Bethel Park Athletic Hall of Fame to honor and induct Class of 2018

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 11, 2018 | 6:42 PM

The Bethel Park Athletic Hall of Fame will induct seven new members Friday at halftime of the Black Hawks boys basketball game against Canon McMillan.

The Class of 2018 is Ray Bedner (Class of 1995, baseball and football), Nick Bonaccorsi (Class of 2011, wrestling), Dean Gabey (Class of 1986, football and baseball), Lyle Marsh (Class of 2009, football and track and field), Ulysses “Uly” Scott (Class of 1991, football and track), Don Smith (Class of 1955, baseball, football and basketball) and Jim Sprandle (swimming coach).

• Bedner was a three-year varsity starter on the Bethel Park baseball team, and he helped the Black Hawks win a WPIAL title in 1995. He finished with a career record of 16-0, earned various all-star honors and played in college at Slippery Rock University and Flagler College.
• Bonaccorsi is the winningest wrestler in school history (158-28). He set a school record for qualifying for the PIAA tournament all four years with three state medals and a third-place finish in 2011. The 2011 WPIAL champion and 2010 WPIAL runner-up went on to wrestle at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Gabey, a three-year football letterman, quarterbacked Bethel Park to WPIAL playoff appearances in 1984 and 1985. He also lettered all four years in baseball, and as a left fielder and pitcher, helped the Black Hawks to the 1985 WPIAL title and state runner-up.
• Marsh started at tailback three years, including as a senior for the 2008 conference and WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up. He played in the Big 33 game and earned all-star honors before making his mark in the Ivy League at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Scott earned multiple letters in football and track at Bethel Park and went on to join the football team at the University of Richmond. He was a four-year letterman for the Spiders, rushed for more than 100 yards 17 times and broke the school’s rushing record in 1994.
• Smith was a dominating pitcher for Bethel Park in the 1950s with a career record of 18-3. He helped guide the team to the WPIAL playoffs in 1954 and 1955. Smith pitched the Hawks to the first playoff victory in school history in 1954. He also earned two letters in both football and basketball.
• Sprandle coached Bethel Park girls swimming from 1974 to 1991. Under his direction, the Hawks won two states titles, finished state runner-up twice and captured 13 WPIAL championships. Sprandle’s teams won more than 210 dual meets, including 73 straight over a six-year stretch.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MLove_Trib.

Tags: Bethel Park