High school boys' and girls' tennis preview capsules

School will induct seven former student-athletes and coaches, as well as its 1970 football team

Montville — Montville High School will induct seven former student-athletes and coaches, as well as its 1970 football team, into the third class of its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, May 19, at the Mohegan Sun's Uncas Ballroom.

Thomas Amanti (contributor), Kevin Crowley (cross country, track coach), Dennis Vitro (Class of 1971, football, basketball, track), Doug Palmer (1977, wrestling), Kelly Hawkes (1986, cross country, track), Chip Terni (1993, baseball, football, basketball) and Will Huntington (2003, football, indoor track, baseball) will be honored along with the 1970 football team, which won the school's first Eastern Connecticut Conference championship under coach Ed Oliveria.

Huntington, who died in 2016, will be honored posthumously.

Tickets, which must be purchased by May 15, are $55 and include a three-course dinner. Email MHSHOF@montvilleschools.org or visit the main office weekdays between 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Checks should be made out to the "MHS Athletic Hall of Fame."

Following is a capsule look at the Class of 2017 inductees:

• Amanti spent his entire 36-year professional career at Montville, starting as an English and social studies teacher in 1974. He coached the first girls' basketball program, winning the school's first ECC title in 1982. He also coached the baseball team for eight seasons before retiring from coaching to pursue administrative positons. He served seven years as the dean of students and nine as principal. During his tenure as principal, Montville won teams won 24 ECC regular-season titles and eight state titles. In 2008, Tom was named Administrator of the Year by the Southeastern Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. He retired in 2011.

• Crowley was architect of one of the most dominant cross country teams in state history. He was the boys' cross country from 1979-1983, winning ECC titles in 1979, 1981, 1982, and the Class M state title in 1982. Crowley's girls' teams, which he coached from 1976-83, won seven consecutive league titles, a state record six consecutive Class M titles (1978-1983) and three straight State Open championships (1981-83). Four runners — Kim Watt, Kim Hawkes, Mary Bridge and Kelly Hawkes — are members of the Athletic Hall of Fame. He currently splits time between homes in Norwich and Florida.

• Vitro was a four-year starter and two-time football captain as an offensive lineman/linebacker. He was a two-time All-ECC pick as a linebacker and was the school's first two-time all-state selection in any sport. He once held the school single-game record for tackles (16) and helped lead the Indians to an unbeaten season in 1970. He retired in 2008 after working at Electric Boat for 35 years.

• Palmer was a dominant wrestler, winning a pair of ECC titles at 145 pounds (1976) and 155 pounds (1977). He is still the only wrestler in program history to capture three state titles, winning Class M championships at 145 in 1975 and 1976, then capturing the 155 title in 1977. He currently resides in Texas.

• Hawkes ran cross country and track, and still holds state records. She earned All-ECC and all-state honors in cross country all four seasons, leading the team to two ECC, two Class M and two State Open titles. In track, Hawkes, captured four individual ECC titles (two each in the 1,600 and 3,200) and was all-state five times, including a Class M state title in the 3,200 in 1986. She still holds school records in in the 3,000 (10:31.6) and 3,200 (11:27.5). Hawkes currently lives and Milford and works as IT Project Manager at United Healthcare.

• Chip Terni joins his younger brothers Jeremy (2015) and Chas (2016) in the Athletic Hall of Fame. Chip received nine varsity letters in football (two), basketball (three and baseball (four), earning All ECC honors four teams, once in football and three in baseball. He was a threetime all-state pick as a shortstop and batted .462 as a senior in 1993 when the Indians won their first ECC division and tournament titles. Terni is a member of the Mohegan Tribe, working in a managerial position at the Mohegan Sun.

• Huntington lettered three times each in football and baseball and twice in indoor track. He was All-ECC five times — twice in baseball and indoor track and once in football — and was an all-state pick in football as a senior. He was a three-year baseball starter in centerfield, making the Class M all-state team as a senior. He captained both the football and baseball teams to the state finals as a senior, then played baseball at Avery Point and Vermont. He was a math teacher and head baseball coach at St. Thomas More at the time of his death.

• The 1970 football team (8-0-1) recorded six shutouts during its ECC championship season and won the school's very first Eastern Connecticut Conference championship. It featured nine defensive players who earned All-ECC or all-state recognition — Vitro, Mike Gdula, Gary Strickland, Bill Krause, Bob Chabot, Don Sweet, Gary Lietkowski, Bernie Szreders and Ralph Calevro — along with offensive stars Wayne Simmons, Nick Nicholson, Ralph Gilbert, Billy O'Hara and George Race. Its only blemish was a scoreless tie with Griswold.