Fox Foundation supports Ridley hockey program
The Billy Fox Foundation recently presented a check for $7,500 to the Ridley Elementary School ice hockey program.
“Billy played ice hockey for Ridley from elementary school all the way through high school,” Brian Fox said of his son, who passed away in Jan. 2015 at the age of 26. “Ice hockey was his passion, and we did this for him.
“They haven’t had an elementary school team for three years, but now there are 22 or 23 kids playing hockey. For some of them, it’s been their first time on the ice. We had talked about doing whatever we could to try to make playing for the team free. That’s why the family starting fund-raising and started the Billy Fox Foundation.”
The Ridley Ice Hockey Alumni Association has provided assistance in the Foundation’s efforts and continues to sponsor the Billy Fox Alumni Award to a player who demonstrates “leadership, sportsmanship, skill, academic achievement and is a positive role model to his teammates.”
Brian Fox said the foundation’s activities can be followed on facebook and the family hopes to have a website up and running in the near future.
“We had a fund-raiser that tied in with Billy’s birthday, Sept. 18. We have another one coming up in March,” Brian Fox said. “We want to do all that we can to pay for the whole (elementary school) program.”
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The St. Francis of Assisi (Springfield) Bruins CYO soccer team recently won the Region 25/30/32 championship for the second consecutive year with a 5-1 victory over Notre Dame de Lourdes (Swarthmore).
Lex Aaron set up the first two Bruins goals, the first by Olivia Gutowski and the other by Kyle Coleman, giving St. Francis a
2-0 halftime lead. After Notre Dame scored early in the second half, Coleman assisted on a goal by Ty Adams, then set up Ryan Holden before Aidan Kreydt added the Bruins’ final goal.
Nick Labutis, Luke Ellis, Molly Henry, Anabel Kreydt, Mike White, Ethan Marshall and Jake Adams played well defensively in support of goalkeeper Michael Kutafaris.
The Bruins had a 9-0 regular-season record, allowing only one goal. In the playoffs, they defeated St. Dorothy in the divisional quarterfinal round, and St. Margaret, 3-0, in a divisional semifinal match. A 5-2 win over St. Anastasia gave them the chance to play for the regional title.
Among the other members of the team were Mike Hoey, Danny Flaherty, Mike Friel, Lucas Aaron, Kaitlin Laverty, Karli Henderson, Ava Hnelski, Carly Coleman Ana Hoey, Kate DiGregorio, Grace Ellis, Brianna Marandola, Mia Ciliberti, Lex Ferraiolo, Leah Adams, Evan Downs, Colin Schloeder, Jimmy Kennedy, Jake Pace, Ben Kutafaris, Ryan Whitaker, Cole Donnelly, Annabelle Mirra, Stephanie Reardon, Coryn Silberstein and Tessa Purcell.
Brian Coleman was the team’s head coach. He was assisted by Martin Meenan.
••• Seven individuals were inducted into the Chester High Athletics Hall of Fame recently.
Among the honorees were AJ Thompkins, an outstanding runner for the Clippers who coached championship girls track teams at Chester High; Wayne Gibbs (Class of
1984) and Andre Hardy (Class of 1992), who earned All-Del Val and All-Delco honors in football; and Shariff Blackwell (Class of
1997), an All-Delco football player who was the Clippers’ defensive most valuable player.
Other new Hall of Famers included Lamont Grant (Class of 2003), an AllDelco track runner; Tanisha Kane (Class of 2007), who was a four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer in basketball for the Clippers and Kathryn Flagg-Justice, who was cheerleading coach from 1980-92 and always emphasized having the cheerleaders maintain good grades and display good sportsmanship.
Jesse Powell, who was a teacher, guidance counselor, dean of students, vice principal and principal during her 40 years working for the Chester Upland School District, received the Fred Pickett Special Services Award.
Judge Spencer Seaton was presented the Lawson Showell Special Service Award for spending more than 20 years as a volunteer assistant with the Chester High basketball program.
Tahaij Cooper, who is attending college in South Carolina, was given the Bob Naef Book Award.
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The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum,
301 Iven Avenue in Wayne, will be buzzing from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday with an open house in conjunction with the Vintage Wool Flannel Baseball Uniform Exhibit.
In addition to being able to view baseball uniforms from more than 50 years ago as well as some from the 1970s and 1980s, visitors will be able to meet Bobby Shantz, the former Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who is the oldest living former major league baseball player to have earned league most valuable player honors.
Former Daily Times sports writer Rich Westcott will be on hand with copies of his latest book, “Biz Mackey: A Giant Behind the Plate.”
The museum also will have on display the Silver Bat that was awarded to Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as Marcus Hook native Mickey Vernon’s horsehide, featuring the signatures of more than 200 American League baseball players of the 1950s, and a bat that was used by Ted Williams during the 1960 season.
For more information, go to sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com or call Jim Vankoski at 610-909-4919.
••• Villanova University sophomore Riley Dolan, a two-time All-Delco at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast, has been named to the 2018 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I all-Mid-Atlantic Region second team.
Dolan, a midfielder who scored one goal and had five assists in helping the Wildcats to a 9-10 record, also was named to the AllBig East Conference second team. Villanova lost to top seed Connecticut in the semifinal round of the league playoffs.