The Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame will welcome its fifth class of student
athletes and athletic contributors prior to the August 30th Friday night football game.
The Knights will play Blackhawk in their 2019 conference opener.
The new class features five student athletes and one teacher/coach. This year’s
honorees include Knoch graduates Todd Tudor, Mike King, Bethany Baker Krueger,
Kevin Doyle, Chase Rowe, and former teacher and coach Jean Heard.
Todd Tudor – Todd Tudor is a 1979 graduate who excelled in both football and track.
He was a three-year letterman in football and a captain of the 1978 WPIAL AA
Championship team. He earned first-team honors on both offense and defense his
senior year from numerous sources, and was selected to play and start in the
Pennsylvania “Big 33” all star game. In track, he excelled in both the discus and shot
put qualifying for the WPIAL finals in 1979. Todd earned a full scholarship and played
football and track at Division-one VMI (Virginia Military Institute) – starting at right tackle
for three seasons.
Mike King – Mike King is a 1982 graduate who was an outstanding football player
during his high school days, and returned to Knoch to be the head football coach for 19
seasons. While playing at Knoch, Mike earned recognition as an exceptional lineman
and was named as first team all-conference on both offense and defense. He was a
captain his senior year leading the Knights to the WPIAL Championship game. Mike
had a stellar college career as a four-year letterman at Lafayette College where he set a
team defensive record for most sacks in a season. In addition to his coaching career at
Knoch, Mike also coached overseas for a brief time with the Bolzano Jets in Bolzano,
Italy.
Bethany Baker Krueger – Bethany Baker Krueger is a 1996 graduate who lettered in
three varsity sports – volleyball, basketball, and softball – earning a total of 11 letters.
She was selected as the team’s most valuable player in volleyball and basketball.
Bethany continued her athletic career at the University of Minnesota where she lettered
in varsity volleyball in 2000 and 2001, and played on two NCAA tournament qualifiers.
Bethany also did statistics for the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Lynx on the
WNBA, and the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kevin Doyle – Kevin is a 1998 graduate who lettered in three varsity sports during his
high school career – soccer, track & field, and cross country. During the 1996 soccer
season Kevin scored a school record 19 goals earning him all section honors. In track,
Kevin was an All District/State Qualifier in the 1600 meters in 1997, and the
WPIAL/District Champion in that event in 1998. He holds the school record in the 1600
and 3200 meter events. Kevin took his talents to St. Francis University where he
earned multiple individual and team honors in cross country and track. He is the
school’s record holder in the 5000 meter event. Kevin has run a number of marathons,
finishing 1 st in his group in Pittsburgh in 2017, and winning the 2018 Indiana Veterans
Marathon.
Chase Rowe – Chase is a 2001 graduate who has excelled in baseball throughout his
career. He played basketball and baseball at Knoch, earning letters in both sports and
all-section honors in baseball in 2000 and 2001. Chase started his college career at
Gulf Coast Community College and completed it at Slippery Rock University. While at
the Rock, Chase was named to the PSAC All-Conference team in 20004 and 2005, and
started at third base for the Rock’s 2003 College World Series team. He is currently the
head baseball coach at La Roche University, where he has been since 2007, sporting a
record of 334-177. His teams have earned six Allegheny Mountain Collegiate
Conference (AMCC) regular season titles and were in the 2016 World Series Final Four.
Chase has also earned six AMCC Coach of the Year awards.
Jean Heard (Teacher/Coach) – Jean Heard was a teacher and coach at Knoch from
1972 through her retirement in 1985. She started the successful girl’s volleyball program
in 1972, and coached both volleyball and basketball while at Knoch. As girl’s athletic
opportunities began to expand during those years, Jean was at the forefront of
encouraging young women to participate in athletics at all levels while in school. Jean
was an outstanding athlete before her teaching career began excelling in basketball,
volleyball and softball in high school at Saltsburg High School, and field hockey and
basketball at Slippery Rock University. She continued to play field hockey as an
amateur after leaving the Rock. Jean was inducted into the Slippery Rock University
Hall of Fame in 1985.
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 Ken Elliott, Dave Bracco, and Jerry
Sefton, current teachers Lisa Knappenberger and Diane Geist, and 1973 Knoch graduates Dave Bacon
and committee chairman Scott Briggs. The non-voting advisory members are former athletic director
Mike King and current AD Kurt Reiser.
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