2009 WSHOF Induction Infomation

It's that time of year again! It's time for the Induction Ceremony for the Warren Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2009.

This year the Warren Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the following worthy inductees:

Please join us as we honor these inductees with a weekend of festivities. We will introduce the inductees at a pre-game ceremony at the WGH vs. Akron North game on Friday, October 30. Following the game there will be an informal mixer at Sunrise Inn Banquet Hall on East Market St. in Warren. Admissions is free to members, but please let us know if you will attend so we can tell the caterer an expected number, additional guests will be $10.00.

Saturday, October 31 at 11:00, the Social Hour will begin prior to the noon luncheon for the Formal Induction Ceremony at DiLucia's Banquet Center on Elm Rd.

Enclosed is a reservation form for the weekend's events. Please return it no later than October 24 to the address below.

We hope to see you October 30 and 31 as we recognize more individuals who have contributed to the success of sports in Warren, Ohio!

Inductees Biographies

Tonia is a 1981 graduate of Warren G Harding High School where she was a four year starter for the girls' basketball team. She also was a 4 year member of the WGH track team, one year member of the volleyball team and 1 year member of the softball team. During her career at WGH she scored over 1,000 points and grabbed over 1,000 rebounds. Tonia was selected Second tram All State in her junior year and selected First team All State in her senior year. During her senior year she qualified for the state track meet in the 400 yard dash. Tonia received a full athletic scholarship to Miami University where she graduated in 1985. During her years at Miami she was on the Women's Basketball team where they were MAC conference champions in 1981-82 and 1982-83. Also while at Miami she scored over 1,000 points, which stands as the 13th in school history and grabbed over 800 rebounds, which stands as 2nd in school history. She was selected second team All MAC Conference in 1985, Honorable Mention All MAC in 1983 and 1984. She was selected Team Captain in 1984-85 in her senior year. Currently she holds the career ranking at Miami University for 10th in free throws and for steals she currently ranks 24th.

Following her graduation from Miami University Tonia joined the Army and served from 1988 to 2000. She worked as a Military Policeman stationed in several locations with various responsibilities. By the volunteer end of her service she had obtained the rank of Sergeant First Class and was serving as a Platoon Sergeant with a MP Company located in Ft Lewis Washington. While in the US Army Tonia participated in World Class Athletic Program from 1994-98, was selected Army Female Athlete of the Year 1995, she trained with the US National Handball Team, participated in the 1994 Pan Am Games in Canada where she won the Goal Metal, she participated in the 1995 World Championships in Budapest and was selected Alternate for US Olympic Handball Team in 1996.

Tonia currently lives in Chicago Ill where she works for Travelers Insurance Company as Associate Manager on the Dedicated Catastrophe Team.

Jim Mitolo was an outstanding football player starting at Mt. Carmel School and continuing through John F. Kennedy High School, class of 1975, and Bowling Green State University, class of 1979. Jim received many honors for his football achievements. Jim was named all M.A.C. and M.V.P. for two years. Additionally, Jim was named AA UPI Lineman of the Year, Player of the Week, Honorary Captain and to the BGSU Winners' Club.

Jim is a special education teacher and has been in the Warren school system for 15 years, prior to which he taught in Bowling Green. Jim is currently the principal at East Middle School in Warren and has been appointed as the principal of the new Lincoln K-8 School in Warren. Jim has been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Educational Associations, church parish and other charitable associations. Jim is the father of four children, two sons and two daughters.

Raphtis graduated from Harding in 1956 and Youngstown University in 1960 with remarkable athletic achievements. He earned athletic letters at Harding in baseball, basketball and football in 4 letters and team captain in baseball at Youngstown University. He participated in sports at the junior and high school levels including American Legion and AA Baseball Teams.

As the Youngstown Penguin pitching star, he won the Ohio crown in baseball for his team and was selected to the All-Star team. His notable fastball earned him many accolades. In 1958, he posted an 8-1 record with an earned run average of 2.50 and was the winning pitcher in the NAIA Ohio Championship. He achieved his 15 strikeouts in a single game, which he was able to accomplish three times. He had the honor of playing for Coach Dom Roselli, a legend at Youngstown. His notable teammate at Youngstown included Ron Stoops (Washington Senators) and AA teammate Ed Stroud (Chicago White Sox). Raphtis was also invited to try out for the Cleveland Indians but was not able to due to a sustained knee injury at the end of his college career.

Along with being a baseball player, he also played football at Harding where he performed the kick-offs and extra points. Raphtis was an offensive end and caught at least one pass in every game he ever played.

Raphtis also played basketball guard for Harding and held the record for the first player to score more than 30 points in a game. He hit the 31 point record in 1955. That year, Harding defeated Salem 106-103, which was a record in Ohio for total points scored in one game. Upon college graduation, Raphtis was employed as an Industrial Engineer (36 years) in our local steel industry as well as a local businessman.

Dick Strahm took over the brand new Warren Western Reserve football program in 1968 following a successful stint as the head coach of Bryan High School. His challenges to start a new program with young people leaving one school district to attend a new school were many. He managed to not only start the program he motivated his young men and the community to begin a storied football tradition. After a 5-5 season his teams put together three consecutive 9-1 seasons and gained State recognition for Warren Western Reserve High School.

In 1968 the Warren economy was booming. Warren G Harding already possessed a strong athletic tradition. Not everyone in the community was for building a second high school. However the numbers gave the school district no choice. It turned out that the Warren G Harding vs. Warren Western Reserve football games during Coach Strahm's last three years started a series that produced some of the most memorable games in Mollenkopf Stadium. The "respected rivalry game" went on for many years following Coach Strahm's tenure in Warren and it brought the best in both high schools. Our current football tradition was enhanced by the Harding/Reserve days.

After leaving Warren Western Reserve, Coach Strahm went on to have a phenomenal career as a college coach. As the defensive coordinator of Toledo, the Rockets had one of the highest ranked defenses in the country and went three years without loosing a regular season game.

As the head coach of University of Findlay for 24 years he won four NAIA National Championships. His teams qualified for the playoffs 12 times. He had 22 winning seasons. His career culminated with his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, qualifying for the Hall by winning over 75% of his games as a college head coach.

Pat Hovance is a 1972 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School. He played tight end for Coach Tony Napolet and was selected 1st Team All Ohio. Recruited by Bo Rein, Pat received a scholarship to play football at North Carolina State University under Head Coach Lou Holtz. He started as a freshman and played in all 48 of his college games, including 4 bowl games. While at North Carolina State, he was selected 1st Team All Atlantic Coast Conference, Honorable Mention All American, and received the "Coaches Trophy".

Pat has been a successful science teacher for the past 30 years with stops at Ursuline, Jackson Milton, and Howland Schools. He was twice selected for the "Tribune A+ Teacher Award", the "WFMJ Class Act Award", and as a "Martha Holden-Jennings Scholar" for excellence in teaching.

Pat was a member of Dennis Zolciak's football coaching staff at John F. Kennedy High School that included many trips to the football playoffs. In addition to coaching football, basketball and track at different levels in the schools, he is currently the head, varsity girls' soccer coach at Howland High School. His soccer teams have achieved 4 conference championships and 2 district titles under his tenure as head coach in the past 4 years. He has also been selected as the "Youngstown District Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach of the Year" twice in the last 4 years.

Pat resides in Howland with his wife Andrea. They enjoy visiting with their son Kyle of Arizona, daughter Allyson of California, and daughter Kaylin at The University of Tampa.

Paul has contributed as a player, coach and administrator. He was a three sport athlete (football, basketball and baseball) at Western Reserve High School (1972-76) earning five varsity letters as a starter at the key positions of quarterback, point guard and shortstop. In football he led his team to a two season 15-5 win-loss record while serving as team captain in his senior season. At the conclusion of that season he was awarded honors as a member of the NEO conference and All District Teams.

He was recruited by former Western Reserve High School Head Coach, Dick Strahm, to Findlay College where he was a three-year starter as quarterback who lead his team to a combined 27-5-1 record and an NAIA National Runner-up (1978) and an NAIA National Championship (1979). He captained his team during his senior season and was honored as a member of the Hoosier Buckeye All Conference Team. In addition, he was a two-year letterman as a starter at third base and pitcher on the baseball team.

After receiving his Master Degree in Sports Administration at Ohio University in 1983, he worked in Sales in Florida for a short period. He returned to Warren in 1985 where he has served as a teacher, coach and administrator in the Warren City Schools for the past 25 years.

He has been Athletic Director for Warren City Schools for the past 14 years overseeing 56 sports teams (grades 7-12) and a staff of 90 (coaches and support staff). During his tenure Warren has continued its tradition of high quality competitive sports programs with many championships in several sports. He has emphasized that student athletes represent the Warren City Schools in a responsible and respectful manner so as to bring pride to their families, school and community.

In addition, Paul has coordinated the athletic component of the OSFC building project and Mollenkopf Athletic Complex renovation and worked with community partners to upgrade all of Warren's athletic facilities.

Sim Earich was the head football and basketball coach at Warren G Harding High School from 1927- 1929. Sim also coached basketball and track at Cortland High School and Chalker High School from 1932- 1945.

Over a period of fifty years some of his accomplishments in track include: organized and served as referee at Trumbull county track meets, he was referee and Heats Committee at the Mansfield Relays, referee at numerous invitational track and cross-country meets in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. During the 1930's and 40's, the organization of state track meets was placed upon the shoulders of Sim by the OHSAA commissioners. Sim was the primary individual responsible for the organization of Trumbull County Football Officials Association and the Mahoning Valley Track and Field Officials Association. Through his track officiating classes, he was responsible for many of today's registered track officials.

In 1979 a Cross-Country Invitational Meet was named in his honor known as Sim Earich Cross Country Invitational meet that is held in Trumbull County annually. Sim was elected to The Ohio University Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to his University and the field of athletics. In 1973 he was awarded a meritorious award from The Ohio High School Athletic Association for his outstanding service to high school athletics as a registered official of Ohio High School Athletic Association for his service in Track and Field for 35 years.