The BAHS Alumni

Athletic Hall of Fame

The Bangor Slater Athletic Hall of Fame honors individuals, establishes pride, and preserves the tradition of the Bangor Athletic program by honoring those who have made a significant contribution to athletics in the Bangor Area School District.

2005 Members of the Athletic Hall of Fame

Leroy Heard - 1931 (Deceased) Leroy "Chummy" Heard played football (lineman), basketball (guard), and baseball (catcher) for Bangor High School from 1928 to 1931.   He was probably best known as the first string catcher on the 1931 Lehigh Northampton League championship team.   He was a .400 hitter and became the first player in school history to hit three doubles in one game.   That record was tied in 1966.   Heard was also the 1930 football team captain.   His entry in the 1931 yearbook reads:   "Chummy Heard is perhaps the most popular all-around athlete in Bangor High School." After high school, Heard played football and baseball for Allentown Prep School.   In 1933, he played left guard for the Bangor AA and drop kicked the extra points.   He also played baseball for the Bangor Legion semi-professional team and the Sterling Silk Mill AA Industrial League.   In the 1940's, he played softball in the Slate Belt Sunday School League. Heard was the original founder and member of the board of directors of the Bangor Little League organization.   He was the first coach of the 3 rd Ward team in its first season in 1952. In later life he coached for the Babe Ruth League. For 17 years he was the scout master of troop #102, sponsored by the Lutheran Church.   As scout leader he organized basketball, swimming, and football teams to compete at YMCA competitions. He and his wife Arlene (deceased) had 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Top

Jason Marraccini - 1995   Jason Marraccini played 3 years of varsity football and basketball and 1 year of varsity baseball for the Slaters.   In his three years of football he established a season passing record of 1694 yards and a career passing record of 3318 yards.   Other records include:   61.5% pass completions in a season, 22 TD passes in a season, 35 career TD passes, 6 TD passes in a game (tie), 208 career pass completions, 185 attempts for 496 yards career rushing, 6 game PAT's, 29 season PAT's, 64 career PAT's, and 164 career points scored (tie). As a sophomore he was named 1 st team all league quarterback and 1 st team all area kicker by the Express Times.   In his junior year he was named 2 nd team all league quarterback.   He was a tri-captain of the football team in his senior year and the team MVP.   He was 1 st team all league quarterback and 2 nd team all league kicker. He received the Granville Evans Award for outstanding offensive back, the Slater Athlete Award, and was a starter in the McDonald's LV All Star classic.   Marraccini graduated from Lycoming College with a degree in communications.   He received the MVP award for football in his junior and senior years at Lycoming.   In his junior year he set a school record of 13 touchdowns and received the Tomahawk Award for Lycoming's top athlete.   He played in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the Division III national championship game, in his junior year.   In his senior year at Lycoming he was named football MVP of the Middle Atlantic Conference, 1 st team all league, and Burger King - AFCA 1 st team All American, and he represented the U.S. in the Aztec Bowl in Mexico. He currently works as a cameraman for WPVI, an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.   He and his wife Jenel have one son, Justin. Top

Scott Thomas - 1989   Scott Thomas was the pitcher and the shortstop on the varsity baseball team from 1986 to 1989.   He set the following records in baseball: Career hits: 108 (2 nd all time record) - 34 in his senior year (3 rd all time record) Career batting average: .404 (6 th all time record) - .486 in his senior   year (5 th all time record) Career: 14 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homeruns, 80 runs, 44 bases on balls, 98 RBI's, - all in the top 10. Career pitching: 109 innings (top 10) Senior year defensively at shortstop: 80 chances and only 3 errors, .964 field percent. Career team record: 52-32, senior year 16-7. Colonial League all star shortstop 1 st team all league 1989 Also an excellent basketball player, Thomas played 3 years of varsity basketball, scoring 1101 career points (3 rd all time BHS record).   He also held the boys' three-point record.   He was a member of the 1987 and 1988 Colonial League Championship teams, and the 1988 District XI championship team. He played baseball at East Stroudsburg University for two seasons and recently finished his 17 th season in the Blue Mountain Baseball League playing for the Bethlehem Cardinals. Thomas recently bought a house in Pen Argyl. He is engaged to be married to Heather Fisher in 2006. Top

Stephen Thomas - 1981 Stephen Thomas was a record-setting member of the track and field and cross country teams for the Bangor Slaters during the 1979, 1980, and 1981 seasons. He was the MVP for the track team in 1980 and 1981 and the MVP for the cross country team in 1979 and 1980.   He was the Colonial League and District XI cross country champion with an undefeated record in 1980.   He took 3 rd place in District XI in 1979 and was a Pennsylvania state qualifier in 1979 and 1980. Thomas was the Colonial League Track and Field champion in the 3200 meter run, the 1600 meter run, the 1600 meter relay, and the 3200 meter relay.   He was District XI champion in 1980 and 1981 in the 3200 meter run, and in 1981 in the 3200 meter relay.   The 3200 meter relay team placed second in the Pennsylvania State track meet in 1981. He held five school records when he graduated:   the cross country course record, the track records in the 800 meter run, the 1600 meter run, the 3200 meter run, and the 3200 meter relay.   He still holds four of these records.   He set seven cross country records during the 1980 season including the BHS course record.   Thomas won the Muhlenberg High School Invitational in 1980, missing the AA record by 2 seconds. Top

Tina Vosper - 1995 Tina Vosper, a standout cross country and track and field runner, set many records during her four-year high school career.   On the track and field team she set records in the 400 meter run as a sophomore and the 4 x 800 meter relay as a junior.   In her senior year she jumped a record 5'4" in the high jump and also set a record in the 2 mile run. Her cross country career was just as stellar.   In her junior year she was the undefeated league champion, placed 9 th at the district meet, and set course records at Salisbury, Pen Argyl, Bangor, and Moravian Academy.   In her senior year she set the course record at Bangor, placed 2 nd at the league meet, 7 th in districts, and 32 nd at states.   She was named the cross country MVP in both her junior and senior years. Vosper played basketball for three years and earned the Most Improved Player Award as a senior.   Other awards include the Marine Corps Award and the Female Athlete of the Year Award. Vosper entered East Stroudsburg University in 1995 and became the only athlete in the history of ESU to ever complete the "Grand Slam."   Three times consecutively, she was named All-American in three different sports in three different seasons.   Her other honors and awards include: •  3 times all conference in cross country •  10 times all conference in indoor track and field competing in the following events:   pentathlon, high jump, 800 meter run, 1000 meter run, distance medley, mile, 3000 meter run, 500 meter run, 4 x 800 meter relay, 4 x 400 meter relay •  6 times all conference outdoor track and field competing in the following events: high jump; 800 meter run; 1500 meter run; 3,000 meter run; 5,000 meter run; 10,000 meter run; 4 x 800 meter run; 4 x 400 meter run •  4 times all region in cross country •  4 times competed at nationals in these areas: 9 th at Aetna, IL in outdoor track and field; 14 th in Lawrence, KA in cross country; 6 th at Indianapolis, IN in indoor track and field; and 8 th at Edwardsville, IL in outdoor track and field •  Senior Athlete of the Year in 1999 •  3 school records:   1000 meter run as a freshman, 5000 meter run in indoor track (no longer standing - 2003), 4 x 800 meter relay, distance medley Vosper completed 5 years at ESU and obtained a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and also completed 2 years of massage school. She has returned to school to get her nursing degree. Top

Brooks Young - 1938 M (Deceased) Brooks Young played four years of football at Bangor High School from 1935 to 1938.   He had the distinction of playing on the only undefeated football team in the history of BHS - the 1935 team.   He was the captain and quarterback of the 1937 football team which was undefeated, untied, and unscored upon until Pen Argyl upset them on Thanksgiving Day with a score of 6-0.   According to local football trivia, his pass to Hal Nerino in the 1937 Wilson game was the longest pass play on record (79 yards) at that time.   Young played baseball on the 1936 and 1937 teams.   An excellent player, he was named team captain in 1937.   His high school career in baseball was cut short because he graduated midyear in the 1938 M class.   He also played American Legion baseball for a few years which led him to have a workout with the Philadelphia A's.   He had the honor of meeting with Connie Mack, who was then the manager. Young served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1945 .   He served in many campaigns with the 3 rd Armored Division (Corps of Engineers) and took part in the Battle of the Bulge.   His division won five battle stars.   After the war he worked for the PA Department of Transportation for 37 years, retiring at the age of 60 as an assistant construction engineer. He married the former Connie Wise with whom he recently celebrated 58 years of marriage.   They have one daughter, Holly, wife of Ralph Falcone, and one granddaughter, Drea. Top

Joseph Villiano - Coach Joe Villiano coached Bangor boys' tennis for 12 years from 1990 to 2001 after he retired from teaching and coaching at Wilson High School.   While at Bangor he compiled the following coaching records: Most wins of any coach Most wins ever at all positions in singles and doubles 4 times Colonial League Northern Division Champions 4 times reached finals in the Colonial League Championship 3 times coached the singles finalist in the AAA District Tournament Coached the only player to advance to State AAA Tournament from Bangor (Tasch Tinsley) 4 times ranked among the top 5 AAA teams in District XI All individual records in singles and doubles were broken under his tenure Villiano left Bangor High School as a sophomore and served in the U.S. Navy during WWII from 1943 to 1947.   He started playing tennis in the Navy and while on board the Battleship Missouri he represented the ship in several tournaments.   In 1950 he completed his high school education at Moravian Prep School.   He went to Kutztown University where he played tennis and football and obtained his Master's Degree in Secondary Education in the areas of Spanish and Social Studies.   Villiano was selected as the 1999 USTA Coach of the Year for the Middle States Northern Division.   In 2001 he was selected the Express-Times Coach of the Year.   He was selected to the Kutztown University Hall of Fame as a backfield player and an outstanding player of the 50's decade.   He is also a member of the Pius X Hall of Fame.   He was the first full time lay teacher and coach at Pius and was responsible for starting their football, basketball, and baseball programs. As a player he participated in tournaments in singles and doubles throughout the country.   He played World Senior Tennis at the games held in St. George, Utah for 12 years, winning medals in singles and doubles play.   The Borough of Wilson recently named its tennis courts after Villiano for his dedication and service to the community. Stricken with a neuromuscular problem, Villiano retired after the 2001 season at Bangor after more than 60 years on the courts as an instructor and player.   He is married to the former Ann Scagliotta and has four children and eight grandchildren.   A son, Joe Jr. is deceased.