Phillipsburg High School Inducts Class of 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - Phillipsburg High School held its fourth annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Sunday afternoon at the high school auditorium.

The committee that votes on who gets inducted consists of George Chando, Mary Jane Deutsch, Ruth Gibbs, Linda Snyder, Dave Miers, booster club president Ted Vegh and Vice President Wayne Holloway, Kyle Purdy, Jim Hanisak, Joann Osifchin, Brett Morrow and Mike Moore.

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The class of 2024 inductees include two teams and nine individuals, eight of whom played multiple sports, plus two booster clubs.

The teams that were honored were the 1969-70 wrestling team and the 1982-83 boy’s basketball team.

The nine individuals honored were the late Art Fowler from the class of 1952, John Eck from the class of 1962, class of 1965 members Holly Hughes, George Hummer, Steve Jeroloman and Jill Sassaman, Bill  Dukett from the class of 1966,  the late Brian Dominic from the class of 1970 and 2007 graduate Justin  Viscomi.

Also honored were the Garnet Booster Club, which was formed in 1969 to support Phillipsburg student-athletes, and the Garnet Boosterettes, which was founded in 1975 to raise funds to give 10 scholarships to graduating athletes each year.

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Watch the entire event through the Phillipsburg Athletic YouTube channel.

FIRSTS

Sid Fowler began what would eventually become a public-school wrestling dynasty to this day by becoming the first individual state champion as a junior in the 104-pound class in 1952. He also became the Stateliners first-time two-time champ when he won again, this time at 115-pounds, as a senior.

“Well, I’m going to say it, but, he would have been very humbled and very embarrassed,” said Sid’s  stepson, Jim Suydam. “Sid did not like attention. He would have said ‘what’s the big deal’. He just liked doing what he was doing out on the wrestling mat he always said.”

John Eck was the school’s first 1,000-point scorer and finished his career with 1,184 points. He still holds the record for most points in a game when he went off for 54 in a game against Frenchtown.  He averaged 19 points a game as a junior and 24.3 as a senior. John was also an outstanding football player. In the 1960-61 season he lettered in those two sports as well as baseball and track and field.

“It’s been over 60 years,” Eck said. “This means a lot. I’m thrilled and a little overwhelmed. There’s a lot of great athletes in Phillipsburg’s history. It’s been a long time coming and it’ll be nice to see the other guys. I was fortunate to have lot of good people when I started here. A lot of good coaches and outstanding players around me. They made me a better athlete. I’m very thankful for my time at Phillipsburg High School.”

Justin Viscomi was also a football and basketball star who became the only athlete in school history to be a state championship quarterback and 1,000-point career scorer in basketball. He set school records for passing yards in a season (2,018), longest TD pass (97 yards) and TD passes in a game (5). Justin was inducted into the Phillipsburg-Easton Football HOF in 2018.

“It means a lot. Obviously, in this town, great athletes have been through here for a long time,” Viscomi said. “To be considered in their class is truly special. Winning the state championship in football when we were 12-0 and avenging the loss we had against Piscataway from the year before were probably the highlights of my time here. It was one of the best times in my life.

Viscomi is the baby of the HOF’s class of 2024 having graduated 37 years after the next youngest inductee.

“It’s good to bring the average age down a little bit,” Viscomi said laughing.

TEAMMATES

Holly Hughes and Jill Sassaman were class and teammates on very successful field hockey and basketball teams under legendary coach Ruth Gibbs. They were freshman in 1961-62 when both sports began at Phillipsburg High School. They also started to go to school together in the first grade.

Holly scored a school-record 17 goals in a season in field hockey and was also a two-time East Penn League first-team basketball player. She played a big role for the 1963 EPL basketball championship team.

“This means a lot, it really does,” Hughes said. “It’s been close to 60 years since we played. For them to honor us now is a really big deal. Last year they honored our hockey team and I thought that was fabulous. But I never thought this would happen. I’m very pleased.”

Jill started all four years in basketball and was a three-time EPL first-team selection. She also scored 10 goals for the unbeaten 1962 field hockey team.

“This is something that you just don’t expect,” Sassaman said. “Back when we started playing in 1961 we just loved playing. It’s was never to get recognition down the road. As time went on. we realized we were the pioneers here and now we feel old.”

George Hummer and Bill Dukett were teammates in football, basketball and baseball and Steve Jeroloman joined them on the football and basketball teams and also was an outstanding distance  runner in track.

Bill was a quarterback and also the basketball teams leading scorer as a junior and senior. In 1966 he was chosen as an EPL first-team second baseman in baseball.

“To be recognized with the background that I have in terms of growing up in Phillipsburg and knowing the great teams and players that have come through here and to be even mentioned in the same realm is really, really unique,” Dukett said. I’m really humbled. It’s great to be back.”

Steve also played three years of football and was on the baseball team for two seasons. He was a two-way starter for the 1964 football team that went 8-0-1. He scored double figures in basketball as a junior and senior and set school and EPL records with a 4:30 mile and a time of 1:58.3 in the 880.

“This means the world to me,” Jeroloman said. “I’m humbled by, first of all, being a part of this program. I never, ever, ever thought, I mean it’s beyond my wildest dreams, to be inducted into the hall of fame. So, I’m really thrilled.”

George played three years of football and was named first team all-state in 1964 and is a member of the Phillipsburg-Easton Football Hall of Fame. He was also a high-scorer in basketball as a junior and senior and was a first-team EPL selection as an infielder in baseball as a senior.

“George was a gimme as far as getting in,” Jeroloman said of Hummer, who didn’t attend.

“George Hummer was probably the toughest guy I ever played with,” Dukett said.

Jeroloman was proud to be a part of the class of 1965 that saw four classmates enshrined.

“I went oh wow when I heard so many classmates made it this year,” Jeroloman said. “It’s been a whirlwind of trying to bring my head around. This is a great program they have going but it took a long time coming.”

“The class of ‘65 was an extremely athletic class,” Hughes said. “Boys and girls. Probably the most in the school’s history up to that point.”

THE PURE ATHLETE

Brian Dominic was one of the purest three-sport athletes to ever come out of Phillipsburg High School. He went a masterful 11-for-11 and threw for four TDs from his quarterback position and added a rushing touchdown while being named Thanksgiving Day MVP in a 41-8 drubbing of Easton.

He also played basketball for three seasons averaging 16.5 ppg. as a junior and 22.3 as a senior when he was named first-team EPL as well as the EPL’s co-MVP. He finished his career with 963 points.

On the diamond, Brian was a three-year letterman at shortstop and second base when he earned third-team EPL honors as a junior and was named first-team as a senior when he finished second in the EPL with five home runs while driving in 14 runs in 19 games.

TEAMS

The 1969-70 wrestling team went 13-0 and outscored opponents by an outrageous margin of 499-75 while extending the program's winning streak to 51 matches. The team crowned 10 district champions out of 12 weight classes.  Jack Thompson won a state championship, Bill Cavanaugh placed second, and Rick Thompson fourth.

Additional members of the team were Gary D’Almo, San Farina, Jim Freeh, Don Jessamine, Bob Jiorle, Bill Kowalchuk, Jim Mangino, Dave Miers, Joe Minorics, Mickey Olivi, Ken Osborne. Harry Thornton was the team manager.

“We were probably the most dominant wresting team in the history of P’burg,” said Miers, the team’s heavyweight. “One of the things that I find incredible is the fact in four years of high school, we didn’t lose a varsity match. That’s pretty spectacular. Also, our senior year of 1969-70 we didn’t have one varsity wrestler get pinned in a dual-meet. That’s another incredible stat I like to keep hold of.”

The 1982-83 basketball team absolutely shocked the state when it won the NJSIAA Group 3 title after completing a 15-8 regular season. It remains the programs first and only state title. The team set a school mark with 21 wins in the season that stood until this past season.

Ken Greene scored the game winning points in a 53-52 victory over Ewing in the state championship game. Coach Tom Fisher was named Coach of the Year by a local media outlet and Ed Tarpey was named its Player of the Year.

Other members of the team were Ned Bolcar, Kevin “Whitey” Boylan, John Deutsch, Dave Domzalski, the late Dave Flowers, Colin Frinzi, Jeff Hockman, Paul Sofhauser, Wayne Stamets and Chris Troxell. Bruce “Bones” Exley and Mike Hughes.

“Obviously, it was because of the seniors we had on that team,” Fisher said. “All five were all returning starters from the previous year. It was something we built on, and they all gained a tremendous amount of confidence because they played so many games together. And they showed extraordinary poise down the stretch that season.”

Phillipsburg Hall of Fame

Ted Vegh, the Phillipsburg Garnet Booster Club Foundation president for the past 12 years, is happy with the progress being made as far as the hall of fame is considered.

“It’s been going much better than anticipated when we put this together four years ago,’ Vegh said. “The turnout and the support has been overwhelming. When you see the inductees here and how appreciative they are is icing on the cake.”

For a school that has been playing sports for over 100 years, some will argue, it took an awfully long time to start a hall of fame.

“The booster club approached the administration when they were still in the old high school many times,” Vegh said. “And they’d say they’re not ready yet, they’re not ready yet. Or even in the first year that they were up here. By the second year we got the green light. We’ve wanted to do this for a long time because our student-athletes deserve to be recognized. I’m just happy it’s off the ground now.”

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