2014 Inductees & Honorees

2014 Hall of Achievement Inductees

The following individuals were inducted into the Larry Bruno Foundation Circle of Achievement for 2014.

Paul Bischoff – Football, Beaver Falls

Paul Bischoff has to be classed as one of the finest all-around athletes in the history of Beaver Falls.

In high school Paul participated in football, basketball, and baseball, lettering in all three sports. He played three years of football and baseball under Coach Leland Schachern, and two years of basketball under Coach Lewis Heeter, and one year under Coach Joe Hetra.

Bischoff graduated from Beaver Falls in 1948 and went to Westminster College on a basketball scholarship. He withdrew after receiving a hip injury, and then went to West Virginia University on a football scholarship, although he had been away from football for a year.

Paul was captain of the West Virginia University football team as an end in 1952 and was elected to the All Southern Conference team, the All American Academic team, and the Paramount News All American team that season. He also was named the amateur athlete of West Virginia in 1952 and was elected president of WVU student body, an honor he cherishes as much as any athletic award. He distinguished himself once more by being elected to the West Virginia University All-Time team.

After his college playing days, Paul was an assistant football coach at Beaver High School from 1957 to 1962 and helped develop the strong Bobcat teams of those years. He also served as an assistant grid coach at Geneva College (1962-1963) before assuming duties as Student Center director, Campus Programs chairman, and Placement Director.

Tom Krzemienski – Football, Beaver Falls

Born and raised in Beaver Falls, Tom Krzemienski won eight letters in high school, including three in football as a tight end and receiver. He was named All County as a Junior, and his senior year could not have been more rewarding. His Tigers went undefeated and won the WPIAL championship. Tom was named All County, All State, and Wigwam All American and was invited to play in the Big 33 All Star Game, where he played tight end and linebacker.

Duffy Daugherty managed to ink the Tiger to a scholarship at Michigan State University, and Tom lettered all three seasons with the Spartans and twice led the squad in receptions. Tom was named the team’s Most Outstanding Senior in 1964 and his play brought an invitation to play the North-South All Star Game.

Tom signed with the New York Jets as a free agent, where he teamed again with his high school quarterback, Joe Namath. The two rookies combined on a touchdown pass in the annual rookie game between the Jets and the Patriots. Tom’s play kept him on the squad until the final cut, but his playing days were not over.

He signed with the Hartford team in the Continental Football League and played there three years. In each of those seasons, Tom was chosen as the top tight end in the league and was the only tight end to appear in the top five in various receiving categories. Tom also coached high school football as an assistant in Connecticut and Michigan.

Ed Olkowski – Sports, Beaver Falls

Ed Olkowski was one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Pennsylvania history. His achievements are all the more remarkable as Midland High School always played in classes well above its actual enrollment.

Ed took average size players from a small school and excelled by winning ten section titles, seven WPIAL crowns, four PIAA titles, and one state runner-up trophy over a 17 year span. His total record at Midland stands at 322-96 in spite of dwindling enrollment.

Ed played his high school sports in hometown Beaver Falls, where he starred in both basketball and baseball before graduating in 1948. He also played both sports at Slippery Rock State College, graduating in 1953. After a hitch in the Army, Ed had a brief fling in professional basketball with the Philadelphia Warriors before starting his highly successful coaching career.

He was the junior varsity basketball coach at Midland High School from 1957 to 1967, compiling a 188-40 record. His undefeated 1965 JV team romped to 20 straight victories. After becoming head basketball coach at Midland in 1968, Ed’s teams won state championships in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1976. His combined record for both varsity and junior varsity teams at Midland stood at 511-136.

Karl Florie – Coaching, Beaver Falls

It can be said of some people that they were born to coach. To Karl Florie, coaching high school football was natural. In 1966 Karl began as an assistant coach at then Northwestern High School. He then became an assistant at Beaver Falls under coaching legend Larry Bruno, where he stayed until 1972.

Karl then received his opportunity to become head coach at Riverside High School in 1973, but his beginnings were anything but auspicious (the Panthers lost their first 15 games). But the foundation had been laid for a successful program. Riverside appeared in the WPIAL AA playoffs and won two Midwestern Athletic Conference championships from 1981 to 1985. The Panthers lost to Beaver Falls in the 1984 finals but came back the following year to capture the WPIAL title.

Karl was named Dapper Dan Coach of the Year for that 1985 season. Karl resigned from Riverside after the 1986 season, but when the Ellwood City head coaching position came open, the strong desire to get back on the field was too much to resist. In 1987, the Wolverines reached the WPIAL AA finals. Karl resigned after the 1989 season due to health reasons.

Among his honors are Big 33 Coach in 1984, Penn-Ohio All Star Game coach in 1980 and 1987, and WPIAL AA Coach of the Year in 1985. Karl’s overall coaching record is 114-63-3, which is even more impressive considering the 0-15 start.

Bill Ross – Coaching, Teaching and Learning, Beaver Falls

Bill was the Athletic Director of Beaver Falls High School from 1959 until his untimely death in 1976 and also served as a coach in various sports from 1947 to 1958.

Bill was a 1938 graduate of Beaver Falls High School and attended David-Elkins College in West Virginia, until he entered the Air Force in 1942. As a bomber pilot, he flew 50 missions in Europe, including raids on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. After World War II, Bill completed his education at Geneva College, graduating in 1947.

Bill served as assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Hopewell High School in 1948, and then became Beaver Falls Junior High School football and baseball coach from 1948 through 1953. He served as assistant grid coach at Beaver Falls High School for two years and then as head coach from 1956 through 1958. He also coached golf for one season and was assistant basketball coach for three years.

During his tenure as Athletic Director, Bill was instrumental in developing and expanding the interscholastic sport program at Beaver Falls in both boys and girls athletics. One of his biggest, yet little known, success stories was convincing a young sophomore, named Joe Namath, not to quit the football program.

Joy Jeter – Basketball, Beaver Falls

Joy was a high school basketball star who won WPIAL and PIAA championships in 1985. Joy played on the 1981-1985 Lady Tigers hoop teams that won four section titles. Her teams compiled a 114-10 record. Joy earned second team All-State honors her senior year and she finished her career as the second leading scorer in Beaver Falls’ history (1691 points). She finished her high school athletic career by placing second in the state track and field championships in the shot put.

In college, Joy re-wrote the University of New Haven record book during her four-year career. From 1985-1989, the Chargers were 102-22, won four New England Collegiate Conference titles, two NCAA Division II New England Regional Championships, and a National championship (1987).

Jeter’s accomplishments during that time earned her a place in the NCAA record book. She was named NCAA MVP and All-Tournament Team in 1987. She was a three-year Division II Kodak All-American (1987-1989). Her statistics appear on several NCAA record sheets: #10 career points (2,299), #5 rebounds (1,486), #13 rebound average (12.2), #4 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (2,299 points, 1,486 rebounds).

Joy’s name appears frequently in the UNH record book: #1 points in a year (648), #1 rebounds in a season (429), #7 best field goal percentage (.501), #1 most career points (2,299), #1 most career rebounds (1,486), #8 career assists (284), and #9 career steals (221).

2014 Hall of Achievement Honorees

The following individuals will be honored by the Larry Bruno Foundation in 2014.

1952 Beaver Falls H.S. and Jr. Legion Baseball Team – One of the best all-around teams in BF history

Players included: Bill Blair, Joe Walton, Doc Brozich, Wibby Estermyer, Tom Kirkpatrick, Gene Palka, Ken Douglas, Roger Javens, Ed DeRose, Jim Nellas, Jack Damaska, George Tookie James, Jim Sallie, Jim Johnson, Bob Veon