The Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame will induct its fourth class of student athletes and athletic contributors prior to the September 14th Friday night football game. The Knights will play Highlands in their 2018 home opener.
The new class features 5 student athletes and the very first team to be honored. This year’s honorees include Knoch graduates Fred Rothen, Carla Wetzel Patarini, Tammie Kelley, Todd Durand, and Nick Reiser, as well as the 1978 WPIAL Class AA Champion football team.
Fred Rothen (1969) – Fred Rothen was the first Knoch basketball player to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark reaching that milestone on February 11, 1969. He finished his Knoch career as the Knights all-time leading scorer with 1,079 points – a distinction he held for 25 years. He is still 5th on the all-time scoring list, and one of only 5 players to have exceeded the 1,000 point mark. He was a three-year varsity starter and leading scorer on a team that won three consecutive Class 16-B Championships, and ran-off a school record 23 wins in a row in his senior season before losing in the second round of the WPIAL playoffs. He still holds the record for most points scored in a game – 44. Fred went on to have a stellar basketball career at Westminster College where he scored 888 points in 89 games – most of them as a starter and team captain. Fred passed away in 2011.
Carla Wetzel Patarini (1978) – Carla Wetzel Patarini earned three letters in both Volleyball and Basketball during her athletic career at Knoch. She was co-captain of the volleyball team in both 1976-77 and 1977-78, leading the Knights to a section championship in each of those seasons. She started at point guard for the Lady Knights basketball team and was a tri-captain her senior year. Carla went on to star at Grove City College where she earned a school record 11 varsity letters competing on the Wolverine’s volleyball, basketball and softball teams where her teams won a combined 195 games, and won seven Women’s Keystone Conference titles. She was inducted into the Grove City College Athletic Hall of Fame as part of their second class in 2008.
Tammie Kelley (1983) – Tammie Kelley was a three-sport athlete at Knoch, competing in volleyball, basketball and track & field. She was the first female athlete at Knoch to qualify for two events at the state track & field competition – the intermediate hurdles and as part of the 1600 meter relay team. She earned the U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award in 1983 and was voted most athletic in her graduating class. Tammie earned a track scholarship to Slippery Rock University where she was ranked #1 in heptathlon-division 2 in 1985. Following her graduation from SRU she was recruited to be an agent for the FBI and retired from the Bureau after 20 years of service in 2015.
Todd Durand (1983) – Todd Durand was a three-sport athlete earning eight varsity letters in football, basketball and track. He served as captain on both basketball and football teams, earning a 1st team GAC defensive back honor. His football teams won a section championship in 1980 and were the WPIAL runner-up in 1981. He went on to play football at Slippery Rock University earning a letter in each of his four years, while also playing basketball at the Rock his freshman and sophomore years. Todd has also served as a football coach at Knoch and Freeport, Girls basketball coach at Knoch and Burrell, and a track coach at Freeport where his teams earned numerous section and WPIAL championships. Todd is currently a teacher at Knoch.
Nick Reiser (1993) – Nick Reiser was a two sport athlete at Knoch, earning letters in all three years. He was a co-captain on the 1992 WPIAL runner-up football team, a season he also earned all-conference honors on both offense and defense and an honorable mention for all-state football. He was also named to the all conference basketball team in 1993. Nick played college football at Allegheny College where he was an all-conference player each of his four years. He was named the Hank Critchfield Defensive Player of the Year in 1996, and named to several all-American teams in 1995 and 1996. Nick was also named to the NCAC All-Decade team for 1993-2004. He is a member of the Allegheny College Hall of Fame and the Butler County Hall of Fame.
The 1978 WPIAL Class AA Championship Football Team – Tim Karrs, Head Coach
The 1978 Football team became the first Knoch High School team to earn a WPIAL Championship, finishing the season with an 11-1 mark. During the season the team allowed just 5 points per game and held five different opponents scoreless. The team also scored a then-school record 266 points during the season. In the WPIAL playoffs the Knights defeated Beth-Center and Leechburg to earn a trip to the championship game at Pitt Stadium against heavily favored Beaver Falls. Knoch surprised the talent –rich Tigers with an impressive 40-15 win. Many still consider that game one of the biggest championship game upsets in WPIAL history.
Hall of Fame
To be considered for the Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame, an individual must have made a significant contribution to Knoch sports through athletic excellence and/or exemplary leadership contribution in sports activity. Applicants must be at least 30 years of age for consideration. More information on the Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame is available from the Athletic Office at Knoch High School.
The current Hall of Fame Committee is made up of nine members – seven voting members and two advisory members. The voting members include retired teachers Bill Purvis, Dave Bracco, and Jerry Sefton, former Assistant Principal Regis Scheibel, current teachers Lisa Knappenberger and Diane Geist, and 1973 Knoch graduates Dave Bacon and Scott Briggs. The non-voting advisory members are former athletic director Mike King and current AD Kurt Reiser.
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