Collingswood High School Athletic Hall of Fame

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Hall of Fame Member Bios 1995

View: Alphabetical List - Members by Induction Class - Biographies

MIKE D’ALESSANDRO
Mike D’Alessandro was a standout two-way tackle on the Group 4 1945 and 1946 Collingswood High School football teams. In his senior year he served as captain and was selected All-South Jersey.
After graduation, he played outstanding football at Glassboro State College and for several of the strong independent football squads which were so much a part of post-World War II life.
Following the service, Mike coached baseball at Gloucester High for five years and then returned to Collingswood. His 33 years of coaching service at his Alma Mater is the longest in school history. He was a football assistant for 17 years, a baseball aide for two years, and as head coach directed the Colls tennis squad to 19 successive winning seasons, capturing four South Jersey titles.
In 1990 he was inducted into the New Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame.

DOUG FRAMBES
Doug Frambes had the honor of pitching on the first varsity baseball team coached by Bill Diemer and was a teammate of Hall of Famers Hank Rossell, Al Usilton and George Pims. He then had a long teaching career at Riverside High School, where he also coached many outstanding basketball teams – including a state championship team.
However, Frambes is best known today as South Jersey’s leading sports historian. The author of two books – including “Hail Panthers, Here They Come”, the history of Collingswood football – he gained a great following for his weekly “sports scrapbook” features in the Courier Post. His sports nostalgia articles are now a popular weekly feature in the Retrospect newspaper.
Doug has been a strong supporter of Collingswood athletics for the past 50 years and as been a member of the Collingswood Athletic Hall of Fame Committee from the outset. The committee is honored to induct him into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to Collingswood athletics.

FRANK JAKOB
Frank Jakob was an outstanding athlete who starred in one of Collingswood’s most celebrated eras. He lettered on three successive championship football squads, earning All-South Jersey honors as a senior in 1936. He also won three letters in both basketball and track and was selected as the top athlete in the class of 1937.
Following high school, Jake, as he was known in his playing days, went to Pennsylvania Military College, where he starred in football, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. In World War II, he served as ab infantry captain during the invasion and subsequent conquest in North Africa.
His leadership qualities were evident in both high school and college. At PMC, he held the high rank of Battalion Captain of the Corps of Cadets.

BILL DAVIS
A 1933 CHS graduate, Bill Davis was a three-year starter in baseball and basketball. In his final two years he served as captain of basketball units, which captured Camden Suburban League titles. In both those years he was the team’s top scorer.
In baseball he was a smooth-fielding, hard-hitting first baseman who in later years would perform for top-level squads in South Jersey and in the Philadelphia League. He attended Duke for two years and as a sophomore lettered in baseball.
Davis had his greatest scholastic days at Camden, then the school’s most bitter rival. He has fond memories of leading his basketball team to an 18-16 victory and then that spring driving a game-winning homer over the center field fence at Camden.

ELSIE ROGERS RUSSELL
During her superlative career at Collingswood High, Elsie Rogers accumulated 12 varsity letters. She excelled in field hockey, basketball, tennis, swimming and diving. As a senior, she was selected on the All-South Jersey hockey team.
Frequently called “Peanut” because of her lack of size, Elsie made up for her stature with speed, skill and a competitive nature. She always played at her best when the going was the toughest.
Her contemporaries like to recall how she rallied her hockey team to a 2-1 conquest of Gloucester in a game for the West Jersey League title. Her last second desperation shot brought the Panthers a league title in a victory over Woodbury. She was considered South Jersey’s finest diver.

DREW WILSON
One of the great all-around athletes of his day, Drew starred in football, basketball and baseball, and even found time to do a little sprinting for the track team.
He starred on the championship football teams of 1945 and 1956. As a senior he was selected All-South Jersey quarterback. A triple-threat in the old-time single wing days, he was a breakaway runner, a marvelous passer and consistent punter. His game-winning touchdown run against John Bartram is fresh in the memory of everyone in the packed stands that day.
Drew was an able basketball guard and a competent baseball catcher. In the latter role he caught several of the no-hitters thrown by future big leaguer, Ray Narleski. He was selected the outstanding male athletes of the class of 1947.

JOE JONES
Early in the season of 1939 when Joe was a sophomore, Skeets Irvine inserted him into a varsity game. It took only a few plays for the coaches and fans to realize that a new star was on the way. He lettered that year and then took over a regular tackle spot during the championship season of 1940. In his senior year he serve as captain and was chosen All-South Jersey tackle.
He also excelled in track and field. At the time of his graduation in 1941 he held all the school javelin records. Big for his day at 200 pounds, he possessed the speed to run on the school relay teams. He was a capable free-style swimmer, but World War II restrictions forced the school to abandon the sport in his final year.
He was awarded a football scholarship to Temple, but before the season started volunteered for the Army Air Corps. After his discharge, he coached successful Midget league football and YMCA League basketball squads.

DIANNA ONOFRI McLAUGHLIN
Diana was selected the female athlete of the year 1947. During her high school days, she annexed three letters in field hockey and softball, and two in basketball. She had the thrill of playing on championship hockey teams all three years and was high scorer as a senior. Those title seasons remain fresh in her memory, particularly being chosen captain in her senior year. She has happy memories of hockey camp in the Poconos and the marvelous spirit which was such an important part of her high school days.
Married to Colls High athlete, Mickey, the union has produced six children and five grandchildren.

RUTH HAGY HOUSER
Ruth Hagy was one of Oaklyn’s gifts to Colls High athletics. She served as captain of both the softball and basketball teams, playing basketball for three years and softball for two. Softball did not become a varsity sport until she was a junior.
In her junior season she was high scorer on the basketball squad but her senior year was marred by illness. An all-around student, Ruth labored for the school newspaper and was in the glee club and choir. After graduation, she was offered a scholarship at Temple, but decided upon marriage.
She later played semipro sports on top-level teams for several years. This 1945 Colls graduate matriculated at Glassboro State in 1964 and earned her degree in 1969, the same year as her son, Steven.

RON BANDOCK
Ron Bandock was a three-year starter and a star player for Coach “Rit” Ritter’s basketball teams of the late 1950’s. A strong rebounder as well, Bandock was one of Collingswood’s first scorers. He went on to break the career and single-game (with 40 points) records on the hardwood.
While a knee injury curtailed his efforts to play football, Bandock earned three letters as a high jumper and hurdler on the track team. Ron was a scholastic basketball official for many years and helped establish the girls’ youth softball program in Collingswood.

DAVE GURTCHEFF
Dave Gurtcheff was considered a “little guy” even by the standards of the mid-1950’s, but was tough as nails as a football running back for the Panther teams of 1953 and ’54. As a senior, he was named first team All-Group 4 and second team All-South Jersey. As a sophomore, Gurtcheff lettered as a diver on the swim team and placed third in the South Jersey Diving Championships. When Collingswood initiated wrestling in his junior year, Dave proved a quick learner and a standout matman. He placed second in South Jersey in the 148-lb. class as a junior, then became the Panthers’ first South Jersey champion as a 158-pounder in his senior year. He also placed fourth in the state.

JOANNE VAN ISTENDAL
Joanne Van Istendal, a 1959 classmate of Ron Bandock, won a total of ten varsity letters at Collingswood – three each in hockey, basketball, and softball, and one in swimming. Not surprisingly, she was voted the “most athletic” girl in her class.
Joanne captained a hockey team that won the South Jersey League championship. She earned a reputation as a tough defender in both hockey and basketball. She san also be proud of winning an achievement award for attaining high scholastic honors while playing four varsity sports.

DAVE TUNDERMANN
The Ridingers’ great football teams of the mid-1960’s were led by three straight middle linebackers. Dave Tundermann was the first, followed by co-inductee Bob MacBride and previous inductee John Sohanchak. A three-year letterman as a center/linebacker, Tundermann was All-Conference, All-South Jersey Group 3 and All-South Jersey. First in his class academically, Tundermann also received the prestigious National Football Foundation and Brooks-Irvine Scholar-Athlete Awards. He also wrestled for two years at Collingswood.

BOB MacBRIDE
Bob “Mick” MacBride was a hard-hitting middle linebacker on defense and an aggressive guard on offense for Dick Ridinger’s outstanding football teams of the mid-1960’s. He captained Dick Ridinger’s last team in 1965. That year he was named All-Conference, All-South Jersey and All-State as guard and linebacker. He also received the school’s “Hatchet Award” for most tackles.
An all-around athlete, MacBride also lettered in wrestling and track and field during his years at Collingswood High.

JONI WILLIAMS RAUSNITZ
Joni Williams Rausnitz was an outstanding athlete in the class of 1964. She lettered for three years each in field hockey and tennis, and for two years in basketball.
Joni was captain of the 1963 hockey team that went undefeated and won the league championship. That same year she was the highest ranked tennis player in South Jersey. Joni was a recipient of the Knight Award for high academic achievement while playing varsity sports at Colls High.

JIM SKEDZIELEWSKI
Jim Skedzielewski played on the great ’68 basketball team as a sophomore, then took over team leadership after the departure of Hall of Famers Steve Kaplan and Tim Wright. He emerged as an All-South Jersey and All-Group 3 forward.
“Skedz” became one of Collingswood’s all-time leading basketball scorers and also played varsity baseball for two years. A class president for three years and an honor student, he also received the Howard T. Irvine Award.

DEBBIE TWEED
Debbie Tweed played field hockey, basketball and lacrosse at Collingswood, and all three teams were big winners during her tenure. She played varsity hockey as a junior and captained the team in her senior year. In both those years, the hockey team won the Courier-Post Cup and Debbie was All-Conference, All-Group 3 and All-South Jersey.
Debbie was a guard on a basketball team that won the South Jersey Group 3 championship, but experienced the ultimate thrill of playing with two state lacrosse teams in 1976 and ’77. She captained the lacrosse team in her senior year.

BILL NARLESKI
Bill Narleski follows his uncles, Ray and Ted, into the Collingswood Hall of Fame. His dad, the late Bob Narleski, was also a fine baseball player at C.H.S. Bill lettered for two years in soccer and captained the basketball team, for which he was a second team All-Conference guard.
But Bill Narleski’s best sport was baseball. He was All-Conference and All-Group 3 shortstop for two years and an All-South Jersey performer as a senior. He captained the baseball team and won the Brooks-Irvine Award as “Male Athlete of the Year.”

LIZ FERRARA
Liz Ferrara competed in hockey, basketball and lacrosse at Colls High. She was the varsity goalkeeper for the hockey team during her junior and senior years, when she was All-Conference, All-Group 3 and second team All-South Jersey. Liz was captain and MVP of the team as a senior.
A two-year varsity performer in basketball, Liz’ best accomplishments came in lacrosse. She played on a state championship team as a junior. As a senior, she was the team MVP, first team All-South Jersey and the Coaches Association “Player of the Year.”

 


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