Festive affair
BP Hall of Fame event puts inductees in reflective mood
Bethel Park High School’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony fittingly occurs in December because the celebration is reminiscent of Christmas. The occasion, held Dec. 13, was an emotional reunion filled with memories of days past with lifelong friends and family.
Clarke White, the youngest of five siblings, choked up while recollecting the times he competed on the gridiron, court and diamond with his brothers and teammates. He recalled being crushed as a quarterback enough times to call it quits, opting instead for a job at a friend’s sweet shop scooping ice cream into cones for customers.
“I hated football because I was always getting killed. It was the worst season and coaches were asking, ‘Who’s coming back?’ All hands raised except mine. My parents said if you are not playing a sport in the fall, you need to get a job,” continued the son of Larry and Jeanne White. “So I got a job scooping ice cream into a cone. I wasn’t very good at it. So when two coaches came to my house to talk me into coming back, the decision was easy.”
White added he was “appreciative” of not just his coaches but his teammates, who provided his strongest memory of the Black Hawks coming back from a 34-13 third-quarter deficit to beat Baldwin in football. White also reached the WPIAL finals in baseball and earned a scholarship to play at Akron.
“That doesn’t happen without all the people instrumental in my success,” he said. “They are a huge part of why I stand here (being inducted). It’s a special moment.”
A distinct one at that, too. White was enshrined along with his brother, Corey. His oldest sibling, Craig, entered the BP Hall in 2009.
The White name is synonymous with baseball success at Bethel Park.
Craig played on a WPIAL championship and PIAA runner-up team before matriculating to Slippery Rock University in 1986. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he played two seasons in their minor league system.
Curt, who has yet to be inducted into the hall, was a WPIAL champion in 1987 and the starting second baseman on BP’s first PIAA winner in 1988.
Clarke played in the 1995 WPIAL title tilt while Corey was in the 1990 district final. Corey’s sons, Owen and Chase, are current members of the Black Hawks’ baseball club. Owen, who will continue his career at Allegheny College, played on last year’s WPIAL runner-up team. Chase is a sophomore.
Corey and Clarke’s nephew, Cody, starred at third base and on the mound for the 2022 PIAA championship squad.
“Baseball has been a good family affair and the Whites have had a great 10-year run. Now to see Corey’s kids coming through and seeing what they can do and what Carrie’s son did,” said Craig. “It’s a good time for the Whites in Bethel Park.”
Craig added that it was “great” to see his brothers inducted together because sports have been something the two have been doing for a long time.
“Well deserved,” he said. “It’s great to see these guys get this opportunity. They have worked hard and had fun together.”
Clarke and Corey reflected on their simultaneous achievement.
“I never thought this would come so I was shocked when I was told,” said Clarke, a Mt. Lebanon resident who works for Donati Florist. “Then to find out I’d do it with Corey was even more special. Pretty cool,” he added.
“When you are playing, you are not thinking of creating a legacy. You just played to have fun, compete and try to win for your school. So it’s great to see those, particularly Owen and Chase, following in our footsteps.”
Corey, on the other hand, contemplated his impact on the program while he played. “You want to set a standard. Set an example for future generations. So, it’s very exciting to be inducted when my children are playing here because the standard is back and they are trying to carry it on.”
Playing sports laid the foundation for future success for Corey as well as the other inductees, which included: Janice Fischer, Class of 1974; Dr. Rick Dukovich, Class of 1979; and Jordyn Wells, Class of 2004.
“I learned patience from baseball and not always being successful,” said Corey, who works at Crown Castle. “In football, just learning the grit and the grind of doing it every day. It’s what you do in your work life when you continue to strive when things are not going well. Nothing also can be accomplished without teammates. Those things have enabled me to succeed through this fun journey of life.”
Jordyn Wells concurred as she embarks on her journey as a parent. Eleven months ago, she and her husband, Jake Baer, welcomed Grayson into the world. She hopes her son can benefit from a career in golf as she has.
Wells, who also competed in track, was a three-time PIAA qualifier in golf, finishing runner-up in the state in 2002. She was a WPIAL champion and a two-time bronze medalist in the district. She competed at Michigan State, guiding the Spartans to Big 10 championships while earning All-Big 10 academic honors three times.
“Bethel Park shaped me and groomed me into the person that I am today,” said Wells, who lives in Indianapolis and works for Eli Lilly. “Golf gave me an incredible opportunity to play at Michigan State and enjoy experiences I will never forget. I have friends and a lifetime of memories that I would not have had otherwise if it were not for my participation in sports at Bethel Park.”
Wells acknowledged the village that enabled her triumphs. It started with her parents, Greg and Jana, and brother, Connor, who played hockey for the Black Hawks. It included coaches as well as teachers and school administrators.
“My parents taught me that my worth was not tied to the score that I shot that day but they also reminded me that I could always do better. Their unwavering support taught me the power of resilience and unconditional love, which I hope to pass on to my son.
“My success in sports is great,” she continued, “but a well-rounded education is equally important, too. So I owe that to my instructors.
“So this award is not about all the races I ran or all the courses that I played. It’s about all the things I learned along the way. The dedication, hard work, teamwork and the relationships you build along the way. These lessons have stayed with me throughout my life.”
Fischer concurred. She helped establish the girls’ swimming program at Bethel Park. After her senior year, where the Lady Hawks finished runner-up in the district, Bethel Park embarked on a record-setting run of WPIAL titles from the mid-1970s through the 1980s. Fischer went on to swim at Penn State University.
“In all memories, from BP to PSU, and the lifelong friends I have made, the things I learned about life, perseverance and the value of teamwork that comes across in my job. And, to have fun in life,” she added.
Dr. Rick Dukovich, perhaps, had the most fun at the induction ceremony because many of his former teammates attended, turning the event into a reunion.
Dukovich quarterbacked the Black Hawks for three years and to a conference championship. In addition to passing for 3,000 yards and scoring 20 career touchdowns, he maintained a career .395 batting average.
Dukovich played in the Big 33 Classic before embarking on a successful career at the University of Pittsburgh, participating in the Fiesta, Gator, Sugar and Cotton Bowls, while earning a degree in dentistry. He is currently a part-time faculty member at the dental school.
“I try not to live by living the past, but it seems like only yesterday,” he said during his acceptance speech. “While I wake up and thank God for all my blessings every day, sometimes though you need to reflect and this is one of them.
Paul Plocki, Class of 1948, was also inducted into the BP HOF posthumously. Likewise, Ed Strall was recognized with the Distinguished Contribution Award.
Plocki competed in football and basketball, and Tanner Pfeuffer, a senior who excels in those sports, made the presentation.
Baseball coach Patrick Zehnder accepted on behalf of Strall and recognized his “everlasting legacy” that paved the way for the successful teams Bethel Park has produced on the diamond for 40-plus years.
“Many here have benefited from the foundation he laid, including myself,” Zehnder said. “Not just for BP but for this area, which is one of the strongest areas for baseball in the state. A big piece of that is the BP baseball program that Strall established and maintained by the people to continue that legacy.”
Tony Fisher, who is president of the Hall of Fame committee, emceed the event and reminded the public that nominations are open for next year’s Hall of Fame inductees. Forms can be found on the school district’s website.