LOCAL SPORTS: Mahanoy Area inducts 4 into Hall of Fame
Oct. 16—The Mahanoy Area Athletic Hall of Fame inducted four new members as part of its second class during a ceremony prior to Friday's home football game against Tri-Valley.
This year's inductees include:
Dan Lucyk Class of 1964
Lucyk was a standout in football for the Golden Bears as the team's starting running back. Mahanoy Area went undefeated his junior season and 6-2-2 during his senior campaign. He earned honorable mention All-State honors by the AP as a junior and UPI as a senior and fourth-team AP All-State honors as a senior.
Lucyk was selected to play in the Big 33 Game, helping Pennsylvania beat Texas 12-6. He was MVP of the Schuylkill County Dream Game and was named the Schuylkill County Football Scholar-Athlete.
Lucyk went on to play at Penn State, where he was the starting fullback as a junior and senior. In 1966, Lucyk's junior year, Penn State hired coach Joe Paterno, and Lucyk became Paterno's first running back to rush for 100 yards in a game. As a junior, Lucyk helped the Nittany Lions reach the Gator Bowl, where they tied Florida 17-17.
In 1972 Lucyk received a degree in Dentistry from the University of Temple, and completed Oral Surgery Training through the University of Pennsylvania in 1982. He also served active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserves from 1972-74.
Eugene 'Gino' Capone Class of 1943
Capone was a 1943 graduate of Mahanoy City High School, where was a four-year football letterman. Although he was a standout athlete, Capone is most known for his service to others.
Capone served with the Marine Corps during World War II, achieving the rank of staff sergeant. He served in the Pacific Theater from 1943-47, receiving a Blue Cross and Navy Cross.
He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Mahanoy City, serving as council president. He was also a member of World War II Marine Veterans; Good American Hose Company, Mahanoy City, for 40 years; Mahanoy Area Veterans Honor Guard; St. Canicus Holy Name Society and was active in the St. Canicus Minstrel, Mahanoy City.
Capone volunteered as a trainer for the Mahanoy Area School District sports teams for more than 50 years. The Mahanoy Area training room is named in his honor.
In the community, Capone was Boy Scout Leader in Mahanoy City from 1962-64 and was a first aid and CPR instructor for the American Red Cross. A Mahanoy City ambulance was dedicated in his name.
Capone was the Mahanoy City Fire Department Person of the Year in 2006. He received the President's Call of Service Award in 2006, Mahanoy Area Alumnus of the Year in 1996, Mahanoy City Citizen of the Year in 1984, Shenandoah Citizen of the Month in 1983; and Schuylkill County Wrestlers Hall of Fame.
Stanley Wlodarczyk Class of 1965
Wlodarczyk was a standout basketball player for the Bears, playing for legendary coach Dave Linkchorst. He was a member of the 1964-65 Mahanoy Area team that is remembered by many as the greatest team in school history. The Bears advanced to the PIAA Class A Eastern final before falling to Steel-High.
Wlodarczyk led Mahanoy Area in scoring with 22.7 points per game while averaging 23 rebounds per game. He was named Pennsylvania All-State first team by both the AP and UPI, the only Schuylkill County athlete to achieve this honor at the time. Wlodarczyk was also named to the All-Pennsylvania team in the highly regarded B'nai Brith Tournament in Whitehall, competing against teams from Washington, D.C., New York and New Jersey. He was also named honorable mention by Scholastic Magazine.
Following his high school career, Wlodarczyk went to La Salle College in Philadelphia and was a three-year starter for the Explorers. He was a member of La Salle's 1968-69 squad that is considering by many Philadelphia sports writers to be the best team in the history of Big 5 basketball. That season the Explorers, coached by former NBA star Tom Gola, finished second in the national polls to UCLA. La Salle's 1968-69 team was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Fame and the Big 5 Hall of Fame.
Wlodarczyk was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. He played in the famed Philadelphia Baker League with NBA players of the time.
Following his basketball playing career, Wlodarczyk taught and coached at Blue Mountain and Mahanoy Area high schools. His number 54 was retired by Mahanoy Area in 1994.
Wlodarczyk retired from teaching at Mahanoy Area in 2004. He is married to his wife Margo for 54 years. They have two daughters, Michelle and Ashley, and three grandsons.
Thomas Scheeler Class of 2007
Scheeler was a three-sport athlete at Mahanoy Area, earning four letters in basketball, two in baseball and two in golf.
In basketball, Scheeler led Mahanoy Area to four Schuylkill League Division IV championships and back-to-back Schuylkill League championships in 2005-06.
His individual honors include: three-time first-team All-Area in the Republican Herald, Standard Speaker and Reading Eagle newspapers as well as being named Standard-Speaker Player of the Year in 2007. He remains fifth all-time in scoring in Mahanoy Area history with 1,464 points. He holds the record for most career 3-pointers at Mahanoy Area with 247.
Scheeler continued his basketball and academic careers at Randolph-Macon College to play basketball. He helped the Yellow Jackets make the 2010 NCAA Division III Final Four and win the Old Dominion Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships in 2011.
Scheeler graduated from Randolph-Macon in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Biology and Mathematics. He earned his Master's in Physician Assistant Studies from Alderson Broaddus College in 2015.
Scheeler resides in Danville, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Dr. Lauren Scheeler, and their two children, Jameson and Kinsley. He works at Geisinger Medical Center as a Physician Assistant, specializing in skull base surgery and neurosurgical oncology.
