Athletic heroes from Coatesville’s past feted at dinner attended by 300
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
The newest honorees of the Coatesville Area High School Hall of Fame were honored Saturday night at the Coatesville Country Club. Top row, left to right: Clint Seace, Peter “Sonny” Gracia, Larry Lewis. Bottom row: Aja Anderson, Mike Emanuel, Gavin “Scotty” Beam, Becky Layfield, Christine Tobelman
WEST CALN – In the competitive atmosphere of sports, where people go to witness athletic feats and success measured in victory, people often forget about the humanity of the players; they forget that athletes are people whose parents drove them to and from practice every day, people who have made human connections with teammates, coaches, and fans, bonds forged in camaraderie and respect.
At the Coatesville Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held at the Coatesville Country Club on Saturday night, the athletes who were honored and the presenters who spoke about them showed some of this humanity, speaking with great respect for those who helped them achieve and the community that supported them.
Hall of Fame president Greg DePedro hosted the evening, which honored athletes Peter “Sonny” Gracia, Christine Toblemann, Gavin “Scotty” Beam, Clint Seace, Kenneth Mateer, Aja Anderson, Ed Kovatch, Larry Lewis, and the 1952 Scott High School basketball team, football coach D. Victor “Vic” Emanuel, and trainer Becky Layfield.
Three hundred people attended the event, including, hall of fame members, their families, current athletic personnel, and teachers. The social that took place before dinner and inductions had the feel of a class reunion with members from past teams reminiscing about the past.
“I can remember every shot I missed,” said 2006 inductee Paul “Herky” Rubincam, which was quite a few, according to Sam Arbuckle, a teammate on the 1951 basketball team.
The evening took the air of a family reunion as well, with athletes from different generations showing admiration for each other, some of whom were meeting for the first time and others that were mentors and mentees for each other.
Trophies from the 1952 basketball team were displayed, as well as year book pictures and newspaper clippings detailing the team’s path to becoming the Coatesville’s first regional champions. Presenters commended the athletic achievements of the inductees, recognizing their almost folkloric places in history of a town that has produced 11 Collegiate All-Americans.
“First you were All-Ches-Mont. Then you were All-American. Now, you’re all-time,” coach Russ Jackson said honoring Aja Anderson, leading scorer for the 1994 state champion women’s basketball team. During her acceptance speech, Anderson asked the coach to stand next to her, as she was nervous speaking in front of the crowd.
Recognition was not limited to accomplishments on the field but also the impact that the inductees had on the community.
“If there is anybody who can say she’s a mother, it’s Ms. Layfield,” said current Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard Como, “a mother of all the students of Coatesville.” He spoke not just of her history as a trainer but also of her success as head of CASH’s guidance department. Layfield, also the honoree of the 2006 yearbook dedication, was selected for the “Mac” Stuber Memorial Award, given for special contributions to Coatesville athletics.
Como also spoke on behalf of Ken Mateer, who he called “the greatest Coatesville athlete of all time.” Recipient of an Old Timer Award, Mateer was a standout athlete in five sports and once scored 54 points for the basketball team in an era of five-minute quarters where entire teams often scored less than 40 points.
A special moment happened when long-time CASH coach and principal Harry Lewis presented the hall of fame plaque to his brother Larry Lewis, Ches-Mont champion for both low and high hurdles in his junior and senior years. During the presentation, their brothers Glen and Doug Lewis stood beside them. All four are now Coatesville Sports Hall of Famers.
While accepting the honors, a sense of humility prevailed in most of the inductees’ speeches. They took time to thank the committee that chose them as well as friends, family members, coaches, and the community.
“Eight of the greatest years of my life were spent coaching Coatesville football,” said Vic Emanuel in a note from his first game against Coatesville as coach of William Penn High School. Mike Emanuel, Vic’s grandson, accepted the Old Timers Award for the coach who led the football team to an undefeated 1922 season.
“Bill Mendenhall made me an incredible gentleman because he’s an incredible gentleman,” Ed Kovatch said of his high school coach. Kovatch recorded 150 strikeouts and two no hitters pitching for Coatesville, as well as leading the Ches-Monts in hitting home runs in 1981.
Christine Tobelman, who set multiple Coatesville field hockey records and struck out just three times in 225 at-bats for the softball team, also acknowledged the impact of Coatesville sports on her life.
“A lot of you guys have molded me into the person I am today,” she said.
Many of the inductees shared a strong sense of family with fellow athletes and Coatesville as a whole.
Clint Seace cited his mother, father, and his coach, Jack Helm, as the three people who have influenced his life the most. The All-Ches-Mont linebacker who led his team to three league titles also recounted the support his high school coaches gave him after he broke his leg while playing for Penn State. In particular, he remembered James “Skoog” Smith bringing cheesesteak strombolis to State College for him.
Many of the inductees recalled memories with unwavering clarity. They shared anecdotes from games that happened decades ago.
Peter “Sonny” Gracia recounted the first time his dad took him to a Coatesville basketball game when he was seven or eight. “The guys looked like giants,” he said. “I’m glad I’ll never have to play that game,” he told his father. Gracia would go on to become an All-Ches-Mont point guard, co-captaining his team to the 1972 league title.
The induction ceremony, now in its 13th year, provided well-deserved recognition for figures who have reached near-mythical status in Coatesville sports. Committee vice president Bob Coulter compared the 1952 basketball team to Coatesville’s version of the Hoosiers, saying that they took the community by storm. After being inducted, the team recognized one of their heroes, singing happy birthday to their coach, Walt Funk, who turned 90 last week.
Southeast Regional District Champion and former Coatesville record holder for wrestling wins, Gavin “Scotty” Beam summed up the evening’s sentiments. He recently attended a wrestling invitational to reunite with some of his former opponents from around the area. “Everybody looked different,” he said, melancholy that no one remembered him. A few days later, the Coatesville Hall of Fame called to notify him of his induction. Grateful for the honor, he commented, “At least they remember me at home.”
