The 55th Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame banquet, sponsored by Briarfield Health Care Centers and Ed and Diane Reese, is set for Sunday, May 5 with 12 new members set for enshrinement during ceremonies at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman.
Former NFL official and current national network television rules analyst, Gene Steratore, will serve as guest speaker.
Born August 25, 1959, Powell is the lone wrestling inductee in this year’s class, an athlete and coach who was also a standout football player at both West Branch High School and Youngstown State University.
Foundations Donate to Scholarship Funds thru the Youngstown Press Club
A 1978 graduate of WBHS, he was a three-year letterwinner in football and wrestling for the Warriors, also earning a letter in track and field for a total of nine letters won during a stellar scholastic career.
An all-Ohio selection in football his senior campaign, he placed sixth at state in wrestling in the heavyweight division, also during his senior season.
Upon graduation he earned a full scholarship for football to Youngstown State University, earning three letters while playing (1978-82) for their late head coach, Bill Narduzzi.
He helped the Penguins to a combined 36-21-1 overall mark and two play-off appearances, those coming when they were members of the Mid-Continent Conference in 1978-79 and NCAA Division II national runners-up in the latter season to the University of Delaware.
He was part of the team that helped the program transition from Division II to the Division I-AA (now known as FCS) ranks, also transitioning from their membership in the Mid-Continent Conference to their new home in the highly competitive Ohio Valley Conference.
During his undergraduate days at YSU – he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1983 and MA from Kent State University in 1987 – he served as assistant wrestling coach at Ursuline High School (1981-83), later enjoying a well-documented 39-year teaching career with stops at Austintown Fitch (1984-2017), Liberty (2017) and Western Reserve High School (2018-23).
He served as an assistant football coach at WRHS from 2007-20 and at Youngstown Christian (2021-23) but it is for his time as a wrestling coach for which he is enshrined in this year’s class.
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After serving as an assistant coach for the Falcons’ freshman team (1984-2009), he served as AFHS head wrestling coach beginning in 1984 and lasting until the 2015 season.
His glowing record includes 261 dual meet wins, which ranks 30th all-time in the state of Ohio grappling annals.
The author of four, OHSAA Division I state Top-10 finishes, his highest finish was fourth overall.
Under his tutelage, the Falcons produced a high school national champion in Steve Sletvold, four-time OHSAA state champion Tony Jameson and state titlist Greg Faunda.
In all, he was the architect of 11 EOWL (Eastern Ohio Wrestling League) team championships, had 27 winning seasons, produced 55 state qualifiers, 19 state placers and five state champions.
In addition to a national champion and two high school All-Americans, his program produced two state runners-up as well.
Among his many accomplishments, he is a national wrestling hall of fame member (Stillwater, Oklahoma), Ohio wrestling hall of fame member (Columbus) and Eastern Ohio Wrestling League hall of fame member (2011).
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Named Ohio wrestling ‘Coach of the Year’ in 1998, he is past president of the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association (2012-16) and from 1996-2018, was state representative for the OHSWCA.
A member of the Alliance Top Gun Hall of Fame (2015), he served as director of Team Ohio versus the USA Cliff Kean Dream Team at the national dual meet in 2008.
He also served as Dapper Dan Team Ohio coach in 2008 as well.
He and his wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of two sons, Taylor and Hunter.
They reside in Canfield.
