The Pottsville Area High School All Sports Hall of Fame will hold the induction ceremony for its Class of 2015 on Sunday, June 14, at the Pottsville Zone at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $23 and can be purchased by calling (570) 385-1173.
This year’s inductees include:
John Toomey
Honorary
Toomey, a 1974 Nativity graduate and 1978 graduate of Millersville State College, began his coaching career as a football varsity assistant at Nativity from 1979-84. Toomey became a member of Pottsville’s staff in 1985 and is currently the defensive coordinator. Toomey had served under four head coaches and has been a part of three District 11 Championships and two PIAA runner-up finishes.
Toomey has also coached basketball at Pottsville at both the junior high and junior varsity level, and presently serves as a varsity assistant. Toomey was the Crimson Tide’s head coach from 1995-2002, compiling a record of 108-74. Pottsville went 25-3 in 1999-2000, winning a Schuylkill League title.
Toomey was elected to the Allen-Rogowicz Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a special needs teacher for I.U. 29 from 1978- 2005, and then held the same position at Pottsville from 2005 until his retirement in 2014.
Jack Taylor
Class of 1954
John Taylor, better known as Jack, was a two-sport standout in football and track and field at Pottsville from 1951-54.
Taylor played guard, tackle and placekicker for the Crimson Tide.Taylor helped lead Pottsville to the Centennial Keystone Championship his senior season.
In track and field, Taylor competed in the discus, shot put and javelin. He broke numerous records throughout his senior season and graduated as the best discus thrower in Pottsville history.
Taylor also excelled in the classroom. He was president of the National Honor Society and received a full scholarship to Lafayette College. He was a guard for the Leopards and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.
Taylor went on to be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and then later became an electrical engineer. He retired from Ford Motor Company in 2000 and passed away in 2004. Taylor is survived by his wife and fellow classmate Ann, along with three children.
Dan Kemple Jr.
Class of 1965
Kemple was a four-year member of Pottsville’s varsity baseball team at first base and was known as a consistent hitter. He lettered and started his final three years.
Kemple was a member of the 1963 and 1964 South Schuylkill League championship teams. Each squad reached the District 11 finals, losing in 1963, but winning the Crimson Tide’s first district championship in 1964. Kemple finished his career with a .353 average and was a recipient of the 1965 Pottsville Little League Award as Pottsville High’s Most Outstanding Baseball Player.
Kemple continued his career at New York University in 1965, earning three letters. He led NYU in average in 1967, and was a member of the 1968 squad that placed second at the NCAA Eastern Regional Tournament and was rated 12th nationally among Division I schools.
A veteran of the armed forces, Kemple served with the U.S. Army Reserves, attaining a rank of sergeant. He lived in New York and was employed by the Internal Revenue Service.
Debbie Haag Umbenhauer
Class of 1975
Umbenhauer was a four-year letter winner in softball and three-year letter winner in basketball during her career at Pottsville. She also participated in volleyball for three years, earning a letter as a senior, the first year Pottsville offered the sport.
Umbenhauer also excelled in track and field, which was not an interscholastic sport at Pottsville other than relays and county meets. She still set meet records in both the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes and was also a member of 440-yard relay and shuttle hurdle relay teams.
During her junior and senior seasons, Umbenhauer’s relay team won a silver medal in two relay events at the District 11 meet, qualifying for the PIAA meet. She also earned a silver medal in the 220-yard dash her senior year, qualifying for states.
Umbenhauer worked for the Pottsville School District from 1975 until her retirement in March 2011.
Ron Abdo
Class of 1990
Abdo played four years on the varsity basketball team, lettering twice. He was a guard for the Crimson Tide with good ball-handling and shooting abilities. Abdo was an important member for coach Jim Steidle’s teams that advanced to the District 11 championship two years in a row.
In 1989, the Crimson Tide finished 21-8, won a Schuylkill League title and finished as a District 11 runner-up. In 1990, Pottsville went 23-7. The Tide lost to Lourdes in the league finals but won a district title to advance to states for the second consecutive year.
Abdo attended Stevens Trade School and continued his love of basketball for seven years, playing for the Pottsville Stingers and, later, the New Philadelphia Firedogs.
Abdo is employed by the Yuengling Brewery at its Mill Creek Plant. He and his wife Karen of 17 years have three children: sons Justin and Jordan and daughter Kamryn.
Dave Pillus
Class of 2001
Pillus was a member of the swimming, water polo and tennis teams at Pottsville, earning 12 letters during his high school career.
Pillus was the Crimson Tide’s top scorer on the swimming team in both 2000 and 2001, and was team captain in his senior year. He captured 11 Schuylkill League medals, including seven gold and four silver. Pillus was part of a team that still holds the school record in the medley relay.
Pillus was an All-Area swimmer in his sophomore, junior and senior years, and was named to the All-State team in 1999. He also earned four District 11 medals, including three silver and one bronze, and qualified for the PIAA Championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
In water polo, Pillus broke the school record in both the seasonal and career scoring statistics and was selected all-state his sophomore, junior and senior years.
Pillus graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005 and the Temple School of Medicine in 2010. He presently works as an Emergency Medicine Physician in Longview, Texas.
Kelly Brennan Lombel
Class of 2002
Lombel was a versatile athlete, participating in cross country, track and field, basketball, softball and swimming, earning a total of 12 letters during her career.
Lombel was a Schylkill League champ in cross country and served as a captain her junior and senior years. She was a Division I All-Star all four years and also qualified for the District 11 meet four times.
Lombel was also the team captain on the track and field team, competing in the 400- and 1,600-meter runs, in addition to the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams.
Lombel played varsity basketball for three years as a guard and forward, earning a letter all three years. She also participated for one year in both swimming and softball, and earned the school’s Most Outstanding Senior Female Award in 2002.
Lombel continued her career at East Stroudsburg University in both track and field and cross country. After graduation, Lombel was hired by the Pottsville Area School Districts and is a fifth-grade teacher and an assistant track coach.
Rob Shaffer
Class of 2005
Shaffer was a standout defensive back and wingback on Pottsville’s football team. He also participated in track and field.
Shaffer lettered three years for the Crimson Tide football team and was a co-captain his senior year. He was a member of the 2004 Pottsville Republican South All-Star team and was named to the Reading Eagle All-Anthracite Team. Shaffer was a part of Pottsville’s first team that won a District 11 championship and reached the state playoffs.
As a sprinter on the track and field team, Shaffer was 100-meter dash champion and 200-meter dash runner-up in 2005. He was also named to the All-Area Track Team his senior year.
Shaffer attended Moravian College and participated in both football and track and field. He won numerous All-Conference honors in each of his last three years and was named to the ECAC All-East Coast Team in 2008 in the 100. He was a co-captain as a senior, while his 400-meter relay team still holds the school record.
Shaffer is employed by Pottsville Area as a fifth-grade teacher. In addition, he has been a member of the coaching staff for both football and track and field for the Tide.