Three hockey stars are entering the Durfee Athletics Hall Of Fame. See who made the cut.
This may be the coolest Durfee High Athletic Hall of Fame class ever. No knock on previous inductees. It's just that the seven-person '23 class includes three selections from the ice, all of whom happen to be members of Durfee's exclusive 100-point ice hockey club. And two of the hockey players were not only teammates, but classmates as well.
Former Hilltopper hockey players Bobby Rapoza, Kevin Brum and Kevin DaSilva will join Amy Costar, Mike McMahon, Stephanie Valente, and Alex Fiola as individual inductees next month. Durfee's 2004 Division 1 state championship softball team will also be inducted.
The annual induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14, at White's of Westport.
MIKE McMAHON, 1987
All-out effort. Every game. Every match. Every meet. That's how McMahon is so well remembered to those who competed with and against him and those who had the privilege of coaching him. A legitimate standout in football, wrestling and track and field, he was selected as Durfee Male Athlete of the Year in 1987. A two-way starter (defensive back/linebacker and running back), McMahon in football was a two-time league All-Star on defense, where he piled up tackles and takeaways and was a key in the Hilltoppers winning seven straight games and earning a share of the SMC Div. 1 title in 1986. A monster on the wrestling mat, McMahon lettered four times and twice competed in the Div. 1 state championships. He was team captain and MVP as a senior, earning 108 points, helping the Toppers to a 12-5-2 record, and winning the Div. 1 South championship at the ultra-competitive 157 pounds. In the spring, McMahon flashed his speed and showed his athleticism, rating as one of the team's top scorers while competing in the 220, 4x100 and discus. He wrestled at both Slippery Rock University and Bridgewater State and is now in his second tenure as Durfee's wrestling coach.
More: The Herald News Player of the Week poll - 44 nominees
KEVIN BRUM, 1993
A a four-year varsity hockey player, Brum was one of two freshmen to make the varsity squad that year. Despite getting injured that season, Brum finished his Durfee hockey career with more than 100 points. Brum achieved Herald News and state recognition as well. He was known for his speed, accuracy and puck-handling ability, but also as a leader and great teammate. Brum was honored as a co-captain his senior year and capitalized on his opportunities. Despite the team coming up short in the state tournament in Brum's last two years at Durfee, the ice hockey program had generated the momentum future success. A resident of San Diego, Kevin married his high school sweetheart and has been in the firefighting service for more than 20 years.
AMY COSTAR, 1990
Upon entering Durfee High School in the fall of 1986, Costar, a 5-feet 4-inch gymnastic dynamo, began to make her mark as one of the best dual-sport stars of her era. A fierce and fearless competitor, she quickly assumed her place, and as a freshman became the leading scorer on the varsity gymnastic squad. Competing in all four events, she specialized in the balance beam and floor exercises, where she was the league champion, and two-year Southeast Conference All-Star. As a sophomore, despite no prior experience as a diver, she transferred her athletic skill to the pool, amassing a three-year dual meet record of 32-1 and was named a three-year Southeastern Conference All-Star. As a senior, Costar won the South Sectional Diving Championship, and finished a close second in the All-State meet which came down to the final dive. For her efforts she was named to the Boston Herald All State Swimming and Diving Team. In her athletic career at Durfee, Costar was named by her coaches as a Team MVP in her 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades. A cheerleader and National Honor Society student, she went on to a distinguished diving career as a scholarship athlete for Northeastern University.
More: 23 for 2023: Top Fall River area boy athletes to watch entering the fall season
KEVIN DaSILVA, 2003
Kevin DaSilva was a three-season athlete at Durfee playing golf, tennis and primarily ice hockey. During DaSilva's high school career on the ice, with the help of his teammates, Durfee earned an impressive record of 50 wins, 23 losses and six ties. By the end of his career, he totaled 63 goals and 44 assists for 107 points. DaSilva is only one of seven players in Durfee hockey history to have surpassed 100 career scoring points. His freshman record for points in a single season (26) still stands today. DaSilva’s performance on the ice played a critical part in Durfee’s record-setting season of consecutive wins (18). As a senior, he was the team’s leading scorer with 22 goals and 13 assists. DaSilva helped his team secure three Big Three Conference championships and four Challenge Cup crowns while he received two Big Three Conference All-Star honors. He was also awarded MVP of the Prenda Cup for his outstanding performance his junior season.
ALEX FIOLA, 2008
Alex Fiola was a four-year starter of the girls basketball team. Her accolades include earning three Herald News All-Star and three Big 3 Conference All-Star honors. A 1,200-point career scorer, Fiola averaged 18 points per game as a junior and 17 points per game as a senior. Three-point shooting was one of her strengths as she shot 42% on 3s her junior year. Senior year, Fiola was team captain and also a Dave Cowens Award Nominee. In addition to basketball, Fiola was a member of the swim team for two years. She received a full scholarship to Division 2 Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, where she played basketball for all four years. She majored in nursing and later went on to get her master’s degree to become a nurse anesthetist. Fiola currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and two boys.
BOBBY RAPOZA, 1993
Take into consideration that Rapoza was primarily a defenseman before trying to digest these career statistics: 69 goals, 65 assists, 134 points. Yes, he occasionally moved up front when Durfee dearly needed a goal, but still, c'mon. One of only seven members of Durfee's 100-point club, Rapoza's junior season was, arguably, the finest for an individual in school history – 35 goals, 27 assists, 62 points. Rapoza was also an amazing penalty killer and, as coach Steve Maurer frequently said, represented the Red and Black with class. During Rapoza's career, the Hilltoppers claimed multiple Southeastern Massachusetts Conference championships, and the talented defenseman landed on many an All-Star team. A true lover of the game of hockey, Rapoza played professionally in Ontario and in various pro leagues across the United States. He also assistant coached at Salve Regina University. Last winter, Rapoza was selected to The Herald News' all-time top 10 hockey players list.
STEPHANIE VALENTE, 1991
The daughter of former longtime Durfee High volleyball coach Jerry Valente, Stephanie, pre-high school, could often be found chasing volleyballs around the Luke Urban Field House and cheering on the Hilltoppers. Once at Durfee as a student, Valente played volleyball, basketball and tennis, with her star shining brightest on the volleyball court. A superb setter with the height and skill to help at the net, Valente was a three-year volleyball starter, playing a huge role in the 1989 team posting a 20-3 record, the best in school history and with all three losses to state Div. 1 champion Case. She was named a Herald News, Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Star. She was a three-year starter in tennis and volleyball. After Durfee, Valente played volleyball at D1 University of Vermont for four years, stating at setter for her last three years and earning North Atlantic Conference all-tournament honors and NAC Academic Achievement honors. She later coached club volleyball. A resident of Portsmouth, Valente is a physical therapist.
2004 SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS
You have to start this story at the end. In the state final against a Fitchburg team that was 21-2 with only 26 runs allowed all season, Durfee won 1-0 in eight innings, with Caitlin Belanger firing a 1-hitter with 10 strikeouts and 2 walks. Ashley Mauricione's squeeze bunt scored Jenn Fitta with the winning run as Durfee finished its season 21-5. Adopting Journey's “Don't Stop Believin'”as their theme song, the Hilltoppers — after losing three of their last five regular-season games, just as the 1998 Durfee state champs had done — won their six playoff games by a combined score of 17-1. Team members included: Tina Mitsis (captain), Jenn Fitta (captain), Stephanie Bonalewicz (captain), Ashley Rodrigues, Brittany Poissant, Ashley Maucione, Sarah Golden, Maeghan Connor, Chelsea Sullivan, Amber Burns, Sarah Stack, Caitlin Belanger, Vanessa Dias, Kayla Peixoto, Ashley Saraiva, Cassandra Kerrigan, Katie Viveiros, Sarah Benjamin, head coach Steve Winarski, assistant coaches Stephanie Ponte and Jim Swanson.
TICKETS
The Oct. 14 induction ceremony schedule is cocktails from 5 to 6 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., with the inductions to follow. Tickets cost $60 and may be purchased from the Durfee Hall Fame Committee at the security booth just inside the Luke Urban Field House on successive Tuesdays — Sept. 12, 19, and 26, from 4 to 6 p.m.
For questions regarding the event, call the Durfee High School Athletic Department at 508-675-8100, Ext. 40225.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Durfee High Athletics Hall of Fame inducts 7; hockey stars honored
