Hopewell HS Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2024

(This is a contribution from former Beaver County Times writer and Hopewell graduate Mike Bires)

The Hopewell High School Sports Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2024 at a banquet on Friday at the Club of Shadow Lakes.

It was a spectacular class that includes Nate Guenin, the only Beaver County athlete to ever play in the National Hockey League; Becky Novacek (Class of 2007), a versatile three-sport athlete who excelled in volleyball, basketball and track and helped the Hopewell girls basketball team win WPIAL and state championships in 2006 and 2007; Andy Robertson (Class of 1964), a multi-sport athlete during his day as a Viking who would go ono to coach for decades on the high school and college levels; Gregory Rosatelli (Class of 2003), one of the most prolific scorers in Hopewell boys basketball history; Ed Wilamowski (Class of 1973), a defensive end who’s one of the greatest defensive players to ever play at Hopewell and a member of Pitt’s national championship team in 1976; and the 1971 & 1972 football teams that featured Tony Dorsett and went 9-1 and 8-1 with a pair of conference championships. Unfortunately, Dorsett could not attend the banquet.

You can read more about the Class of 2024 on a previous Facebook post.

Also, Chuck Blaney (Class of 1965), a multi-sport athlete who later served as Hopewell’s athletic director and football coach, was in essence re-inducted. Chuck was part of the induction Class of 2023 but didn’t attend last year’s banquet due to health reasons.

In the first photo, from left: Joe Falletta, former Hopewell boys basketball coach who spoke on behalf of Rosatelli, who couldn’t attend the banquet; Becky Novacek; Ed Wilamowski; Chuck Blaney; Andy Robertson; and Nate Guenin.

In the second photo are members of the 1971 and 1972 football teams who attended the banquet. They are first row, from left: Ed Burak, Scott Williams, Dan Rains, Gary Ciccone, John Casp, Joe Smith and Mike Bires. Second row: Don McKinney, Ed Wilamowski, Matt Jones, Dave Todd and Joe Durinsky.

Third Row: Tony Ciucci, Eugune Roberts, Ed Kanitra, an assistant coach on those teams, and Joe Christy.