Western Pa. Sports Hall of Fame: Gary Hess among inductees

Gary Hess will be admitted to the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and will be inducted with 10 others at ceremonies May 3 at the Sheraton Four Points Pittsburgh North in Warrendale.

After playing baseball, basketball and volleyball at Munhall High School, he became an NAIA basketball All-American at West Virginia Wesleyan in 1959.

The other inductees are:

• Markley Barnes (deceased) -- Was a member of Jock Sutherland's Pitt football team that played in the 1930 Rose Bowl.

• Sam Clancy -- Best known as an under-sized center who played with an over-sized heart for Pitt's basketball team. He led the Panthers in rebounding in each of his four seasons and averaged 14 points.

• Gregg Garrity -- A receiver at North Allegheny High School and Penn State, he was selected in the fifth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Steelers.

• Paul Lewis (deceased) -- A graduate of Clairton High School in 1932, he took over as the school's varsity swimming team in 1947 and led the team to 11 consecutive WPIAL titles.

• Bob Long -- After playing football and basketball at Washington Township High School (now part of the Kiski Area school district), he played three years of basketball at Wichita State and earned All-American in his one season of football. Played on Green Bay's teams that won Super Bowl I and II.

• Kevin McClatchy -- Organized and led the ownership group that purchased the Pirates in 1996 and was CEO of the franchise until October 2007.

• Jack McCurry -- A graduate of Richland High School (now Pine-Richland) Edinboro University, he has built a record of 246-90-5 in 30 seasons as football coach at North Hills High School.

• Alex Sandusky -- A late-bloomer who didn't start as a senior end at Stowe High School, he became an All-American at Clarion State College and became a starting guard on the Baltimore Colts teams that won NFL championships in '58 and '59.

• Wade Schalles -- A four-time NCAA wrestling champion at Clarion with an NCAA-record 100 pins.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008
By Phil Axelrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette