Davies to be inducted in OVAC Hall of Fame Saturday Jeff Harrison Special to The Enterprise WHEELING, W. Va. -- The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference will honor its own once again Saturday when the seventh annual OVAC Hall of Fame Ceremony takes place with the induction of the Class of 2010. WesBanco Arena in Wheeling will be the site of the seventh annual OVAC Hall of Fame Banquet, with 17 individual associated with the conference taking their place among the elite who have helped make the OVAC -- beginning its 68th year of existence -- one of the premier high school athletic leagues in the nation. Bill Davies (accepted by Jean Davies) will be inducted in the Media category. The late Bill Davies reported the events of the conference to his community for more than 40 years as a journalist. A "gentle giant" who wore many hats during his lifetime, it would be easy to label Davies as "Mr. Barnesville" to many inside and outside the western Belmont County community, but it was in the media where he made perhaps his greatest impact. After enlisting in the Navy during World War II and serving with the Navy Seabees in Okinawa, he attended Miami (Ohio) University and completed his education at The Ohio State University where he graduated from the OSU School of Journalism in 1950. A true "old school" reporter who could recall many names and events at the drop of a hat, his lifelong career was spent right in his backyard at The Barnesville Enterprise until his retirement in 1994, serving several years as editor-publisher while also covering Shamrock sporting events religiously. Not only did he report on Barnesville athletics for The Enterprise, but he also was a valuable contributor to the sports departments at The Times Leader in Martins Ferry and The Daily Jeffersonian in Cambridge. Among the sports-related awards Davies received were a Distinguished Service Award from the Barnesville wrestling program in 199l; the District 12 Basketball Coaches Association Distinguished Service Award in 1996; the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame Media Award in 1997; and induction into the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1998. He also was inducted into the Barnesville Area Education Foundation Hall of Fame in 1998; was named Barnesville Citizen of the Year in 1994; received a Founders Award from the Ohio Association of Community Colleges; and graces the top of the Heritage Tree at Belmont Technical College. Davies was a varsity letterman in football and basketball in high school, and was a member of the gold medal-winning basketball team in the 1945 Pacific Olympics. He was a registered basketball official for 20 years and served as Ohio Stadium bench security and as an usher at Buckeye football games from 1958 until the year of his death in 2003. This year's other inductees (with the person accepting for those deceased or unable to attend), include: OVAC "Family" -- Rick DeLuca OVAC "Contributor" -- Frank Baxter Coaches -- John Stephenson and Chuck Watt (accepted by Tom Cusick) Official -- John "Streaky" Haloszka 1940s Athlete -- Fred Bruney (accepted by Dave Bruney) 1950s Athletes -- Henry Josefczyk and Don Sutherin 1960s Athletes -- Larry Duck and Joe Niekro (accepted by Phil Niekro) 1970s Athletes -- Less Browne and Mike Wright 1980s Athletes -- Melissa Hammond and Jeff Sweitzer 1990s Athletes -- Joanna Bernabei and Kyle Rose Five "Legends of OVAC Member Schools" will also be recognized at the banquet, including Floyd Baker (Martins Ferry/Bridgeport), Carl Hoppel (Beaver Local), Dick Mehen (Wheeling), Will Robinson (Steubenville) and Jack Simons (New Cumberland). The "Legends" category recognizes athletes and coaches who competed prior to the inception of the OVAC in 1943 or while their schools were not members of the conference. This year's group of inductees bring the five-year total of Hall of Famers to 122, with 30 others honored in the "Legends" category. A special Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Denny Magruder, manager of WesBanco Arena. The OVAC Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Robinson Auto Group and the plaques of the inductees are on permanent display at WesBanco Arena. The OVAC Hall of Fame selection committee includes Tom Rataiczak, executive secretary of the OVAC; Jeff Harrison, sports editor of The Daily Jeffersonian in Cambridge; Doug Huff, retired sports editor of The Intelligencer in Wheeling; Robert "Bubba" Kapral, managing editor of The Times Leader in Martins Ferry; Ron Mauck, long-time OVAC Wrestling Championship director; Kelly Rine, athletic director at St. Clairsville High School; Tom Tisher, athletic director at River High School; Dick Wolf, East Liverpool City Schools Board of Education member; Don Zinni, OVAC Football Commissioner; Seth Staskey, sports editor of The Times Leader in Martins Ferry; and Bob Rossell, John Sorrenti, former sports director of WEIR radio will again serve as master of ceremonies while Rev. Dr. Stan Fedyszyn of the Rock Hill Presbyterian Church will offer the invocation and benediction. Dinner will be served at 5:30 and the induction ceremony starts at 6:30. Tickets for the banquet are still available by contacting the OVAC office at 671-3269 no later than Wednesday. The cost is $25 per ticket or tables of eight for $200.
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