012. Has also worked at the Meadville (Pa.) Tribune and Lake County News-Herald. Won multiple Ohio Associated Press awards for feature stories, columns and headline writing.

LARRY SEAFERT-BASKETBALL — Is 1965 graduate of Braceville High School. Was an All-Trumbull County First-Team selection in 1964 and 1965; All-NEO Honorable Mention in 1964. Earned All-NEO District First-Team in 1965. Was All-Ohio Third-Team in 1965. Was a Pre All-American basketball Honorable Mention as well. Helped team to Sectional title in 1963-64 and played in North-South Cage Classic in 1965. In 1965, set single season scoring record with 757 points, scoring 1,331 career points. Earned three letters in both basketball and baseball, two in track and field and one in cross country while in high school.

JACK TOMINEY-TRACK & FIELD — Graduated from Niles McKinley High School in 1970. Member of record distance state 880 medley team. Was a two-time District champion in the 880-yard. run. District record holder in 880-yard run. NEO Regional champion in 880-yard run. Finished seventh in state 880 td. Run two consecutive years. Red Dragons record-holder in 880 yd. and 440-yard run. Lettered at Denison University. Part of record-setting Indoor mile relay distance medley team. Coach at Howland High School where his teams won (7) league championships and numerous invitational titles. Had 30 state qualifiers. Produced 11 All-Ohio performances and (1) High School All-American. All-American Conference “Coach of the Year” four times and MAC “Coach of the Year” twice. Earned District One “Coach of the Year” honors also.

PAUL KOPKO-PETE PROKOP MEMORIAL COACHING AWARD — Longtime successful high school football coach at both Ashtabula St. John’s and Lakeview High School. Credited with developing many players who went on to pursue their athletic careers in college, including current Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer. Meyer credits Kopko with being the coach taught him the fundamentals of the game. Had a distinguished coaching and teaching career that spanned four decades.