Tim Scanlon was not an immediate success playing golf. The first round he played he shot well over 100.

But Scanlon spent time tinkering with his grip in his spare time. The next time he went out, he shot in the 60’s and recorded a rare double eagle.

So it was for Scanlon, the 1962 Ashtabula High School graduate who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation’s Hall of Fame on Apr. 13.

When Scanlon was confronted with a challenge, he attacked it. Early in his basketball career he saw the importance of dribbling and could be found dribbling a ball all over the city of Ashtabula.

Perhaps persistence was a necessity for Scanlon. He grew up to a financially-challenged family on 32nd St. in Ashtabula and fought for everything in his life.

He began playing basketball competitively in the eighth grade.

“The program was more like a gym class pick-up game,” he said. “I learned the fundamentals of the game by playing with older and more talented players at the YMCA.”

By the time he was a senior, he was 6-feet tall. Naturally, he played guard.

He earned All-Ashtabula County and all-conference honors as a senior, averaging about 16 or 17 points a game.

“I believe I still hold the Ashtabula foul-shooting record at 91-plus percent,” he said.

Scanlon feels he would have scored more if he hadn’t been pulled early from some games.

“Our senior year I believe our record was 12-8,” he said. “There were four or five games that left a lasting adverse effect on me as a player and young man.”

In addition to basketball, Scanlon may have been an even better baseball player.

“Several Division I and others recruited me for both baseball and basketball — Kent, Pitt, Miami Ohio, Bowling Green, Ohio, Youngstown State, etc.,” he said. “I signed with Miami, but my father became ill and not long after passed away. I had to put college off and get a job. We were not a family of means.”

About a year and a half later Don Cannell contacted Scanlon about going to Youngstown State.

“I was able to retain my job at Rockwell Brake but was able to play only two years of baseball,” he said. “I played only home games in order to drive back to Ashtabula.”

Scanlon graduated with a B.S. in Education. He taught eighth grade at Kingsville, then taught high school math at Harbor for 2 1/2 years, all while working his factory position in the afternoon.

For the next 31 years he worked in Florida and Maryland, becoming an excellent salesman, particularly of telecommunications (coaxial cable, etc.).

At that point, he had to return to Ashtabula to help his seriously-ill mother. He also accepted a part-time position at Village Green Golf Course.

“I spent 12 years there with the last nine years as general manager,” he said. “I still help out instructing golf, but I don’t charge money. I teach golf for food (sweets). I have health issues and no longer play actively.

“I will join different groups and ride along. It’s always a pleasant experience seeing friends and former customers.”

“My parents provided a home environment of love and support for my two siblings and me. Beautiful souls!! Outside of my parents, the people who made a profound impact and embraced me as a child were Dan Farone and Dave Cimini, my Little League coaches; Frank Sposito, my Senior League manager; Father Malik and Angelo Candela. Both of the latter two provided opportunities to use their school facilities to play and meet other children.

“Frank Farello was a ‘gift’ in my life. He left an indelible mark on my life, not only as a teacher and coach but for his selflessness as a mentor and trusted confidant. He encouraged me to always remember that my success in life will not be determined by what people think of me but by how hard I’m willing to work and the heart I bring to whatever I do in life.

“Sixty-plus years later I still remember his words of support and encouragement and how he has been my mentor as I navigated the challenges as a student-athlete and in my professional career.

“I’m very thankful to my beloved parents and the power of mentorship that shape my life journey.”

Scanlon also singled out one basketball opponent for special mention: “I would like to give out a shout to Billy Coy. Bill was an excellent basketball player and was the best defensive player I played against in high school (Geneva) and throughout my playing career. Billy anchored coach (Al) Bailey’s defense and was always assigned to guard the opposing team best player. Billy was Geneva’s best two-way player.

“Often when awards are given in basketball, defensive standouts are overlooked. Billy belongs in the Hall of Fame community!”

Pat Kilker’s treasured memories of his basketball days are many, taking him back to the time in grade school when he was first introduced to the game.

Kilker, the 1970 St. John High School graduate who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation’s Hall of Fame in April, began playing the game of basketball in 1961 as a fourth grader at St. Joseph grade school in Ashtabula. His first coach was Dick Diggs, a recent graduate of Ashtabula High School who generously volunteered his time.

“Dick really knew his basketball, and he very capably and patiently introduced us to the fundamentals of the game,” said Kilker. “Dick would always try to get all of us team members off the bench and out on the court in each game, including us rookies, even if only in the fourth quarter.

"During one of our Rotary League games played later in that season at Chestnut Elementary School, I somehow managed to grab a rebound under our basket and then tossed the ball back up toward the rim. To this day, I can still picture in my mind the ball I had shot as it was going up, over, and down through the hoop, as if in slow motion. I couldn’t believe it. It was the first time I had ever made it into the scorebook. In that moment, at the age of 9, I was seriously and forever hooked on the game of basketball!”

The next year Kilker became a starter on St. Joseph’s Rotary League team for the first time. Phil Slavic was the volunteer coach of the team that year (1962-63). He taught his charges the “run & gun” style of basketball. St. Joseph dominated the Rotary League that year, going undefeated to win the League title.

“Tom Brace was the dominant rebounder on our team who most often was throwing the ball down to our cherry-picking teammate, Rob Bouffard,” Kilker noted. “In addition to Bouffard, teammates Mike Wisnyai and John Wheelock (a member of the ACBF Hall of Fame) were our team’s prolific scorers.” St. Joseph won all its regular season games that year by scores of 67-8, 65-15, 68-27, 42-7, 49-17 and 72-24. In the tournament held at the end of the regular season, they went on to beat State Road 26-16 and Bunker Hill 33-10.

The following year Mike Castrilla became his coach. St. Joseph once again took the Rotary League title, but this time did so with a more traditional style of offense.

Kilker then spent his junior high years on St. Joseph’s basketball team in the now-defunct Parochial League. “As in my years playing in the Rotary League, I was also a starter in the Parochial League in seventh and eighth grade, winning the league championship in both seasons,” he recalled.

During Kilker’s seventh-grade season, St. Joseph was coached by Denny DeGennaro, who was known in Kilker’s Depot neighborhood as “Dege.” He heavily emphasized physical conditioning, mostly by running the halls of the school in preparation for playing the game. “Dege had a great impact on me, encouraging me to always work hard and give it my best effort,” Kilker said.

During eighth grade at St. Joseph, the basketball coach was Kenny Petrochello, who also emphasized physical conditioning, especially running. “Between Coach DeGennaro’s and Coach Petrochello’s focus on running, I also became prepared to later run the mile on St. John’s track team,” Kilker explained.

Kilker began attending St. John High School in 1966, becoming a starter on the freshman team coached by Paul Kopko. “It was Mr. Kopko who provided me with that final ingredient I had been lacking for playing hoops at the high school level — the jump shot,” Kilker said.

As a sophomore, Kilker became a varsity starter and was later nicknamed “The Driver” by varsity coach Don Cannell due to his ability to drive the lane. On defense, he had the quickness to guard guards while holding his own under the basket.

Among his most memorable games were victories over Conneaut, Kirtland, Jefferson and Grand Valley. In the 1970 Fairport Sectional Tournament, Kilker scored 32 points against Grand Valley.

During his senior year, Kilker averaged 16 points per game, was named All-City, All-NEC, All-County, All-Diocese of Youngstown, and received St. John’s Most Valuable Basketball Player, Best Shooter, and Best All-Around Athlete awards.

After high school, Kilker attended St. Gregory Seminary before transferring to John Carroll University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later earned an MBA from Youngstown State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University.

During his professional career, Kilker practiced law and retired as an equity partner with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott.

Even after law school, Kilker continued to play basketball, serving as player-coach of his firm’s undefeated league championship team.

Kilker has remained active in St. John alumni organizations and scholarship support programs.

“Encouraged by my father, and blessed with the lessons learned from all my coaches, I thoroughly enjoyed my years playing sports, especially basketball,” Kilker said.

At the age of 28, Denny Smith was probably fortunate to get any head coaching job.

But Smith thought he had really hit the jackpot when he was hired to coach the Pymatuning Valley Lakers for the 1979-80 season. The Lakers were paced by two returning all-county players. One of them was sharp-shooting guard-forward John Lipani. The other was a rarity in high school basketball — an agile 6-foot center, Alan Miller.

“Boy, I came out here, took a look at them and said, ‘What did I get myself into?’” Smith said. “Those two kids are really something.”

Smith’s joy didn’t last long. Not too long after fall practices began, on Thursday, Nov. 8, Miller went down with a torn Achilles tendon.

“We were just putting in a press break,” Lipani said. “(Miller) ran to the half-court line and I threw him the ball. Nobody was on him, but he came down (awkwardly) and snapped his Achilles.”

Shortly thereafter, again on a Thursday, Lipani sprained his ankle.

Lipani healed in time to be a valuable asset. Miller didn’t.

Dan Lautanen, 6-foot-3 but only 150 pounds, took over for Miller. Lipani and Robin Martin started at forward and Marlin Moschell and Mark Lipps played guards, with Eric VanCourt coming off the bench. Late in the season sophomore Maurice McDonald began to show his talent, especially on the boards. Pymatuning Valley went 8-9 in its first 17 games, nearly reaching .500.

Lipani, who was recently selected to the 2025 Ashtabula County Basketball Hall of Fame, was special throughout, averaging 21 points a game in league play and surpassing 30 points three times.

One of those occasions, a 38-point performance against Jefferson resulting in a 78-65 Laker win, prevented the Falcons from winning the Grand River Conference outright.

Lipani, a 1980 PV graduate, was 13-of-19 from the field and 12-of-13 from the foul line in that game.

Jefferson coach Rick Nemet congratulated Lipani on the effort after the contest.

“Sorry, Coach. Hadda,” Lipani said.

“Hey, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Nemet responded.

Lipani, who would top out at 6-foot-1, began playing basketball on the playgrounds and basketball courts in Andover.

“There was no organized basketball under seventh grade,” he said. “I started at that time. The seventh-grade basketball coach was Mr. Oberdick, eighth grade was Mr. Marinchak. In high school I had Jerry Bryan freshman year; John Davis for JV; and Terry Marsh and Dennis Smith for varsity. They were all great coaches and teachers and provided good fundamentals.”

(Smith) was a good coach, good person, and had a way of getting the best out of his players.

“Most of my teammates I played with all through school.”

The games he remembers best include the win already discussed.

“In my senior year, we beat our big rival — Jefferson — on their home court. It was standing room only,” he said. “In my junior year we beat Edgewood at home. That was a big win for us beating a city team.”

Lipani was selected county Player of the Year his senior year in addition to being first-team all-district and special mention all-state. He was first-team all-county and all-GRC as a junior.

His senior year he averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists a game.

“That was before the three-point shot and that was one of my favorite shots,” he said.

Lipani also played baseball and golf at PV. “I was a pitcher and third baseman, and made first-team all-county my senior year. I was on the golf team, but do not remember much about the golf stats.”

He may not recall it, but one newspaper article credited him with being MVP on the golf team his freshman year.

He received many letters of intent from small colleges for basketball.

“My top pick would have been Allegheny, but I chose not to attend college,” he said.

Lipani has been employed at Ohio Edison for the last 40 years.

“I have been married to Tammy for 30 years, after an incidental meeting at her workplace,” he said.

John has three children: a stepson Brett, 38; Mason, 29; and Claire, 26.

“At 63 years old, I still enjoy playing basketball one night a week against the youngsters, but now Tylenol is needed before and after!” he said. “I enjoy archery hunting, cutting firewood and taking walks to get my steps.”

“Sports are a lot of hard work, dedication and hours practicing. I was outside on the town courts until dark most evenings in the warm months. I know many of the players in the Hall of Fame and consider it an honor to be elected as one of them.”

Growing up we had a basketball hoop at our house where I spent a lot of time playing PIG, Around the World and 21 with my parents and sisters. My dad loved watching basketball and played on the church team and at a young age, I realized I loved the game as much as he did.

I started playing basketball at Corinth Christian Academy in Kinsman, Ohio. Being a smaller school, I was able to play in some varsity games my sixth- and seventh-grade year. Not only was I learning the fundamentals, but gained some experience playing in fast-paced, high-pressured games, which helped with my confidence and ability as a player.

Standing only 5'2 1/2" tall, I knew how important having the skills of ball-handling and outside shooting would be. I transferred to PV my eighth-grade year, where I joined a very talented team that carried through high-school and led to a strong eight-man team my senior year: Jennifer Smith, Heather McGann, Kim Hitchcock, Danielle McGuiness, Ann Hitchcock, Kelly Hitchcock and Caroline Frojd ( a Sweden foreign exchange student that stayed with my family).

Without my teammates, I would not have had this honor of being inducted into the ACBF (Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation) Hall of Fame. I can honestly say there was not a single one of us that did not stand firm on the saying "There is no I in Team."

When we stepped onto the court we were all there for the same reasons, to have fun and win. I was a firm believer, as well as my teammates, that defense held an equal importance as offense and keeping our opponents’ score low was something we strived for.

Full court man-to-man pressure was our thing. Offensively we moved the ball around a lot. In fact there would be some games that Coach (Beth) Helfer would tell us we had to move the ball around a certain number of times before shooting. By doing that, it allowed us more opportunity for scoring outside, which is where the majority of my points came from.

Coach Helfer loved the game as much as we did and we appreciated the trust and confidence she had in our ability as a team if we asked to switch things up. Her name for me was "Pashley" and I heard it often, ha ha.

I knew it either meant “Get the defense going,” “Shoot the ball” or “Good job.” We finished our senior year ( six out of eight seniors) with a record of 21-2 making it to the Division III championship game as well as becoming the first girls team in PV school history to make it that far.

We were briefly ranked #1 and finished #3 among the Division III teams in Ohio.

The support we had from our classmates, parents and community was amazing. They would pack the gymnasium which took on the name "Theatre of Pain," and that is something I will never forget.

A couple games that stand out for me would be a game against Fairport my junior year when we won 102-21 and set a school record for most points scored in a game.

Another game, also against Fairport, my senior year, I set the Ashtabula County and PV school record for seven three-pointers in a single game.

Throughout my basketball career I acquired several honors or awards. I received the PV girls Hustle award, a Mike Scully award, had an Angie Pashley day on the radio station 102 Zoo, made All-ESC first team, set the Ashtabula County and PV school record for 7 3-pointers in a single game, and finished with a Special-Mention Division III All- Ohioan in which I felt honored as there were so many great players in the county.

I had several years of either volunteering or coaching at PV, including a year beside Coach Paul Freeman (an ACBF Hall of Famer), who, at the time coached girls junior high basketball.

I have much respect for Mr. Freeman and still today talk about his coaching techniques. I also coached a year of freshman girls basketball and had the privilege of a couple years sitting alongside JV coach Kim Triskett and varsity coach Melody Nowakowski.

I come from a family that enjoys athletics: my sisters Vanessa, Lisa, and Erica; my three boys Mitchell, Brenton and Kurtis; and now my nieces and nephews. Family picnics do turn competitive at times, whether it be playing basketball, volleyball, kickball, wiffle ball or cornhole.

I am so honored and humbled for the induction into the ACBF Hall of Fame. To say I was thrilled 34 years after graduation would be an understatement. Thank you to my parents Bob Pashley and Barb Miller Pashley for the unselfish hours spent on my sisters and me. My dad worked on the railroad but only missed one single basketball game our entire family era because of work. He was always in the stands passing out fireballs and yelling "hustle" with a smile on his face and then And then to my mom, who ran us to every single practice, hosted pre-game dinners for our teams and never missed a game. Even though she is no longer here, I know she would be smiling and as always, my number-one supporter.

In Ashtabula County it’s common for athletes to play three varsity sports — one for each season — each year. Few have done that as well as Geneva High School’s Rick Malizia, though.

Malizia was voted Star Beacon Player of the Year in three sports — football, basketball and baseball — in his senior year, 1981. He will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Fame in April. Malizia is already a member of the Ashtabula County Touchdown Club Hall of Fame.

He began playing organized basketball in the seventh grade, coached by Alex Stuetzer in the seventh grade, Bob Herpy in the eighth grade and Jeff Pizon as a freshman.

“They all were great leaders and coaches,” Malizia said. “They were able to teach how the game of basketball should be played.”

At Geneva High School, Malizia played for Hall of Fame Coach Bill Koval.

“I have been fortunate to have many coaches on all levels,” Malizia said. “I put Bill Koval on the very top. He taught me so many things that I continue to use every day in my life.”

Every summer, Malizia attended Koval’s Bronko basketball camp. He became only the second freshman Koval ever used on the varsity team (Jay McHugh was the first). In that freshman year, he was the fifth or sixth man, a defensive specialist.

“I played with Jay McHugh against the very best all-time,” he said. “It was tough playing against those guys, but my athletic ability let me give Jay a good go. Meanwhile, I was getting better and better.”

Malizia teamed with Ralph DeJesus at the guard positions in his junior and senior seasons. At that time, the Eagles had some big men in Tim Leary (6-4), Rob Merrell (6-4) and sophomore Tim Brueggeman (6-6). Those three didn’t shoot a lot, but rebounded and got the ball to Malizia and DeJesus.

Malizia scored about 24 points per game as a senior and DeJesus added 20. At the end of the season, Malizia was named Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County Player of the Year, just as he had done in football and was about to do in baseball.

Malizia has only nice things to say about Koval.

“Bill Koval taught me the life lessons I learned at Geneva High School,” Malizia said. “He had a strong personality. I was going to do it his way or sit the bench. That was exactly what I needed at the time to prepare me for my college career.”

In one of Koval’s drills that Malizia recalls, he would have 6-foot-5 assistant Jeff Pizon stand on a chair with a broom. Malizia would have to shoot over him, 50 times a night.

At the end of Malizia’s senior year he played in the Star Beacon Senior Classic with Koval as his coach. Malizia had been in baseball practice for three weeks and was rusty. He scored only a few points in the first half.

“At the half, Bill Koval said, ‘When are you going to start to play?’ I scored 20 points in the second half and made the winning shot,” Malizia said.

“He was a man when he was a coach out there,” Malizia said of Koval. “He didn’t kid around with the players. I learned a lot from Bill Koval.”

Because of his defensive skills, Malizia was always assigned the opponent’s best scorer and was always the “one” when Koval used a box-and-one against the other team.

Conneaut’s Brad Gee, one of the best players in the league, could score just four against him.

“If I was going to shoot a lot, I ought to play defense, too,” Malizia reasons. “It wasn’t something that I’d think about, I’d just go in and play.”

Malizia played point guard at an even six feet.

“My teammates were the class of 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,” he said. “There are many outstanding players. I believe three of them are already in the Hall of Fame.”

“Of my three years in high school basketball, the teams I participated on won the championship my 10th grade year and my 12th grade year. Our fans were always there to support.”

Malizia also starred as quarterback for outstanding Geneva teams coached by Hall of Fame Coach Bob Herpy. Those Eagle squads won Northeastern Conference championships his junior and senior years, going 9-1 each year.

And he starred as a centerfielder in baseball, the sport he would eventually excel in at college.

“Every day growing up, every kid, that’s what we did (played sports),” Malizia once said. “There were no video games. It’s so different now, when kids never play, except when their parents are along. We were always out in the yard playing ball, tag or kickball. That’s how you grew up.”

As good at football and basketball as Malizia was, he was even better at baseball.

“I had played baseball from an early age,” he said. “I had dreams about a major-league career. I spent a lot of time at camps.”

By the time he was a sophomore, Malizia was probably the best baseball player at Geneva. By his junior year, he was being heavily recruited, 30 or 40 letters a day.

“I would go to tryout camps for the Indians and Pirates,” he said. “(Scouts) would time you, rank your arm and speed.”

Though he had done some pitching as a sophomore, he spent the rest of his career in centerfield, the position he felt he had the best chance to advance in.

His brother, Mark, and Shaun McHugh, both freshmen, did the majority of the work on the mound for the Eagles.

He wound up playing at the University of South Florida and Stetson University. As a team, Stetson finished ninth in the country in his junior year, 18th his senior season.

Stetson reached the regionals both years, but fell in the super-regionals to Miami. In his senior year, his brother Mark was playing centerfield for the national champion University of Miami Hurricanes. The two brother centerfielders attracted the media looking for an angle.

After his senior year, he signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles, starting in the New York-Penn League. Despite having a good year, he was released.

The Kansas City Royals called him, but he wanted to finish his college degree in investment banking. He did that, then called around for a baseball job.

“No one needed me anymore,” he said.

He then turned down an opportunity in the Orioles’ system to become a scout, a decision he’s not sure he’d make now.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business, worked 15 years as an investment advisor and is now a small business owner.

“I had a great childhood growing up in Geneva,” he said. “I had two amazing parents — Gene and Louis Malizia. I owe them everything!”

“I have two brothers. Mike and Mark both are great brothers and great athletes.”

“I have two children, Miles and Taylor. I am so proud of both. My son played football, baseball, basketball and track. He is very talented. My daughter was involved in dance and cheerleading and is my biggest supporter.”

Malizia remains involved in sports, playing competitive pickleball in Naples, FL. He also still enjoys golf.

“I am very honored and humbled to be selected into this Hall of Fame class,” he said. “Most of my greatest memories of northeast Ohio are the people. The support from the community is outstanding and the coaching was second to none.”

Doug Hladek may have never compared life to a box of chocolates, but in many respects he’s about as close to Forrest Gump as Ashtabula County can offer.

That’s not a comment on Doug’s intelligence or running ability, but rather to the events he’s witnessed and people he’s dealt with in his many years in Ashtabula County sports.

Yes, the canvas Hladek painted on was smaller than Gump’s. He never witnessed Watergate or the Vietnam War and never met Richard Nixon or John Lennon.

But throughout his career, Hladek, who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation’s Hall of Fame as a contributor on Apr. 13, influenced and was influenced by the county events and people of his time.

Hladek began playing basketball in a familiar fashion.

“I got introduced to the game when I was about eight or nine years old when my two older brothers hung a homemade backboard on the garage and we started to shoot in the driveway, dribbling around puddles and shoveling snow off in the winter, turning on one dim light to play at night.

“You have to understand, I have eight brothers and three sisters, so we could always find a game among all those brothers or neighbors in Plymouth.”

Hladek started playing basketball at Plymouth Elementary School in the fifth and sixth grades in the Rotary Elementary Basketball League.

“A guy brings his State Road team over, a guy by the name of Ange Candela,” Hladek recalls. “He was the principal at State Road at the time. Those kids were pretty well-conditioned and they ran roughshod over us.

“Another team that I remember coming was West Elementary and they had a future ACBF Hall of Famer named Jim Hood.

“I got to be on the undefeated West Jr. High team with him in the seventh grade. I was about 23rd string and he was one of the Giants.”

When Hladek reached Ashtabula High School (he graduated in 1971) he met two more Hall of Fame legends, Coach Gene Gephart and Bob Walters, in addition to players who would become Hall of Famers like Dan Craft, Eugene Miller and Hood.

“I didn’t even try out until I was a senior. By that time it’s kind of late to make the team.”

Hladek did get to play college ball at Kent State-Ashtabula, coached at that time by Hall of Famer Ed Armstrong.

He played there two years with players like the Landphair brothers (Al and Charlie) from Geneva, Bill Kaydo and Randy Pawlowski from Ashtabula, John Colson and Dave Simpson from Conneaut, Ned Roach from Pymatuning Valley, Billy Johnson and John Wheelock from St. John.

At that time Kent State’s branch campuses had teams that competed against each other in basketball, baseball, tennis and cross country, with Don Gill acting as athletic director.

There he met, courted and later married Pat Thorpe, “the cutest cheerleader at Kent State-Ashtabula.”

After Hladek finished his two years at the Ashtabula branch, he transferred to the main Kent State campus.

During that time, Hladek also got his basketball official’s certificate. He recently received his 50-year pin as an official.

Later, when he began teaching, Hladek returned to Kent State-Ashtabula as a coach and coached some outstanding players including Hall of Famers Willie Osborne, Eugene Miller, Tim Bowler and John Lipani.

Other players included John Bowler, Phil Sholtis, Dave McCoy, Dale Keep and Tom Juhola. Bob Dulak was athletic director at that time.

After earning his teaching degree at Kent, Hladek returned to Ashtabula to teach and coach.

He was Harbor freshman and eighth-grade basketball coach under Hall of Famer Andi Isco and junior high girls volleyball assistant for Hall of Famer Frank Roskovics while Dik Pabolino served as athletic director.

In 1987 he became assistant principal at Columbus Junior High School, then principal at State Road and McKinsey elementary schools, and served as assistant superintendent to Dr. William Licate from 2002 to 2006.

In 2006 he took the job as superintendent at Jefferson Area Local Schools and served there for seven years before retiring.

For many years he moved through the ranks of basketball officialdom, making it as far as the varsity district state tournament games.

During his time as an official he worked with such notables as Tony Tulino, Tom Carr, Joe Rich, Mike Hassett, Don Condon, Jerry Raffenaud, Ed Bento, Dave Sheldon, Al Runyan, Becky Olmstead, John Powers, Mike Czup, Ray Heidecker, Tom Cooney, Rawley Huskey, Gene Mileusnich and Wilson Santiago.

“It was exciting to be out there in some of those bigger games and to officiate district games at Lakeland.”

During his time as a referee, Hladek worked with the most well-known athletic directors in county history, including Hall of Famers Andy Garcia, Ed Batanian, Adam Holman, Bob Hitchcock, Jon Hall Sr. and Al Goodwin.

Other ADs included Larry Carlson, Sue Herpy, Dik Pavolino, Steve Locy and Bill Fails.

He continued to play recreational basketball with a group that included Hall of Famers like Jim Chiacchiero, Andy Juhola, Dave Golen, Dana Schulte, Augie Pugliese and Tim Tallbacka.

Hladek’s time as a recreational basketball player came to a sad and abrupt end in June 2021, when he suffered a stroke.

He initially thought he was too healthy to suffer complications from it for very long.

“I thought I’d be back in no time,” he said.

The stroke has had its physical effects, but he remains sharp mentally.

Another official, Andy Holloman, had a stroke not long after Hladek, and Hladek feels a kinship toward him.

Since the stroke, Hladek has been unable to drive.

Doug kids that Pat has become, among so many other things, his chauffeur, though other friends, like Andy Juhola and John Higgins, also gladly help him get around.

“Pat deserves all the credit,” Doug said. “We’ve been together since college and got married in 1977. She was an Edgewood girl who was cheerleading at Kent State and has stayed with me through all this.”

Doug and Pat have two children, Kelly, who graduated from Ashtabula in 1999 and played basketball for Roby Potts, and Ryan, who graduated from Lakeside in 2003 and played basketball for Jim Hood.

Kelly and her husband, Mike, have two sons who play basketball and soccer, Logan, 11, and Colin, 9.

Ryan and his wife, Melissa, have three daughters: Reggie, 6; Gordie Kate, 4; and Nellie, 3.

Players usually choose their favorite game because it is the one they performed best in.

For John Zupancic it was because of the opponent. Not the team or the player, but the opposing coach.

“Our game against St. John my senior year (is the game I remember best),” Zupancic, a 1996 Grand Valley graduate, said. “Not so much (for) the game itself, but rather who we were going up against — Tom Schamberg, the father of one of my best friends growing up. To see him on the other side, as the head coach for St. John, I felt I had to prove myself and push myself even harder.”

Zupancic, who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Fame on Apr. 13, actually had his second-best point total in that contest, 26 points. But he scored 18 against Fairport a few games later.

He began playing basketball when he was about seven years old.

“My Dad placed a piece of plywood with a rim on a tree where I would shoot for hours and fell in love with the game,” he said.

He began playing organized basketball in the fourth grade and continued throughout his scholastic career.

“I also played football in high school, but I only played through my sophomore year, so I really only focused on basketball,” he said.

As he approached his high school years, Zupancic caught the eye of Grand Valley’s Hall of Fame coach, Tom Henson. That will happen when you’re the tallest boy in your class.

And, as a freshman, Zupancic stood 6-foot-2. He shot up from that to about 6-foot-6 as a junior.

At Grand Valley, he joined teammates Sean Moses, Larry Cassesa, Mike Likavec, Ben Rogers and Sam Meister under the coaching of Henson.

“Anyone who knew Tom or even the name, knew he was one of the greatest,” Zupancic said. “Tom was very gritty and pushed us very hard until our execution was great. We had some really good practices.”

Zupancic started as a junior and senior, years when the Mustangs went 16-6 and 19-3, two of the best seasons in Grand Valley history.

His senior year they lost to Perry in the district semifinals.

Describing his teammates, Zupancic said, “Sean Moses started at point guard as a sophomore. He was a gifted athlete and controlled our offense. Larry Cassesa was our two guard, a great shooter and very good on defense. Mike Likavec was our ‘four’, very physical and a great rebounder. I didn’t shoot (long shots); I only shot 10 three-pointers my senior year.”

He averaged 11.7 points and about seven rebounds as a junior.

His senior year he became the East Suburban Conference Player of the Year in addition to being first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County and first-team Northeast-Lakes District Division III.

That year he averaged 18.7 points per game and added 181 rebounds, 55 blocks, 42 assists and 28 steals.

Zupancic believes he had some Division III college offers and possibly a Division II mixed in there, but made another choice.

“Although I intended to go to college to continue my basketball career, I chose to go into the workforce instead,” he said.

“I started working in construction right out of high school and have continued in that career to this day. I am now a project manager with a reputable company in Chardon, which I have been with for 20-plus years.”

Zupancic’s wife, Jackie, graduated from Grand Valley four years after he did. The couple has two boys, Ashton (22) and Parker (14).

“Jackie has been a great help to me,” John said. “We still live in the Grand Valley area. Our son Ashton has also accomplished many successes in basketball including being a part of the 1,000-point club. We’re now waiting to see if Parker can show us both up as he begins his freshman year next year.”

Ashton scored 1,026 points during his high school career.

These days, John doesn’t play organized sports, but enjoys playing golf as a hobby.

Many athletes from Harbor High School and Ashtabula High School were overjoyed when the two schools merged. Suddenly the new high school in Ashtabula, Lakeside High School, was a force to be contended with in most sports.

So you might think that players who barely missed the consolidation, such as 1999 Harbor graduate Kenny Vanyo, would be disappointed that they didn’t make it to the merge.

Think again.

“We didn’t like Ashtabula,” Vanyo said succinctly when asked about that very topic recently.

Of course, Vanyo, who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Fame in April, had very little to be displeased about since the Mariner basketball and football teams he starred on were always very competitive.

Vanyo got started in basketball when one of his neighbors, Tony Presciano, who also played football with Vanyo, introduced him to the game.

“I was just hanging out with (the neighborhood kids) and I found I loved it,” Vanyo said.

He played travel basketball as a youngster, then with the school team when he reached junior high school.

Pat Colucci, a former Harbor basketball player himself, coached the seventh graders and John Candela the eighth graders. The Mariners won the league championship as eighth graders.

When he was a freshman at Harbor under coach Dan Craft (an ACBF Hall of Famer), Vanyo stood about 6-feet or 6-1 and played center.

“He was one of the best coaches I ever had,” Vanyo said of Craft. “He was real strict. If you didn’t give 100 percent, you didn’t play. The way he related to you in practice and didn’t do your grades, he was on you. He’d find the right way to get to you as a coach.”

His Mariner teammates included Presciano, Eric Wyman and Jamar Parker. As he moved up, he was joined by Mario Sallee, Jason ———, Ryan Turner, J.J. Moore and Ron Cole.

As a sophomore Vanyo scored eight to 10 points per game and added 10 or 12 rebounds.

When Vanyo was a junior Turner, who had shown great potential himself, was killed in a car accident in the summer, shocking the team, which had had great aspirations.

Harbor still had a good team that made it to the sectional finals before falling. Edgewood and Conneaut were the other Northeastern Conference powers at that time.

“We had a rough season, but we had a bunch of new faces and I shot up to 6-3 and played center and we had Rob Lawwill, Frank Perry and D.J. Moore, you know, kids who were hungry. They were putting the time in and I think we wound up taking second place in the league behind Conneaut.

“I was scoring like 17 points a game that year and adding 15 or 16 rebounds.

“Senior year was a really good year. We had a couple new players come in, one of them Jamie Presciano. But we were still an undersized group.

“I pretty much took off, scored about 26 or 27 points a game and we shared the championship with Jefferson. I was player of the year that year in basketball and football.”

Vanyo played quarterback in football. The Mariners had a fine season his senior year, going 9-1 and barely missing the playoffs.

Geneva beat them in a close game (43-36 as he recalls) to win the NEC championship, though, a loss that kept them out of the playoffs.

Vanyo was such a good player that he was named to Ohio’s North-South football game, an honor few Ashtabula Countians have won.

His football coach, Mike Hassett, accompanied Vanyo to that game.

Hassett, who also coached the Mariners’ girls basketball team, praised Vanyo.

“Kenny as a basketball player was a fabulous player! He often was the inbounder on their fast break and could throw the ball a length of the floor. He could play inside or outside which for a big guy back then was fabulous!

“(In football) he was selected to play in the North-South All-Star game as a quarterback. He is the best quarterback I’ve ever coached. He ran the offense and many times called all the plays on the field.”

Vanyo reciprocates with his own praise of Hassett.

“That was the guy that was like a father to me, probably my most influential coach. I can’t say in real words what that guy means to me. I love that guy.”

Vanyo makes no secret of the fact that football was his favorite sport.

“I played basketball to stay in shape,” he said. “I had a lot of love for it, but I knew I was undersized.”

He also played baseball as a freshman and sophomore.

He had offers to play football from several Division I colleges and eventually started at Youngstown State because it was close.

“I had my first son, so I knew I had to hang up the cleats and get a job,” he said.

He began a career with a roofing company and worked there for four years.

Then he wound up getting a divorce and moved to Shepherdsville, Kentucky, near Louisville, near his parents, Ken and ——— Vanyo.

“It was six hours away (from Ashtabula) so I could get my first son on weekends,” he said.

He now works for a Kentucky truck company, supervising a truck-building crew.

“I have 200 employees under me,” he said. “We work in an area the size of 20 or 30 football fields.”

After his divorce Vanyo remarried and has three children: Kenny, 23, by his first marriage; a 16-year-old daughter, Payton; and an 11-year-old son, Parker.

The latter two children are by his second wife, Angela.

Ken himself served as his oldest son’s football coach.

Vanyo feels thankful to several people for his success.

“All the people that helped me through basketball like Augie Pugliese. I used to go play with him on the weekends and hanging out with those older guys taught me a lot.

“It all comes from the foundation you get at home. My parents were real strict. I wasn’t partying or running wild, I was playing sports. That’s the way I try to raise my kids.”

Most athletes will tell you that the greatest victories are the ones few people expect.

So it is with Jefferson’s Lizzy Ziemski (Class of 2010).

“During the 2009-2010 season we beat the Geneva Eagles on their home court,” Ziemski, who will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation’s Hall of Fame on Apr. 13, said. “We had played against the same group of girls for seven years and finally beat them on their home turf! Nothing felt better than seeing the look on their faces after we beat them.”

Ziemski started playing basketball when her best friend’s father started a basketball team when she and her classmates were in the fifth grade.

“I initially joined to be with my friends, then quickly fell in love with the game,” she said.

She and her friends were initially coached by Scott Landis.

“I was fortunate to learn the skills of the game through my coach and other parents,” Ziemski said. “Now-retired Jefferson School teacher Mary Ford taught me how to do my first layup!”

When she reached Jefferson High School, Ziemski’s head coach was Hall of Famer Rod Holmes.

“The Legend,” she said. “He was a man of few words, but one of the most knowledgeable coaches of the game. He was famous for his three things he told his players each game and his red sweater.”

At 5-foot-8, Ziemski played the “three” guard for the Falcons.

“I was fortunate to have a large graduating class,” she said. “My teammates included Jillian Kern, Shelly Ford, Joslin Landis, Hannah Francis, Gina Chiacchiero, Courtney Stowe, Clara Hawkins and Kaylee Cellitti.

“As young kids, we constantly rotated, but as we reached the end of our high school career Shelly and Jill were in the post, Joslin/Hannah/Gina were rotating point guards and shooting guards. Courtney and Kaylee were our long-range shooters and Clara also played in the post.

“I played a three guard and occasionally down in the post. I hit my growth spurt between ages 10-15. I played with the above group of girls for upwards of seven years.”

In addition to her basketball prowess, Ziemski was a fine volleyball and track athlete.

She started at the varsity level for three years in volleyball.

In track, she became the state runner-up in girls high jump in both 2009 and 2010.

Ziemski raked in many athletic awards during her high school career.

In basketball, she was all-county, all-conference, all-district and all-Ohio multiple years.

In volleyball, she was all-county, All-NEC and all-district as a senior.

She also won district high jump and long jump championships in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and, as mentioned, was state runner-up in high jump her junior and senior years.

Most Division III colleges in Ohio and Pennsylvania recruited her for basketball.

She finally chose Baldwin-Wallace College.

“I played basketball for two seasons prior to tearing my ACL,” Ziemski said. “It ultimately ended my career at the time, but I don't regret my experiences! I later got my degree in business from Kent State University.”

Ziemski has spent most of her time since working for Pepsico, reaching 10 years in July.

“I’m currently a Regional Transportation Manager in Mountain Top, PA,” she said. “I am responsible for distributing Gatorade and Quaker products across the country for nearly $80,000,000 in annual carrier spend.”

She will soon be moving, however, since she has received a promotion that will take her to Pepsico headquarters in Plano, Texas.

“I will be relocating to Texas in the next month or two,” Ziemski said. “My new role will be leading a team of supervisors for Pepsi driver efficiency projects while managing owned/rented assets, driver behaviors, driver technology and driver hiring.”

Unmarried, she has been dating her girlfriend for about a year. The couple will be moving to Texas soon.

“We have no human children, but a yellow lab named Stormy and a Boston terrier named Kona,” she said.

“I’ve recently started running. I ran my first half-marathon in Scranton, PA last year! Outside of running, I love to cook, go to concerts and play video games with my friends in the U.S. and Canada.”

Like any other endeavor, an enterprise that deals with (somewhat) dated information is certain to have some information slip through the cracks.

So it is for the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation in its effort to find and honor the best male and female basketball players in county history for induction into our Hall of Fame.

One thing that can be said in our defense, though, is that when we make a mistake we’ll do our best to correct those errors.

So when we found out we had done an injustice (or, more accurately, an omission because of lack of information), we do our best to correct it.

In this case, we discovered that Dan Chandler (Edgewood, Class of 1963) deserved ACBF Hall of Fame installation. That will be done on April 13.

Charles Daniel Chandler (always called “Dan” or “Danny”) was born in 1945 in Painesville. He began playing basketball at home in Pierpont, shooting in the barn.

“There was no organized basketball for young people in Pierpont at the time,” his brother, Gary, the source of all the information below, said.

“Dan played basketball in ninth grade at Pierpont,” Gary Chandler said. “He played one game JV and then got moved up to varsity in ninth grade.”

A four-year starter as a 5-foot-11 guard, Chandler was known for his shooting.

He was coached by Jim Degasburn in the ninth grade and Dick Bruckman in his sophomore and junior years. Dave Bogart was the center on those teams.

In his senior year, Bob Larkin took over as head basketball coach.

As a senior, for basketball, Dan was first-team All-Ashtabula County, All-NEC and All-City Series.

He also played baseball his senior year under coach Walter Higgins.

Dan was recruited by Marietta College, but chose to start his job at the Rockwell Brake Plant in Ashtabula.

He worked there from 1963 to 1986, when Rockwell moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina.

After Rockwell closed, Dan and his wife Barb opened an antique shop in Ashtabula called “Back In Time Antiques.”

Later, they traveled all over the country doing antique shows until his health got bad.

Dan married the love of his life, Barbara Ann Spicer, on March 7, 1986.

The Chandlers had four children: Danny Lee, Gregory, Melissa, Tracy and Lloyd. They have four grandchildren.

After high school, Dan enjoyed playing basketball in the Rockwell Industrial League, playing golf and going to casinos.

Dan passed away on April 28, 2021.

In 1996, the Ashtabula Panthers were on their way to a possible championship season when their year abruptly unraveled.

“We didn’t finish my senior year well due to having to forfeit games,” said Rashaad Wells. “Our record before the forfeits was 12-3.”

Wells will be inducted into the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Fame as one of the area’s most dynamic players.

His basketball journey began at an early age.

“I was playing basketball at the age of 4 in the backyard with my father,” Wells said. “I then started playing organized basketball at the YMCA. My father and uncle were my first coaches. They taught me discipline, patience and effort. The fundamentals they instilled are still with me today.”

Wells played football for an undefeated Panther team as a freshman, but after that season he knew basketball was his true passion.

“After that season I knew my passion was basketball,” he said.

Standing 6-foot-2, Wells played guard and forward, always raising his level of play in rivalry games against Harbor.

“I always loved playing Harbor High School,” he said. “They always brought the best out of me. The rivalry Harbor vs. Bula was always a packed gym.”

Wells was coached by Bob Walters and Jim Hood, both members of the ACBF Hall of Fame.

“Mr. Bob Walters and Mr. Jim Hood showed me that it takes a team to be successful on the court,” Wells said. “What you do in practice makes the games easy. They always said how you practice is how you play.”

One of the players Wells fondly remembers is Jamal Harris.

“Jamal Harris was a monster on the basketball court. As a freshman he told me you can straight play ball. I miss him dearly,” Wells said.

As a senior, Wells was voted Star Beacon Ashtabula County Player of the Year and was also named third-team All-Ohio.

Though recruited by schools such as Iowa and Providence, Wells chose to enter the workforce.

“I have been working in a management position for the last 19 years at TS Tech USA, a supplier to the Honda Plant in Marysville, Ohio,” Wells said.

Family remains central in Wells’ life.

“My family is my world,” he said. “I met my beautiful wife at the Ashtabula Mall. We have been married for 18 years. I am a proud father of four sons: Rashad, Ravvon, Braylin and Bryce; and one daughter, Londyn. I am Papa to a granddaughter and grandson. My twin brothers, Roo and Ron, are also like sons to me.”

Wells stays active playing basketball in adult men’s leagues and bowling.

“I love working with the youth, coaching football and basketball,” he said.

“I was blessed to have two very supportive parents who encouraged me to follow my dreams. Both my mother and father get all of the credit for my success in basketball and the man I’ve grown to be.”

p>It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that the seeds of the 1972 Geneva Eagles’ boys basketball team were sown the previous year.

Though the Eagles finished second to the Ashtabula Panthers in the 1970-71 season and were only 13-8 overall, they proved they could play with the big boys in the season-ending tournament, upsetting Cleveland Heights, 44-41 behind fourth-year head coach Bill Koval, to earn a trip to districts.

Ernie Pasqualone, selected to the Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Fame in 2010, was an important cog on that team though only a sophomore at the time. Seniors Mike Blauman and Norm Urcheck, both now members of the ACBF Hall of Fame, were better-known members of that squad that helped pave the way for Geneva’s regional-qualifying team in 1972.

“Ernie and Don Craine were both up with us as sophomores,” Koval, who died in 2015, told Karl Pearson in 2010. “Cleveland Heights was big and quick. I told Ernie and Don that as soon as we took a shot, they were to sprint back to halfcourt to stop their fast break. They intercepted a whole bunch of passes that way.”

Geneva players were expected to play basketball Koval’s way.

“Coach Koval was a real disciplinarian,” Pasqualone has said. “He stressed the fundamentals of team play. Nothing was more important than team play.”

“We ran a deliberate offense, a 2-2-1 press and played good, solid defense. I always had personal goals, but I always tried to not let them conflict with team goals.”

Before Pasqualone reached high school he developed a close association with the JV coach, Al Graper.

“Coach Graper was pretty intense,” he said. “He’d really get fired up. He was passionate and truly believed in us. He was an avid runner, and he always made sure we were in shape.”

“I was a real gym rat. He used to come and open up the gym and play with me. He was the coach that really emphasized foul shooting, too. He used to have us shoot 50 a day and he expected you to make at least 80 percent.”

For his part, Koval appreciated what Pasqualone’s work ethic.

“Ernie was one guy who was always willing to work hard,” he said from his winter home in Florida. “He really worked at the game. He became a great team player. He was a pleasure to coach.

“Ernie wasn’t as gifted as some people, but he just worked his tail off to become a very good player. I remember he used to play all the time on those outdoor courts with the older guys. He was a good assist man and a real fine shooter. He fit the mold of the kind of player I was looking for.”

The make-up of the Geneva team changed significantly in the 1971-72 season, chiefly by adding height.

“We had a lot of guys who could average 10-12 points per game,” Pasqualone said. “We were able to score at a much higher rate than we had the year before.”

“We also had a lot of size with guys like (seniors) Denny Coy, who was 6-6, Greg Hunt, who was 6-5, and Al Landphair, who was 6-3, plus Jeff Starkey, who was another guard and was 6-1. I thought we were going to be a good solid team in the NEC. And we had beat a team like St. Joseph in the varsity and JV games as sophomores, along with Cleveland Heights.”

Reached recently, Pasqualone described his teammates this way:

“Jeff Starkey: senior point guard. 6-0. Vocal leader of the team. Ran the offense. Good ball handler, assist leader and defender.”

“Al Landphair: senior forward. 6-3. Good vertical jump. Good rebounder and solid scorer. Good defender. Nice mid-range jumper.”

“Greg Hunt: senior forward. 6-4. Strong and tough rebounder, defender. Great scorer from around the basket.”

“Denny Coy: senior center. 6-5. Good presence in the middle. Good rebounder and defender. Nice touch around the hoop.”

“Mike Hogan: senior forward. 6-3. Nice scorer from mid-range. Good rebounder.”

“Louie DeJesus: junior forward. 6-1. Undersized for a forward; however, he could outjump anyone on the court. Great defender and rebounder. Intense competitor.”

“Don Craine: junior point guard. 6-0. Played outside at the guard position. Quick, good defender.”

“I was the center,” Coy said. “I wasn’t a strong rebounder but could shoot inside.

“Greg Hunt and Al Landphair were our starting forwards. They rebounded and shot inside.

“Ernie Pasqualone and Jeff Starkey started at the guards. Jeff Starkey was a great ball-handler, who meshed with everyone very well. Ernie was a junior who did everything for us, especially shooting from the outside.”

“As far as our bench went, Louie DeJesus was a junior who was always prepared to go into the game as an inside player.

“Donnie Craine, another junior is in the football Hall of Fame and was a heck of a football player. He was a valuable reserve.

“Mike Hogan was thin like myself but played very well. Jeff Mormon and Scotty Spangler, whose brother Rich went on to kick for Ohio State, were valuable juniors on the bench, as was Ed Pizzuto. David Brunner came in as a backup guard.

“We were a multifaceted team with (the equivalent of) two starting teams.”

The Eagles went 15-3 in the 1971-72 regular season (teams were restricted to 18 games in those days) and won the Northeastern Conference championship.

They lost twice to Harbor, led by county great athletes like Jim Bollman, Dave Peet, (future Detroit Tiger) Mark Wagner and (ACBF Hall of Famer) John Coleman. But those defeats were by scores of 61-59 and 60-59. Geneva’s third loss came to Erie McDowell, 49-48, meaning that if the Eagles had scored seven more points in those three games, they would have been undefeated.

A 68-61 win over Pymatuning Valley brought them the league title.

Pasqualone would later say that his eyes really lit up when he saw Geneva’s draw for the sectional-district tournament at Mentor High School.

“I saw the draw and felt we had as good a chance as anyone.”

The Eagles clobbered Edgewood, 78-53, in the first game of the sectionals and claimed the sectional championship with a hard-fought 59-57 win over Ashtabula.

They went on to defeat Willoughby South, 59-52, in the district semifinals behind 19 points from Hunt and 12 from Pasqualone and Chardon, 54-51, for the district championship as Pasqualone led with 17 points.

That brought Geneva a trip to the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse for a return bout from the previous year with Cleveland Heights.

“That trip was huge,” Pasqualone said. “There was a lot of pride in the community. It was two or three weeks after everyone else had started preparing for spring sports and we were still practicing for basketball. I remember having (the late) Dale Arkenburg (a member of the 1950 state team and an ACBF Hall of Famer) walk up and congratulating some of us.

“They had a huge pep rally at the end of the school day (March 16, 1972). We went to the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame before the game, too.”

Because Geneva was playing Cleveland Heights, the game was also televised by Cleveland’s public access channel, WVIZ.

“I remember the fieldhouse was jammed,” Pasqualone said. “Coach Koval talked about hustling back on defense. I think we went in pretty confident.”

Geneva started well, opening up a 14-7 lead after the first quarter but Heights came back to tie the game at 25 by halftime. The Tigers scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and the Eagles never caught up, falling, 58-51 to finish 19-4 on the season.

The scoring stars for both teams struggled. Pasqualone finished with just seven points and Heights’ Dennis Greenwald, who entered the game averaging nearly 30, had eight. But Leicester Stovel had a monster night with 23 points and 17 rebounds for the Tigers (22-1), offsetting Hunt’s 14 points and 13 rebounds for Geneva.

Pasqualone is realistic about the finish.

“It probably was good we got beat by Heights because we would have had to play East Tech in the finals, and they won the state championship that year,” he said.

In his senior year, with most of the regional team lost to graduation, Pasqualone became the main man for the Eagles. The Eagles were 10-9 that year.

“I was the only returning starter,” he said. “We had Don Craine, (football Hall of Famer) Ed Pizzuto and my best friend, Louie DeJesus. We went into the season with a lot of expectations, but about 10 games into the season, I realized it probably wasn’t going to happen. The Geneva teachers went on strike that year and Coach Koval didn’t coach for a while. In probably at least half of the games, I was seeing a lot of box-and-ones.”

Geneva, coached by then-principal Lee Hoeffel, did try to play in the tournament, but without success.

Still, Pasqualone did well individually, averaging 20.7 points to finish the season third in county scoring. He tied for the most votes on the all-county team with Conneaut’s Tim Humphrey, was first-team All-NEC and was also honorable-mention All-Ohio.

He was the leading vote-getter on the Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County team and was also first-team All-NEC.

Despite being just 5-11, Pasqualone went on to play at Lakeland. He became more of a point guard there, distributing and scoring inside and out for coach Don Delaney, who would later coach the Cavaliers.

After taking his associate degree at Lakeland, Pasqualone moved to Hiram to play basketball and earn his bachelor’s degree.

In his junior year, Hiram won the PAC title while Pasqualone averaged 18 points per game and was chosen conference Player of the Year. His senior year he averaged 20 points per game and earned first-team All-PAC honors.

After graduating from Hiram, Pasqualone worked as an assistant coach at Lakeland for a year, then became the head coach at Ledgemont. He later worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers before his old friend, Louie DeJesus, got him interested in sales.

“Sales in the medical industry were growing at that time and I told him I was interested in sales and pharmaceuticals. That’s when I started working with Roche.”

The Pasqualones maintained a home in Geneva even while their family was growing and stayed there until 1997 while wife, Sarah, was completing her medical studies at Case Western Reserve University.

Most of the Eagles on those teams have moved away from Geneva. Coy, who still lives in Geneva, and Pizzuto, who resides in Austinburg are exceptions. Pasqualone still communicates with DeJesus, who now lives in North Carolina.

“Personally I stayed in the Geneva area and my wife Michele and I raised our two children here,” Coy said. “They also graduated from Geneva before heading off to college to further their education.

“I was employed with Avery Dennison in Mentor for a few months shy of 40 years, working with the R&D group before retirement.”

Though Koval would coach the Eagles for 23 more years, his teams would never again reach the regionals. He finished with seven sectional titles and one district crown. He coached 11 future ACBF Hall of Fame players, including Jay McHugh, Gary Kreilach, Randy Knowles, Pasqualone, Norm Urcheck, Brad Ellis, Mike Blauman, Wayne Games, Richey and Antonio DeJesus and, as of this year, Rick Malizia.

The Eagles did reach the district finals in 1986, with a team led by Richey DeJesus, Mark Malizia, Shaun McHugh, Bill Ball, Norm Potter and John Opron. Koval died in 2015 at the age of 79, a victim of stomach cancer. Geneva would not have a winning team again until his son-in-law, Brad Ellis, coached them to eight non-losing seasons in a row, starting in 1999.