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CURBSTONE COACHES | 2018 Hall of Fame inductees
The 51st Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Banquet is set for May 6 with 12 new members set for enshrinement during ceremonies at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman.
Paul McFadden, former Youngstown State and NFL kicker, will be guest speaker. Doors will open at 4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 6 p.m.
This year’s class features Don Andres (basketball, coach), Arthur Berquist (bowling), Dr. Raymond Duffett (contribution to sports), Jim Fox (track and field/cross country), Joseph J. “Blackie” Gennaro (posthumous, boxing), Laurie Gomez-Henes (track and field/cross country), Steve Jones (football), Michael Kernan (football), Todd Marian (golf), Ann Marie Martin (basketball), Ed Moore (special award) and Vindicator Sports Editor Ed Puskas (sports media).
Tickets cost $60 and tables of eight cost $480. They may be purchased by calling Mariel Sallee at 330-519-6819 or by visiting the organization’s website at www.curbstonecoaches.org.
Don Andres Basketball
Andres is a 1963 graduate of Niles McKinley High School where he was a two-year starter for head coach Joe Bassett and the Red Dragons’ leading scorer. He was team Most Valuable Player his senior season.
An All-Trumbull County selection and Honorable Mention All-State pick, he graduated as the second leading foul shooter all-time to John Weber.
He played collegiately at Malone University where he earned four letters for the Pioneers. His final two seasons at MU were award-winning campaigns as he earned First-Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention “Little All-America” laurels, finishing his collegiate career with 1,187 career points.
An educator for 44 years, he roamed the sidelines as a coach for 37-plus seasons for Warren JFK, Howland, Niles and Reynolds (Pa.).
As the boys golf coach at JFK, his 1974 squad won the state crown and finished runner-up the following season.
Arthur Berquist Bowling
As the Austintown Fitch bowling coach, he led the boys team to back-to-back state titles (2002, 2003). He also led the girls squad to the state title in 2003 to become the first school to win state titles in the same season.
Individually, he bowled in many local, state and national tournaments, turning pro in 1989 where he participated in regional and national PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) sanctioned tournaments until 1994.
He bowled 28 300 games.
Dr. Raymond Duffett Contribution to Sports
Duffett is a highly respected area orthopedic surgeon and was a three-sport athlete for Canfield.
In football, he earned three letters and was a three-year starter at quarterback. He was a three-year letter-winner in baseball and a three-year starter in basketball.
He earned a scholarship to V.M.I., quarterbacking the Keydets from 1975-78.
After his junior year he was accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine, earning his Medical degree in 1982.
An adjunct faculty member at Youngstown State University, he has served as the school’s team physician since 1989.
Jim Fox Track/Cross Country
A 1962 graduate of Penn Hills High School, he was a standout in track and cross country where he earned two letters in each sport.
He received a scholarship for both sports to then Mount Union College, participating and earning eight overall letters for the Purple Raiders from 1962-66.
From 1963-66, he was an NCAA All-American in the 880 and mile relay and in 1965-66 was recipient of the Ohio Athletic Conference “Sterling Geesman Track Athlete of the Year” award.
He was inducted into the Mount Union Athletics Hall of Fame (1987) and Penn Hills High School Athletics Hall of Fame (1999).
He taught at Boardman High School beginning in 1972 and later was athletic director.
One of the top track and field-cross country officials in the a state, he has been a registered OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) official since 1965. In 2002 he was inducted into the Youngstown Road Runners Hall of Fame.
In 2004, Fox was the recipient of the Ed Barker Award, given by the Ohio Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association.
Joseph J. Gennaro Boxing
AS a manager, Gennaro oversaw the career of heavyweight Earnie Shavers.
From 1960-69, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission where he was charged with presiding over boxing and wrestling shows throughout the entire state.
Shavers posted a 74-14-1 (68 KOs) record and twice fought for the heavyweight title. Under Gennaro’s guidance, Shavers lost to Muhammad Ali in 1977, a unanimous, 15-round decision. Shavers also lost to Larry Holmes for the WBC world heavyweight crown in 1979.
He also managed Ray “Sugar Ray the Magnificent” Anderson (35-19-5, 20 KOs).
In 1982, Gennaro was appointed chairman of the Ohio Boxing Commission.
Laurie Gomez-Henes Track/Cross Country
A 1988 graduate of Boardman High School, she is 1992 graduate of North Carolina State University.
She competed in both sports for the Spartans where she was a three-time state track, winning the 1600 meter run in 1987 and the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs in 1988.
In 1988, she set state track and field records in the 1600 meter run and 1500 meter indoor race.
In 1988, she was the national high school indoor 2-mile champion, was the No. 1 ranked high school female distance runner in the country in the 1600 meter run and 3000 meter run, won the 1600 Midwest Meet of Champions and was the Gatorade Ohio Track and Field Athlete of the Year, as well as its Midwest Regional Athlete of the Year.
In college, she was an eight-time All-American (four times each in cross country and track and field), an all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection four straight years and captured the ACC cross country title her senior year.
Running professionally for Adidas from 1993-99, she finished fifth at the USATF Nationals in the 10,000 meters in 1993 to earn a spot on the World University Games team.
From 2006-18, she has been North Carolina State’s women’s cross country coach, earning ACC Coach of the Year honors twice.
Steve Jones Football
A 1985 graduate of South High School, he was one of the leaders of the Warriors football teams where he was an All-City first-team selection at fullback and linebacker during his junior and senior campaigns.
He earned Northeastern Ohio Honorable Mention accolades his final two scholastic seasons as well.
As a freshman and sophomore he attended Cardinal Mooney High School and played football for the Cardinals, the team going undefeated his freshman campaign and winning the state title his sophomore year.
Upon graduation he earned a scholarship to Youngstown State, earning four letters (1986-89).
A steady blocker and hard-nosed runner, he graduated with 101 receptions, one of 15 Penguins to top 100 receptions.
Michael Kernan Football
A 1984 graduate of Chaney High School, Kernan has been the Ursuline High School softball coach since 2002.
He played football, basketball and baseball for Chaney, earning All-City Series honors in football and basketball, and All-NEO and All-Ohio laurels as a defensive back in football.
He played collegiately at Hiram College, earning All-American honors in 1987, was an All-PAC selection on three separate occasions (1985-87), led the team in interceptions each year and was team MVP in both 1985 and 1987.
His softball teams have produced a 298-138 overall mark. A state finalist in 2009, Ursuline has played for the district title on 10 occasions.
Todd Marian Golf
A 1985 graduate of Ursuline High School, he was a four-year letter-winner, a two-time All-State honoree and three-time Steel Valley Conference selection.
At Ohio State, he was a three-year letter-winner. As a junior, his 62 set the competitive course record on the Gray Course.
Along with teammates Ted Tryba (two-time PGA Tour winner), Chris Smith (he also has a PGA Tour victory) and Gary Nicklaus, son of legendary PGA champion Jack Nicklaus, he traveled the country and played in multiple tournaments as he finished his collegiate career with a 72.6 scoring average.
Marianworked as a teaching professional with Jimmy Ballard at Doral Country Club in Miami.
Ann Marie Martin Basketball
For four years from 1994-98, Martin helped put the Youngstown State women’s basketball program on the national map. Her teams had an 88-29 record and the school’s first NCAA tournament berth (1996). Two years later, Martin’s team won the school’s first NCAA Tournament game (Memphis, 91-80).
During her breakout sophomore campaign she scored 352 points and hauled in 165 rebounds, connecting on 66 of 89 free-throw attempts (74.2 percent).
Her junior campaign saw her earn second-team all-Mid-Continent Conference honors, scoring 449 points while grabbing 169 caroms.
Her senior season was the best as she scored a team-high 506 points.
She finished in the top 10 in YSU history in points scored and rebounds.
Today, she is a basketball official who has worked multiple boys and girls state tournaments.
Ed Moore Special Award
He is a 1958 graduate of South High School where he was a three-sport athlete for the Warriors when they were full-fledged members of the City Series.
At Youngstown University, he earned an education degree.
A standout baseball player on the local sandlots, he played in the Class AA League for the Buckeye Elks, played fast-pitch for the Acme Club in the Downtowner League and roamed the slo-pitch fields for Acme Club, Calabretta Florist, Lansingville Sportsmen and Youngstown Curve Form.
He officiated OHSAA basketball games for 54 years, softball for 42 years and baseball for 25 years.
Ed Puskas Sports Media
A 1985 graduate of Jefferson Area High School, Puskas grew up reading, writing and playing sports but readily admits that he was always better at the first two.
Those three passions led to a journalism class and eventually a spot on the school newspaper.
Puskas began his career in 1985 at The (Ashtabula) Star-Beacon while a college student. He is a former Ohio Associated Press Sports Columnist of the Year and has also earned other writing awards from the AP and United Press International.
Puskas has also worked for newspapers in Willoughby, Meadville, Pa., and Warren before accepting the sports editor position at The Vindicator in 2012.