TRUMBULL COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME 2015 banquet and induction ceremony

The 13th annual Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet is slated for Sunday with 12 new members set to be enshrined during ceremonies at DiVieste’s Banquet Center, 754 North River Rd., in Warren. Harry Paidas, a 2011 inductee and longtime chief public relations officer at the University of Mount Union, will serve as guest speaker.

The 2015 class includes Geri Borgen (contribution to sports), Charlie Caffie (baseball), Leigh Carlson Phythyon (multiple sports), Van Decree (football), Mike Delaquila (softball), Brian Earich (wrestling), George Nicula (football), Ron “Tank” Rotunno (football/sports author),Chris Rupe (track and field/cross country), Walter Toles (track and field), Alex Vuchak (football/coach) and Dennis Zolciak (football/coach).

Tickets cost $25 each for members, $30 for non-members with a table of eight priced at $210. All tickets may be obtained by calling Chuck Potashnik, organization president at 330-856-6219.

The Inductees:

Geri Borgen (Contribution to sports) – A graduate of Niles McKinley High School, she earned her undergraduate and master’s in education degrees from Youngstown State University. A teacher in the LaBrae School System for 42 years, she shared a love of sports with her husband, Jim, and became involved in the organizing and promotion of sports memorabilia shoes in and around the Mahoning Valley. She also helped promote area boxing shows and for the past 13 years, has organized and helped publicize the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame event where she also serves as secretary.

Charlie Caffie (baseball) – A longtime player, coach, manager, scout and sponsor, he was a driving force behind the success of Warren’s well-developed sandlot baseball league. Known as Warren’s “Mr. Baseball,” he pitched his last complete game in the Class AA league at age 75, in 1975 and continued to be active and influential within the league until his death in 1986. His bubbling personality and enthusiasm for the game was contagious and his seven-decade association with area baseball made him one of the most honored men in the city’s history.

Leigh Carlson Phythyon (multiple sports) – During a stellar four-year scholastic career at Warren Harding High School, she earned 16 letters while starring in soccer, tennis, basketball and softball. She earned All-Steel Valley Conference honors on 13 separate occasions and was an all-state selection in both soccer and tennis. In 2000, she was a starter for the Raiders’ basketball district championship team and in 1999, was a sectional champion, district runner-up and state quarter-finalist in tennis doubles. She served as captain and earned “Most Valuable Player” and first-team All-Trumbull County accolades in all four sports. She was the Tribune-Chronicle “Female Athlete of the Year” in 2001-02 and later earned three letters while playing softball for St. John’s University in Queens, New York.

Van DeCree (football) – A 1971 graduate of Western Reserve High School, he was an all-state selection his senior year and earned a scholarship to Ohio State University where he was an All-Big Ten Conference selection on three occasions (1972-74). He earned All-American laurels in both 1973 and 1974. Inducted into the OSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, he was selected to the schools’ All-Century Team in 2000. He was also a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 1975.

Mike Delaquila (softball) – A noted area fast-pitch and slo-pitch player, he tossed 15 no-hitters and 14 one-hitters in fast-pitch where tossed 56 consecutive scoreless innings. He once fanned 20 players in a game, participating in eight state tournaments with one championship (1963) and two runner-up (1958 and 1965) finishes. He was First-Team All-State on three separate occasions (1958, 1963 and 1965) and District 13 “Most Valuable Player” in 1965. In slo-pitch, he participated in 12 state tournaments and five national tourneys, winning the national crown in 1983. He earned First-Team All-State honors from 1959-69 and was a First-Team selection in the 1983 national tournament a swell. He was Warren’s Slo-Pitch “Player of the Year” in 1974.

Brian Earich (wrestling) – A 1978 Howland High School graduate, he posted a 91-28-1 mark during his 10-year stint as Tigers wrestling coach. His teams won four Eastern Ohio Wrestling League titles, six Howland Invitational crowns, three sectional championships, five Metro Athletic Conference titles and one All-American Conference crown. He coached three individual state runners-up, a High School All-American, 11 state place winners, 19 state qualifiers and 26 district/regional qualifiers. He earned 16 “Coach of the Year” honors.

George Nicula (football) – A posthumous selection, he was a 1951 graduate of Warren Harding High School where he earned three letters for the Panthers. He served as co-captain his senior season where he starred at tackle on both sides of the football. He was an All-Trumbull County and All-State selection and upon graduation, played four years for Notre Dame University, earning three letters for the Fighting Irish. He played for the Washington Redskins in 1955.

Ron “Tank” Rotunno (football/sports author) – A football standout at Brookfield High School, he later was a member of the University of Toledo’s defensive line. After his playing days were over, he became an in-house writer for Steel Valley Books and also serves as a free-lance author and photojournalist. He chronicles the exploits of sports figures from Western Pennsylvania and Northeastern Ohio and among his published books is “Full Tilt to the NFL,” which covers the careers of local heroes Bob Babich, and Mel and Bill Triplett.

Chris Rupe (track and field/cross country) – A 1979 graduate of Maplewood High School, he is a 1985 graduate of Cleveland State University. A 2013 inductee into the Ohio Track & Cross Country Hall of Fame, he has been the McDonald Blue Devils boys cross country coach since 1997. He has coached five state cross country champions and six other teams that finished as runners-up. He has also coached five state champion 4 x 800 relay teams and for the past 16 years, has taken a cross country team to the state championships each year. He has also coached four individual state champions; Stuart Henderson, Bobby Johnson, Ed Stonestreet and Becky Testa.

Walter Toles (track and field) – One of the area’s finest on the cinders, he is a 1958 Braceville High School graduate. As a senior, he was a state champion in three events as he captured top honors in the 100, 220 and 440-yard dashes. He also placed fourth in the long jump and was selected “Most Valuable Player” of the Ohio Track and Field Championships. His junior year he won both the 220 and 440 yard dash, finishing second in the 100 yard dash. During his sophomore campaign he was third overall in the 40-yard dash. He became the first trackster to win three state championships since legendary Olympian and Ohio State University star, Jesse Owens.

Alex Vuchak (football/coach) – He’s a 1951 graduate of Brookfield High School where he earned three letters in football and baseball, and two more in basketball. He went on to play all three sports at Thiel College and upon graduation, became one of the most respected coaches in the area, coaching multiple sports including football, basketball, baseball, softball and both boys and girl’s track and field. He is credited, along with Fred Alberini, for unlocking the track and field talents of the late, great Olympic gold medalist, Willie Davenport of Howland. He was inducted into the Brookfield High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.

Dennis Zolciak (football/coach) – A well-respected football coach for 44 years, he is a Toledo native and graduate of Bowling Green State University. A three-year starter for the Falcons at linebacker, he served as team captain and earned “Most Valuable Player” honors his senior season. He served as defensive coordinator for Warren JFK for 18 years and another four seasons at Niles McKinley. As head coach of the Eagles he posted a 107-42 overall mark and earned numerous Trumbull County “Coach of the Year” honors. As head coach of Twinsburg High School his teams qualified for the play-offs on three separate occasions. He is a member of the Toledo Central Catholic, Warren JFK and Warren Sports halls of fames and has coached the North squad in the prestigious North-South High School All-Star football classic.