AROUND TOWN: 11 slated for Hall of Fame induction

Aug. 19—From the stars in sports to the officials who kept the playing field even, to one prominent wrestler who rose to the top in his professional field, a broad net was cast to find 11 athletes and contributors who will be inducted in October into the Northeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Michael Ciccotti, a standout wrestler at Scranton Prep who went on to a renowned career as a sports medicine figure highlights the group, which also includes basketball standouts Al Callejas Jr. and Lauren Carra, football star George Howanitz, baseball whiz Joey Runco, multi-sport athletes Joe Baciotti and Gab Giordano, respected sports officials Mike Cerra and Mike Zanghi — also a football standout — Service Award recipient Paul "Red" Brower, and Larry Gabriel Jr., the Media Award honoree.

Ciccotti's life in sports started as a three-year Lackawanna League wrestling all-star and two-time District 2 runner-up, landing him wrestler of the year honors in 1978.

That was the start of a decorated career, most of them coming after his graduation from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Ciccotti served 26 years as the head team physician and medical director for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Joseph's University, and is past president of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association.

A part orthopedic consultant for the Flyers, Eagles and 76ers, Ciccotti also received the Dick Vermeil Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to sports medicine.

The sharpshooting Callejas led the nation in 3-point shooting in 1999 while playing at the University of Scranton and was a first team Freedom Conference player in 2001.

At Bishop O'Hara High School, he was Times-Tribune player of the year in 1996, two-time all-state, the school's all-time leading scorer and led the Bruins to the state title game in Class A.

Carra starred at Dunmore, where she scored more than 2,000 points, was a three-time all-state selection, the Times-Tribune Player of the Year, a four-time all-region pick and the newspaper's Female Athlete of the Year in 2009.

She earned a scholarship to the University of Delaware, where she was a four-year starter, scoring 1,275 points.

Howanitz was an all-state first teamer as a defensive back thanks in part to seven picks his senior season, but recorded a combined 3,340 yards and 50 TDs rushing and throwing for the Cougars, and was the first winner of the Fiore Cesare Award, presented to the area's top student-athlete. As football head coach, he won four District 2 titles and five league championships.

Runco was an all-region shortstop at North Pocono, but it was his career at Fordham University that separated him. Named to the school's Hall of Fame, he was Fordham's program record-holder for total hits (242) and games started (218), and is second with 91 stolen bases. Fordham won the Atlantic 10 title in Runco's senior season, and he was a three-time A-10 all-academic team member.

Fighting through leg injuries that slowed her basketball career, Giordano scored more than 1,000 points for Holy Cross High School, was a member of the all-region team who also won the school's Jamie Kotula Leadership Award. In softball, she broke the school's home run record and was all-region player of the year.

She went on to exceptional

basketball and softball careers

at both Marywood and Wilkes

universities.

Baciotti was a baseball and football standout at Valley View High School, where he won the league batting and fielding titles, and was a three-year starter on the football team, leading the league with 10 interceptions in 1972 while playing for a team, which compiled a 30-2-1 mark. After a successful baseball career at West Chester University, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, named Carolina League all-star in 1977.

Cerra has worked 42 years as a football official, 35 in baseball and retired from basketball after 38 seasons. During his 34 years as a college baseball umpire, he has worked more than 1,400 Division I games, including 15 Division I regionals and 25 conference championships. He also was a founding member of the Carbondale Junior Sports Association, and coached junior football for 34 years, winning 13 championships.

Zanghi, a PIAA football and basketball official for 35 years, first made his bones as a player at Scranton Tech, lettering in four sports. He earned a full football scholarship at Temple University, where he set the record for most receptions by a freshman, following a high school career that saw him win four athlete of the week awards, two all-region berths and an honorable mention all-state nod.

Brower started servicing sports teams when he was equipment manager of the 1972 Scranton Prep championship basketball team. It was the first step in what's become an impressive 27-year run as the longest tenured minor league baseball clubhouse manager.

One of the original employees of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, he started in the promotions office, was in charge of scoreboard operations for five seasons and served as both home and visiting clubhouse manager.

Gabriel's "side career" in journalism started in 1978 for the Carbondale Miner newspaper, leading to a 40-year involvement in sports that saw him write about and photograph generations of athletes, also producing stories for The Scranton Times and the now-defunct Tribune and Scrantonian. His "Behind the Bench " column and photography earned him awards at the state level.

The awards dinner will be Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. at Fiorelli's in Peckville. Tickets for the dinner are $60, and are available — as are ads in the program booklet — by contacting Bob Walsh, 570-346-2228, or Jerry Valonis, 570-498-9461.

MARTY MYERS covers local sports for The Times-Tribune. His "Around Town" column appears Sundays. Contact him at mmyers@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9100, ext. 5437; and follow him on Twitter/X @mmyersTT.