1994 Inductees


Alan Baltrus 

Gateway High School:   1973 graduate

BASEBALL:  short stop, lettered three years

FOOTBALL:  lettered two years, wide receiver/free safety, Captain senior year, team record 11-0 and WPIAL Class AA champions, Western Pennsylvania Football Coaches All-Star Team, Allegheny East All-Star Team, Gateway #10 in country 1972 

North Carolina State University:  played for Lou Holtz, lettered two season, started at two of four positions in defensive backfield and played all four, Peach Championship Team 1977, Awarded Al Michael’s Team Award 1977-78 season 

Andy Brannigan 

Turtle Creek High School:

GOLF 

Golf:  turned professional 1935, Assistant Professional and Caddy Master Edgewood and Churchill Country Clubs, regained amateur status 1938, won Westinghouse Electric Corporation Tournament at Churchill Country Club several times, won West Penn Open Championship 1939, Scotch Open 1940, Tri-States Doubles Golf Tournament at East Palestine, Ohio with brother, George 1938, medalist and winner Caddy Master Tournaments and club events 

Emil “Babe” Caprara 

Turtle Creek High School:  1953 graduate

FOOTBALL:  lettered

BASEBALL:  lettered

TRACK:  lettered

SOCCER:  lettered 

Penn State University:  Football 1955-57, fullback/defensive end, East-West Shrine Game 1957, 1987 named on Pittsburgh Press all-time Western Pennsylvania football team 

Career:  Athletic Director Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, National Junior College Wrestling Man of the Year 1979 

Inductions:  National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach 1978 

John Catone 

Rankin High School:

FOOTBALL:  lettered

BASKETBALL:  lettered 

Coffeyville Community College:  basketball scholarship, two year Regional Championship Teams 

Baseball:  American Legion Swissvale, Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph All-Star 

Major League Baseball:  Pittsburgh Pirates tryout 1955, offered contract St. Louis Cardinals 

Coaching Career:  Assistant basketball St.Thomas High school three years; Wilmerding High School:  Assistant football six years, volleyball three years, physical fitness team five years’ East Allegheny Head coach eight years 

Reynold “Ray” Dempsey 

Pitcairn High School:  1950-54

FOOTBALL:  Captain and MVP 1954, record for longest return after interception (101 yds, 1953)

BASKETBALL:  Captain 1954, Allegheny County All-Star Team 1954

BASEBALL:  Captain 1954 

Geneva College:  football scholarship, quarterback 1954-58 

Coaching Career:  football 28 years; Hopewell High School Assistant 3 years, East Palatine, Ohio Head Coach four years, Canton, Ohio Central Catholic; six years, Bowling Green University Assistant two years, Youngstown State University Head Coach two years, Head Coach Shriners All-Star Game, Columbus; Ohio 1974, Detroit Lions Special Teams and defense 1975; Southern Illinois University Head Coach eight years, 1983 team record 13-1, 1st team in NCAA history to win 13 games one season; Kodak Coach of the  Year 1983; Memphis State University Head Coach two years 

Carl DiBernardo 

Swissvale High School:   1943 graduate 

Service:  US Marine Corps 

University of Miami:  boxing, lettered 1948-51, sophomore year:  won every bout, Southern Inter-Collegiate Champion, NCAA light heavyweight champion 

Tony DiCenzo 

Braddock High School:  1948 graduate

FOOTBALL:  lettered 1947 and 1948

BASKETBALL:  three year starter and Captain 1946-48, Section All-Star Team two years

BASEBALL:  lettered 1947 and 1948 

Service:  US Army 1949, starter and leading scorer for Ft. Belvoir, Virginia Army Post Team, 1949-50 

Dennis Downes 

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 Turtle Creek High School:   1962 graduate 

Point Park College:   1966 graduate

Lettered four years baseball, two years basketball 

Major League Baseball:  Washington Senators of American League signing bonus contract 1962, Missouri Valley League 1963, Mid-West League 1964, Greater Pittsburgh League 1965, played/managed team in Orlando for five years 

First local Little League baseball graduate to sign a minor league contract 

William Garboden 

Westinghouse High School:   1938 graduate

BASKETBALL:  lettered

BASEBALL:  lettered, Captain senior year, All City Team

VOLLEYBALL:  lettered, State Championship 1937 and 1938 

Independent Basketball:  Westinghouse Apprentice School in East Pittsburgh and Transportation and Generation Division- both teams won Westinghouse Industrial League Championships; McKeesport Big Five 

Coaching Career:  T&G Division women’s team basketball- won championships; Swissvale Little League baseball and basketball 

Tim Kerin 

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 Westinghouse Memorial High School:   1965 graduate 

Trainer:  Head Athletic Trainer- Penn Hills High School 1969-72,  University of Pittsburgh 1972-76, University of Tennessee 1977-1992, National Athletic Trainers Association committee member, Pennsylvania Trainers Society former President, Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society committee member, weight training publications in athletic journals, Host Trainer for numerous national and international sports events 1973-1992 

Arnold Koepka 

Trafford High School:   1932 graduate

FOOTBALL:  Captain

BASKETBALL:  Captain

Outstanding Athlete 

Waynesburg College:   1938 graduate; football four year starter, Triple Threat Quarterback, Captain, named to “Who’s Who” in American Universities and Colleges, named to All Time College Great Football Team 1961 

National Football League:  drafted by NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, played short time with Eagles prior to recurring career-ending knee injury 

Coaching Career:  Bell Twp. 1939; Trafford High School  all sports 1940-46; Swissvale High School Assistant coach football, basketball, volleyball 1946-50, Head coach 1950-61, coached Allegheny County All Starts 1956; Swissvale Athletic Director 1961, Assistant Principal 1970-77 

Inductions:  Waynesburg Sports Hall of Fame 1970 

Craig Koryak 

St. Thomas High School:  1974 graduate

BASKETBALL:  all- time leading scorer, three year starter, averaged 22 points sophomore year

BASEBALL:  three year letter earner

MVP of Pittsburgh Catholic League and MVP Pittsburgh Catholic League All Star game 1974 

Alliance College:  three year starter basketball baseball, Co-captain senior year 

John Lovre 

Trafford High School:   1948 graduate

FOOTBALL:  lettered two years, defensive/offensive starter, All Westmoreland County Football Team senior year, WPIAL Honorable Mention, Jaycee-Dapper Dan All Star

BASEKETBALL:  lettered three years 

Clarion University:  football four year letterman, offensive/defensive end, All District team three years, All State Team two years, All Teachers Conference Team three years, Little All American sophomore year, All Time Great Team (named 1962), scoring records in receiving touchdowns, longest reception for touchdown, yards per reception, undefeated team that defeated East Carolina in 1953 Lions Bowls 

Coaching Career:  Penn Trafford High School football two years, golf 30 years 

Inductions: Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame 

Ed Mulcany 

Scott High School:

BASKETBALL:  1944-47, Captain senior year

BASEBALL:  lettered 1945-47, First Annual High School All-Star Baseball Game, City vs. County, 1947 

Service:  basketball and baseball with Parris Island Marines and Beanfort SC Flyers 

Rifle:  SEC NOV Trophy-Rifle 1957

Coaching Career:  Villanova University rifle and pistol teams 1956-59, Lincoln Junior High School, Oceanside, CA basketball 

Pat Pecora 

Native of Turtle Creek 

Serra High School:   1971 graduate

WRESTLING:  four year starter, captain 1971, MVP and 3rd place PCIAA State Tournament

FOOTBALL:  lettered

BASEBALL:  lettered 

West Liberty State College, WV:  graduated, 1975, Wrestling four year starter, West Liberty Invitational Champion, three year All-Conference (3rd, 2nd, 2nd) and Two-time National Qualifier 

Coaching Career:  University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown Campus 1976, only one losing season; coached six-time National Champion, Pittsburgh Steeler offensive lineman, Carlton Haselrig; eight NCAA Eastern Regional Championships, regional titles 1987-90, championships 1992-94, NCAA Eastern Regional Coach of the Year 1982, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994; Top Ten six times, Top Twenty 11 times; won 26 team tournament titles and 201 dual meets; tutored 46 All-Americans and 11 Academic All-Americans, NCAA Division II Representative to National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), former president of Division II NWCA 

John Petrini 

Trafford High School:   1935 graduate

FOOTBALL:  lettered 1931-35

WRESTLING:  lettered 1933-35, coached wrestling team senior year following death of coach, one loss senior year 

Wrestling:  YMCA, Wilmerding, gold medal in 145 weight class 

Semi-pro Football:  Trafford Alumni Team 1935-45 

Baseball:  Tri-county League 1935-45 

Coaching Career:  South Trafford three years, Trafford Legion baseball 1950’s and 1960’s 

Boxing:  Golden Gloves tourney in Pittsburgh

Joe Pocsatko 

North Braddock Scott:   1968 graduate

FOOTBALL:  Captain senior year

BASKETBALL:

BASEBALL:  Captain senior year

Earned nine letters, Athlete of the Year 1968 

Clarion University:  football 

Semi-pro Football:  Westmoreland Warriors, won two league championships, defensive captain 

Coaching Career:  Little League and Pony League baseball 

Mike Salianoff 

Wilmerding High School:   1942 graduate

FOOTBALL:  1939-41, record 27-3 

Recruited to play fullback at several schools, including Duquesne and Maryland 

Weight training:  Supporter of weight training for athletes, won body building competitions- Mr. Allegheny 1948, one of six national winners for Physique and Strength sponsored by Strength and Healthy Magazine 1942 

Bernie Yurko

Began career at Carnegie Club in Braddock

Verona Street Junior High:

BASKETBALL

North Braddock Scott High School: 1931-35

BASKETBALL:  three year star, among leading scorers every year 

Independent Basketball:  Weiss Five in Allegheny County League, Wilmerding YMCA Hi-Flyers (rated one of best independent teams in area)