By Delaware County Daily Times
October 16, 2009
The new members of the Hall of Fame include:
Auto Racing
Walt “Satch” Nottle (deceased): A resident of Boothwyn, he competed in the 1960s and 1970s, driving top fuel dragsters, which can reach 230 miles per hour for a quarter mile. In 1973, his Atlantic Speed Shop Quarter Horse was a winner at Dragway Park, took second place at Pittsburgh International Dragway and won the National Hot Rod Association’s Division I points championship. He won two of the six NHRA championship races and finished second in one. His driving license was revoked when he was diagnosed with a heart ailment, and he died in a plane crash in 1979.
Baseball
Bill Savage: He began playing for the Chester Boys Club in the early 1940s and played for the Chester Barons of the Twilight League. He played for championship teams at Chester High in 1947-48. He had professional contract offers from the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Athletics before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played minor league ball in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators organizations before retiring from pro ball because of a shoulder injury. He played in the Delco Baseball League for 10 seasons and was named to several all-star teams.
Basketball
Mark Cubit: An All-Delco player at Sharon Hill High, he was the Section Three scoring champion and was named to the Class B all-state second team. He was Freshman of the Year in the Yankee Conference at the University of Vermont. As a sophomore, he was Vermont’s most valuable player. He then played at Syracuse University and competed in the NCAA Division I Sweet 16. He played in Europe, averaging 32 points per game in one season. He is varsity coach at Mercersburg Academy.
Bowling
Frank Ward: He competed for a Catholic League championship team at West Catholic High and was the league’s all events champion. He won the Kegler Tournament three times, was runnerup in the Mid-Atlantic Pro Tournament and two-time runnerup in the Eastern U.S. Bowling Association Tournament. He earned titles in all events, singles and doubles and was a member of five championship teams in the Greater Philadelphia ABC Tournament. He placed as high as 10th at the ABA National Championships. He rolled 11 300 games and a pair of 800 series and has a season high average of 227.
Coach
Ray Gionta: An All-Delco offensive lineman who played for a Catholic League Southern Division championship team at St. James High, he made the All-Catholic team on offense and defense. He also was named to the All-Scholastic team. He played for a pair of PSAC East championship teams at West Chester University. He was an assistant coach at St. James for four years as well as at Archbishop Carroll, Coatesville, Strath Haven, North Penn and at Muhlenberg College. As a head coach, his 1991 St. James team won the Catholic League Southern Division title and he has led Marple Newtown to the PIAA District One playoffs. His Marple teams have won the Philadelphia Suburban Football Officials sportsmanship award four times and he won Marple Newtown’s Lou Bonder Coaching Award. He was Catholic League Coach of the Year twice and was head coach in the Hero Bowl twice.
Football
Fritz Kessler: He played football, basketball and baseball in his four years at Chester High. He made the 1948 All-Delco football team and earned a scholarship to Auburn University. After one year at Auburn, he entered the military and served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He coached in the Chester Biddy Basketball League and the Chester Youth League (baseball).
Henry “Hank” Pryor (deceased): He earned All-Delco honors twice while playing halfback at Chichester High, where he helped the Eagles to an undefeated season in 1950. He helped Marcus Hook A.A. win the 1953 Wilmington Semipro League championship. While serving in the military (1954-56), he was named to the All-European team as a halfback. After the service, he returned to Marcus Hook A.A. and was a member of the 1957 and 1958 Eastern Pennsylvania League championship teams.
Softball
Jim “Gears” Miller: A graduate of St. James High, he began playing softball as an infielder with the Reynolds Springs team. He won more than 300 games in 16 years of pitching in the Chester Major League. He was a member of the 1972 Maximillian’s team that won the ASA state championship. He helped Benny’s and O’Hagan’s teams win the Philadelphia Gold Medal Tournament.
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In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, the Delco Hall will honor George Carter of the Chester Boys and Girls Club with its Humanitarian Award and Thomas J. Hazinsky of Aston as Sportsperson of the Year.
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Tickets for the event, which begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7, are $35 and can be obtained by sending a check made payable to Delco Hall of Fame to Joseph Cirilli, Executive Director, Delco Athletes Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 67, Woodlyn, PA 19094.