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Hall of Fame Class of 2014

BEAVER LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

HALL OF FAME

CLASS OF 2014

Shawn Dunn - Class of 2005

Shawn earned 8 Varsity letters during his high school career with 4 in Soccer, 4 in Wrestling and 2 in Track.

            In Soccer, Shawn was recognized for his athletic talent starting his sophomore year by being selected to a number of different 1st team honors and being voted Player of the Year by two different groups.  He was selected All-Ohio Division II his junior year; named OVAC Div. II Player of the Year for 3 years; Review Player of the Year for 3 years; 1st Team Eastern District for 3 years; 1st Team OVAC All-Valley for 3 years; and served as team Captain for 3 years.

            He ended his high school Soccer career with 111 goals, 42 assists.  Shawn held the school’s single season record with 40 goals until 2013.

            Shawn was also a standout in Wrestling.  He was a 2-time State Qualifier; 3-time District placer; 2-time OVAC placer and earned Academic All-State honors by the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association his junior and senior years.  He ended his wrestling career with 111 wins.

            He was respected by his team-mates, coaches and the faculty of BL because of his hard work on and off the field and mat.  He excelled both in athletics and academics while contributing many hours of community service.

            Shawn graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University where he played 4 years of NCAA Div. II Soccer.  He has two children, Peyton (4) and Cael (3).  Peyton is already following her father’s talent competing for two years with the BLYSA. 

Joe Linkesh - Class of 1989

Joe earned 3 Varsity letters in Wrestling at Beaver Local High School.

            As a sophomore in 1986 to 1987, Joe was a Regional Qualifier at the Mentor AAA tournament; placed 4th at the Austintown AAA District tournament; 3rd at the Hoppel tournament and 2nd at the Wellsville tournament.

            His successes continued during his junior year with an individual Championship at the Norton Dual tourney;  2nd place at the West Holmes tourney; 4th place at the Hoppel tourney; 3rd at the Smithville tourney; 3rd at the Louisville Div. II Sectionals; named to the 2nd Team All County; was awarded the team MVP and Most Dedicated Wrestler.

            Finishing his high school wrestling career in 1989, Joe was 2nd at the Smithville tourney; 3rd at the Medina Invitational; Champion at the Hoppel tourney; 3rd at EOWL; 3rd in the Louisville Div. II Sectionals; 5th at the Akron Firestone Div. II Districts; and 3rd at the Ohio State finals.  He was named the Columbiana County All Star Wrestler of the Year; EOWL Div. II Wrestler of the Year; NE Ohio All Star; BLHS team MVP; and recipient of the Dike Beede Award.

            After graduation, Joe continued wrestling for 1 year at Kent State University and 2 years at West Liberty University where he graduated with a BS in Business Administration.

            Joe and his wife Tammy have two sons, Joey and Logan.  Currently, he is employed as a conductor for CSX Railroad.

Stephen Mercer - Class of 2005

Stephen earned 10 Varsity letters at Beaver Local: 4 in Baseball, 3 in Football and 3 in Basketball.

            During his athletic career, he was a member of multiple record setting teams. In football, the 2005 seniors set the record for most career wins with a record of 31-5 with 3 consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, Stephen was awarded the Winston Coburn Award for football.  He was a member of two basketball teams that set the record for most wins in a season with 17 total, and most consecutive wins in a row with 12 total. He was part of the 2003-2004 AAAA OVAC Championship team for basketball. He was also a member of the 2005 District Runner-Up baseball team. Individually, Stephen holds two records at Beaver Local, one in football for Most Pass Deflections in a Season (13 in 2003) and one in Basketball for Most Points Scored in Single Game (44 in 2004).

            Stephen earned multiple accolades while at BL, some of which include: Football –2003 All-Eastern District Special Mention, 2003 Quad County Honorable Mention, 2003 All Review 2nd Team, 2004 All OVAC 1st Team, 2004 All Eastern District 1st Team, 2004 All Ohio Special Mention, 2004 Quad County 1st Team, 2004 Columbiana Co. 1st Team, 2004 1st Team All Review, participated in the 2005 Penn/Ohio Game. Basketball – 2004 All County Special Mention, 2004 District 5 Special Mention, 2005 All Eastern District 3rd Team, 2004 & 2005 All OVAC Honorable Mention, 2005 1st Team All Columbiana County. Baseball – 2005 All Steel Valley Conference.

            Academically, Stephen graduated as Valedictorian with a GPA of 4.044. He was voted class President his senior year. He was a member of the National Honor Society, named to the All OVAC Academic Team and completed over 200 hours of community service.

            Stephen graduated from Grove City College with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He was a 4 year letterman and 3 year starter at wide receiver for the Wolverines. The son of Mark & Sheryl Mercer, he and his wife Kristin moved back to the area this spring. He is employed by FirstEnergy Corp. as an electrical engineer; has coached 1 year of BLMS Boys Basketball and has been part of the BL Varsity Football coaching staff for the past 3 years.

Brad White - Class of 1998

Brad earned 4 Varsity letters in Track at BLHS where he also participated in Cross Country, Golf and Basketball.

Although BL had a cinder track and no actual pole vault pit and not enough hurdles to run a complete race, Brad graduated having achieved 5 school records: 110 Hurdles @ 14.7; 300m Hurdles (his favorite) @ 39.3; Pole Vault @ 12’7”;  in Relays with his teammates Brandon Ward, Jamie Olmstead & Billy Pancake in the 4 x 400m @ 3:25;  and the Shuttle Hurdles @ 60.4 with Nate Heddleston, Corey White & Steve Hoppel.

His senior year, Brad finished 1st at the District meet in both the 110 & 300 Hurdles advancing to the Regionals  where he finished 3rd in both events to qualify for State.  The 4 x 4 team finished 1st at Regionals and broke the school record that day.  Brad had a dream and personal goal to make it to state and run on the same track where Jesse Owens ran.  He fulfilled that dream by competing in 3 events in Columbus.

Brad has been married to his high school sweetheart, Casey Sullivan (ELHS 1997) for 14 years.  They have two daughters, Cameron Jade (13) and Hannah Brooke (9) and one son, Bradyn Joseph (4).  He coached his oldest daughter in pole vault this year and she won several medals & ribbons.

They live in East Liberty, Ohio.  Bradly is a line leader at the Honda plant in Marysville.  As a family, they enjoy kayaking, camping, riding bikes and vacationing at the beach.  To this day, Brad strives to do his best at anything he attempts and is always willing to try.  He thanks you for this honor.

Wilbur Staley - Special Category

Wilbur was born on December 13, 1926 in Irondale, Ohio, the son of the late Samuel and Sylvania Staley and they youngest of six children.  He graduated from Chester High School in 1945, having earned four letters in football, three in basketball, and three in baseball while starring for the Chester teams.  He was a fullback for the unbeaten Panther team of 1945.  Wilbur was contacted by the Green Bay Packers to try out for their football team, but chose to serve his country instead.  He joined the United States Army in 1945, served in the last regiment of the horse Calvary at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was also stationed in Casablanca, Africa as a sergeant and military policeman.  Upon his discharge from the Army, he began his college career at West Liberty State College.  He played four seasons as a varsity football player, was captain of the football team his senior year, and was one of the main cogs on West Liberty’s highly successful football team.

            Wilbur married the former Patricia Poe in 1950 and they had three children, Stephen Staley, Jorja Staley Fobes and Valerie Staley Hochmann.  He has a grandson, Aaron Hochmann, three granddaughters, Alicia Staley, Melanie Hughes and Cheryl Staley and four great-grandchildren.

            Wilbur was a foreman at American Vitrified Products Co. until 1969 when he began his teaching and coaching career at Beaver Local.  He was a devoted teacher in BLSD for 24 years retiring in 1993.  Wilbur taught health and physical education and shared his love of athletics by coaching football, basketball and track at BL.  He enjoyed coaching his son Steve and later with him.  One of the high points of his coaching career was accompanying Bob Bentz to Louisiana for the national track and field championships.

            Wilbur passed away on March 21, 2005 and is sadly missed by all who loved and knew him.