Ben DiNucci, Class of 2025 enter Pine-Richland hall of fame

By: Ted Sarneso
Sunday, September 14, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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It all began Thursday, June 12, when the Pine-Richland Athletic Hall of Fame selection committee convened to review numerous submitted nominations for its 2025 class.

After careful consideration and adherence to the committee’s bylaws that state five individual athletes and one team must be chosen, the committee had their selections.

Fast forward three months and the Class of 2025 was recognized Sept. 5 during pregame festivities of the Pine-Richland football game as the Rams hosted Seneca Valley.

The next evening, the inductees were honored with a banquet in the Pine-Richland High School cafeteria, where each inductee gave a speech.

This year’s inductees combined for nine WPIAL titles and four PIAA state titles.

Janet Chappell, tennis coach

Janet Chappell coached tennis at Pine-Richland for 30 seasons, leading the girls team from 1990-2017 and the boys team from 1995-2019.

Pine-Richland celebrated 43 playoff appearances, three WPIAL championships and three PIAA championships with Chappell at the helm.

Fifteen of Chappell’s student-athletes went on to the PIAA tournament and she coached previous Hall of Fame inductee Brett Warren to four PIAA qualifications and a championship in 2002, the doubles team of Steve Eaglen and Casey Watt to a PIAA championship in 2006 and Marlys Bridgham to a PIAA title in 2013.

Chappell retired with a record of 671-269.

Ben DiNucci, football (Class of 2015)

Undoubtedly the most well-known member of this year’s class, DiNucci was a three-year starter for the Rams football team and a two-year basketball starter. DiNucci set a WPIAL record his senior year in football, passing for 4,269 yards and 46 touchdowns. He was the first player in Pennsylvania history to throw for more than 4,000 yards.

He led the Rams to a 15-1 record and a PIAA Class 4A title game appearance. He was also named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, second-team USA TODAY All-American and Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class AAAA Player of the Year.

He finished his high school career with 7,819 passing yards and 80 touchdowns. He went on to start 34 games at Pitt and James Madison.

He still ranks among the all-time leaders in completions, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense at James Madison.

He was chosen in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys and played in three games. In 2023, he led the XFL in passing yards while with the Seattle Sea Dragons. Today he co-owns True Brvnd, a Dallas-based hat company.

Brandon Hunt, football, track and field, baseball (Class of 1999)

Hunt excelled as a multi-sport athlete for the Rams, serving as a three-year, two-way starter on the varsity football team and captain his senior year. He earned all-conference honors and a spot in the NAFCA All-Star Game. In track and field, he finished fourth in the WPIAL in shot put and won the WPIAL Class 3A discus title as a senior and earned a trip to the PIAA meet.

After high school, Hunt went on to play football at IUP, where he was a four-year starter, a team captain and part of four PSAC West championship teams. He later went on to build a 21-year NFL career in personnel departments with the Steelers, Texans, Eagles and Raiders.

He was instrumental in constructing four Super Bowl teams and won titles in Super Bowls XL and LIX.

John Karr, baseball, football, basketball (Class of 2006)

Karr was an outstanding pitcher for Pine-Richland, finishing with a career mark of 27-1 with 273 strikeouts. He lettered three years and was a captain his senior year, when the Rams claimed a PIAA Class 3A title. In that senior season, Karr went 14-0 with 146 strikeouts and tossed a complete-game one-hitter with 13 strikeouts in the title game victory. He earned wins in WPIAL championship games as a sophomore and junior and was part of three straight section and WPIAL titles. He was also a three-time all-district selection, two-time all-WPIAL honoree and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Player of the Year.

He continued his baseball career at Penn State, earning a starting rotation spot as a freshman and finishing that year ranked 14th in the Big Ten in ERA (3.03). He spent the summer of 2007 with the Southern Ohio Copperheads and posted a 3-0 record and 1.48 ERA.

His career was shortened due to injury, and he now lives outside of Nashville with his family and works as a marketing manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Brittany Pikur (Adams), soccer, basketball, lacrosse (Class of 2004)

Brittany Pikur (Adams) was a standout in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. She was a captain in all three sports and earned 10 varsity letters. Adams was the first Pine-Richland girls soccer player to earn all-state honors, was named the 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year for soccer and was recognized by the state House of Representatives. She was a two-time all-star in lacrosse and also led the basketball team to multiple playoff appearances.

She continued her athletic career in college, earning the 2008 IUP Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Adams returned to Pine-Richland to teach health and physical education for the last 17 years.

She was also the head coach of the girls basketball and lacrosse teams and led the lacrosse team to three straight section titles and back-to-back WPIAL 3A championships in 2017 and 2018.

In 2017, she was named Western PA 2017 U.S. Lacrosse Girls High School Coach of the Year.

2006 baseball team

The 2006 Rams earned the first PIAA championship for Pine-Richland baseball, dominating Sun Valley with a 4-0 victory.

The team earned three consecutive WPIAL championships leading up to the state title.

Team members included Evan Affinito, Colin Durborow, Tony DiPasquale, Steve Freehling, John Karr, Dan Koller, TJ Kuban, Bryan Leones, Brian Miller, Brett Mollenhauer, Mike Morgan, Ryan Nussbaum, Cono Passione, Dan Passione, Derek Schleiden, Frank Sonetti, Chris Thrasher and Dan Yesenosky and coaches Kurt Wolfe, Troy McCurdy and Jeff Hack.

Tags: Pine-Richland