Three generations of Bedford High School student-athletes and their families celebrated decades of sports culture Saturday night, as eight individuals and three teams joined the BHS Sports Hall of Fame as the class of 2021.
Participants spanning the late 1960s to the mid-2010s were inducted in ceremonies attended by more than 130 at the Doubletree Bedford Glen.
The Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Bedford Athletic Association since 2006, features individual student-athletes, teams, coaches, and friends connected to interscholastic athletics at BHS. Nominees are evaluated by a selection committee, based on measurable and intangible performance, on athletic achievements during and after their BHS years.
The individuals, coach, and championship teams inducted Saturday were:
- Samantha Cowan ’14, presented by her father, Gary Cowan. After breaking the 1,000-point milestone in a stellar BHS basketball career, she played at Catholic University.
- Erin Dietz ’15, presented by BHS girls’ cross-country Coach Joel Hebert. Dietz holds several BHS records in running sports and won a state cross-country championship.
- Coach Al Dougherty, presented by his former colleague, Rich Schilder. Dougherty coached indoor and outdoor track at BHS for more than three decades. The Dougherty family entourage at the event included two great-grandchildren.
- Elizabeth (Watson) Rogers ’12, presented by classmate Kristen (Baratta) Bertonazzi. A two-sport all-scholastic at BHS, she played lacrosse at the University of Rochester.
- Colin Ross ’93, presented by his classmate Geoffrey Chase. Ross, who came from Nashville with his youngest son Sean, rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior and senior and also was a baseball all-star.
- Doug Shamon ’79, presented by his classmate and teammate John Mulligan. After lettering in three sports, he spent decades competing in adult hockey tournaments. Shamon, who was cheered a large contingent of 1978-79 teammates, now resides in Florida.
- The 1976 golf team, sectional champion, presented by Coach Terry Bane. After winning a league playoff, the team came in first among 60 teams in the regionals. Eight team members attended: Paul Benoit, Tom Britt, Mark Freeman, Steve Gaylor, Ron Huffman, Rich Lemay, Tom McManus, and Dan Welsh.
- The 1973-74 boys’ basketball team, sectional champion, presented by Pete Traynor. The team, coached by Keith Adams, went 18-5 and played in the Division 2 final four. Traynor also shared some memories submitted by Dr. Bill Hennrikus, serving as a volunteer physician in the Philippines.
- The 2009-10 boys’ basketball team, sectional champion, presented by Coach Jim Byrnes. After winning the league title, the Bucs surged to the Division 3 final four. Team members present Saturday were Kevin Cangiano, Mike Dirrane, Justin McAfee, Nick Nocera, Joel Reubenstein, and Mike Thorsen, as well as Assistant Coaches John Fusco, Joe LeBlanc, and Vin McGrath.
- James Giencke ’71, posthumous induction, presented by his teammate Jim Goldie ’73. An elite distance runner over almost every season for four years, Giencke died from an illness six months after graduating from BHS. (See related story.)
Also inducted posthumously was Jay Porter ’70, who starred in football, basketball, and baseball over multiple years.
Several incumbent members of the Sports Hall of Fame attended Saturday’s induction, including Mike Genetti. Kristin (Dougherty) Maskalenko, Coach Bob Petrillo, and Todd Russell, as well as Bertonazzi, Byrnes, Cangiano, McGrath, and McManus.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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