Meet the coaches, athletes who will be inducted into the Centre County Sports Hall of Fame

A pair of record-setting Philipsburg-Osceola athletes highlights the Centre County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame’s 2023 class of inductees.

Leading the way is Philipsburg-Osceola’s Jon Condo, who got more votes than anyone in voting history. Inductees were selected by votes from the Hall of Fame membership.

Then there’s Kelly Kephart Rees, who won an untouchable 16 varsity letters in her career as a P-O athlete.

The brothers elected are Bald Eagle Area’s Larry Wiser, who follows his brother, Steve (Class of 2019), and Kenny Walker of Bellefonte, whose twin Larry, who was inducted last year.

And BEA’s Dave Breon led the Lady Eagles to a pair of PIAA softball crowns and two runners-up medals in span of seven years with the Lady Eagles.

They will be inducted with the rest of the class at the Hall’s banquet on Oct. 22 at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center.

“We are excited about our 2023 Class of Hall of Fame Inductees,” HOF President Keith Bierly said. “We are pleased that it was a record voter turnout. The popular Centre County sports ... football, wrestling and softball led to the selection of great athletes and coaches.

“It was particularly satisfying to see an inductee from every Centre County public high school.”

Following are brief biographies of each inductee, listed in alphabetic order.

LIVING INDUCTEES

Dave Breon — softball, BEA (1971)

Breon was an outstanding fast-pitch softball pitcher after graduation from BEA in 1971. He began his pitching career and compiled a record of 561-396 over 33 years. After serving as an assistant coach at Bellefonte he went on to become the head coach at Lewistown for five years and then took the head coach position at BEA in 2004, where he won five Conferences, four District 6, and four Western Regional titles. He also formed an instructional business, providing private instruction for softball athletes. He tutored 11 pitchers whose teams reached the PIAA finals, and 35 whose teams reached the District 6 finals. BEA won PIAA Championships in 2005 and 2009 and was the runner-up in 2004 and 2008.

Eric Brugel — wrestling, State College (1981)

Brugel won a pair of PIAA wrestling titles for the Little Lions. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 1983 PIAA tournament. He also won two Northwest Region and three District 6 titles. He went on to wrestle at Penn State where he was a two-time team captain. He was a two-time Eastern Wrestling League champion and an All-American by 1984. He was a National Junior Greco-Roman Champion and is a member of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.

Jon Condo — football, Philipsburg-Osceola (2000)

Condo is arguably the most decorated athlete in P-O history, being a first-team all-state linebacker, a PIAA Wrestling Champion and a first-team all-state catcher.

He was named to the Big 33 team, then went on to play for Maryland where he started 50 straight games as a long snapper and was the Special Teams Player of the Year. He was a team captain in 2004. The Raiders named him a team captain. He also received the team’s Commitment to Excellence Award.

After college he signed with the Oakland Raiders and played 15 years in the NFL, twice being named to the Pro Bowl.

Josh Hull — football, Penns Valley

After a distinguished career at Penns Valley, Hull began his career at Penn State as a walk-on linebacker and worked his way into a starting position as a linebacker. After his collegiate career he played for four NFL teams — St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jags, finishing in 2014. He was a second-team All-Big 10 linebacker and All-Big Ten Academic Selection and Academic All-American. He also won the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award.

Kelly Kephart Rees — softball, P-O (1997)

Kephart Rees was a four-year starter in four sports for the Lady Mounties, earning a total of 16 varsity letters.

Overall, she played in District 6 Championships; four in volleyball, two in golf, one in basketball and three in softball. In softball she did not commit an error in her 48 games of Mountain League play. She holds the Lady Mountie record for hits with 108. In basketball she scored 1,262 points.

She went on to play golf for Penn State. She earned a Doctorate Degree and is now the athletic director at P-O.

Doug Taylor — wrestling, BEA (1988)

Taylor became BEA’s second PIAA Champion when he won the 126-pound title in 1988. He had a three-year record of 109-17-2, including a 59-6-2 dual meet mark. He was a two-time Manheim Tournament champion and a two-time Top Hat winner. He also won the Centre County Tournament three times. He also won two District 6 titles, two Regional titles and placed three times in the PIAA tournament, winning in 1988. He lettered three years at West Virginia and placed fifth in the NCAA Tournament in 1993 when he was an All-American. He was also named West Virginia’s Outstanding Wrestler in 1993.

Ken Walker — football, Bellefonte (1987)

Walker was a three-sport athlete at Bellefonte and later at Lock Haven University. He proudly pointed out that while at Lock Haven he never missed a practice or game in football or a match in wrestling. At Bellefonte he was a three-year letterman in both football and wrestling and two years in baseball. He placed third in the 1987 PIAA Wrestling Tournament and played third base for the 1987 Raider team that placed third in the state.

At Lock Haven he was a four-year starter in football and was named the PSAC Defensive Player of the Year. He ranks fourth in Lock Haven history in tackles. Ken was team captain in 1990 and 1991. In wrestling he was a two-time PSAC place winner and two-time NCAA qualifier.

Walker was the head football coach for 10 years at Ashley Ridge (SC), taking his team to the playoffs in nine of his ten years. In wrestling, his team won seven state championships.

Larry Wiser — football, BEA (1968)

Wiser posted a record of 217-97-1 as the head coach at Clarion High School, making him the winningest coach in school and conference history. He is also the second winningest coach in District 9 history. His teams appeared in ten District 9 Class and two Class AA Championships, winning in 1997, 2009, 2013 and 2017. Clarion reached the state semifinals in 2013 and the quarter-finals in 1997 and 2017.

His teams won or shared 10 Conference Championships. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame. He was a three-sport athlete at BEA, winning the James Snyder Award.

Wiser is a member of the Central PA Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

DECEASED INDUCTEES

Ron Pavlechko — football coach, State College

Pavlechko lettered as an offensive lineman at Penn State in 1968-70 before becoming an English teacher and assistant football coach at State College in 1971. He was hired as the head football coach in 1977 after Jim Williams moved on to become an assistant coach at Penn State. During his career as head coach he compiled a record of 117-103-4. He had undefeated teams in 1981 and 1992. His teams won four District 6 championships and reached the PIAA semifinals in 1992.

He became State College’s athletic director in 1996 and served in that capacity until he retired. He was president of the Central PA Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Gawen Stoker — football coach, BEA

Stoker coached 23 years at BEA, posting a record of 152-85-2 and winning the school’s first District 6 championship in 1988. He also coached at Wellington, Ohio; Trinity in Washington, PA and Indian Valley in Lewistown. His overall record is 248-197-4. He was the District 6 and District 7 Director of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association. He served as the head coach of the West Squad for the 1981 Big 33 Game and was game director of the 1984 Big 33 Game, Game Director of the Mid-State/Uni-Mart Classic from 1985-95, Director of the National City Classic in Western PA from 1997-99. Later he was one of the founders of the CPFCAA All-Star Game (also known as the Lezzer Lumber Classic). He was inducted into the PA Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000.

LEGEND

Ann Infield — track & field, Cross Country, State College

Infield coached the State College Girl’s Track and Field teams that were undefeated for eight years, winning a state championship in 1978. She started the cross-country team at State High that went five years and lost only one meet. Her teams placed in the top five each year at the PIAA meet. She was inducted into the Pennsylvania Track and Field Hall of Fame.

In 1978, Infield won the New York City Mini-Marathon setting a women’s world record for 10,000 meters.

Also in 1978, Infield was recognized as Pennsylvania High School Track and Field Coach of the Year. She was the first high school women’s coach selected as Honorary Coach of the Penn Relays. Under Infield, the State College High School won the Pennsylvania High School Track and Field State Championship.

Infield was the only woman coach honored when State College High School won CENPAC Track and Field Championship.

Upon retirement after the 1978 season, Infield worked as athletic director for women’s sports at State High.

Ron Bracken is publicity chairman for the Centre County chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.