The Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame will induct 12 new members during enshrinement ceremonies on Sunday, October 30 at DiVieste’s Banquet Center, 754 North River Road, N.W., Warren.
The organization’s 19th class includes Brian Beinecke (football), the late George A. Bollas (wrestling), Vanness “Van” Brandon (football), Tony Davis (football), Bill Dreier (contribution to sports, official), Nia Grant (volleyball), Larry Kempe (football, coach), the late Richard Raidel (football), Tom Raphtis (football), Bob Todd (golf, coach), Dan Williams (football, coach) and Mandy Zolciak Willis (basketball).
A proud graduate of a teacher at and the head football coach for his alma mater, McDonald High School.
Those are the descriptors of this year’s football inductee who has roamed the Blue Devils’ sideline for the past 22 seasons and 27 of the past 31 years.
Born May 13, 1970, he is a 1988 MHS graduate and 1993 graduate of Youngstown State University.
During a stellar scholastic career for the Blue Devils, he earned nine varsity letters – four in baseball, three in basketball and two in football – while playing four years each on the aforementioned teams.
A two-year starter at quarterback, he served as team captain and led the team to an 18-2 overall mark, the team making two OHSAA play-off appearances.
He earned All-League, County and State laurels and as a senior was a Trumbull County “Player of the Year” nominee.
In basketball, he was a three-year starter, scored 500-plus points and helped the team to a regional runner-up finish during his junior campaign.
He earned All-League and County honors and after his senior season was again a Trumbull County “Player of the Year” nominee.
In baseball, he was a four-year starter at shortstop and pitcher, earned All-League and County laurels while finishing his career with 13 circuit blasts.
A health and physical education teacher at McDonald H.S. from 1998 to the present – he also taught health and physical education at Jackson-Milton H.S. from 1994-98 – he has coached softball, basketball and baseball scholastically, also serving as director of athletics at his alma mater from 2014-17.
He served as MHS assistant varsity softball coach from 1995-97 while his 10 years as a basketball coach include serving as Jackson-Milton girl’s junior varsity coach from 1993-96, was the Bluejays’ boys junior high coach from 1996-97 then moved over to McDonald H.S. where he served as the Blue Devils’ boys junior high coach from 1998-2003.
From 1998-2000 – and again from 2011-12 – he was McDonald’s assistant varsity baseball coach while from 2002-09 served as MHS head baseball coach, guiding the team to a 103-61 (.628 winning percentage) overall mark with two league championships and three District runner-up finishes, earning four Trumbull County “Coach of the Year” honors.
It is for his football coaching, however, that separates him from his fellow coaches and for which he is enshrined tonight.
After serving as MHS junior high football coach for three seasons (1991-93), he was an assistant varsity coach at JMHS for two years (1994-95), taking over the reins of the Bluejays program for two seasons (1996-97) where he posted an 11-9 overall mark.
He returned to McDonald in 1998 to serve as a varsity assistant coach, doing so through the 1999 campaign, taking over as head coach in 2000 and for the past 22 years (excluding the ’22 season) has led the program to a 156-77 (.670) overall mark in 233 total games.
He has led the Blue Devils to 11 play-off appearances, seven league championships, a regional runner-up finish (2010) and four undefeated 10-0 seasons en-route to 12 Trumbull County “Coach of the Year” honors.
Including his two seasons at Jackson-Milton, his overall coaching record is 167-86, a sparkling .660 winning ledger.
In addition to playing and coaching, he is a member of the Trumbull, Mahoning and OHSAA Coaches Association’s and currently serves as President of the Trumbull County Coaches Association (Chair of Scholarships).
He is married to his wife, Debbie, and is the father of three children, Carson (27), Cade (23) and Delaney (22).
He resides in McDonald.
