7/24/2009 - Hall Nominees All Deserving
The ballot for induction into the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame arrived at Mugs Media this past week, and as usual, the list of nominees is very impressive.
Jerry Morelli, the owner of Mugs Media and a distinguished member of the Hall since 2005, showed me his ballot and the 12 nominees listed are all deserving, but you can only vote for four.
Now, I’m not going to tell you who Jerry voted for, but he sure had a tough time choosing just four and that is a testament to the rich athletic tradition this county has had since Newton High School opened its doors early in the 20th century.
This year’s group is also a very eclectic one with nominees hailing from all over the county representing many different sports. This year’s group also includes four females which is great considering the Hall has only inducted 16 females since its inception in 1976.
So who is on the list? Well, here is the breakdown with a little blurb about each candidate.
PEG EWING
Ewing is a pioneer in the sport of field hockey in Sussex County, bringing the sport to Sparta High School in 1960. Ewing, who was a standout athlete at Brown University, came to Sparta in 1960 as a physical education teacher and started the first ever field hockey program in the county.
That alone should get Ewing, who is also a standout tennis player, elected. Ewing, who was also a field hockey official, retired from teaching in 1998 and moved to Georgia.
ROBERT FORD
Ford started the boys tennis program at Newton High School in 1964 after graduating from Harvard. The Newton native, who passed away in 2002, started the girls program in 1967.
Ford’s combined career wins total was an impressive 346. His son, Jerod, a possible future Hall of Fame candidate himself, was by far the best tennis player to come out Newton and is one of the greatest tennis players ever to come out of the county.
I’m a little biased on this one. Ford and I developed a great working relationship when I covered tennis for the local paper back in the day. Bob would keep me on my toes, but he did it in a very positive and polite way. If I voted, Bob would definitely be in.
JILL HARDEN
Harden was a fantastic three-sport athlete at Franklin/Wallkill Valley before graduating in 1983. She led Wallkill to a perfect 18-0 SCIL mark in 1983 and the North 1, Group 1 section title in basketball.
She also led Franklin/Wallkill to section titles in field hockey and she was a great athlete in track before going to play basketball at Niagara. She was one of only five female athletes to be named All-Area by The New Jersey Herald in three sports in one year from 1979 to 1983.
TINA KEMETHER
Kemether was one of the first great female athletes in Sussex County Interscholastic League history for Newton before graduating in 1979 after a standout career in field hockey, basketball and softball.
In hoops, she scored 1,033 points and hauled in 1,054 rebounds for her career. She was also one of the most feared sluggers in the SCIL crushing 21 career home runs for the Braves.
JACK KURLANDER
Kurlander helped turn Vernon Township into the recreation Mecca it is today when he led the charge to build the township’s three ski areas in the 1960s and 1970s.
Kurlander designed and constructed the then Great Gorge Ski Area in 1965 and Vernon Valley Ski Area in 1967. Kurlander and his wife Peg opened Hidden Valley in 1976. He is responsible for helping skiing become a varsity sport in the county and is the major benefactor to the sport of ski racing in Sussex County as he inspired the formation of the New Jersey Ski Racing Association.
JIM LAME
Lame was as dominant of a cross country runner the SCIL had seen before graduating from Wallkill Valley in 1991. He won three straight SCIL Festivals from 1988-1990 and the North 1, Group 2 section title in 1990.
In wrestling, he was a district medalist three straight years, winning a district crown in 1990. Lame was also one of the top long distance track runners during his time at Wallkill, winning the 3200 crown three straight years and the 3200 and 1600 titles his senior year at the SCIL Festival.
RONALD LEE LEHMER
Lehmer was one of the amazing athletes that Sparta High School seemed to produce every year back in the 1960s when the Spartans ruled the old Skyline Conference.
The 1966 graduate was a standout pitcher and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1967 and 1968. He was also an All-County football player and a tremendous softball coach winning numerous titles with his teams from Byram and Sparta, helping Lenape Valley become a power in softball in the 1970s and 1980s.
GEORGE MORVILLE
Another trailblazer, this Newton graduate was a standout lacrosse player back in the early 1970s and he is now credited with being one of the major forces in the sport’s revitalization in the county.
Morville, who played in the 1972 Lacrosse North-South All-Star game, played at Plymouth State College and was one of the top players in New England and Division II and III college lacrosse during his tenure.
Morville has been the pied –piper for the sport in Sussex County for years and has helped develop players at Sparta, where he was an assistant coach, Jefferson, Vernon and Pope John. He is now in the process of helping Kittatinny reach the varsity ranks.
JAMIE KURLANDER PETERS
Peters is a 1975 graduate of Pope John, where you guessed it, she was an outstanding skier. Peters started winning races at the age of 11 and was dominant for Pope John’s ski team when she wasn’t competing for the United States Ski Team.
Peters was a member of the national team until 1980 when she left to join the newly-formed Women’s Professional Ski Racing organization, where she was a consistent top three finisher. While competing on the World Cup circuit she was one of the United States’ most reliable performers.
KYLE POYER
Poyer was the epitome of the tough-as nails, blue-collar Newton athlete excelling in football, wrestling and baseball before graduating in 1991.
He was a standout football player and was the catcher on the Braves’ North 1, Group 2 section winner. In wresting he was a district champ and went 28-3 as a senior. He continued his career at Wagner College and went 63-35.
Poyer went onto coach at Carson Newman College in Tennessee before going to Highland High School in Anderson, Ind. where he has turned the wrestling program into a state power.
PAT SHEA
The current Sparta football coach and AD was one of the top athletes in the SCIL in the late 1970s at Pope John in football and track.
Shea was a terrific defensive player and recorded 19 sacks in 1978 for the Lions and helped PJ win numerous titles. He was also a standout in the shot put and once held the SCIL record for 12 years.
Shea is now known more for his outstanding coaching at Sparta where he has guided Sparta to four SCIL titles (2000, 2002, 2003, and 2008) and the North 1, Group 2 crown in 2003 when Sparta went 12-0. He is 93-48 during his two tenures at Sparta and 103-66 overall, which includes a very successful stint at Monsignor Donovan High School in Toms River.
TIM SWEENEY
This one makes me feel old, folks. It just seems like yesterday I was covering Sweeney when he was a three-sport star in football, hoops and baseball at Pope John.
The 1999 graduate enjoyed early baseball success helping Sparta reach the state final four two times during his Little League days in 1992 and 1993. Sweeney quarterbacked the Lions to a 20-2 record in his junior and senior years, which included two state titles and a SCIL crown.
Sweeney helped the Lions win their first-ever SCIL Festival in basketball in 1999 and was the team’s MVP. But it was in baseball where Sweeney excelled and he had an All-State caliber career before going to a terrific career at Rutgers University.
Sweeney was drafted by the then-Montreal Expos in 2002 and played in their organization until 2004. Sweeney then played independent ball, including a stint with Newark Bears in 2008.
So there they are, the potential Class of 2009. Who would you vote for? I’m not saying, but like I said before, they all are deserving. And the Hall of Fame is deserving of your attention and support. If you are a fan of Sussex County sports, you should check out the Hall’s website. www.scshof.org and see how you can get involved.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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