to the sky like a dragon lord
I've already got a bow and go the door
no don't
Vesna stopping me
dude
without further ado we're going to
introduce our honorees tonight beginning
first with the outstanding contributor
to sports mr. ray young from Bern coat
high school Jeff Bailey from Bern coat
High School angel Cirillo from Bern coat
high school Michelle Daly
from fern coat high school Trina Granada
JimBob from dougherty high school john
Kenko from burn coat high school Chris
Griffin
from geordie high school Steve Hathaway
for more statistical high school shame
caddy the moisture VOC Paul King senior
from Doherty high school grade Murphy
from North High School
Alfonso Paul celli now we'll have the
color guard the Air Force ROTC color
guard from burn coat present the colors
and our national anthem will be sung by
Brenna west a junior from Doherty please
rise oh say can you see by the dawn's
early light what so proudly we hailed at
the twilight's last gleaming whose broad
stripes and bright stars through the
perilous fight or the ramparts we
watched were so gallantly streaming
they proof through the night that our
flag was still there oh say does that
star-spangled banner
Thank You Brenna now I'd like to call
Andy Lacombe for the blessing and then
we'll begin our meal the Reverend
good evening good evening everyone I'm
not sure how for the fourth year in a
row I'm brought in to bring the blessing
to you tonight normally there's a bunch
of priests in the back of the room they
must be undercover tonight so I feel a
little bit better so we're bad tonight
with our blessing and we we thank you
God for this occasion this night this
facility this venue we thank you for the
opportunity to honor the inductees
tonight in the Worcester public schools
Athletic Hall of Fame we look at the
talents of this class and the blessings
that you've bestowed on this class and
we ask that you continue to bestow the
blessings on tonight's inductees and
their families many of these inductees
continue to serve long after their
playing days serve our communities our
kids our student-athletes and we thank
you for their services and their efforts
throughout their lives after their
playing days or coaching days were over
we ask you also to watch over our
current student-athletes in the
Worcester Public Schools we ask that you
show them what's possible in an event
like tonight show them what's possible
through hard work and dedication and
what they can accomplish both on and off
the classroom through hard work and we
asked you to show them that through our
inductees here this evening we thank you
for the food that we're about to eat and
the good people that have prepared it
for us and in all these things we pray
to you God amen
Thank You Andy we'll begin with a meal
who really is doing the job of 10 people
if you look at how many schools he has -
he's in charge of it's really he's doing
the work of 10 athletic directors and
does it very effortlessly but does it
with a passion he has a passion for all
of the schools and all of the kids in
the inner high and one of the things
that's so great about Dave Shay is that
he he wants every team and every coach
to win every single game but he wants
them to have all whether it's facilities
whether it's uniforms he wants every
single team whether it's JV whether it's
varsity whether it's volleyball whether
it's football on a Friday night in front
of a packed house he wants all of those
coaches and students student athletes to
feel special and wants them all to be
proud of the jerseys they're wearing he
does such a great job for the Worcester
Public Schools the athletic director
Dave Shay
no relation obviously I think I should
set off to have the checks in the mill
thanks I appreciate the kind words good
evening everyone and welcome to the 11th
annual was the Hall of Fame induction
ceremony what a great honor it is to be
surrounded by so many outstanding
athletes coaches and individuals who
have made an incredible impact on their
high school and what's the public
schools in general these inductees have
shown over the years that their passion
after desire and dedication to the sport
are unlike most and they have separated
themselves in elite class of Hall of
Fame members they have proven to be
leaders role models of high character
and great citizens both on and off the
field of play I do have to take a second
before I continue to recognize some
three very outstanding people that I
have been blessed to follow in their
footsteps
we have the athletic directors here from
the most of public schools one of which
is getting inducted tonight one of which
was inducted last year and the other one
was inducted as an outstanding
contributor those three people mr. Paul
King miss Colleen O'Brien and Jimmy O
Donny who are here tonight and I can
tell you this right now that I'm not
naive to think that it all started back
in 2011 with a six-foot-seven
knucklehead
it started a long time ago with with
great people like Jimmy Colleen and mr.
King here and I just would like everyone
in the room to recognize that because of
their outstanding job I would like to
personally thank Shannon Bartley the
Hall of Fame Committee members and the
Worcester Educational Development
Foundation for making this night
possible without the hard work countless
hours of service and commitment to
excellence this night would not be
possible it is because of them that we
are able to share in such a wonderful
evening
they have dedicated themselves to making
sure this evening gets better and better
each year and their goal is to make this
night special for all that attend any
inductee s I also have to say that we
have two people in here and I'm not sure
if people understand that our office in
athletics oversees seven high schools
and we also oversee five middle schools
and we do it with an athletic director
who again I won't take the the glory but
there are two people in the room that I
will recognize a former administrative
assistant Priscilla Platts in our
current administrative assistant Wendy
Richmond I'm going to ask them both to
stand up because they're here please
stand up
I want to personally thank you yes when
you have the microphone you can
embarrass people it's fantastic I often
hear from officials other athletic
directors other administrative
assistants who say I don't know how they
do it I don't know why they do it and I
can tell you this that when I first came
on Priscilla was such a wonderful
blessing because she actually was
teaching me some of the ropes and then
when she left I went into a deep
depression for a little while because I
wasn't sure we could replace her and I
don't like to use the word replace I
would like to think that we added to our
athletic family and when when he came on
Priscilla guided her and Wendy has done
a phenomenal job as well so - you - you
are amazing people and I thank you so
much
one other thing that I'd like to mention
in regard to our athletes and coaches
that are going in tonight if I I'm just
going to play a little math with you for
a second if I said to you that I have 18
student athletes and I want you to pick
the 10 best or 11 best to go into the
Hall of Fame you'd probably be able to
do it in a pretty quick manner if I said
to I have a hundred and eighty athletes
and I want you to pick the top ten
eleven
might take you a little bit but I'm sure
you'd be able to do it if I said to you
I want you to pick out of eighteen
hundred now currently in a list of
public schools we have roughly eighteen
hundred student athletes that are
playing for us okay so 1800 now you're
going to go back to when the Athletics
started and what's the public schools
and tonight out of all those and that's
a phenomenal number we're taking 11 and
one outstanding contributor as well to
go in so when we look back at that and
you seated around these wonderful people
these great athletes these great coaches
kind of puts it in perspective of how
many athletes have gone through the
worst of public schools and yet we're
here tonight to honor these individuals
so in my opinion we are surrounded by
greatness tonight because of everything
that they were able to accomplish on and
off the field of play but more
importantly what they've contributed not
only to the list of public schools but
the community in general so for me as an
athletic director a former student
athlete a former coach I sit here in
amazement and I look at the players out
here I look at the coaches that are out
here some that I know some that I don't
know when I've met and I've heard their
stories and I'm just absolutely 100%
astounded at what we have assembled
tonight if you look around this room you
have to feel an unbelievable feeling if
you are involved with athletics so for
me personally I want to say thank you to
everyone in here coming out tonight it's
not the best of weather but recognizing
those 11 an outstanding contributor
because of what they have done for the
Worcester Public Schools I thank you so
much and I personally thank the
inductees
finally Kevin and again I'll reiterate
no relation Kevin started to talk about
a superintendent marine Benenden I got
to know Maureen when she was a principal
at Southside community school and now is
the superintendent she 100% backs
athletics for an athletic director
anywhere in this country when you ever
superintendent that back to you it is
such a wonderful feeling she was a
former coach herself she was involved
with cheerleading in field hockey when
she was a principal and I was dealing
with Maureen she would back us and make
sure that she wanted the best for her
athletes at South I and now she's taking
on a new role as a superintendent and
she wants the best for every athlete in
the Worcester Public Schools well
further ado let me introduce a
superintendent Marine banana
I wanted to be here today to ever speak
to all of you many of you I know from my
years in the West Public Schools as a
coach and teacher and administrator and
when I think of the athletes that have
known through the years and there are
some here actually the did play field
hockey for me I think of a special
relationship that really exists between
a coach and between players of a team
and I know many of you are here today
with people that are your family but
also people that they have played with
you are people that support you from the
community and you know day really
doesn't go by when I'm out in the
community when I don't run into somebody
that I knew to athletics and I think
there is a you know there's an academic
family and there's also an academic
athletic family and so I'm honored to
have been involved in athletics in the
list of public schools and honored to be
here tonight because not only you know
when you're when you're in a school your
teacher principal athletics adds to a
school that excitement in that feeling
that everybody belongs so for example
you know when a team goes to state
championship the whole school is excited
that the whole team went to state
championship and it carries a school it
established a climate that everybody
works together and that everybody is
important to success so tonight as I
look around I know many of you not only
have made a difference and you made that
climate in your school be positive but
now in your adult life you continue to
make those changes so I want to thank
you for the time you spent and with the
public schools and the positive
contributions you made and also for the
positive contributions you are still
making to our community so
congratulations
all right four well without further ado
we'll get started quickly though I got I
always get a little nervous when Kevin
dresses you know a superintendent or
something I once watched years ago until
a former city manager they should plow
under the airport and put up soccer
fields in football fields and he was
serious it was great so I get a little
nervous sometimes when Kevin Kevin gets
go on sometimes but it's an honor for us
to be here again and this is a great
class and group of inductees that were
about to bring into the Wooster public
schools Athletic Hall of Fame our first
honoree I have to admit I'm a little bit
a little bit nervous and I saw it I met
Jeff Bailey tonight for the first time
but when he was playing in high school
and it's got a little weird when Adrian
Machado got in a couple years ago so
Adrian I'm not going to make it weird
again but I was growing up in Auburn and
in elementary school and maybe the
beginning of middle school I had cousins
in how I still have cousins in
Springfield and they like to talk a lot
of smack my cousins in Springfield and
they were talking about a guy named
Travis best and central and Cathedral
and all these teams and I was a guy yeah
we have Jeff Bailey and I hadn't even
met Jeff Bailey I met him tonight it's
great on I'm a little nervous Jeff
because I'm a big fan I was a huge fan
of that burn Co team and I I used to
play dunk coupe my nerf and I'd be I'd
be the Bronco team with Coach D yelling
at me from the side so without further
ado Jeff Bailey was a multi-sport star
football basketball track and field of
course played on those great basketball
teams and was honored as an all-star in
multiple sports as a football player
through 16 touchdowns as a quarterback
and again just helped part of an
outstanding several teams at burn code
high school so let's
all give a big round of applause and
bring up our first inductee Jeff Bailey
congratulation thank you thank you
appreciate Jeff first we'll talk about
just playing three sports here come on
this thing doesn't travel well playing
three sports just how influential your
coaches were to you in high school and I
hope I don't forget them all but my
coach what my coach is extremely
extremely influential two coaches are in
the room tonight coach diamond topless
and I believe coach Google's around here
somewhere um but growing up as a young
kid I mean I had quite a bit of coaches
and it all starts you know at that young
age from my youth track football track
coached football coach basketball
coaches coach JP rich Rd and it filtered
all the way up through high school we
shared a little news a little bit early
I was talking to coach ty metropolis a
little bit ago and as far as he's
concerned you know as far as his
influence you know the biggest message
that sort of resonated with me was that
that first day he came into the gym and
I didn't realize this but auntie sherry
shed when coach Don Montopolis came to
us at burn Co and I'm extremely happy
that he did
38 years old Wow 38 years old and that
message that he shared with us in the
gym was you know what I don't care who
you are I don't care who your parents
are I don't care who your friends are
who your brothers are somewhere along
those lines the biggest message was that
everyone was going to do their part
everyone was going to work everyone was
going to be held accountable everyone
was going to be a team of family and if
you weren't about that he very very
candidly pointed to the door that
message stuck with me it stuck with my
teammates and I mean the rest is history
we all bonded together we all believed
in his system and as far as the
influence it was all about togetherness
so I mean I think our record spoke for
itself didn't lose very often it was a
great ride made it to the state
championship my my junior year and
unfortunately we lost but you know what
it was a great ride coach Duggal was
around it was it was the same type of
message
you know he was a hard-nosed guy you
know a very very rough exterior sorry
coach um but it but but it but inside a
sweet guy humble guy and would do
anything for you all my coaches cared
about what happened in the classroom
coach D coach Duggal that was the
biggest thing student-athlete so again
there was a lot of messages that
translated to just being a good person
and doing your part and being a being a
team member so I can't say enough about
my coaches and that junior year you talk
about going to the state championship
you beat Springfield central Travis best
was on that team what do you remember
about that game I just remember coach
telling me you know they have this
all-american his name is Travis best
which we knew you know he's in the paper
every other day 81 points in a game Wow
you know but hey kid guess what Jeff
your garden um never never never
flinched I was all about it and you know
I can't say that it was all about me I
think I in fact I know I had the
greatest rim protector ever you know it
was easy for me to get up on this guy in
in defend because I knew if he scooted
by me there was big Adrian sitting at
the rim waiting for him so it wasn't all
about me you know I got the accolades I
got all the attention but you know what
there are other guys who helped out as
well but a game was fantastic you know
we got a few bus bus windows broken our
family you know fan buses and things
because we were never supposed to win no
one gave us a shot but again coach's
message was togetherness and and we
believed in it and and we got it done
and I know you had that from your family
as well that the tremendous support and
togetherness yeah you know I can stand
up here and talk about myself and you
know all the wonderful things that
happened on the field and you know on
the track and in the high jump it and on
the basketball court but where it all
starts with is with the family you know
just the support the rides the love the
encouragement all that stuff so to me
the the accolades are great but it's all
about family alright Jeff thanks so much
congratulations Jeff Bailey
our next honoree also comes from burnt
Cote high school Angels Cirillo junior
and I wanted to get he's one of the guys
here tonight that I actually covered at
channel 3 in football and basketball and
track but angel was on a football team
with coach Moriarty and he probably got
a speech that said something like yellow
pass receiver at Central Mass show it
tonight something like that because
coach Moriarty would give great speeches
and you know Angela would always you
always got a sense it was an exciting
brand of football that burn Co played in
those days with Steve scandal throwing
balls up to Angel Cirillo and you just
felt like any time as you're you're
sitting there you go into a game and as
a camera person I'm getting their
highlights for the Friday night show I
know that I'm probably going to be able
to get out in the first quarter because
burn coats going to put up some points
and you know angels probably going to be
all over the highlight reel and he was
and so it's a great honor to see him
inducted into the Wooster public schools
Athletic Hall of Fame tonight he still
holds a record for a performance in a
Super Bowl of 232 yards receiving in a
single game so also in this britainís
in the in the notes you'll see that as a
basketball player at 26 points against
Doherty but I don't want to get too into
the Doherty Berko thing because Steve
Hathaway has already fired up and he's
coming up later so let's give a big
round of applause for our next inductee
angel Cirillo jr.
all right angel first up we'll talk
about the same thing that the impact
that your coaches had on you how
important they were to you yeah it was a
real huge impact home that table over
there I was just telling them earlier
you know um they meant so much to me and
just to see them here on a night like
this you know years after and to see
those faces and you know like coach
Mariotti he was he was really huge and
um you know giving me that encouragement
and just leading me in the right
direction and you know for success on
the field along with them
Steve scandals father mr. scandal he
recorded every every game until this day
I have DVDs you know I look back and I
watch them and I'm so I'm so grateful
for that you know that somebody actually
took their time and videotaped all those
games and you kind of treated me like
his son on film too which was awesome
you know it's you know big family and
Mike Logan Logan raisi and like he was
such a such a big impact in my life he's
my stepfather you know I played for him
I played for these people my mother and
father never went to a game but um you
know these guys didn't know that I put
my heart on the field and you know I let
everything out and it was so my team and
for these people that you see here and
you know I'm so grateful that they here
today and it means a lot to me that's
outstanding and now that Super Bowl team
- we talked about that Super Bowl
victory and you still have a Super Bowl
record but what do you remember about
that team because it was such a
phenomenal run that year yeah I remember
everything till this day um we went 12
and oh and there was so many parts just
like um mr. Bailey had said you know it
wasn't about me and that's that's
something I told to my my team um when
we had our
reunion was that it was about them it
wasn't me
you know there was so many moving parts
and you know on that team and they were
a big big part of my success and you
know that's why I'm here today I mean I
I'm lost for words how great and II
touched on it but how great were coach
Moriarty speeches and tell about the
when we would be in there with the
camera to record the pregame speech
oftentimes there would be one for the
camera then when we would leave coach
Moriarty would do another one there was
a couple notches up on the on the rating
scale oh yeah he would switch it up he'd
got he'd get fired up like like no one
else you know like he was out on the
field but yeah he would kind of give a
nice one when you guys here there you
know in front of the camera he knew it
was going on channel 3 but as soon as
you guys left that door we got the real
deal hahaha
and you know it fired us up and mr.
Duggal to bryan doogal he used to fire
me up on the silent used to be a
one-on-one fire up you know he was my it
was my defensive coach and you know he's
such a big big part of my success you
know during that time he he really
motivated me and he taught me a lot of
things along with coach mo awesome
thanks so much
angel Cirillo congratulations
our next inductee comes from burn co at
high school and she was a 3.3 sports
star at burn coat earned 12 varsity
letters went on to become an
all-american in college play two sports
and one of the one of the best athletes
of her time for sure I'm sure Meg will
probably say she was one of them as well
we all know meg Meg you were good too
our next honoree is Michelle Daly from
Bern co-ed high school let's bring her
up coming I would just like to say that
I this is all about Megan I learned I
learned everything by watching you she
just paid you well first you talk about
the coaches and and same thing you
played three different sports just the
coaches in how influential they were on
your life I mean I had so many coaches
like playing through sports in high
school so it's pretty fantastic and I
think that they did pretty much shaped
the person that I am today
I can't say enough about them they
taught me some all about hard work and
dedication leaves nothing to success so
it was pretty fantastic and now we're
going to get into a little bit of the
burn code Doherty rivalry because we
were hearing about that too with with
Megan telling us about decorating the
opposing school there was some signs and
just to give people a sense of how big
it was when you played or how big those
games were how much they meant the
rivalry was pretty pretty intense there
was nothing better than the burn coat
Doherty rivalry and I think the best
part about it was the rest
we had for each other because we know we
both teams knew how incredibly awesome
we both were and we were just there was
nothing better than that and so just
being able to play against each other
the way that we did we had that respect
that you were just as amazing as we were
so it couldn't get better
I don't believe Meg used the word
respect I've introduced a couple of
four-letter words but that's okay
and then playing three sports what what
was that like how much of a challenge
was it because it's so rare in today's
day and age that you see kids playing
three sports now kids you know
specialize when they're in third grade
or second grade because they made a
little league all-star team but you
played three sports and just went from
season to season to season what was it
like what kind of a challenge was it I
think I mean it was a big time
constraint but also like the time Andrew
was the best part of it because you
didn't have time to like not do anything
and get lazy and do all this other stuff
so you are always in season and you're
always okay I have to be on I don't have
any other thing to do but what I'm into
right now and you didn't have time to
you the biggest thing is you couldn't be
absent from school because if you were
asking from school then you can practice
you can practice you can play so you had
to be on 110% and I think that was the
best part because time management is
what it was all about yeah it was
fantastic I loved playing free sports
and I wouldn't pass it pass it up for
anything in America Zomba awesome thanks
so much Michelle congratulations
Michelle Daly it's all right over here
our next inductee is Trina Granada
Dombrowski from burn coat high school
class of 1984 a three sports star and
talking to her prior to tonight a
competitor and everything everything she
did from playing Little League baseball
in the Gehrig Little League against the
boys and having success all the way
through a member of the burn Co Hall of
Fame and a basketball inter-high champ
and a softball and soccer star as well
but captain of three teams and so when
you're a captain that says a little bit
about your character of what kind of a
player and student-athlete you are so a
tremendous accomplishment let's walk
over up Trina Grenada Dombrowski thank
you first Trina we'll talk we're going
to get into the high school stuff too
but as Andy alluded to you played Little
League baseball and we'll get into
because there's one unique part of it
you played on a team with your husband
you met your husband playing Little
League baseball I think that's a great
story and and your coach had a big
impact on you too so that's correct my
coaches here job he's uh he was my first
coach in Little League and he had a huge
impact on my life and helped me like
through sports and being prepared for
life and my husband Mark him and I
played little easy I believe in mine and
we actually played Babe Ruth so you know
a little competitive back then went to
school together and you know when I went
off to college one day went by my house
and we started talking and got back
together and the rest is history I guess
well yeah so Joe it yeah Joe I'm
thankful that Joe could be here tonight
for me you played for some great coaches
too in high school Owen Ryder Dennis
O'Connell talk about those coaches and
the impact they had and
and what it was like especially on Ryder
was a football coach he coached you in
in basketball I believe and you talked
about how blunt he was oh yeah mr. Ryder
so he was a football coach and he know
anything about coaching the girls it was
you know friend of you guys that know
mr. Ryder it was he was a football coach
it was his get the ball to Trina I get
the ball the Rosie because the girl in
the middle she couldn't stand up you
know you know that that's how mr. Ryder
was he was just like red-faced running
up and down the court like screaming
yelling and I'm sure some of the you
know older people in the room can really
attest to that and it was always fun but
truly competitive and we were a great
team as well and then Dennis O'Connell
was another one of your coach yeah he
coached us and he coached me in softball
and it was another great coach and just
from all the years of playing I mean the
friendships you built the respect for
your coaches and just later on in life
how it helped you leadership and you
know just perseverance you know and
being persistent going after anything
you want and then talk about the rivalry
the Doherty burned coat rivalry how big
it was how intense it was because you
lived it in three sports oh yeah
Bronco dirty rival he was always you
know whether it was just going to the
Friday night football games or us
beating them my junior year playing
basketball and a close game for an
entire championship it was always a
competitive thing and I think somebody
earlier mentioned you know the respect
for each other and the teams it was
definitely you know I don't know what it
is today but it was always competitive
back then and fun and it could always go
either way so thank you awesome Trina
thanks so much thank you Trina Granada
John Brodsky
our next inductee comes from dougherty
high school class of 2009 john janko's
story high 3 sports star from Daugherty
and a guy we covered again on the on the
frenzy the basketball show and
everything like that and I could always
count on John like Angel and Shane later
for a good highlight early on because he
could stick the three-point shot and he
wasn't shy about taking it let's get
bring up John janko's Doherty hi first
John will talk about something that that
one of your coaches Sean Mulcahy
was talking about with me that you kind
of started this this movement when you
were at Forest Grove you chose it to go
to Daugherty instead of going to one of
the Catholic schools and at that point
Daugherty had been losing a lot of kids
to the st. Peter Marian and st. John's
and when you stayed it brought the
football program you helped bring that
football program back up to prominence
and what that did and some of the guys
that then followed you from Forest Grove
to Doherty and how it really fueled the
resurgence of the football program in
the sports programs all of them
basketball was still very good anyway
but how much pride did you take in
playing for your neighborhood school and
helping bring that football program back
up a lot of it I mean I remember at
Midland Street school in the fourth
grade I was talking about when the state
title authority that was our goal my
best friend John Paul Marino my friend
Mike probably also played on the team
that's all we talked about
I remember going on a visit to st.
John's no offense to anyone that went to
st. John's and just saying hey this
wasn't for me I wanted to play my local
high school and if it I thought it meant
so much for the community if we were
good and then in my role in eighth grade
was to brainwash everybody else to also
he thought authority guys like Yellin
eddie cap stick whose coach cap stick
son and we had a great ride
it also doesn't happen without family
support you know my parents back there
helped recruit a lot of the kids with me
coach cap stick coach Battaglia my
godparents are also here tonight
throughout the family support we
wouldn't be able to recruit those kids
bring them on a you trips and all that
so we may have broken a few laws high
school wise with recruiting but that's
okay it's all enter hi people here
calling or hi right Jermaine it's all
enter hi people hear the word won't get
out you were talking about basketball
and you went on a visit to st. John's
you you played them in the districts at
Worcester Worcester tech the newest to
Tech High School you hit a shot to send
the game into overtime it was a huge
game the place was packed what do you
remember about that game I actually
coached Chavous in the back I remember
him jumping off in the stands and I hit
it
in the crowd and trying to calm all this
down because we go into the back into
the timeout coach Foley called timeout
we're all going berserk I member hold
him like we have four seconds of calm
down and some explicit spoke besides
that and that was a tremendous game I
mean st. John's had guys that played
Division one Rogers in the NFL and we
were just the local kids playing against
I mean they ended a won the state
championship that year I was a
tremendous game we got this close to
beating them we actually lost that one
and overtime and had a lead but that
shot did a lot for my career help me get
recruited and it did a lot for me
personally but without my teammates I
mean so Smallwood we were down nine with
bottom minute to go on the crowd was
leaving there was about 1200 people
leaving and he got a couple key baskets
that got us there and without him and a
couple files from other guys there's no
way I would even get the shot off so
again it's all about teammates you don't
have a great team without multiple guys
that can really play and you were
another three Sport athlete so many of
the people were honoring tonight with
three sport athletes but it's so rare in
today's day and age to see a kid excel
at three sports at varsity level what
was how difficult was it and also how
much fun was it going from sport to
sport to sport it was a blast I coach at
Doherty now I tell these guys it's a
different crew every sport you know you
got the football guys baseball guys and
that's what I was missing something
but I always tell them to play I had so
much fun and I have so many different
stories even though I was considered a
basketball guy I actually talk about a
lot of the baseball and football stories
when I wasn't even the best player or
one of the best players because there's
a bunch of fun and it was also a
challenge when you're not as good at
something it really promotes a challenge
and gets you to really step up and also
different minds and you can think about
a lot of different things baseball as a
thinking game you know basketball is a
thinking game annual - has to be
athletic so so many things to it and I
always try to stress to all the young
kids that coach there's nothing like
playing through sports and there's
nothing like playing all of them in high
schools that's awesome John thanks so
much John janko's John over this year's
outstanding contributor to sports and
athletics is Rayong and ray before you
come up here I want to say a few things
about you Ray spend 130 years in the
schools and Ray is synonymous to
Commerce Bank field at Foley Stadium for
me
much like Jimmy O'Donoghue and Meg and
the rest that are always there but but
ray always has a joke for me when I get
there which I can't repeat or can't
chant share and he really is he really
is the field and and the athletic
facilities for me and it's always great
to see you ray I'm so happy for you and
I know Kevin is going to ask you some
really hard eating questions here
tonight really get to the bottom of who
you are but Ray young the outstanding
contributor congratulations
first ray will talk and I know that you
know a lot of the folks you have talked
about family but you you know you
sacrificed a ton with all the hours that
you've worked I talked about Dave Shea
and and how it's you know seven schools
it's a job of ten people and you're
doing the same thing it's in now there's
turf there but for years it was it was
the grass and you'd be playing three
football games there on a Saturday one
on a Friday night then JV games there on
a Monday I mean it was it was trying to
get everything all the fields ready
baseball football for all of the schools
and it's it's a Herculean task and a lot
of times it's a seven day a week job and
I know for you it was it was twelve
hours 14 hours seven days a week and I
know your family sacrificed with you
because you had to work a ton just to
keep the facility going so all these
student athletes could have a first-rate
field I want to thank my family first of
all I meet a family right here and my
second family the second table over they
have the Foley Stadium we you and I have
talked about a lot of memories of Foley
Stadium and Commerce Bank field you got
two of them one involving the snow and
one involving the the recent the
torrential rains we had last fall but
tell us tell people that the kind of
year two favorite stories well one was
when Sean McKay was playing against a
Peters it was all six inches of ice on
the field and mr. King asked me can I
get the feel ready we painted a yellow
all the lines were yellow the next day
in the paper I read a guy got fired with
pigness field yellow boy from Selfridge
in fact and the second one was last year
big bubble came on the field doing some
okay he's game again
we cleared a field and mr. Shea said can
get the feel ready I said tomorrow I'm
we're playing the 930 we got it ready
game went on
Alex Tandy the man at Selfridge I
believe didn't paint the lines yellow he
just let some dogs out on the field and
that's right he got fired for that
you've worked with with seven athletic
directors a lot of them are here today
what's that been like and who's the best
of all the athletic directors mr. King
and the cutest and youngest mr. Shea ha
ha ha great thanks so much very much ray
young Congrats ray they got Jimmy Oh
Dahlia to retire after he got his award
just so you know I thought the school to
try and tell you even our next inductee
comes from byrne code high school the
class of 1994 Chris Griffin and Chris an
outstanding athlete as we know but a for
varsity letters in football and scored a
boatload of touchdowns
I mean 34 touchdowns on these notes here
and that's that's impressive four years
of high school football but 300 high
chair pionship
as a member of the burn field high
school team and one of the greats an
all-star in central Massachusetts one of
the truly great multi-sport players from
burn coke in the mid 90s let's bring up
Chris Griffin for his induction
like want to hold this necklace first
we'll talk about um because you talked
about with all the football accolades
that you have and I know coach Google
and for any week talked about how tough
of a football players you were that they
said they would use the toughest
football player they ever saw but the
interesting part of it is you Nitin you
never played football until you got to
high school with all the success you had
you learned the game in high school what
was it like how scary was it the first
time going out for football and putting
on the pads well if anyone doesn't know
coach Duggal I hope Trina described
coach Ryder well that's how coach Duggal
was as well and here you had a kid
coming in freshman year wanted to play
football I had no idea what I was doing
course to Google how he was looked he
goes lineman over there running backs
over here so I kind of stood in the
middle I looked around and goes well
were you going I said I don't know
because I look like a running back head
over there and in the rest was history
but but to go along with that it's not
until you get older and you have a
family and you have careers and you have
responsibilities I really wanted to to
thank everyone involved with the
Worcester Public Schools athletic
departments the coaches day in and day
out the hours they contribute to their
programs that I couldn't find time 40
minutes to mow my lawn today in these
people are dedicating hours every day
and I really I really want to thank you
and you mentioned coach Google you were
also coached by the Folies the trainer's
how what kind of an impact did they have
on you again it was kind of the same if
I got to be a good person we were family
other people have also mentioned if you
went to burn coat regardless of the
sport you know you were a family you
help each other out through wins or
losses in school out of school and
that's what they taught me
and then the Doherty burned coat rivalry
and and how big that was reverted from a
few people but just how big those games
were on how much they meant to each team
of course they meant a lot by the
previous inductees have stated it speed
relax okay okay and I don't know if
you'd call it a rivalry because I don't
remember losing when I was there where's
coach Mulcahy haha so I had to throw
that in there Chris thanks so much Chris
Griffin congratulations thank you play
over here Chris they got an awkward
place
I don't know how Chris Moriarty and
coach Mulcahy even talked to each other
I mean if you wanted some of the things
Mulcahy said about you and those locker
rooms oh my god our next inductee all
right we're going to we're going to get
it back now our next inductee from the
class of 1987 Dory Memorial High School
was Steve Hathaway Steve is an
outstanding athlete and a great teammate
and he loves dougherty high school and
all that keV take the rest
Steve Hathaway everybody first we'll
talk about you started as a freshman on
varsity and just how rare that is
especially in football and you started
as alignment as a freshman on the
varsity how difficult was that and and
how scary was because when you're a
freshman versus a senior that's a big
big difference I wasn't that bad I mean
I was 220 pounds and I had three
brothers at home
so what was I neighborhood that
neighborhood with the mckameys and the
Kings it was just a tough neighborhood
anyways so actually the hitting was
probably left on the field that it was
in the backyard when you guys were
playing neighborhood games I got a great
story that was related to me through
someone your brother played it south you
played a Daugherty so you played against
your brother and Thanksgiving Day Dory's
playing south on Thanksgiving Day your
brothers in the locker room in the south
coach your brothers kind of got his eyes
half-closed he's yawning and your
brothers in the south coach says to them
you know what are you doing you got to
get fired up here you're playing your
brother you're playing Doherty and he
says coach I've been up half the night
my brother Steve was up in the middle of
the night in our room in full pads
banging on his side pads
clapping with the helmet on ready to go
is that a true story and was that done
to psych your brother out it was my
first Thanksgiving to a game it's
already and it is true
that is our extended that tells you all
you need to know about the rivalry
family rivalry in a high rivalry that
sounds like it belongs in the 34:30 you
Miami you know things then you play your
brother in basketball and you start a
fight on the court with your brother but
tell us tell us how that one went down
because you told me before what he tried
to do and what you did he broke away in
the centrum against me no and my lopers
before he dumped it on me and Leonetti
but anyone would do that your brother
tried to dunk on him you cut his legs
out and started and started a brawl
I would standing and then just talk
about the rivalry and how big it was and
what it meant to you the Doherty burned
coat rivalry and the inner high rivalry
because I think that's what's so great
as I love hearing that from all the
inductees you know how big those games
were and how it was something that it
wasn't just another game on the schedule
it was something that was circled and
talked about for the whole season yes
so the rivalries huge here's the thing
about game tonight it's like family
because you know we only live five or
six miles apart so we see each other in
the summers here and there you know so
it's like a big family you know and
that's that that's all about the rivalry
but you see one thing is I never lost a
Bronco for you straight haha Steve
Hathaways congratulations
their back door in this place we can get
out of here
just in case all right our next honoree
comes to us from Worcester Technical
High School or Worcester Vogue back in
the day shank any class of 2009 played a
lot of football some baseball and again
caddy is a guy that when we could go to
a game we'd know that you know Coach
with Coach Sylvester it'd be on people
but Kenny would be he'd be he'd be
hitting baseballs and so he's an instant
highlight machine which makes him like
the rest of you guys one of my favorites
because it makes my job very easy so
Shane come on up and get inducted to the
list of public schools Athletic Hall of
Fame all right Shane first we'll talk
about because you have a unique
perspective playing three sports but
with hockey you know it's very that
that's kind of the extreme rarity is you
see someone play hockey and then play to
other sports normally if a talk it's
just hockey and that's it or you get
hockey in one of the sport but you
played three sports and hockey was one
of them how difficult was that and and
what was it like transitioning you know
right from the fall and jumping on the
ice was one of those things that um my
mom didn't want to play hockey me and my
brother because you know early-morning
practice is a little expensive but you
know my dad was like you know they're
defending hockey maybe we should push
the stuff into the you know low hockey
and I think it made me more like a
well-rounded athlete playing through
different sports I mean go from football
right to hockey no break no then you get
right to baseball and it was kind of a
transition to has made me a well-rounded
athlete and then talk about playing with
your brother - well how much fun was it
to be able to play a couple sports with
your brother yeah I played hockey and
baseball my brother and
growing up we were only two years apart
and you know it's a little competitive
he'd beat me at some things I'd be him a
couple things in here yet he wouldn't
like that very much
but playing especially with hockey I
mean he was always a better hockey
player than me and it's trying to I felt
like I was a better baseball player but
it was a lot of fun he was a he was our
catcher for three years and you know he
would call a lot of my games behind the
plate and it was it was just kind of
good especially we hit three four for
his senior year so it's good kind of bat
in front of them Benna from my big
brother so there's a lot of fun
yeah I've had some great memories and
then speaking of some of your memories
you played for Ron Silvestri played
football form you played you played
baseball form you played with a guy in
Timmy Collins who's played in the majors
talk about those memories of playing for
Coach Silvestri and playing with a guy
in Timmy Collins that that's pitching
the majors yeah the in Ron's vestry on
his stats and history kind of speaks for
itself
I know it's ancient history he's been
around for a while but he kind of you
know he kind of taught me a lot of
especially baseball as a young kid kind
of you know thinking I kind of knew
everything and kind of said all this you
know this old guy kind of kind of knows
what he's talking about a little bit so
what I started listening it was good but
I'm Timmy Collins um great memories
probably my sophomore year when you
threw the no-hitter against Auburn in
the districts and I even realized
there's no hitter till the last out and
everyone's like going nuts and I kind of
just McGavin me it was a district game
you know whatever but they kind of
figure I was a no-hitter Emily August
I'm a big deal that's pretty cool that's
awesome Shane thanks so much thank you
ain't caddy
Shayne thanks for bringing up the Auburn
game Auburn Class of 95 appreciate that
one was that that game it was amazing
also felt like I was covering for six or
eight years so it's you and your brother
kind of morphed into one I think to both
great athletes congratulations our next
inductee to me is a name that is
synonymous with Worcester Public Schools
and athletics and it's ball king senior
former coach and athletic director and
served as an athletic director in the
vocational school for the vocational
schools for almost 30 years and then was
the athletic director for the Worcester
Public Schools in the early 2000s right
when I write when I started here but
again mr. King would see him with
football fields all across central
Massachusetts and all was very active
and again a name I think is synonymous
with the public school athletics here in
Worcester so it's an honor to induct
Paul King senior and bring him up for
induction to the Worcester Public
Schools F what I call a Fame
we'll start with with your coaches as we
mentioned as a player a coach in an
athletic director coaching the 1979 boys
trade baseball team you want a district
championship what are what are the some
of the memories you have of that team in
that year well it was a group of players
as a matter of fact as a bunch of them
here tonight that involved we stuck
together and really they played well at
a successful season and we've been
together off and on for the last 35
years every year or every five years we
used to play to varsity and finally mr.
Silvestri was upset because we beat him
every time we played ha ha ha
then it got to the point where you know
it wasn't me but if they were getting
older so we couldn't couldn't do it
anymore but it's been a group there's
stuck together and even you know chose
tonight the business here yeah and
that's one of the great things that
we've seen tonight is what the the coach
is talking about family and how the
teams are family and you see that with
so many people coming back to honor
those honorees here tonight that that
family structure is you know the fabric
is woven on the athletic field and
through your high school years you as a
player in the inter high you coached in
the inter high you are the athletic
director in the inter high for so many
years how much pride do you take in
inner high athletics and I know you
still follow them today into high
athletics has always been run you know
on a level that's athletic athletics
come after academics and the kids are
well coached coaches excellent coaches
in the public schools and they get a
great education and also you know
participate in athletics and can go on
from there working for so many years at
Foley Stadium what when you when you see
it you see the upgrades that have been
in the last when the turf went in what
it was eight years ago or something now
nine years ago whatever it was in the
new track and the in the scoreboard and
stuff what's that like for you to come
and see that you know for years you saw
like when we were talking about with Ray
role in the field you know because you
had three games on a grass field in one
day well a grass field and then back in
the 60s we had two dustbowl as that
effect when I first started coaching is
an assistant coach at football at boys
trade we used to we played for two
seasons he at the high all played up at
Chandler junior high
will they get over the athletic field
yes that's great great memories thanks
so much Paul King senior thank you so
much congratulations Dave's got
something for our next inductee is from
Dougherty Memorial High School class of
1977 Raymond Murphy jr. and I a
multi-sport star in football basketball
and track but I heard a story earlier
tonight that he made the basketball team
in the hockey team in the same year
that's I mean I played that's why I
couldn't even skate that's why I played
basketball but that's amazing and you
had to make a decision so that is that
says a little bit about what kind of
athlete mr. Murphy is and so for
induction a list of public schools
Athletic Hall of Fame let's welcome up
Raymond Murphy jr.
first the first story we have is it is a
great story it was a superstition that
you had that didn't start out as a
superstition and that was walking to and
from district basketball games that you
guys played in the games were played at
WPI and it became a superstition of
yours to walk to the game from your
house and walk back from the game but
tell us how it started because it wasn't
necessarily your idea now now it was my
mother's actually and it was our junior
year and I kept doing it because we made
it all the way to the state finals but I
can't remember to this day what I did
but I just remember her before the
district saying it'll be a cold day in
hell before you take that car anywhere
again so I had I had to walk the
district in and we lived on Beaverbrook
right by Beaverbrook and walking over to
Worcester tech was not a short walk but
so I must have really done something to
piss her off but anyway so we made it
all the way to the finals the finals
were in WPI and as Jeff Bailey was
talking about earlier just making it to
the state finals it's just a dream come
true and it's system an amazing
experience and our senior year I wanted
to do anything I could to try to repeat
that so I foolishly walked through the
to the district semifinals and finals in
an attempt to do that and then your
junior year the state championship game
as you mentioned played at WPI you're
playing Don Bosco and you're without one
of your starting forwards got hurt Bosco
was predicted to win the game by 40 and
I think it came down to the last
possession was a four point game three
point game what are your memories of
that state championship game against Don
Bosco well I don't remember it being a
40 point spread
that was real gibbons he tends to
exaggerate
it really was a we were playing in
Worcester so the entire crowd was with
us it was it was magical and we had Tony
Jefferies who was part of the first Hall
of Fame class to come in and rightly so
he was probably the greatest to sport
athlete that ever played in Central Mass
and was also in the Springfield College
Hall of Fame because of that and we just
had a phenomenal game against them and I
think they probably because of the 40
point spread ha ha as Billy was saying
probably didn't give us as much credit
as as they should have and I think
that's why we're so close another memory
I know you had you beat st. John's it
was a big district game and you hit a
shot at the buzzer to win it what do you
remember about that game and the
atmosphere and the feeling afterwards
well I think anybody who plays
basketball dreams of that moment of
making a shot like that and our coach
Billy Givens senior would always tell us
at the end of the game as they score
with less than 10 seconds left just
bringing down the court and shoot and
obviously everybody on the team knew
that that meant bring it down the court
and get it to Tony Jefferies
and I and I honestly tried I got the
inbounds pass I saw Billy Gibbons jr. on
the side and I knew if I gave it to him
I'd never see a fact so I didn't pop I
need to do that so I just dribbled it up
the court and I wanted to give it to
Tony believe me but of course they
tripled teamed him so I was forced to
take the shot
and luckily I made it it was an easy
walk home that night yeah and then
football you have a great story of
football your first touchdown you ever
scored in football tell us about what
happened after you scored it again
playing football everybody dreams of
scoring a touchdown and when it happened
I I was so ecstatic and I'm standing in
the end zone and just soaking it in and
then all of a sudden I see again Tony
Jefferies coming at me to celebrate and
he grabs me in this bear hug and we go
tumbling down and when we hit the ground
I get the wind knocked out of me
so this magical moment where I score my
first touchdown I'd literally have to be
helped off the field ha ha ha was it
that's a story I've never shared with my
children ha ha ha the scoring the the
hoop in the st. John's game I've told at
least 20,000 times so and as I get older
you know the shot becomes longer the
number of people covering me gets
greater yeah yeah 3/4 court shot with
four guys draped all over you I know all
12 of the players running for it at the
time now so but yeah now I wish I had
that on film with Tony hitting me and
you know I probably should have gotten
into the concussion protocols didn't
they didn't have it back then they just
called it a stinger great thanks so much
thank you Ray Murphy
one quick note here tonight we honor our
class in order to be inducted into this
Hall of Fame you have to be nominated
and then a 16 member committee goes
through the votes and the nomination so
please if you if you have some deserving
candidate please nominate that candidate
and you can find the information on how
to nominate through the website through
Facebook there are in your program
there's information there also a quick
plug for the Worcester Educational
Development Development Foundation if
anyone is interested in helping out
Western public schools athletics
donations can be made to the W EDF and
we thank you for that certainly our
final inductee last but not least from
North High School the class of 1958 and
played on some of the great football
teams here in the City of Worcester
North High had so many great teams in
the 50s in fact a couple were inducted
into the Hall of Fame last year and one
of the mainstays of those great teams
was Alphonso pulse le an offensive and
defensive lineman and let's bring them
up for induction into the Worcester
public schools Hall of Fame
first we'll talk about is the nd
mentioned some just phenomenal teams
that you played on still some of the
best ever and inter-high history what
what are some of your memories of those
teams and I'm sure more the players even
sometimes than the scores well we went
21 one and one ship 1956 to 58 we were
on our way to Florida to play somebody
down there until we came across suitably
which they tied us stiffened never tied
us I was hung all over the quarterback
but he truly stupid 50 and that's one
but we had a bunch of guys that was
molded boy to coach John Kohlberg and
we've we've heard that about just how
how special coaches can be and what a
great impact that a coach can have on on
a young man and and that's what you
talked about just what a great impact
coach kkoma had on you tremendous
tremendous he taught us more to football
life that's phenomenal absolutely
phenomenal
one of the things too I know you talked
about you and I talked about how it was
a different era and how you would not
only just on the field with the plane
but that you guys would hitchhike to the
practice fields you would hitchhike home
and then you would go to work North High
School was on saw the big screen at that
time we had to walk to Park Ave some
two-channel Street go to the a pill
practice come back to shoot through the
Belmonts tree which all the guys were
from and then I went to work handling
edges until two o'clock for mornings
with my hands handling eggs
haha
probably gave me the good hand the soft
hands and you're talking about the
fields - and how you'd practice and back
then the inter-high teams a few of them
would practice together you guys would
dress in the same locker room she'd be
side by side with your rivals da field
which is now new stadium we'd give it a
pre old house North High and common side
shared the same locker room the same
showers classical and Salvador on the
other side so we use the plate in Paulo
coolers before we went out to practice I
know it was quite something as Paul said
Paul King right here I place him that
was UFC fighting before it was
sanctioned there was there was no
Octagon it was the concrete walls of the
locker room you fight and then practice
is probably easy after the fight very
very easy
hahaha Alfonso thanks so much thanks for
sharing I just got a real real a one
thing yep to end the evening
my father was familiy my father was a
foundry worker and he had never seen a
football game and I started playing
football in 670 54 built trippy weird
living on the same street he was
co-captain of 50 16 my father had never
seen a football game so could be got him
mr. Prasad come on we're going to go
watching some play I was cold captain
along with Eliot needle I had to talk to
the officials and all time also
penalties and so forth my father worked
in a foundry we used to get two papers
at that time total damages that was also
published in morning I would get up get
the paper read about Friday night's game
I'd probably come home from work and he
says come on in a take every action
we're going to go to see the doctor
I said for what I wanted to came a last
night you talk to the doctors all night
long just put all of thank you so much
Alfonso causality
as fantastic if we could have one more
time just all of our inductees stand
once together as includes mine and be
honored the 2017 Hall of Fame class
goodbye
we did
I want to thank thank everyone for
lilies what a great evening this was and
for everyone given such respect to each
honorees it was phenomenal
I think you see how special a school I
thought I saw how special the inter-high
is and what it means to get together
again in jail laughs with friends with
family and with friends that really are
like family so thanks again for joining
us books and we'll see you again next
year thank you so much
me
we
