7 Named to WHHS Hall of Fame
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Vol 21 Issue 31 • 20 Pages News and Views By and For West Haven • August 10, 2017 PRICELESS Photo by Russ McCreven Keeping cool! Whether it was reading a good book, using a jet ski or just cooling off in the water of Long Island Sound, residents and vistors to city beaches attempted to keep cool last week as the region experi- enced high temperatures and high humidity during summer’s Dog Days. Heavy thundershowers broke the heat, and those in the know reported this week was going to be much more comfortable as we head toward the middle of the month. 7 named to WHHS Hall of Fame The West Haven Hall of Fame Sitro Flemming is a three-sport star the Year in 1986, was the team most red-shirt junior, Turner was the team’s Committee has announced its newest on the basketball, soccer and softball valuable player in 1989, and took home co-captain, averaging 12 points per inductees to be honored, Saturday, teams. She played volleyball her the Toni Johnson Award for Career game in both his red-shirt junior year Nov. 18, at Cielo, West Haven Italian- freshman year, before the soccer team Offensive Excellence in 1988. and senior campaigns. American Club. With seven members was formed and was named the team’s Turner is a 1998 graduate who played Turner also played professionally in added to the prestigious club, there Rookie of the Year. at West Haven his sophomore through the Philippines and Venezuela. are now 165 inductees since the start Sitro Flemming played on the first senior campaigns. He made his initial Blake, who recently passed away in 2000. girls soccer team at West Haven High mark his junior campaign where he after a long illness, was a 1974 graduate Included in the Class of 2017 are the as a sophomore and was named the was the team’s co-captain, averaging of West Haven High who played late Thomas “Tinker” Blake, Bill Yale, team’s captain her junior campaign. 19 points per game. Junior year saw football for three years and tennis John Riederich, Vicci Duane Messina, She was an All-District selection her Turner named to the All-Conference all four years. While he was a solid Julie Sitro Flemming, Matt Turner, and junior and senior campaigns, and the team and All-State honorable mention. athlete, Blake will long be remembered Keith Dupee. most valuable player her senior year. As a senior and the team’s captain, as the “Voice of West Haven.” Duane Messina played softball for Sitro Flemming was the team’s Turner averaged 29 points per game, He was a long-time master of four years under Hall of Fame coach captain her junior and senior season four rebounds per game, and five ceremonies for the West Haven Frank Biondi. She was named an All- on the hardwood. She was the team’s assists per game. He was named to the High School softball, football, girls League selection each year, becoming Rookie of the Year, team’s most New Haven Register All-State team, and boys lacrosse, girls soccer, girls the only West Haven softball player to valuable player her senior year, an Connecticut Post Super 15, Hartford hockey, and West Haven Hall of Fame take home that honor. Duane Messina All-District and All-Area selection Courant All-State, and SCC Quinnipiac banquets, past president of the West was an All-Area selection after the her junior and senior seasons, and Division Most Valuable Player. Turner Haven Penalty Box Club, former vice 2002, 2003, and 2004 seasons, was a second-team All-State as a senior. Sitro was an All-Area selection and All- president and coach of the West Haven New Haven Register All-State selection Flemming was the team’s assist leader Area Most Valuable Player, along with Little League, former Board of Director in 2003, and a Connecticut High School her junior and senior seasons, the free the team most valuable player, and and coach for West Haven Youth Coaches Association All-State selection throw percentage leader as a junior, Gatorade Player of the Year runner-up. Hockey, Board of Director and dinner following the 2004 season. and the team’s most valuable player as Turner went on to play basketball at chairman for the Jimmy Fund and West Duane Messina is first all-time in a senior. Boston University where he averaged Haven Twilight League, co-chairman West Haven history with 59 wins, first Sitro Flemming also played for 12 points per game as a sophomore, and of the Savin Rock Festival, and founder with 540 strikeouts, and first with a Biondi from 1986 through 1989. She 19 points per game as a junior, before and past president of the West Haven 0.80 earned run average. was named the team’s Rookie of season-ending shoulder surgery. As a See Hall of Fame, page 2 Around Town ................10 Sports ..........................11-14 Set Your Browser To Attention Art Instructors! City News ......................2-5 Classified .........................15 The West Haven Voice is in need of late sum- westhavenvoice.com X Editorial ............................ 6 Puzzles ............................15 mer and fall weather pictures. Instructors can E Dear Felicia ...................... 4 Gripevine ..........................5 drop off or email color and black-and-white D Like us on Facebook pictures to: [email protected]. N Eleanore Turkington is on vacation I INDEX Love us Weekly! Her column reappears on Aug. 17. Page 2 West Haven Voice, August 10, 2017 Hall of Fame: Seven in Class of 2017 Continued from page 1 the West Haven High School Writers Alliance Good Sport 7-4 win over rival Notre Dame. Rensselaer Polytechnic Football Alumni Associ-ation. Penalty Box Club, which is Award, the West Haven High That championship season Institute (RPI) from 1996-2000 Blake was an active member the parent group supporting School PTA Unsung Hero, saw Dupee tally 15 points and graduated with a B.S. in of the West Haven community the West Haven High School West Haven Twilight League in four playoff games on Management, concentration for many years. He was a hockey team. Community Service Award, a team which was 21-2-1 Finance. former coach and board Blake received numerous West Haven Twilight League and outscored its playoff Named a Dean’s List of member for the West Haven awards throughout his Program Book Award, Jimmy opponents 29-8. distinguished students in Youth Hockey Association, decorated career, including Fund Award, and the West Senior year was a special one 1999-2000, Dupee was a four- as well as the president of the Connecticut Sports Haven Football Alumni for Dupee as he was named year member of the Men’s Association Edward L. Bennett to the New Haven Register NCAA Division 1 Hockey Award for Community All-Area team and All-Area Team. Service. Blake was also part of most valuable player. Dupee Yale is a 1960 graduate who the New Haven Gridiron Club was named the team’s most played four years of basketball Hall of Fame. valuable player, the Hartford at West Haven, the first two A 1994 graduate, Dupee was Whalers high school player under John Foley and the a hockey star at West Haven of the month in February of second two under coach Joe from 1991-1994, where he 1994, and was one of only six Pfister. accumulated 113 career points players named to the All-State Senior year was a special to join the 100-point club in team. one for Yale as he was named just three seasons. The Westies were ranked West Haven High’s co-athlete His best year came as a in the top 15 of high schools of the year and was the only senior where he had 27 goals in the United States after the basketball player to receive and 41 assists to lead his team 1993-1994 season. the Savitt Outstanding to it last state championship, a Dupee went on to attend Sportsmanship Award two years in a row following his junior and senior seasons. Yale was the only player to win the Greater New Haven free throw championship four years in a row, setting a new record by making 50 out of 50 foul shots in the 1958-1959 season. He was the captain of the team his senior year, and was fifth in the Greater New Haven area in scoring with a 19.8 points per game average, while shooting 90 percent from the field. Yale capped his high school career in style as he was selected to the All-District team and received the Charley Gebauer trophy as West Haven’s Outstanding Player and leading scorer his senior year. Riederich is a 1955 graduate who starred on the football field, in the pool, and was a key member of the track and field team. Riederich was a four- year member of the football team who was an Honorable Mention All-State selection. In the pool, John, was a key performer his first two years, before the program was dropped at the end of his sophomore campaign. John swam in the state finals his sophomore campaign and placed sixth in the 100 meter relay. Riederich also left his mark in track and field. Playing the final three years of his high school career, Riederich was a standout thrower in the discus and javelin events and he received the Outstanding Athlete Award. Riederich went on to play football at the University of Connecticut from 1957 to 1960. For more information on the West Haven Hall of Fame, including how to purchase tickets for the event, contact Jon Capone at Jonathan.