JADE HEASLEY/The Luminary Five new members were inducted into the Montgomery Area High School Athletic Hall of Fame during half-time at the Montgomery-Muncy football game on Friday, September 15th. From left:  Gary "Yogi" Yocum, Jr., Jodi (Bower) Furman, Haywood Hall, Jr., Steve Prince, and Don McElheny.

MONTGOMERY – On Friday, September 15th, five new members were inducted into the Montgomery Area High School Athletic Hall of Fame during half-time at the Montgomery-Muncy football game. The honorees included four alumnni and a former coach whose dedication to the Raider sports program has left a lasting impression in the record books as well as in the lives of their teammates and former players.

Don McElheny

The first new member who was honored was Don McElheny, who was the head coach of the wrestling team beginning in the 1984/1985 season until the 1991/1992 season. His first achievement with wrestling team was helping to save it. The program was nearly dropped in 1984 due to lack of participation, but McElheny was one of the fans who convinced the school board to reconsider. He was hired as the new head coach. McElheny went

down in M.A.H.S. history as the school’s first successful wrestling head coach. He coached the wrestlers during their first winning season in 1986/1987. The team was named the Mid-Penn Conference Champions in 1991, and that same year he was named “Coach of the Year.” Two of his teams placed in the state’s Top Ten at the AA level. Some of his individual wrestlers were sectional, district, northeast regional, and PIAA State finishers. Six of his former wrestlers have also been named to the M.A.H.S. Hall of Fame, and four had more than 100 career wins.

Steve Prince

Steve Prince is a 1992 alumnus and went on to coach Montgomery youth football and baseball. His record of eight touchdowns in a single football game remains unbroken to this day. Over his high school football career he was a Mid-Penn Conference All-Star Team member, a Mid-Penn Defensive All-Star Team member, a District 4 All-Star game

member, and was on the Mid-Penn Conference Champion team. As a varsity basketball player, the team went to District 4 playoffs and was named to an all-tournament team. He was honored as a junior with the “Hustle

Award” and as a senior with the “Offensive Award.” During his final two years of high school, he scored nearly 600 points. He was a varsity baseball player as well.

Haywood Hall

1995 graduate Haywood Hall was honored for his achievements in football, basketball, and baseball. He started at quarterback for three years and also started as a defensive back. His honors included being named a Mid-Penn Conference All-Star team member, a District 4 All-Star, an M.V.P., and he won the Bill Hall Memorial Award. During his time as a basketball player he scored 1,300 points and was an M.V.P. for two years. He was named to an All-Tournament team during his last two seasons and during his senior year was a tournament M.V.P. in the Sullivan County Tournament and went to play on the District 4 All-Star team. His Mid-Penn Conference achievements include being a 2nd team All-Star, a 1st team All-Star, and league M.V.P. He was also on the All-Defensive team for three years. His Raider baseball career includes being an outfielder for the Mid-Penn All-Star team and the M.V.P. as a senior. He was also honored as the West Branch Valley Chapter of PA Sports Hall-of-Fame Outstanding Male Athlete, the District 4 Outstanding Male Athlete, and won the Glen Crossley Memorial Award.

Jodi (Bower) Furman

Jodi (Bower) Furman graduated in 1999 and spent her high school career as a distinguished member of the Lady Raider Basketball and Softball teams. Her softball career lasted four years and during her junior year she was a member of the Mid-Penn Conference 2nd team All-Stars, and her senior year she was the Mid-Penn Conference M.V.P. She was a starting shortstop for the Lady Raiders. During her final three years of high school she was a starter on the basketball team. The team went to district play-offs her junior year. She was named as a Mid-Penn Honorable Mention All-Star, a 2nd Team Mid-Penn All-Star, and scored 658

points during her career. Her athletic career continued at Kutztown University where she played basketball and softball. She is now a faculty member at Montgomery Elementary and coaches youth soccer, elementary boys and girls basketball, and Little League Softball.

Gary “Yogi” Yocum, Jr.

After the four were named to the Hall of Fame, an announcement was made that a fifth member was being inducted as a surprise. The honor went to Gary “Yogi” Yocum, Jr., who was on the field presenting the plaques to the new members. Dale Winder went onto the field and presented a plaque to Yocum, who was honored for his long-time commitment to the Montgomery sports program. Yocum founded the Hall of Fame in 2002 and does extensive research into the history of the school’s sports statistics.

He is also responsible for updating the banners that hang in the sports complex to honor the achievements of the Raider teams. He is President of the Montgomery Athletic Booster Club, and keeps statistics for multiple varsity teams. During his career as a Red Raider athlete, he was a member of the football, wrestling, track, and softball teams.