Honesdale baseball team poised at the brink of program history
HONESDALE — The long and storied history of baseball at Honesdale High School stretches back more than a century.
Over the course of that time, the program has produced many outstanding players, coaches and teams. In fact, exactly 100 years ago this month, a Hornet squad skippered by Wilbur “Jerry” Wilson went undefeated en route to the league title.
It’s the first scholastic squad highlighted by Keith Sutton in his seminal book “Wayne County Sports History 1871-1972.” Several others would follow, including Honesdale’s first district title winners in 1952 and 1963.
The Hornets have enjoyed a great deal of success in more recent years as well. In fact, since joining the Lackawanna League, men like Fred Light, Mike Miller, Tim Morgan, Brian Gillow and Mike Modrovsky have assembled some stellar squads.
Surprisingly, though, none of them was able to bring home a District 2 title … but, that may be about to change.
With fiery manager Ernie Griffis calling the shots, Honesdale is set to battle Dallas on Tuesday night at PNC Field. The winner will be crowned Class 4A champion and earn an invitation to the 2023 PIAA state tournament.
“With the long history of baseball here at Honesdale, it would mean the world to be the first team to accomplish the goal everyone starts the year out shooting for,” said Coach Griffis.
“I feel we will be well-represented when we take the field tonight. We have all the tools, so we just need to play our game and see where we come out.”
First pitch for the gold medal contest is slated for 6:30 p.m. in Moosic.
In the beginning
When I was growing up here in the Maple City, Augustus Kiegler was nothing less than a local legend.
As kids, my brothers and I called him “Uncle Gus.” He was a tall, distinguished gentleman with a soft-spoken manner and piercing gaze … always nattily dressed and puffing on a pipe.
My parents often took us to visit him and his beloved wife, Teresa, at their home on Watts Hill. There, Uncle Gus would regale us with exciting stories of baseball’s Golden Age.
He was a star player at HHS back in the early 1920s and the ace of that 1923 Hornet team which went undefeated in league action. Kiegler won all six of his starts that year, averaging an eye-popping 14 strikeouts per game.
That kind of mound dominance attracted all sorts of attention from both college and professional scouts. However, Kiegler eventually decided to continue his diamond career at the University of Michigan.
During his varsity years in Ann Arbor, Kiegler played a key role in many milestone moments. Included among these were a Big 10 championship and an historic barnstorming tour of the United States, Canada and Japan.
After receiving his degree in 1931, Kiegler returned home to start a career and raise a family. He began an illustrious tenure at HHS, teaching and and coaching for more than three decades.
One of the highlights of Kiegler’s career in the dugout came in 1952 when he piloted the Hornets to an undefeated Wayne League record. Honesdale then went on to win its first District 12 championship, defeating Beaumont in the semifinals and Factoryville in the gold medal game.
Players on this historic team included: Warner Houth, Ernie Peet, William Bader, Gaylord Smith, Fred Marsh, Jack Giles, Alfred Eno, Bob Bennett, Dick Gregory, Byron White, Wilson Smith, Leo Tarkett, and Richard Hartmann.
Back on top
When Kiegler finally stepped down as Honesdale’s head coach, he was succeeded by another local diamond legend.
Earl Wilson of White Mills became manager in 1959 and with Wilson at the helm, the Hornets just continued their winning ways. The team finished first in his rookie season, then ended the 1960 campaign in a tie with Preston … and a bitterly-contested finale that remains disputed to this day.
Honesdale and Preston met in a special one-game playoff with the league title and a trip to the D12 tournament hanging in the balance. The two teams battled to a stalemate through nine innings before the rains came and play had to be halted.
Incredibly, league officials declared that the winner would be determined by a coin toss, a flip that went Preston’s way.
At one point, Wilson led the Red & Black to 25 consecutive victories and six league titles. The high point of his tenure came in the spring of 1963 when Honesdale captured its second district championship.
The Hornets hammered Tunkhannock in the semis, then rallied for an electrifying 5-4 win over Mountain View in the finals.
Danny Richner, Marty Erk, Ralph Costantino, Bill Fives, James Seidel, Ronald Soja and Ray Lintner were among the standouts on Wilson’s gold medal squad.
Lifelong passion
It’s at this point in Hornet baseball history that the story becomes personal for me.
My Dad, David Edwards, arrived on the scene in 1964 after successful stints at both Parkland and Waymart high schools. He was named head coach at the start of the 1966 season and promptly began another historic diamond run.
With Edwards in the dugout, Honesdale reeled off three consecutive Wayne League titles. The Hornets also advanced to the district finals each year, but came up just short versus Elk Lake (twice) and Abington Heights.
Along the way, Dad’s teams compiled another 25-game winning streak. It finally came to a close in 1969 when North Pocono put together a perfect season of its own before falling to Elk Lake in the D12 finals.
Tommy Schilling played a big role for the Hornets during Dad’s tenure. The hard-hitting catcher dazzled defensively and also won a league batting title.
Danny Decker was the ace of a loaded pitching staff. The fireballing righty led the circuit in wins and strikeouts, while also throwing a mind-boggling nine one-hitters in three seasons (1966-68).
Unfortunately, Dad’s health began to decline and he was forced to step down from his position as varsity skipper. In later years, though, he volunteered his time as a coach whenever he was able.
Hits close to home
Honesdale has made several deep runs in more recent years.
In 2008, Honesdale caught fire at precisely the right moment. With Coach Brian Gillow calling the shots, the Hornets went 6-8 and finished fourth in the Lackawanna League’s Division I standings.
The local lads squeaked in the Class AAA tourney, but then proceeded to go on an offensive rampage. They opened with a 12-8 win over Dallas, then stunned top-seeded Pittston Area with a 24-run outburst.
Honesdale defeated Tunkhannock 10-6 in the semifinals, punching its ticket to the finals at PNC Field. There, the local lads finally ran out of steam and suffered an 11-0 loss to Berwick.
Most recently, the Hornets powered their way to the gold medal game in June of 2021. Ernie Griffis directed his young squad to victories over Tunkhannock and Dallas before bowing out against Wyoming Area.
Several players from that team are now upperclassmen on Honesdale’s current squad. At the top of that list are pitchers Joe Curreri and Pete Modrovsky, either one of whom could draw the starting mound assignment Tuesday versus Dallas.
Trent Gombita (DH), Max Mickel (CF), Nate Hugaboom (SS), Nate Greene (3B), Jake Mundy (RF) all saw action during the Hornets’ run three years ago.
This current crop of Hornets has posted an overall record of 19-4 while winning the first Lackawanna League division title in more than two decades.
Prior to the 2023 season, the last divisional crown Honesdale won came under the direction of Coach Tim Morgan back in 2001. His squad posted an electrifying win over Scranton High School in an epic contest that ultimately decided the title.
Morgan is now Wayne Highlands Assistant Superintendent, but remains a passionate baseball fan who follows the team’s exploits closely.
“I’m pleased and proud of our ballplayers, the coaches and the program overall,” he said.
“Beyond the thrill of victory resulting from hard work, commitment and strong team chemistry, these young men will share memories recalling the year they became champions.
“It’s a special brotherhood that lasts a lifetime.”
Generations
As a journalist with more than a quarter century of experience covering local sports, I’ve learned that remaining objective is essential to doing my job.
It’s also harder than it looks!
I grew up in Honesdale watching my Dad coach. I went on to play for the Hornets myself on a team that came within a whisker of winning a division title my junior year.
So, I’d be lying if I told you I’m not rooting for these latest Hornets to win tonight’s game against Dallas. I’ve personally known just about every single coach and player mentioned in this story, from “Uncle Gus” all the way up to Ernie Griffis.
Sadly, the man I knew best passed away in January.
Last spring, at the age of 84, Dad still managed to attend several home games … a quiet presence on the periphery, standing off by himself quietly dissecting the action and rooting passionately for the Hornets.
I wish he was still here for many reasons, not the least of which is because he would have enjoyed this team immensely. He loved smart pitching, heads-up base running, solid defense and situational hitting … everything these kids do so well.
Countdown to history
It’s been too long since a Honesdale team has captured local fans hearts the way this one has. And, that’s something Ernie Griffis seems to understand intuitively.
Like Gus Kiegler, Earl Wilson and my Dad, this current Hornet coach senses the potential galvanizing force of a championship baseball team. And he’s just one win away from unleashing it.
“We don’t always get the fandom that football and basketball does,” he said. “But, I do believe that deep down Honesdale is a baseball town.”
It is indeed, Coach, just as you and your Hornets will find out tonight when they start handing those gold medals!
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale is just one win away from first D2 title in school history
