Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame - Class of 2000 Biographies
Left to Right
ROBERT E. "BOB" KELLER
Native and lifelong resident of Enfield. Earned thirteen varsity letters in Football, Baseball, Basketball and Track at Enfield High School. Drafted in to the service and played baseball for his squadron team. Invited for tryouts with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Chose to enter Springfield College as an Education major. Played three years varsity football and coached Enfield Little League. Physical Education Instructor at Enfield Junior High School coaching baseball, basketball and intramural football. Assistant football coach at Enfield High School under Carl Angelica. Coached freshman football, basketball and track at Kosciuszko and JFK Junior High Schools. Coordinator of Physical Education, Athletics and Intramurals for the Enfield Public Schools for eight years. Facilitator of Athletics for the Somers School System for ten years. Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors Distinguished Service Award in 1990. Recognized with the National Athletic Association Award for 20 years of service. Retired in 2000.
WILLIAM (BILL) TEED
Signed with the St Louis Cardinals baseball team in 1949. Three years in the Farm System with the Boston Braves interrupted by military service. Graduated from Springfield College in 1958 and taught Physical Education. Moved to Enfield in 1963. Chosen to start a Physical Education Program at Hazardville Memorial School. Major league baseball scout for Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles from 1970 to 1993. Won a World Series ring with Baltimore in 1983. Signed pitcher Mike Remlinger in the 1987 draft from Dartmouth College. Remlinger went on to pitch with the Atlanta Braves. Retired in 1995 after teaching Physical Education at every elementary and Junior High School in Enfield.
PETER C. LAMANA
Raised in Enfield. Played fullback on the 1937 Enfield High School Football team and at Cathedral High School 1937 - 1940. Lettered 3 years in football, basketball and track. Named All-City in football, basketball in 1939. Football team was Western Massachusetts champions for two years. Western Massachusetts shot-put champion for two years. At Boston University, earned three letters in football, captain-elect and All-American honorable mention highlighted by a 97-yard touchdown run against Bucknell in 1942. Entered the Army in 1943. Played football for the 78th Lightning Division team. Selected to the European Theater all-star team and voted league most valuable player. Played for the Chicago Rockets of the All-American Conference 1946 – 48 including time under football Hall of Fame coach, Ernie Nevers. ACC merged with the National Football League in 1950.
MICHAEL JONES - "2000 George Daly Special Recognition Award"
A 1975 graduate of Enrico Fermi High School where he competed in cross-country and track. In 1983, his running career ended when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, which required surgery and months of radiation. Always an endurance athlete, cycling became the sport of choice. A champion in competitions throughout New England and Salt Lake City. In 1993, a septic infection and heart surgery claimed most of both feet and six fingertips. A few weeks after his surgery, training for the US Disabled Cycling Team began. Michael won a pair of bronze medals at the National Championships and was ranked the #1 United States Double Amputee in his class. In 1996, he was named as an alternate to the Paralympic team that competed in Atlanta. He also set a US record in the Flying 200 at the Paralympic/Olympic Trials. Michael has finished in the top three in eight National Championships racing for the US Team, Team Fuji, World Team, and Saturn/Premier.
JOHN BLOMSTRANN
Raised in Enfield. Played four years of Soccer at Enfield High School. Set single season scoring record in 1972 with 17 goals. Co-Captain of the 1972 EHS team that finished the season with a 10-4 record and participated in the CIAC State Tournament for the 1st time. Four year letterman at University of Connecticut and received the Eric Lund Award as most improved player in his senior year. Active player on the Connecticut Soccer League and Shoreline Adult Soccer League for 20 years. Varsity soccer coach at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, CT with 320-47-15 record with 5 state titles through 1999. Fourth all time in the state for career wins by a high school coach. Named as one of the twenty greatest college and high school soccer coaches of the 20th Century in 1999 by the Hartford Courant.
CHRISTINE M. (CHRIS) COUGHLIN
Played Field Hockey, Basketball and Softball at JFK Junior High School and Enfield High School. Co-captain in all three sports at Enfield High School. CCIL Field Hockey all-star in 1979. Played four years of Softball and Field Hockey at the University of Massachusetts. Softball team won the EAIAW title in 1980. Named All-New England in 1981, 1982 and first-team Northeast All-American in 1982. The slick fielding third baseman ranks number 10 all-time in assists with 233. Field Hockey teams consistently ranked in the top ten teams in the country and as high as second in the nation. Outstanding defensive player at centerback and sweeper positions helping team to numerous shutouts.
JOSEPH "JOE" BACEWICZ
Moved to Enfield in 1955. Played football at Enfield High School under coach Joe Lamana. Named All-League defensive team in junior and senior years. Team won Suburban Conference championship in senior year with 7-0-1 record. Named All-League in basketball. Team was 16-4 and won Valley League Championship. Led team in rebounding and averaged 14 points per game. Played football for three yeas at the University of Connecticut. In 1973 entered the Enfield School system as teacher and coach. Named head football coach and junior varsity basketball coach at Enfield High School in 1976. Selected as 1978 High School Football Coach of the Year by the Northern Connecticut Chapter of the National Hall of Fame Foundation. Named head football coach at Enrico Fermi High School in 1980. Became head football coach at Tolland High School in 1987. Led team to 1992 NCCC championship and Pequot Conference championships in 1998 and 1999. The 1999 team was undefeated in the league with a 10-0 record. Named Connecticut State Teacher of the Year in 1999.
JOSEPH (JOE) KRZYS ( pictured are Joe's widow Sophie and son Joe )
Considered one of the outstanding athletes in Enfield during the 1930 and 1940 era. Played baseball, track and basketball plus inter-class soccer and volleyball at Enfield High School in the mid 1930's. Was offered several scholarships because of his athletic ability, but at this time of economic crisis he went to work at Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Mill where he played baseball, softball, basketball and bowling. Baseball team won the Industrial League in 1940. Fast pitch softball league won several league championships. Standout guard for the Bigelow Basketball team. High average Duckpin Bowler. Played semi-professional Baseball and Basketball for the St. Adalbert sponsored teams. Won several championships with the Springfield, MA PNA basketball team. Played on the 1930's Thompsonville Greys football team. Coached the Rotary Team, which won the first Little League championship in 1950. Announcer for local Boxing Tournaments. Umpired in the semi-pro league and Y.M.C.A League basketball referee. An organizer of the Thompsonville Youth Center. Member of the Parks and Playground Commission.
TEAM AWARD:
ENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL 1948 FOOTBALL TEAM
The 1948 Enfield High School Football Team opened the season with a 13-7 win over Gilbert High School of Winsted. Next came a 25-0 shutout of Farming ton High. The third game of the season proved to be the big surprise as they defeated perennial powerhouse West Springfield 14-12. The remaining four games on their schedule were all shutouts as they defeated Springfield Trade, Simsbury, Rockville and Putnam High of Springfield. With 5 shutouts in seven games the EHS team only allowed 3 touchdowns in 7 games and compiled an undefeated, untied record scoring 158 points and allowing 19 points. Their 7-0 record earned them a number 1 Class B ranking in Western Massachusetts. In Connecticut they were one of only four undefeated, untied teams in the state and the only Class M team to achieve the fete. With no playoff system En field thus became the number 1 class M team in the state. An extra, unplanned game at the end of the season against the Rhode Island Class B Champions, Aldrich High School of Warwick, RI, resulted in a loss for the Raiders 21-6. En field scored the first points of the game as Capt. Jim Flynn blocked an Aldrich punt, recovered by Larry Watson on the Aldrich 21. Line bucks by Joe Gaetani, Joe Nuccio and Bob Persano, plus a clipping penalty brought the ball to the five yard line. After 2-line plunges lost 5 yards Gus Westberg flipped a pass to Tom Parakilas in the end zone for the Raiders only points of the day as the extra point try was blocked. The Aldrich High School team was coached by John "Shorty" Rudert who coached En field High School from 1927 to 1930. One of his players on the 1929 team was Carl Angelica the 1948 coach of the Enfield High School team.
Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame. All Rights Reserved
[Return to Inductees Page]
[Return to HOF Home Page] |