SEPTEMBER PRESS RELEASE



[pic]

November 17, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Bob Michler 610-863-7534

Mike Moore 610-258-1949

2011 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES NAMED

The winningest football coach in Phillipsburg High School history and a two-way lineman on what many consider to be the greatest football team in Easton High School history are among eight inductees into the Easton-Phillipsburg Football Hall of Fame. Bob Stem, an All-State player at Phillipsburg and coach of state championship teams at Phillipsburg and Bethlehem Catholic, and tackle Bob Renner from Easton’s unbeaten and untied 1958 team are part of the Class of 2011 that will be honored prior to Thanksgiving Day’s 105th battle between the two arch-rivals.

This Hall of Fame class includes four players or coaches from each school. After careful research, inductees were selected from a long list of eligible candidates. Membership is based on accomplishments during their high school football careers.

Hall of Fame Class of 2011

The inductees representing Phillipsburg in the 2011 class are players Dan Ziegler (1915), Steve Searfoss (1977), and Mike Lelko (1995), and player/coach Bob Stem (1957). (Player’s senior football season is in parentheses.)

Stem was an outstanding Stateliner player in the mid-1950s, playing guard on offense and linebacker on defense. In his senior year in 1957, he was selected as 1st Team All-State as a guard. Returning to his alma mater as Head Coach from 1973 to 1981 and then from 2005 through 2010, he compiled an overall record of 112-43-4. His teams captured four New Jersey State Championships, one East Penn Conference Championship, and two Skyland Conference Championships. Between his two stints at Phillipsburg, he coached at Bethlehem Catholic High School, where he was extremely successful. Coach Stem’s career record over 34 seasons is a spectacular 285-96-5, a remarkable .738 winning percentage.

Ziegler was a two-year starter in 1914 and 1915 at running back and defensive back. As Captain in 1915 he led his squad to a record of 7-1-1, which at the time was the best record in Phillipsburg’s short history. That year he was named 1st Team All-State as a running back, the first Phillipsburg High School football player to receive that honor. Since then, 56 Stateliners have attained that status.

Searfoss was a rare four-year letter winner in football from 1974 through 1977. Playing both sides of the ball at tackle, he spearheaded the stingy Garnet and Gray defenses of that time and was a dominant blocker on offenses that churned out yards. Possessing a strong kicking leg, he was also called upon to boot kickoffs and field goals. In 1977 he was named 1st Team All-State and 1st Team New Jersey All-Star at tackle.

Lelko excelled as a wide receiver and defensive back. In his senior season in 1995 he was named 1st Team All-State as a wide receiver. In that year he established New Jersey state records for most yards gained receiving with 1,353 and for most receptions in a season with 87, while defensively leading his team in tackles and interceptions. He also added Express-Times Player of the Year and Warren County Athlete of the Year to his list of awards.

The inductees representing Easton in the 2011 class are players George Leidy (1924), Bob Renner (1958), Jim Jones (1961), and Nick Azzolina (1991). (Player’s senior football season is in parentheses.)

Leidy was a three-year starter at quarterback and halfback on offense and at defensive safety on the unbeaten 1922, 1923, and 1924 teams. Known by many as coach “Pat” Reilly’s best quarterback, he passed for 204 yards in the 1923 Phillipsburg game, a game record that stood for 68 years. To utilize his speed and quickness, he also called upon to return punts and kickoffs for the Red Rovers.

Renner was an outstanding two-way performer at offensive and defensive tackle on 1957 and 1958 teams that finished with a 16-2-0 overall record. The 1958 team finished unbeaten. He was a tenacious defender and mainstay on the offensive front that paved the way for Easton’s stable of fleet running backs. He was selected to the 1959 Big 33 Team.

Jones was a two-year starter at offensive tackle in 1960 and 1961, playing both ways at tackle in 1961 on teams that amassed a 14-4-1 record. His size and agility made him a dominant player on both sides of the ball. In 1961 he was honored as an All-America selection on the National High School Football squad. In the same year he was 2nd Team AP All-State and UPI Honorable Mention All-State at tackle.

Azzolina was a three-year starter at center from 1989 to 1991 on teams that logged a 30-9-1 record. An intelligent and technically-sound blocker, he was a member of the East Penn Conference all-star and Express-Times All-Area teams in each of those years. In 1991 he was named AP 3rd Team All-State. He was Easton’s National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete in 1992.

The athletic offices of the two schools have sanctioned local football enthusiasts from both sides of the river to select these inductees into the Hall of Fame. There are thirteen members of the Hall of Fame Committee.

This year’s recipients will be honored during the Thanksgiving Day game and will receive personal plaques commemorating their induction. In addition, their names will appear on large plaques located in gymnasium lobby areas of each school. The Garnet Booster Club of Phillipsburg and the Alumni Varsity “E” Club of Easton sponsor the plaques.

--30--

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download