McDevitt, Peppel honored by Chester Chapter of Officials
Wyatt McDevitt was the center for the 2017 Interboro football team.
Harry Peppel never wanted to be the center of attention during the 41 years he was a member of the Chester Chapter of PIAA Football Officials.
McDevitt and Peppel took home major awards as the Chester Chapter held its season-ending dinner at the Concordville Inn last week.
McDevitt won the Martin Kennedy Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award, which is presented in memory of the chapter’s founding vice president. Kennedy was an All-Delco player at Eddystone High and an outstanding official before his life was cut short by multiple sclerosis.
Peppel, who has announced that he is retiring as an on-field official, was the winner of the Joseph Barrett Memorial Award, named in memory of the chapter’s founding secretary who assigned officials to work games in the Del Val League until his passing in 1985.
McDevitt is the youngest of Leonard and Carrie McDevitt’s five children. He ranks 16th academically among the 277 students in Interboro’s Class of 2018, with a weighted grade point average of 3.96 (out of 4.0). He has enrolled in eight Advanced Placement courses.
He also serves as class treasurer, secretary of the Future Business Leaders Association, is a member of the National Honor Society, a Franklin Mint Credit Union intern and a Theater Interboro guardian. He volunteers at Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, cooking for the resident families there. He also is a member of the track and field team.
“I just don’t know where he finds the time to do all of those things,” Interboro coach Steve Lennox said. “Wyatt McDevitt has been a pleasure for me to be around and coach this past season.”
McDevitt is headed to the University of Michigan to major in business. He also will study in the Army ROTC program.
“I have to thank my parents, teachers and coaches for all they have done for me,” McDevitt said.
Peppel, a Ridley Township resident, got into officiating at the urging of his former PECO coworker Ed Meakim, a retired high school and college official who was a founding member of the Chester Chapter and served as its president in 1976.
“I came into the chapter in 1977 with Bill Coates, Dave Wray and Chuck Thompson,” Peppel said. “We attended classes (conducted by) Bob Hannum, Bill Stern and Jim McClain. I had a five-year break from doing PIAA games for health reasons after the 1998 season but still worked the Bert Bell League. Then I came back to the PIAA in 2003.
“I have enjoyed making so many friends through football and will miss putting on the stripes next season. I would like to thank the Chester Chapter for honoring me with what I believe to be its most prestigious award, named after such a special man. It’s very humbling. I was fortunate to have worked games with Joe Barrett, who was a good official and an even better man.”
The Chester Chapter also honored former president Douglas R. Hill as the 2017 winner of its Founders’ Award, presented in memory of founding president Joseph R. Imburgia and in recognition of the other 12 men who founded the chapter in 1966.
Chichester High was winner of the Mike Thurstlic/John Malloy Memorial Sportsmanship Award for the Del Val League, and Ridley Park Athletic Club earned the Pat Gavaghan Memorial Sportsmanship Award for the Delco Boys Football League.
Two former members of the Chester Chapter who have moved up in the college officiating ranks will be working bowl games this month.
Dan Bush, a former St. James athlete, will be a member of the crew that will officiate the Las Vegas Bowl between Boise State and Oregon on Dec. 16.
Dan Scanlan, an Interboro graduate who was the center judge in the national championship game between Clemson and Alabama at the end of last season, will work the Military Bowl, in which Navy will host Virginia Dec. 28.
Bryce Wallace, a senior at Salesianum School in Wilmington, Del., has been named Player of the Year on the Delaware all-state soccer team. Wallace scored both goals in Salesianum’s 2-1 victory over Appoquinimink in the Division I state championship game.
He also was named to the United Soccer Coaches Association’s High School All-America team.
Wallace is the son of former St. James athlete and Neumann University men’s basketball coach George Wallace.
Melanie Malseed, a Neumann University sophomore outside hitter, recently was named to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III All-America honorable mention team.
The 2015 All-Delco player from Ridley High was named to the AVCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region squad last month.
She was selected Defensive Player of the Year in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) after leading the conference with 435 kills. She also had 456 digs, 49 service aces, and 26 blocks.
Malseed was named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District team.
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 of Richard Norris-Williams, who lived much of his adult life in St Davids. A survivor of the sinking of the Titanic, he was an intercollegiate tennis champion in singles and doubles and was U.S. Open singles champ in 1914 and 1916.
Norris-Williams later captured a doubles championship at Wimbledon as well as a pair of U.S. Open doubles titles.
The Museum continues its drive to raise funds for a statue of Radnor graduate Emlen Tunnell, a World War II hero and the first African-American elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The statue fundraising committee plans to have the dedication ceremony in June 2018.
Additional information about the statue project can be found by visiting www.sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com or www.emlentunnell.com.
The Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame has mailed ballots for the individuals who will join the Hall at its awards dinner in April 2018.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, is the deadline for returns to be postmarked. Voters are reminded that they can vote for no more than six male athletes and four female athletes.