George Philips, a standout Chaney High School baseball and football player, is being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this spring, joining former MLB pitcher Dave Dravecky and Rich Martinko as the three diamond inductees in this year’s class.
Born July 6, 1969, Philips is a 1987 graduate of Chaney High School, where he starred in both baseball and football for the Cowboys. He earned four letters in baseball, starting all four seasons at catcher, and three more letters in football as a three-year starter at defensive back and wide receiver.
On the gridiron, he was a two-time All-City Series selection by The Vindicator, posted the highest grade point average among all honorees in both seasons, and was named team captain and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He also received the Louis “Red” Angelo Scholastic Athletic Award, named in honor of the Cowboys’ legendary head coach.
On the diamond, Philips was a two-time All-City Series honoree who batted .405 as a junior and .425 as a senior, serving as team captain and earning Most Valuable Player honors twice. He was also presented with the John Dolecki Memorial Award for leadership and was named to the 1986 National Secondary Education Council’s Academic All-American team.
A standout student as well as an athlete, Philips graduated with a 4.1 grade point average, ranking fourth overall in his class of 240. He was recruited by multiple Ivy League schools, West Point and Youngstown State, and was recommended to the U.S. Air Force Academy by the late astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn. He ultimately chose Ohio University on a football scholarship, but after a football injury turned his attention to baseball, accepting a scholarship to the University of Akron, where he was a three-year starter behind the plate and two-time team captain for the Zips.
Philips went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in biology from Ohio State University in 1993 and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois, in 1996. He has served as a chiropractor for 27 years, with his office located in Austintown. He was elected to the Chaney High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025 and currently resides in Lake Milton.
