Curbstone Coaches 49th Hall of Fame induction The Curbstone Coaches Association will induct its 2016 Hall of Fame Class on May 1 at 6 p.m. at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center on South Avenue in

CHESTER COOPER CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS

One of two contributors in this year’s class, Cooper is a highly-respected area baseball umpire who has worked the Little League World Series, OHSAA tournament and this August, will work the Little League Intermediate World Series in Livermore, California.

A biology professor at YSU, he is a member of the University’s Intercollegiate Athletic Council and has been its Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA (Horizon League and Missouri Valley Football Conference) as well as a member of its Eligibility Committee, a post that he has held since 2009.

His local umpiring efforts were recognized nationally when he was selected to work the 2012 Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, PA, umpiring all 12 games which were televised in some capacity on either ESPN or ABC.

DON FEREN CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS

Feren is a 1967 graduate of the former Greenford High School (currently a part of the South Range Local School district) and has been active in area athletics as either a player, coach or administrator for the past seven decades.

A four-year letterwinner in both football and basketball, and a two-year letterman in track and field at G.H.S., he earned First-Team, All Inter-County League honors in both football and hoops, receiving All-State laurels in football as one of the school’s all-time top defensive backs.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Youngstown State University in 1972 and upon graduation, was hired by South Range Local Schools where he served as a teacher/coach.

He retired from the high school coaching ranks in 2003, remained as the school’s athletic director and later served as head women’s basketball coach at Hiram College.

He most recently served as athletic director at Lisbon High School, retiring in 2014 after 42 years of service.

RICK HAVRILLA BOWLING

One of two bowlers in this year’s class, Havrilla began his distinguished bowling career at age 20 and for the past 36 years, has been of the top bowlers in the Mahoning Valley.

He is the author of 24 perfect games with the last one coming in 2013 during the City Mixed Doubles Tournament at Wedgewood Lanes.

He was the architect of five 800 sets and his 237 average during the 2003-04 season still remains the house record at the old West Side Lanes.

He has bowled in 25 State Tournaments and in 2004, finished third in All Events at the Ohio State Bowling Championships.

JOHN HRITZ BASKETBALL COACH

The only basketball inductee in this year’s class, Hritz has coached on both boys’ and girls’ levels. He has had a very successful career on the girl’s side of the ledger and has been credited with molding six programs into some of the most competitive in the area.

He served as head coach at Struthers, Jackson-Milton, Campbell, Leetonia, Liberty, served a season as an assistant with the Lowellville Rockets.

In 34 seasons as a head of coach, spanning five overall decades, he is 453-322 (.585 winning percentage) with three regional appearances, three district titles, five district runner-up finishes and six conference championships.

He is a 12-time M.V.C.A. (Mahoning Valley Coaches Association) “Coach of the Year” honoree and a two-time T.C.C.A. (Trumbull County Coaches Association) “Coach of the Year” recipient as well.

CRAIG KIKTA BOXING

A 1994 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, “The Kid” was a Junior Olympic champion in the 147 pound weight class at the age of 14.

In 1993 while a junior in high school, Kikta took first-place in the Youngstown Golden Gloves 139 pound Novice Division, also earning the Novice Division’s “Outstanding Fighter Award.”

The following year as a senior, he earned the Youngstown Golden Gloves’ “Outstanding Fighter Award” once again, this time in the Open Division.

He turned pro upon graduation from A.F.H.S and had 18 professional fights, posting a 16-2 overall mark with eight KO’s.

He won his first 14 pairings, making it 15 in a row on April 10, 1996 when he defeated Dwayne Swift on points at the Youngstown MetroPlex Center to claim the vacant IBC (International Boxing Council) welterweight title.

In all, his professional career was well-documented with fights that were televised to national audiences on ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox Sports.

JAMIE PALUMBO BASEBALL

Palumbo starred on both the gridiron and diamond for the Hubbard Eagles.

As a senior he was All-League, All-District, defensive “Player of the Year” and team M.V.P., earning a baseball scholarship to YSU upon graduation.

He played for the Penguins from 1993-96, earning four letters while helping to re-write several categories in their all-time record book.

In his final season the team posted the second most wins ever in a single season, leading the team once again in hits while also leading the Penguins in home runs (6) and runs (29).

He had four career grand slams, all coming in his final season, was the team’s “Defensive M.V.P.” his final two seasons while adding team “Most Valuable Player” honors his senior campaign.

He was the first Penguin baseball player to be named Mid-Continent Conference, First-Team in consecutive years, closing out a stellar collegiate career. He would later play for the Chillicothe Paints and Canton Crocodiles.

He was a 2014 inductee into the National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Evansville, Ind.

ROSE SMITH BOWLING

A graduate of the former South High School, Smith started her bowling career in 1963 and to say that she has had a stellar six-decade career is truly an understatement.

From 1965 until her move to Las Vegas in 1996, she was one of the best bowlers in both the Mahoning Valley and the state.

She was the first local woman to bowl in an all-male league.

She has bowled nine perfect 300 games and has posted 25 individual rolls of 289 or better.

TAMRON SMITH FOOTBALL

Smith is considered one of the very best to play for the former South High School Warriors and Youngstown State Penguins.

An 1989 S.H.S. graduate, he was an All-City Series selection during both his junior and senior years where he also earned All-Northeastern Ohio laurels his senior season.

He led YSU to four consecutive play-off appearances, a perfect regular season, two I-AA national championships and a runner up-crown.

He graduated as YSU’s all-time leading rusher as he amassed a school record 4,866 yards on 987 carries, also a school mark.

JIM TRESSEL FOOTBALL

An excellent player at Baldwin-Wallace College, Tressel achieved even greater success on the college level as a head coach on both the FBS and FCS levels.

Currently in his second year as Youngstown State’s president, he earned four letters as a quarterback for the Yellow Jackets and began his coaching career at the University of Akron with other stops including Miami (Ohio) University, Syracuse and Ohio State University.

He accepted his first head coaching position at YSU and from 1986-2000, led the Penguins to a 135-57-2 overall mark with four I-AA national championships, two runner-up finishes and 10 play-off appearances.

After the 2000 season, he accepted the head coaching position at Ohio State University and in 10 seasons with the Buckeyes posted a 94-22 overall mark, including a 59-14 Big Ten Conference ledger with seven outright or shared championships.

He led the Buckeyes to the 2002 BCS national championship and two subsequent title appearances in 2006 and 2007.

His overall collegiate mark is 229-79-2 with five national championships and three runner-up finishes.

He was inducted into the College Football and Ohio State Halls of Fame in 2015, and has also been honored with induction into the Baldwin-Wallace College, YSU and Greater Cleveland Sports Halls of Fame as well.

BILL TRIPLETT FOOTBALL

One of the top scholastic stars from the area during the late 1950’s, Triplett was Girard High School’s leading rusher during his junior and senior campaigns.

He also ran track and played basketball for the Indians before choosing to enroll at Miami (Ohio) upon graduation.

Triplett was leading rusher for the Redskins during his final two seasons and he was an All-American selection.

He was drafted by both the NFL and AFL in 1962, opting for the still-existing league where he spent the next 11 seasons as one of the league’s top running backs.

He started his professional career with the St. Louis Cardinals, later spending time with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.

For his career, he played 128 games overall, rushed for 2,446 yards on 681 carries and scored 17 touchdowns.

He also hauled in 113 receptions for 1,055 yards.

HERB WILLIAMS FOOTBALL

Williams starred in both football and basketball for the Boardman Spartans and was considered one of the finest all-around athletes to play for YSU.

An All-NEO First-Team selection in basketball as a senior, he also helped BHS to the OHSAA Division I football title game in 1987.

A 2006 inductee into the Boardman High School Athletics Hall of Fame, he had arguably two of the biggest receptions in Penguin football history, the first coming during the 1991 playoffs against Villanova and the second during the 1991, I-AA championship game against Marshall University.

Overall, his college career included 110 receptions for 2,031 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He was a player on the 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 playoff squads, later serving as an assistant coach from 1996-99, including serving as a coach on its 1997 FCS title team and runner-up squad two years later.

BRUCE ZOLDAN HOCKEY

A man of many firsts during an illustrious six-decade business and sports career, it is only fitting tonight that he becomes the very first hockey inductee into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame.

He is a 1966 graduate of Boardman High School, later earning his business degree from Youngstown State University.

He has gained notoriety in the horse racing industry as an owner with multiple horses that have run in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

It is for developing hockey locally and his love for the game, however, for which he enters the hall of fame.

He opened the Ice Zone in the fall of 1997, the only double-sheet public ice skating facility in the area which played host to both hockey and figure skating devotees, and would later become home to the Youngstown Youth Hockey League and his Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey league.

The Phantoms, founded in 2003, were a Junior A hockey franchise of the NAHL at the time. He then moved his franchise over to the USHL (United States Hockey League) in 2009 and as part of America’s only Tier 1 league, changed their name to the Youngstown Phantoms.

Under his direction, numerous Phantoms have earned scholarships and play major roles at Division I hockey-playing institutions while others have been drafted by the NHL and remain in the professional ranks.