For a sporting event to last 40 years, it takes a lot of teamwork.

In the case of the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic, it takes players, coaches,  trainers, officials, sponsors, volunteers and a whole bunch of people behind the scenes to keep  things going strong year after year.

Each year on the night before the game is played, the people behind the classic recognize those who have made this game a staple on the Lehigh Valley sports calendar for four decades. They do it by inducting them into the McDonald’s/Lehigh Valley All-Star Classic Hall of Fame.

Wednesday night at the Northampton Community Center, five more people will be honored — an outstanding quarterback, three coaches and an office secretary who makes sure things go off without a hitch.

Here’s a closer look at the inductees:

IAN “ROCKY” BUTLER

The 1997 Dieruff High grad is the distinguished alumnus award winner, being saluted for a career that sparkled on the scholastic, collegiate and professional levels.

Butler set passing and rushing records at Dieruff, where he was a first-team all-league and all-area player.

At Hofstra University, he was a two-time I-AA All-American, an ECAC first-team choice and had a 174 quarterback efficiency rating as a senior. He was a runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, I-AA’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

Butler graduated from Hofstra in 2002 with a bachelor of arts in graphic design and later received a graduate degree in physical educaiton.

In 2002, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. In his first start, he completed nine of 16 passes for 165 yards and rushed for three touchdowns to help the Roughriders post an upset win.

During the 2006 off-season, he signed with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League and also was on the CFL rosters of the Hamilton Tiger Cats and Toronto Argonauts.

He is currently teaching phys ed and is CEO of PST Training on Long Island.

RICHARD SNELL

A 1965 graduate of Tri-Valley High in Schuylkill County, Snell was a four-sport athlete, competing in football, baseball, track and wrestling. In football, he was a first-team all-league choice as a tackle and played in the Schuylkill County All-Star Football Classic.

He went on to play football at Lebanon Valley College, starting in three of his four seasons. He was an all-MAC center as a senior.

Snell then embarked on a 34-year career as a teacher at Northern Lehigh. He was a head coach at Northern Lehigh and later at Northampton. When his coaching career was finished, he became an official and has been wearing the stripes for 16 years.

He has worked the McDonald’s game several times as a volunteer official.

MIKE JONES

A 1968 Easton grad, Jones was a two-year starter and co-captain for the Red Rovers, including the undefeated team coached by Bob Rute in 1968.

He went on to Kutztown University, where he was a three-year starter as a tight end and fullback.

Jones then became a teacher, spending 31 years in the Easton and Pen Argyl school districts. He was named Educator of the Year in 2002-2003 while working in Pen Argyl.

In 1974, he was hired as an assistant freshman coach at Lafayette College. In 1976, he took over as head coach at Pen Argyl and was the coach of the year in 1979, when he led the Green Knights to a 9-0-2 mark.

He was an assistant track and field coach for nine years and coached in the LARC/McDonald’s five times, serving as head coach in 1980. His daughter, Molly, will be a cheerleader in Thursday night’s event.

JOE ORTELLI

A 1962 graduate of Notre Dame-Green Pond, Ortelli was a four-year starter at quarterback and defensive back. He went on to Kutztown University and was again a four-year starter at both QB and DB.

After graduation, he began a teaching and coaching career that spans decades. In fact, Ortelli is still head coach at Northampton High School in Eastville, Va.

His head coaching career in the Lehigh Valley includes stints at Pius X, Pocono Mountain and Emmaus.

While at Pocono Mountain, he was Monroe County’s coach of the year, and at Emmaus, he led the Green Hornets to a tri-championship with Whitehall and Dieruff in 1981.

He has also been assistant coach at Easton, Allen and Freedom.

At Eastville, has two won two district titles, and his career record stands at 114-86-6.

KRISTIN VITOVITCH

Behind the scenes at the RCN-TV production studio, Vitovitch spends many hours handling secretarial duties for the Hall of Fame banquet each year.

She is a 2000 graduate of Northampton High and earned an associate degree in business administration from Northampton Community College.

She has been on the classic’s board of directors for 10 years and serves as an unsung heroine for those on the committee and at RCN, which annually televises the game.

keith.groller@mcall.com

Courtesy of Easternpafootball.com Senior Writer Joshua Funk:

HERSHEY, Pa. – For three quarters of Saturday’s Big-33 game, the only hot stuff was coming courtesy of the air temperature.

In the final stanza, both the Pennsylvania and Ohio all-stars caught fire, trading big play after big play after big, momentum-swinging play. But it was the Buckeye State stars that emerged the victors.

Ohio used an 11-point fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown with 1:04 left in the game, to rally to defeat Pennsylvania 18-15 in the 53^rd Big-33 Football Classic from a hot and humid Hersheypark Stadium.

The winning touchdown came courtesy of quarterback Mark Myers (Cleveland St. Ingatius), who hooked up with Christian Bryant (Cleveland Glenville) from 17 yards out on a lightning-quick 2-play, 75-yard drive with 64 seconds left on the clock. Last year, Ohio won in the final seconds, 38-31, on a short fullback trap run.

Myers (8-of-16, 127 yards, TD, 2 INT) was 2-of-2 for 70 yards on the drive.Pennsylvania was flagged for encroachment before Myers hit the winning scoring pass.

“Hopefully, in the future, Ohio gets it started earlier (in the game),” Myers said.“Players for both teams stepped it up in the fourth quarter. The second half was very exciting.

“But the first half,” Myers said, “was kind of boring.”

“Kind of boring” may have been a pretty severe understatement. Neither Ohio or Pennsylvania could get anything going in the first half. Passes sailed over their intended targets. Run after run after run, save for an Anthony Gonzalez (Bethlehem Liberty) 21-yard run in the first quarter, was stuffed.

By the time halftime rolled around, Pennsylvania held a 2-0 lead courtesy of a punt kicked out of the back of the end zone by Ohio’s Carey Spear (Mayfield) in the first quarter.

The first half stats weren’t pretty, and were indicative of strong defensive units. Both teams combined for only 11 completed passes in 40 attempts and threw three interceptions. In 22 combined carries, the ground games yielded a measly three yards.

Pennsylvania and Ohio both missed some big plays in the first half. Salath Williams (Bishop McDevitt) dropped a sure first down on a long pass in the first half. Ohio’s Myers was picked off in the first quarter in the red zone by Colby Way (State College Area), thwarting a Buckeye State scoring threat.

But for the horribly slow start, things suddenly woke up late in the third quarter and for the duration of the game.

Tyler Smith (Wilson Area), who started the game 3-of-13 for 33 yards, led Pennsylvania on an impressive scoring drive, hooking up with Alex Kenney (State College Area) on a 48-yard pass to extend PA’s lead to 9-0.

Two plays before the big pass, a horrible snap rolled past Smith and Pennsylvania lost 22 yards on the play. Smith’s touchdown pass came on a 3^rd-and-25 situation, capped a drive in which he went 5-of-5 for 96 yards.

Ohio broke the shutout almost immediately. Verlon Reed (Marion Franklin) took a designed quarterback keeper 74 yards untouched, and Ohio was on the board, down 9-7, only 20 seconds after Pennsylvania’s touchdown.

Reed, who was named Ohio’s MVP, finished with 60 rushing yards and 55 passing yards on a 7-of-11 night.

“That (touchdown run) was my teammates helping me out,” Reed said. “I tried not to think about (being wide open on the scoring run), because then you start thinking and you can make a mistake or do something out of character. I just wanted to finish the run.”

Reed also played a key role in Ohio’s drive to its initial lead of the game.  He completed passes of 7 and 19 yards and Prince-Tyson Gulley (Akron Garfield) broke off a 17-yard run before Pennsylvania muffed a punt at its own 13-yard line to help set up Spear’s go-ahead 33-yard field goal with 3:41 left in the game.

Ohio led at that juncture, 10-9, but Pennsylvania had a rally left in it.

Drew Carswell (Sto-Rox) hadn’t made a catch all game, but his first reception was a big one. With 1:30 left in the game, Gonzalez hit a wide open Carswell for a 65-yard touchdown to give Pennsylvania a 15-10 lead.

“It was a great game,” said Pennsylvania head coach Dick Beck (North Penn). “The kids competed the whole game. I wish we could have gotten started in the first half like we did in the fourth quarter.”

Ohio’s winning drive followed Pennsylvania’s big touchdown.

Smith (10-of-28, 167 yards, TD) hit a 34-yard pass to Jarrod West (Bethlehem Liberty) to midfield with under a minute left, but four consecutive incomplete passes ended the blue and gold’s hopes of a victory.

Ohio head coach Tom Pavlansky (Lakeview) couldn’t say enough positive things about his squad.

“I can’t say enough about my staff,” Pavlansky said. “I can’t say enough about the kids and their attitude (this week).”

Beck was apologetic about Pennsylvania’s loss.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t come out on the winning end,” Beck said. “But our kids didn’t quit, and I’m very proud of them.”

Video Highlights

The South wouldn’t look back from there, as the South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars, 44-15, in the  Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association All-Star Football Classic at Schuylkill Haven’s Rotary  Field.

South Head coach Mike Farr (Schuylkill Haven) employed the Wing-T offense using his own running back Evan Fink (120 yards, 18 carries) along with Blue Mountain’s Frank Gaffney (6 carries, 59 yards) to lead the team. Gaffney earned the Most Outstanding Player award with 2 touchdowns and nearly scoring another one on an interception return.

Gaffney scored his 2nd touchdown of the game on a 2 yard TD run, then Williams Valley’s Brent Wolfe continued the South scoring with a 50 yard fumble recovery for a TD, with 3:30 left in the first half. South lead 28-0.

The North’s Most Outstanding Player, Zach Hogan (North Schuylkill), got the North on the board with a 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, that trimmed the South lead to 28-7.

After Pine Grove’s Zach Blouch 24-yard field goal, Blouch’s former teammate Carl Hoover recovered a fumble in the endzone for a 38-7 lead. Schuylkill Haven’s Jon Nettles help set up the touchdown punting the ball to the North 3 yard line.

North’s other touchdown came via an 80-yard touchdown reception by Marian Catholic’s Joe Kloap from North Schuylkill’s Tom Ferrari. A two point conversion made the score 38-15 but thats closest the North would get.

Tri-Valley’s quarterback Matt McGinley closed the scoring on the game with a 1 yard TD run. McGinley went 5-7, for 47 yards.

The South finished the game with 291 yards rushing on 45 carries.

email: dean@pasportspage.com
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Information needed:
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Your name will need to be on the list to receive credentials. If you have a photographer, please send his/her name as well. You will receive your media credential on the day of the game. You will also need to give the credential back to me at the end of the game. Thank you !

2010 Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inaugural Class

This year’s inaugural class of the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame will be  inducted at halftime of the annual SCFCA North-South All-Star Game, Saturday, June 12, 7 p.m., Rotary Field, Schuylkill Haven. Information was supplied by individual schools, except for following: North Schuylkill, Oravitz family; Nativity and Pottsville, Schuylkill County Sports Hall of Fame.

Chuck Kutz, Blue Mountain

10 seasons, 81-45

1998-2007

Highlights: First undefeated regular season in school history and district playoff appearance. Teams made 7 playoff appearances, 4 District 11 AAA titles and 2 undefeated regular seasons.

Angelo “Angie” Konstas, Jim Thorpe

10 seasons, 46-33-4

1961-1970

Highlights: 1966 8-0 and 1967 7-1 teams were Panther Valley/Carbon County Area Champions.

Bill Fazio, Mahanoy Area

16 seasons, 87-83

1978-1993

Highlights: Eastern Conference Division 4 Champions 1980, Eastern Conference Division C-1 Champions 1983, 1986, 1987 Eastern Conference Southern Division Champions 1990 Eastern Conference Overall Class C Champions 1986, 1987

Hugh “Wink” Gallagher, Marian

10 seasons, 30-56-6

1955-1964

Highlights: Considered the “Father” of Marian football. Gave the school its nickname as COLTS is his acronym for Coaldale, Others, Lansford, Tamaqua and Summit Hill, reflecting school’s enrollment area. Coached school’s first victory and had its first winning season of 5-4-1 in 1956.

Jack Lewis, Minersville

8 seasons, 56-16-2

1946-1952

Highlights: 1946: 7-3 1947: 8-2-1 1948: 7-3 1949: 11-0 Eastern Conference Champions 1950: 7-4 1951: 6-3-1 1952: 10-1 1946: 7-3 1947: 8-2-1 1948: 7-3 1949: 11-0 Eastern Conference Champions 1950: 7-4 1951: 6-3-1 1952: 10-1

George Pavalko, Nativity

12 seasons,

1955-1967

Highlights: Coached the final two teams at Pottsville Catholic in 1953 and ’54 before beginning the program at Nativity.

Bob Oravitz, North Schuylkill

9 seasons, 51-44-3

1967-1975

Highlights: Six winning seasons at North Schuylkill, winning the Schuylkill County Championship with a 9-2 record in 1974. Was 16-2-1 at Mount Carmel Catholic, winning two Anthracite Catholic Championships and 20-7-2 at Lourdes, winning one Anthracite Catholic Championship with an overall 87-53-6 in 14 seasons.

Trevor Lawrence, Panther Valley

6 seasons, 33-31-1

1976-1981
Highlights: Was 31-11-1 in first 4 years, including school’s first victory ever over Mount Carmel.

Don Hafer, Pine Grove

14 seasons, 70-73-3

1969-1982

Highlights: 1972 504-1, 1973 8-2, 1974 7-2 1976 9-2 1977 6-4-1 1980 8-3

William “Bill” Flynn, Pottsville

22 seasons, 163-70-6

1958-62, 1967-83

Highlights: Won Eastern Conference championship in 1978 as Southern Division champion. Won Southern Division titles and was EC runner-up in 1971, 1976 and 1980, which was Pottsville’s first perfect regular season. In 1982, team qualified for the EC playoffs as the wildcard out of the Southern Division. Two years after his retirement, he coached two years at St. Clair.

Fred Porrino, Schuylkill Haven

11 seasons, 86-35-2

Highlights: 1976 11-1  EC Class B Runner-up 1978 13-0  EC Class B Champs 1979  11-2  EC Class B Champs 1981 12-1  EC Class B Runner-up 1978 Undefeated season for second time in school history. Second EC championship in school history, first was 1953

Jack Babinchak, Shenandoah Valley

10 seasons, 51-53-3 (51-60-3)

1977-1986

Highlights: Final four years was 33-15 and two Eastern Conference Class C final appearances. His tenure of 10 years is the longest of any Shenandoah Valley football coach. 1983 7-4 1984 10-3 1985  6-5 1986 10-3

Richard “Dick” Jones, Tamaqua

13 seasons, 68-56-5

1955-1967

Highlights: Longest tenure in school history, 10-0-1 1962 Eastern Conference championship team was second undefeated team in school history and first since 1927. Had 16-game winning streak, coached two Schuylkill County Dream Games.

Mike Ulicny, Tri-Valley

16 seasons, 117-65-2

1989-2004

Highlights: 1990 Twin Valley co-champions, Eastern Conference champions 1991 District 11 champions 1992 Eastern Conference semi-finals 1995 Eastern Conference runner-up 1996  Twin Valley champions, District 11 semi-finals 1997 Twin Valley champions, District 11 semi-final 1998 District 11 semi-finals 1999 District 11 champions, PIAA Eastern final, 2000 District 11 champions, PIAA Eastern semi-finals 2001 Eastern Conference runner-up 2002 Eastern Conference semi-final

Gerald “Gerry” Stauffenberg, Williams Valley

15 seasons in three stints at Williams Valley; 3 seasons at Porter Tower High, 99 total victories

1962 Porter Tower High School – Class A Division Champions of the Twin Valley Conference 1987   Coached the first undefeated football team Twin Valley Conference Class C-II Champions Twin Valley Champions 1990 First District 11 Championship, Twin Valley Co-Champions

“You just think about all the past guys, all the hard work, the tradition,” Brown said to his players. “That’s  what makes this exciting. This is what makes you exciting.”

Tim Moncman resigned earlier this year, with an 88-36 record at Liberty.

Brown was head coach of Notre Dame-Green Pond from 2004-2007, posting a 10-20 record. He was also a defensive coordinator at Parkland.

Moncman had a career record of 88-34 over 10 seasons at Liberty, with 2008 being the highlight of them all, going 15-1 and winning the PIAA Class 4A State Championship over Bethel Park, 28-21 in overtime. Liberty also reached the State Championships in 2005 and 2006 but losing in both.

From 2004-2008, Liberty went 62-9 as it established itself as one of the top programs in the state.

In 2009, Liberty earned a District 11 Playoff berth but loss to East Stroudsburg South in the quarterfinals.

Below are the schedules we need for the 2010 season:

Bangor
Bethlehem Catholic
Bethlehem Freedom
Marian Catholic
Nazareth
Palmerton
Stroudsburg
Tamaqua
Whitehall
William Allen
Williams Valley

Assistant coach Phil Stambaugh has been named head coach at Pius X. He replaces Rob Goffredo who resigned last month.

Stambaugh was a quarterback at Pius X and Lehigh University. He served as the teams offensive coordinator.

Last season under Goffredo the Royals finished 9-3 before losing in the District 11 Class A championship game.