Sports Hall of Fame to induct 12 during April 30 banquet

Apr. 22—Twelve former athletes will be inducted when the Lawrence County Historical Society hold its 38th annual sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The April 30 banquet at the New Englander Banquet Center begins with a noon for social time and dinner at 1:30 p.m., followed by the program.

Brenda Briggs, Brian Cooper, Kevin Covert, Matt Deinert, Bob Flannery, Mark Humphrey, Kathy Kendra, Alan Pavia, Jeff Potter, Jaleesa Sams, Joyce Shannon and David Young are the 2023 inductees.

Anthony "Dooney" Pietrcollo will be the Hall of Honor recipient while the 1995-96 Shenango boys basketball team is the Ellis Hoffman Team Award recipient.

Michael Wells, Luke McCoy, Neleh Nogay and Emma Callahan will be honored as the High School Athletes of the Year.

Tickets can be purchased online at lawrencechs.com for $40 each. Tickets also are available for purchase at the Historical Society on Saturday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No tickets will be sold at the door.

BRENDA BRIGGS

Briggs was a 1982 graduate of Wilmington High and a four-year starter and letter winner in basketball, volleyball and track and field. As a point guard, Briggs averaged a school-record 5.1 assists per game as a junior.

Overall, Briggs amassed 348 career assists. She was first team all-section as a senior and second team as a junior.

Briggs helped lead Wilmington to two Tri-County championships in volleyball.

She graduated from Westminster College in 1986 and is a member of the Westminster College Sports Hall of Fame after being a four-year starter in basketball and softball.

In basketball, Briggs was a two-year honorable mention and voted team MVP in her senior year. She was named Women's Keystone Conference First Team her senior year and second team as a junior.

Briggs was named to the Academic All-District Team in basketball as well. Briggs was a four-year starter at shortstop and part of the first softball team to go to the national tournament.

Briggs was named on the NAIA first team and the WKC first team twice for softball.

Briggs was a three-year starter in volleyball at Westminster and was voted team MVP in her senior year. She was selected for the NAIA and WKS second team three times.

BRIAN COOPER

Cooper, a 1988 graduate of Wilmington, competed in football and track and field. In 1986, Cooper was named Tri-County North Conference first team lineman.

Cooper helped the Greyhounds capture the WPIAL and Tri-County championships in 1986. In 1987, he was named Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in Lawrence County, Tri-County Most Valuable Lineman and received the Bulldog Award as the top high school senior lineman.

Cooper lettered three years in track and field and in 1988 he claimed the WPIAL Class 2A championship in shot put and was a PIAA Class 2A runner-up in the event.

Cooper was a three-year letterman in football and a two-year letterman in track and field at Thiel College. He was named second team offensive tackle in 1990 and first team offensive tackle in 1992 for the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Cooper is currently the varsity head coach for Laurel's football program. He served as varsity offensive coordinator for Wilmington from 2012-13 (14-7) and defensive coordinator from 2008-11 (79-13).

Cooper served as a head football coach at Shenango from 1999-2006 (58-62). He was named an all-star head coach by the Western Pennsylvania Football Association in 2000 and 2003.

Cooper had two stints as the Shenango girls' track and field coach with the first being in 1998-200 and his second tenure lasted from 2002-2016. He currently serves as the boys track and field coach for Laurel.

WPXI named Cooper Coach of the year in 2018. In 2003, he was awarded Week 8 WPIAL Coach of the Week. In 2002, he won Tri-County Coach of the Year and won it again the next year.

KEVIN COVERT

Covert was a 1995 graduate of Neshannock and played as a guard on the hardwood. Covert is the all-time leading scorer for Lawrence County basketball players with 2,612 points and is ranked third for all-time scoring in the WPIAL.

In his freshman year, he was named second team all-conference and first team in his sophomore, junior and senior year.

Covert was awarded MVP of conference and led the WPIAL in scoring his junior and senior year. Covert was named second team all-state as a junior and first team as a senior.

Covert holds records for the most points in a game (57), points in a season (885), field goals in a career (896), fouls made in a career (617) and 3-pointers made in a career (203) at Neshannock.

Covert was recruited by numerous Division I schools, but settled on Akron University before later transferring to Robert Morris University.

MATT DEINERT

Deinert is a graduate of Laurel High School and Slippery Rock University. In 1984 and '85, Dienert was named first team all-conference running back when Laurel made back-to-back playoff appearances.

From 1984-87, Deinert was named a first team all-section outfielder in baseball.

Deinert won the WPIAL Section 14-2A and 15-2A batting title. Deinert's lifetime batting average at Laurel was .499.

Deinert was one of 32 players to attend a Pittsburgh Pirate camp in Meadville and shortly after he accepted a scholarship offer from Slippery Rock by coach Jeff Messer. He started 189 games at SRU and saw 678 at-bats.

Deinert amassed 160 runs, 245 hits and 15 triples for Slippery Rock. His batting average when playing for Slippery Rock was .361.

From 1987-90, he was named a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference all-conference first teamer. In 1989, Deinert received the American Baseball Coaches Association All-American award and its All-Region First Team honors.

BOB FLANNERY

Flannery played sports at a young age and attended New Castle from 1960-63. In the ninth grade, after deciding football was not for him, Flannery went on to play basketball and other sports.

Flannery competed in track and field, basketball and tennis. He competed at a high level for Section 3 basketball.

Flannery was a starter on the hardwood in his junior and senior year. He was All Section, MVP in Section 3 and an honorable mention for All State.

Flannery credits coach Connie Palombo for shaping his abilities in basketball. After graduating New Castle, Flannery competed in numerous post-high school tournaments at Mahoningtown, Youngstown and the Sharon Buell tournament.

Also after graduation, Flannery received at least 10 letters of interest to continue playing basketball at the collegiate level. He took his talents to Westminster College and was on the team for four years.

In his senior year for the Titans, Flannery was co-captain along with John Fontanella. Flannery currently lives in Hermitage.

MARK HUMPHREY

Humphrey is a 1974 graduate of New Castle. He played football in 1971, '72 and '73 and lettered all three years as an offensive lineman.

Humphrey started two years on the gridiron for the Red Hurricane. In 1973, his team captured the WPIAL championship.

Humphrey was named all-conference in 1973. After graduating New Castle, Humphrey lettered four years at Westminster College and started three years on the offensive line.

In 1976 and '77, Humphrey's team won the NAIA Division II national championship. He was named first team All-American offensive lineman in those two same championship years.

KATHY KENDRA

Kendra attended New Castle before scholastic girls sports were played. Kendra competed in bowling, track and field, gymnastics and excelled at softball.

Kendra competed in New Castle's 12-18 girls slow pitch league and New Castle's womens tri-county league. She also competed with the Greater Pittsburgh League.

Kendra helped win numerous championship and won titles like most valuable player, outstanding player and was selected to more than one all-tournament teams.

In 1974, Kendra graduated Lawrence County Vo-Tech and took her expertise on the diamond to Slippery Rock University where she played on the first fastpitch softball team at the college that was started in 1976.

ALAN PAVIA

Pavia graduated from Shenango in 1983 and competed in football and track and field. Pavia was a four-year letterman for the Wildcats as a fullback.

Pavia Holds the record for most career rushing yards at 2,994. He holds three of the top nine current best career average yards per carry in Shenango's history with 7.7 in 1980, 7.5 in 1981 and 6.7 in 1982.

Pavia holds the 11th spot in the most carries in one season with 137 carriers in 1980 and is third all-time with career average of 7.2 yards per carry at 415 career carries.

In track and field, Pavia was a four-year letterman. Prior to his competing in varsity track and field, Pavia made and still currently holds junior high records in the 100 meters and the long jump.

As a freshman, Pavia set the Shenango long jump (20-8) and 4x100 relay (45.7, first leg) record. Pavia won the Tri-County meet long jump event and was on the 4x100 relay team that took first.

In his sophomore year, Pavia won the Tri-County long jump event again and set the meet record at 20-10, he was on the winning team for the 4x100 relay and finished second in the WPIAL long jump and his 4x100 relay team finished fifth to qualify for states in both events.

Pavia qualified for state again in his junior year for the long jump and he won the event at the Tri-County meet. Pavia led the team in letter points his freshman, sophomore and junior year before suffering a pulled back muscle that made him miss his senior season.

Pavia played football at Geneva College from 1983-86 and averaged 6.28 yards per carry in 1984. He was a two-time NAIA All-American honorable mention in 1983 and '84.

JEFF POTTER

Potter graduated from Ellwood City Lincoln in 1972. He pitched for the Wolverines and threw a no-hitter as a sophomore against Aliquippa in 1970. In 1971, he was named MVP in Section 3 baseball and played in Legion All-State Game in Harrisburg and was named MVP in that game.

In 1972, Potter pitched another no-hitter against New Castle and set the Ellwood City strikeout record for a single game at 19.

After graduation, he signed a professional baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers after as a sixth-round pick. He played minor league baseball for the Tigers organization from 1973-74.

Potter has coached and mentored young players in the game of baseball for the last 25 years. He also spoke to more than 20 schools about teamwork, leadership and other life skills.

Potter created and ran the batboy program at the University of Maryland from 2008-2010. Potter authored several books: "Whatever Happened to Baseball?," "Saving Baseball" and "Far from Being Done."

Another book Potter authored, entitled "Forty Roads to Nowhere," is set for publication in 2023. From 2010-2021, he directed the Potter Baseball Tour which is a month-long tour of 30 towns which combines baseball, community service and charity work, along with life lessons, for teenagers.

The Potter Baseball Tour has raised over $100,000 in 12 years and has worked with over 70 organizations and individuals. Potter has also taken over 200 boys to Cooperstown to play in the week-long baseball tournament held there.

In 2018, Potter founded the John Huffman Memorial Fund for young players to give back to the communities. He produced a six-hour long documentary on the Potter Baseball Tour in 2020.

JALEESA SAMS

Sams is a 2007 graduate of New Castle and competed on the hardwood. She started all four years for the Lady 'Canes.

Sams was a freshman starter on New Castle's WPIAL Class 4A championship team and was named third team all-state. As a sophomore, Sams team took third team all-state again in Class 4A and was a unanimously named first team All-Section 3-4A and the MVP.

As a junior, Sams was the first girl from Lawrence County to receive first team all-state honors. She was named first team All-Section 3-4A and section MVP again.

Sams became the first girl from New Castle to be nominated for the McDonalds All-American Team in her senior year. She also took first team all-state and first team all-section again.

Sams still remains the second-leading scorer for girls basketball in New Castle and the third-leading scorer in Lawrence County history.

After graduation, Sams played basketball at the collegiate level for the Division-I North Carolina A&T. As a freshman at NCAT, she won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and was a conference champion.

As a sophomore, Sams' team went on to win the MEAC conference and conference tournament championships, sending the team to the NCAA tournament. Sams was named second team All-MEAC and won the MEAC conference championship again in her junior year. As a senior, she was named second team All-MEAC.

Sams remains fifth in rebounds at 692 and 12th in scoring with 1,172 points at NCAT. She graduated NCAT in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in sports science and received her master's of education from NCAT in 2015.

After playing at NCAT, she served as a graduate assistant from 2012-14, the director of basketball operations from 2014-16 and currently serves as the assistant women's basketball coach.

JOYCE SHANNON

Shannon, a graduate of New Castle, played on the hardwood at the University of Pittsburgh before Title IX came into effect. Although they were the winningest team at Pitt, there were no accolades, no articles and no university funded uniforms.

Shannon played as a guard for Pitt. After her freshman year, women's basketball started using men's rules and she suffered a broken ankle which ended her basketball career.

After graduating Pitt with a degree in psychology, Shannon married her husband and now has two sons and five grandchildren. She coached girls softball, CYO co-ed volleyball and softball and volunteered as a junior high track and field coach at Union.

Shannon also helped with boys little league teams and helped videotaped her two sons junior high and JV football games. Currently, Shannon works as a paralegal.

DAVID YOUNG JR.

Young attended Union from 1995-96 and graduated from New Castle in 1999. Young is ranked third in all-time leading Lawrence County scorers in basketball with 2,232 points.

Young was an all-state player 1997-99, and was a first-team selection as a junior and senior. Young was named Pennsylvania Mr. Basketball in 1999 by USA Today. Young helped his team win three straight WPIAL Class 4A titles while at New Castle.

Young attended Xavier University from 2000-03 and then North Carolina Central in 2003-04. He started all 30 games in his second season at Xavier and averaged 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

After transferring to North Carolina Central, Young averaged 20.5 points a game. Young was named to the all-conference team while at NCC and was named the Black College All-Star Classic MVP.

In 2004, Young was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in the second round of the NBA Draft. Young played in the NBA D-League and finished as the second-leading scorer in the league.

Young also played professionally overseas in Italy, France, Greece and the Philippines from 2005-12.

HALL OF HONOR ANTHONY "DOONEY"

PIETRCOLLO

Pietrcollo is a graduate of Ellwood City and remained close to the school even after graduation. Pietrcollo served as the Wolverine's offensive coordinator in football.

Pietrcollo's also coached football for Geneva College, Seneca Valley High School and North Allegheny High School. He coached North Allegheny when it won the 1990 state championship.

Pietrcollo was Ellwood City's little league baseball coach from 1972-75 and Ellwood City's junior and senior High basketball coach from 1982-90. He coached the basketball team to be WPIAL semifinalists in 1986 and PIAA semifinalists in '87.

Other sports contributions by Pietrcollo were being Ellwood City's amateur baseball officer from 1975-85, a NCAA women's basketball official, an NFL Substance Abuse Tester from 2017-20 and athletic director at Ellwood City from 1993-96 and again in 2007-16.

Pietrcollo was an English teacher and assistant principal at Ellwood City. He also taught English at North Allegheny and was an assistant principal at Pine-Richland elementary.

Pietrcollo passed away in April 2020 due to cancer, but his contributions to sports and the community are still felt to this day.

ELLIS HOFFMAN

TEAM AWARD 1995-96 Shenango Boys Basketball Team

The 1995-96 Shenango boys basketball team went 27-2 and is the only team in the program's history to become WPIAL champions.

Every game Shenango won was by an average of nearly 20 points. Bill McNees' was at the helm of the championship team.

McNees also led the team to wins in the Neshannock Early Bird Tournament and the Wilmington Holiday Tournament. Shenango tied Farrell for the Section 2A title and finished its season ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania.

Shenango won the WPIAL championship after defeating Shady Side Academy at Duquesne's A.J Palumbo Center, 57-49. The Wildcats reached the western semifinals of the PIAA championship tournament before losing to Farrell, 46-43.

Shenango's Shane Lanigan, Ryan Delaney and James Graham were named to the All-Section First Team. Lanigan also received all-state honors.