By TIM KELLY
Red and White Weekend, Ocean City’s extended menu of Homecoming activities and events, climaxed on Sunday with the annual Ocean City Sports Hall of Fame Awards luncheon.
A large crowd was on hand at the high school’s Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center to see some of the most legendary athletes (and a coach and a team) receive accolades for their heroics on the field, court or track.
The inductees included longtime football Coach Gary Degenhardt, who won 101 games, the school record; and the 2010 baseball team, the first Ocean City baseball team to win a South Jersey title on the field, coached by Craig Mensinger.
Degenhardt was a longtime OCHS football assistant who took over the head job in 1991. Beginning in 1994, he presided over an eight-year run of winning seasons that included five Cape-Atlantic League titles (he won six overall) and three South Jersey championships.
The 1996 squad is widely regarded as the best team in Ocean City history, going 11-0 and winning the Group IV crown. It was ranked No. 1 in South Jersey and No. 3 in the state.
The 2010 baseball team finished 21-9, a school record for wins at the time. They beat Highland for the South Jersey championship and then won the state semi-final over Hopewell Township.
The Hall enshrined the following individual athletes:
- Don Tarves, Class of 1960. Star of football, baseball, track and swimming. Many of his football records still stand almost 60 years later. The Raiders gridders went 19-7-1 in his three years on the varsity, including a Cape-Atlantic championship.
- Scott Lipford, record-holder in football and track, and a starter on the basketball team. Member of the Class of 1997. In football, he caught 16 passes that went for TDs and racked up 1,710 career receiving yards. In track, his 400-meter record still stands.
- Lauren McHale, No. 2 on all-time girls soccer scoring list and the all-time assist leader. She was also a Meet of Champions titlist in track. Class of 1998 member. The track teams she was a member of went 36-1 in dual meets including four Cape-Atlantic titles. In soccer, she scored five goals in a game and had three assists in a game, twice.
- Melody Sye, Class of 1984. Trailblazer of the O.C. girls cross country program, she’s the first girl to win a South Jersey championship in cross country, and also took titles on the track. Her cross country teams were 43-6 in dual meets and three straight Cape-Atlantic crowns. She was successful in both the distances and middle distances.
- Casey Beyel, three-sport star from the Class of 2007. She was an all-star in field hockey and lacrosse and starter in basketball. In four field hockey seasons, teams she played on won four CAL crowns two South Jersey titles and a state championship. Her hoops teams were 50-8 and won a pair of CAL titles. Her lacrosse teams won 26 straight in the CAL.
- Joi Johnson, 1993 Class member. Scored more than 1,000 points in basketball and won the state championship in the high jump. She was a 61 percent shooter her senior year, still the record after 27 years. She also averaged nearly 10 rebounds and four steals per game.
- Joe Myers, of the class of 1977, holds the school baseball record for 12 complete games in baseball. Myers completed 21 of the 27 in his career and sparked the Raiders to their first CAL title in 13 years. He was a versatile performer in football, playing quarterback, wide receiver and defense at varying times, and he led the basketball team in rebounds his junior year.
- Miles Schoedler, Class of 2011 member, he is a two-time South Jersey Cross Country champ and a record-holder at 3,200 meters. He excelled in indoor track as well, taking state championships in the 800 and 1,600 meters.
- Jill Kozakowski, outstanding swimmer from the Class of 1998. She holds the only school record by a girl set before 2000, when the swim team was co-ed. Her school record in the 500 freestyle still stands more than 20 years after she set it. She also threw the discus and the javelin for the track team.
- Robyn Fortsch, star basketball and softball player from the Class of 1983. She was a 1,000-plus point scorer in hoops and a key softball contributor, despite being hampered by serious injury. Despite missing more than half of her junior year, Robyn scored the fifth-highest point total in school history and averaged 17 points or more her junior and senior seasons.
The Hall of Fame ceremony and luncheon was the climax of the weekend, which included numerous events and activities beginning Friday night.
It all began with a pregame “football rally” on the high school football practice field, two hours before kickoff of the Ocean City 45-0 Homecoming win over Triton. Music, face painting and hoagies and snacks including Johnson’s Popcorn were a few of the perks.
Raider alumni who are veterans of the armed services were honored at midfield prior to the game, just before the playing of the National Anthem. Special recognition was given to Susan Rumer Peifer of the Class of ’64.
On Friday Night, the Ocean City Education’s Red and White Social took place, an opportunity to “mingle with past and present Ocean City School District faculty,” according to the group’s Facebook page. The event took place from 7 to 10 p.m. at Josie Kelly’s Public House in Somers Point.
Proceeds from the evening benefit OCEF.
There was also a Homecoming Dance for the current high school students.
