1996 Inductees


Joe Belechak 

St. Thomas High School:

BASKEBALL:  three year starter, WPIAL Class A Titles 1976 and 1977, averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds junior year, senior year: averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds senior year, All WPIAL Class A and section MVP, All-State, Dapper Dan Roundball Classic and Quigley Classic, YMCA Athlete Award; all-time leading scorer

BASEBALL:  lettered four years

TENNIS:  lettered four years 

Carnegie Mellon: Basketball four year starter and letterman, Captain senior year, scored over 100 points, averaging 16 points as junior and named All District Honorable Mention, senior year averaged 18  points and named All District 

Bob Buczkowski 

Gateway High School:  1982 graduate

TRACK:  record for shot-put, 1st in state, WPIAL and Junior Olympics; 2nd in discus WPIAL 1982

FOOTBALL:  Post- Gazette Football All Star Team, Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 All Starts, Post- Gazette Athlete of the Week, Defensive Player of the Year, All State Player of the Year, Adidas All American 

University of Pittsburgh:  football, outstanding career, East-West Shrine Game 

National Football League Oakland Raiders:  1st round draft pick 1986, played professionally through 1991 

Tony Caprara 

Turtle Creek High School:   1949 graduate

BASEBALL

BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL 

University of Georgia:  football scholarship, running back, senior year played in the only President’s Cup game in Washington, DC 

Coaching Career: football West Craven High School, NC, state playoffs 14 of 16 years Tony coached, 18 players have received scholarships, athletes coached include:  George Koonce (Green Bay Packers), Jesse Campbell (New York Giants), Anthony Wright (South Carolina), and Lee Becton (Notre Dame All American) 

Henry Furrie 

Waynesburg College:   1947 graduate 

Coaching Career:  football and basketball Freeport High School and Braddock High School; first Athletic Director at Gateway 1955:  instrumental in establishing their Girls Varsity Sports, led Gateway to becoming WPIAL football power; Contribution to You Award 1969, Henry Furrie Scholarship Fund established 1996 by former students, family and friends given annually to a Gateway Senior 

Gene Harckelroad 

Born in East Pittsburgh 

Penn Joint High School:   1958 graduate 

Bowling:  began career at age 18, won East Pittsburgh Singles Class 1961 

Professional Bowlers Association:  four time City of Pittsburgh Champion, won K&B Singles Classic in Lebanon, PA 701 series in 1971, won three TV qualifiers in Pittsburgh Championship Bowling, Channel 4, and TV qualifying record four years, 1795 for eight games; rolled eleven 300 games, two 299 games, two 298 games, ten 290 games, four 800 series, numerous s700 series, lifetime ABC Bowling Average 203 

Inductions:  Greater Pittsburgh Hall of Fame 1966 

Competed on Senior Tour 

Dave Kalina 

Westinghouse Memorial High School:

FOOTBALL:  end, All State and Big 33 Honorable Mention senior year (1966) 

Coffeyville Junior College, Kansas:  wide receiver, All Conference two years 

University of Miami, Florida:  split end, 1st varsity game set school record most yards on passes (140) in a game, tied school record for most receptions in a season (43 total, 628 yards); senior  year, broke own record most receptions in a season (45), Florida All State Team wide receiver 

National Football League Pittsburgh Steelers:  free agent wide receiver 1970-72 

Coaching Career:  football Xavier University, East Allegheny High School 1972-induction- Offensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach, Head Coach 

Roger Kingdom 

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University of Pittsburgh: Football defensive back, coach redshirted to see how he would progress in hurdles, Track 1st NCAA meet 110 hurdles 

Olympics:  Gold medal Los Angeles Olympics 1984, gold medal Seoul Olympics, one World Cup, five time USA Championships, Track and Field News Athlete of the Year 1989, Jesse Owens Award 

Remained active in the world of track and field 

Joe Mastro 

Jeannette High School:

FOOTBALL:  quarterback Class AA WPIAL Championship Team 1939, one loss in two years Joe quarterbacked

BASKETBALL:  three year letterman 

Westminster College:  lettered football four years 

Coaching Career:  football Rankin High School 1948-59, eight years co-coach with Steve Vucic:  most proud of .770 winning percentage with one of smallest WPIAL enrollments and large number athletes graduated and became successful citizens and family members; Jeannette and Derry High Schools 

Professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania 

Don McDermott 

East Pittsburgh HS:   1949 graduate

BASKETBALL:  high scorer, senior year 

Service:  Navy/Korean War, captain and leading scorer basketball team Kingsville, Texas, two years 

University of Notre Dame:  Lightweight Boxing Champ 1955 and Welterweight Champ 1956 

Rejected professional boxing contract to obtain Master Degree from Penn State 

Coaching Career:  Head Basketball Coach Fallsburg High School Fallsburg, New York, won ten Championships, last six teams overall record 108-14 

Ossie Rometo 

Tarentum High School:

FOOTBALL:  captained undefeated team, 1928, All WPIAL quarterback 

West Liberty College:  Student Council and Senior Class Presidents

 Coaching Career:  Football Springdale High School, 1946 team undefeated and won Class A WPIAL Championship 

Official:  Basketball Allegheny- Kiski 1948-induction, Western PA Football Officials 1959-induction

Other:  President, Turtle Creek Optimist Club 1961-62, Lt. Gov., District #30 Optimist International 1962-63, All Time WVIAC Football Team 1974, Man of the Year Turtle Creek Optimist Club1975, copyright and published book “A Collection of Gems” 1980

Inductions:  West Liberty College Hall of Fame 

Lorain Sekely

Turtle Creek High School:

BASEBALL:  three year letterman

FOOTBALL:  three year letterman, four interceptions in one game, 11 for the year, 210 yards single game rushing record, All Conference junior and senior years 

Clarion University:  football scholarship, “Mr. Everything”, tight end sophomore year, center on punts/field goals, returned punts, safety on kickoffs;  senior year cornerback on defense, All NAIA Team Honorable Mention, MVP special teams; team won two State Championships, overall record four years 31-8-1