By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Laughs and memories were shared at Wynford High School Saturday night as the district welcomed its 10th class into its hallowed Sports Hall of Fame.
Distance runner Dave Dotson, three-sport standout Dan Gerhart, former girls basketball coach Dick Gervais, football and track star Alan Pollock and the 1969-1970 boys’ basketball team joined the ranks of noted Royals during Saturday’s banquet and induction ceremonies.
The evening started off at 5 p.m. with Hall of Famers past and present along with their families and loved ones having hors d’oeuvres while catching up with each other during the social hour. After a welcome by Ron Sand, Amy Taylor-Sheldon, and opening remarks by Wynford Superintendent Steve Mohr, dinner was served. Once dinner was finished guests made their way into Wynford’s auditorium for the induction ceremony.
Inducted by his son Matt and his daughters Ellen and Emily, Dotson was a distance runner owning school records in the cross country and 800 earning MVP honors in both sports.
While being inducted Dotson explained that seeing the Wynford athletes that came before him inspired him to get into athletics.
“When I was a kid I used to look at the photos on the walls of the school, and I wanted to be like them,” Dotson said.
Dotson recalled losing quite a few races, but in defeat it made him work harder to improve.
A multi-sport athlete, Gerhart’s presenter Tom Steinhilber explained to the crowd that he was an outstanding athlete.
“Dan was such an outstanding athlete he could be inducted in any sport. It could be basketball, or football,” Steinhilber said.
Gerhart shared his thoughts about joining his two brothers in the Royals’ Hall.
“It is quite an honor, it has been 40 years since I graduated, but I couldn’t believe it when they said I was inducted, and I am following my brother who was inducted a few years ago, and then my other brother is part of the basketball team that is inducted tonight so it is pretty special,” Gerhart said.
Gerhart reflected on his time as a Wynford athlete.
“I was fortunate to play three sports. I played football, basketball, and ran track,” Gerhart said. “I was probably better at football and track, but just the different teams. I was lucky to play on two championship teams in basketball, and in track we won our conference championship, and in football we had the school’s first winning season.”
In football Gerhart set the single game rushing record in 1973 with 235 yards against Elgin. In track he earned Most Valuable Runner in 1975 breaking the school record in the 180 low-hurdles and qualifying for state his senior year.
During his induction Gerhart explained that he enjoyed each of the sports he played due to three things.
“It was fun, it was the teammates, and it was high school sports,” Gerhart said.
With a tip of the hat to the fun side Gerhart had Dale Wolfe come to the podium and lead the audience in the classic Wynford cheer that began with “Put your hands up to the sky. Mighty Royals passing by…”
As basketball coach from 1985-1993 Gervais took the Lady Royals to back-to-back Elite 8 appearances in 1991 and 1992. Gervais also was instrumental in getting the softball program at Wynford started and coached the team for the first two years.
“I would also like to thank Ringo Starr… oops that’s the wrong Hall of Fame,” Gervais joked during his induction.
During his speech Gervais went over the highlights of starting the 7th grade girls’ basketball team and making it to the regional finals.
“This is an honor to be enshrined thank you to who nominated me, thank you to the student athletes, the coaches, and the parents,” Gervais said as he finished his induction speech.
During his induction speech Pollack noted that he played football for the Royals for three seasons and never lifted weights. Pollack also noted of his football days that due to the school not having a stadium, his teams’ home games were played at Colonel Crawford and Bucyrus. Pollack said that while pitching for Wynford’s baseball squad he developed tendinitis in his elbow which caused him to switch sports.
“I ran track for two years and it was probably the best thing I ever did,” Pollack said. “I was lucky enough with my teammates to make it to state finals. Graduation was the same day as the state meet. We lost in preliminaries and we got back in time to walk last in graduation.”
After telling comedic stories of Wynford’s days when they weren’t the football powerhouse that they are now, as well as a basketball game with Carey that broke down into chaos with the team needing to be escorted from Carey’s gymnasium by the police, Pollack closed his speech.
“I had a good time; had played with a lot of good kids,” Pollack said. “I could stand up here and tell stories all day, but I don’t want to take up all of your time. Thank you.”
Led by legendary Wynford basketball coach Jim Bauer, the 1969-1970 boys’ basketball team was a powerhouse cruising through the regular season with a 17-1 record, which included knocking off the number one team in the state Mansfield St. Peter’s, 63-62. The 1970 hoops squad third in the final AP and UPI polls which has been to date the highest ranking in the history of the school’s basketball program. Making it to the district semifinals the Royals were on the losing side in their rematch against the Spartans finishing the season with a 17-2 record.
Coach Bauer introduced the team reminiscing of their talent pool.
“This one year we had the team divided into white and blue. When the second team beat the first team I knew the team was well balanced and it didn’t matter who we started,” Bauer said.
“We never played an easy team and it paid off in the end,” Bauer continued. “We had played in a tough NCC, and had to play every Friday night.”
One of three seniors on the team John Delong was happy to be entering the hall.
“It’s real nice; quite an honor for as many good basketball teams that have went through Wynford,” Delong said. “We had a good team that was well balanced, and had a good time.”