Massaro at top of the class in Marple
The Marple Newtown High School Athletic Hall of Fame recently honored five individuals, two coaches, and three championship teams at its awards dinner at Springfield Country Club.
Joining the Hall of Fame were Pete Massaro (Class of 2008), Todd Fairlie (Class of 2002), Julie Weiss (Class of 1996), Jen Gicking Cadden (Class of 1992), and Matt Barr (Class of 1990).
Tom Gorski (1983 girls swimming district champions) and Jerry Williams (1987 and 1988 Central League wrestling champions) were the coaches honored. The 1961 (Suburban Two League champion) and 1962 (Suburban One League champ) football teams and the 2006 District One Class AA championship softball team also received special recognition.
Massaro was an All-Delco and All-State football player and a member of the 2007 Marple Newtown baseball team, which played in the state championship game. At Penn State, he was a twotime Academic All-American, He works for Merrill Lynch in New York City.
Massaro spoke of the “external factors” which helped him succeed, including “a great family, great friends, great teachers, who provided a quality education, and great teammates, who practiced hard and played hard.”
Fairlie was an All-Delco football player, a district medalist in wrestling, an All-Delco lacrosse player, and one of the captains of two league championship ice hockey teams Newtown.
He earned All-America honors in football at Widener University and helped the school’s lacrosse team to its first NCAA Tournament playoff victory. He played professional lacrosse with the San Francisco Dragons and San Jose Stealth and has been Episcopal Academy’s varsity football coach since 2011.
“I don’t get a lot of time to think back to high school,” Fairlie said. “When I do, I think about the great times we had and the great people we shared them with.
“I’m delighted to see the tremendous job they are doing at Marple Newtown and the renewed ‘Tiger Pride’.”
Weiss was an All-Delco field hockey and lacrosse player and helped the 1995 Marple lacrosse team to the district/state championship. At James Madison University, she played for three lacrosse teams that reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round.
She was head lacrosse coach at La Salle University from 2001-2008 and has twice played in the National Club Field Hockey Championships.
“Competing was what always excited me,” Weiss said. “It was the opportunity to be a part of something that was bigger than yourself.
“I’ll always remember how powerful it was being with teammates who had such positive attitudes.”
Gicking Cadden was an All-Central League field hockey player and a member of a Central League lacrosse championship team at Marple, and was a two-time AllAmerican in lacrosse at James Madison, graduating as the school’s career leader in assists. at Marple
She was head lacrosse coach at Conestoga from 2003-2009, compiling a record of 101-37 and winning three district championships.
“I couldn’t have asked to play for coaches who were more dedicated and caring,” she said. “And at home, I got so much love and support from my parents (Harry and Sue Gicking).”
Barr was a two-time selection in football and baseball at Marple Newtown and set an indoor track school record in the 55-meter dash. He played football and baseball at West Chester University before a career-ending shoulder injury.
He was offensive coordinator for Williamson Trade School’s football team before spending five seasons as head football coach at Harriton High.
“I’ve had the chance to reflect on the great friendships I made and the great AllDelco coaches and mentors I played for,” Barr said. “My brother Pat was seven years older but always took me with him. Playing with the older guys gave me a lot of confidence
“And I had coaches who taught me a lot about the proper approach that would make me successful.”
Phil Wahl was an AllDelco guard for Sharon Hill High’s 1966 football team.
He joined the Marines after he finished high school, and died Nov. 9, 1967 at the age of 20 while serving in Vietnam.
Friends, family, classmates, teammates and former neighbors of Wahl will join members of the military services Nov. 11 in a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of his passing.
The event will take place at Wahl’s gravesite at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill and will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Rev. John Cartwright, an All-Delco quarterback at Sharon Hill, when he was one of Wahl’s teammates, and a record-breaking signal caller for the Naval Academy, will lead the gathering in prayer.
Questions about the ceremony can be directed to Edward Frescoln at 302-3324441.
The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum 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 Drexel Hill native Jack Sherry, who played football and basketball at Penn State University and died in 2014 at the age of 81.
Sherry set a Penn State record that stood for 17 years with eight interceptions during the 1952 football season. He is a member of Penn State’s all-time team for the 1950s. In 1954, he helped the Nittany Lions basketball team to the NCAA’s Final Four. After college, he played for several seasons in the Eastern Basketball League.
The Sports Legends Museum is continuing its drive to raise funds to have a statue erected 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 fund-raising committee hopes to have the dedication ceremony in June 2018. For additional information, visit www.sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com or www.emlentunnell.com.
The Instant Replay feature that appeared in the
Friday reported that 30 years ago, quarterback Joe DiGregorio threw three touchdown passes to help St. James High to a 34-6 Catholic League victory over St. Joseph’s Prep.
Saturday afternoon, son, Joe, an Archmere Academy senior, tossed three scoring passes as the Auks (5-3) rolled to a 48-7 decision over Red Lion Christian Academy.
DiGregorio ran for Archmere’s first touchdown, and Darren DiRenzo, a Ridley Township resident, had the Auks’ second scoring run. The DiGregorios are residents of West Chester.
Among the offensive linemen blocking for DiGregorio and DiRenzo was senior Ryan Whelan, who also resides in Ridley. His mother, the former Peg Willert, played basketball at Cardinal O’Hara. DiGregorio’s