Dabney honored at 50th Ridley Twp. Old Timers dinner
Dr. Kirk Dabney was an outstanding wrestler and student at Ridley High. He lost a second-round match at the PIAA Championships to Bob Weaver of Easton High, who became an Olympic champion in 1984.
After attending Princeton University, Dabney completed his studies at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1984 and has been in practice as an orthopedic surgeon for 33 years. He works with children with Cystic Fibrosis at the Nemours A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington.
Last week, Dabney was presented the Daniel E. Murtaugh Memorial Award at the Ridley Township Old Timers Association’s 50th awards dinner for his distinguished professional life.
Among the other award winners were Sportsman of the Year Bill Driadon, Presidents’ Award winner John Wolk, and Ridley High Class of 2017 Student-Athletes of the Year Emily Johnston and Brock Anderson.
Joining the Old Timers Hall of Fame were multisport athletes Bob Calamita and Kevin O’Doherty, track athlete Dana Early Chao, lacrosse players Erica Bryan Capozzoli, Jason Kilpatrick and David F. Mullen Jr., softball player Kenneth Firth, football players John Gordon, Brian Kingsborough, the late Walter “Rusty” Richter and Don Solowski, basketball player David Showalter, and baseball player David Mullin III.
“I never thought I was anyone special,” Dabney said. “I just tried to surround myself with special people. I had special parents, special teachers, special coaches, and great teammates when I was at Ridley.
“Working with patients with special needs such as cerebral palsy is quite humbling. I have drawn a lot from being in athletics for the kind of work that I do.”
Calamita played for two Ridley state champion lacrosse teams and at Drexel University.
“I saw the passion and dedication of so many past players, and that’s what made me want to play lacrosse,” he said.
O’Doherty was a football player, wrestler and lacrosse player at Ridley and became a fifth-grade teacher at Eddystone Elementary School.
“When I think of all the good times I had at Ridley I know I’d do it all over again in a second,” he said.
Early Chao competed in track and field at Ridley and George Mason University. Her grandfather, John Greer, was named to the Hall of Fame for his outstanding officiating career.
“My family was always there for me,” she said. “I hope I’ll be able to give back like that with my children.”
Bryan Capozzoli played field hockey and lacrosse at Ridley and was an all-conference selection in lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts.
“Playing at Ridley was a great honor,” she said. “We had coaches who taught us how to work hard and come together in the tough times. I’ll always remember how my parents and brother and sisters would manage to be at my games even though it was a five-hour drive.”
Kilpatrick, known to his coaches and teammates as “Scrapper,” played on two state championship lacrosse teams at Ridley then competed for Drexel University.
“When I was a freshman I asked Coach (Doug) Ellers for uniform number 3,” Kilpatrick said. “He asked me if I knew what three times three was, and when I said nine he gave me jersey number 9 and told me I’d have to work three times harder. And I did.”
Mullen Jr., a goalie, was MVP of the state lacrosse final and played for the University of Delaware.
“When I was a fifth grader, I saw guys wearing state championship jackets and said I wanted to get one of those,” he said.
Firth was cut from the Ridley North Junior High baseball team and shortly afterward began his softball career. He pitched for 28 years for the highly successful St. Matthew’s team.
“I really got my passion for the game from Pastor (David) Krewson,” Firth said.
Gordon, Ridley High’s first 1,000-yard rusher, played football at the University of Delaware. He is chaplain for the Baldwin-Wallace University team.
“My younger brother, Bruce, taught me how to tackle and to run,” Gordon said. “We became better players because we played together. I was fortunate Coach Phil Marion saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Kingsborough was a fouryear starter at running back for the Green Raiders, earning All-Delco honors as a junior and senior.
“I have to thank my coaches, my teammates, and my family for helping me earn this great honor,” Kingsborough, who joined his older brother, Dr. Joe Kingsborough, in the Hall of Fame.
Richter played on Ridley football teams that posted a 32-1 record over three years. He gained 225 yards rushing in a game against Lower Merion.
Solowski was a two-time All-Delco in football at Ridley and set a pole vault record while at the University of Delaware.
Showalter, CEO of the Main Line Health System, was an Academic All-American at the University of the Sciences.
“I was fortunate that I had coaches in the Ridley youth basketball program who helped turn an average athlete into an above-average basketball player,” Showalter said.
Mullin III, an All-Delco pitcher, helped Ridley Legion win three championships, earned 31 wins in his career at the University of Delaware, and was a 60-game winner in the Delaware Semi-Pro League.
“I really have to thank the coaches I had in high school and in American Legion – Jeff D’Orazio, Bob Tennant, and Jerry Iannacci,” he said.
The Marcus Hook Area Old Timers will hold a reunion from 3-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Ballrooms at Boothwyn at 1405 Meetinghouse Road.
Tickets are $45 and include a buffet provided by Lia’s Catering as well as an open bar. A slide show presentation will feature many memorable photos from the past.
For additional information, contact Charlie Schiliro at 610-368-9878 or Marie Massarelli at 302-475-5649.
The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum, which is located at 301 Iven Avenue in Radnor, is featuring one of the cards from its newest collection of top county sports figures each week on the museum’s website at www.sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com.
The featured card this week is that of former pro football players Bob Kuberski and Todd Rucci.
Kuberski, who played football and wrestled at Ridley High, was a two-time AllEast defensive lineman at the Naval Academy then was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. In four seasons in Green Bay, he was a member of two teams that played in the Super Bowl.
Rucci was an All-Delco and All-State lineman at Upper Darby High before playing at Penn State University. He was a second-round draft pick of the New England Patriots and played eight seasons in New England, starting for the Patriots on the offensive line in Super Bowl XXXI.
The Billy Lake Basketball Marathon will take place Saturday, Oct. 21, at Haverford College.
The event, which has basketball games featuring high school boys teams as well as local community teams, begins at 9 a.m. It is a fundraiser for the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia Chapter’s research program as well as the Billy Lake Memorial Scholarship Fund at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High.
The event is hosted by Haverford College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams in memory of Libby Meeks, mother of former Fords captain Dominique Meeks. It is played in memory of former Monsignor Bonner basketball player Billy Lake, who died of ALS in 1992.
Information about forming teams to participate or making donations can be found at www.billylake.com.
The Chester High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s 26th awards dinner will be held Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Concordville Inn.
For additional information, contact Mark Freeman at 610-656-1963 or Jay Francis at 302-544-0726.