Pennridge Inductees
Merv Bryan - Was a 1956 graduate of Pennridge HS who excelled
in track & field. Merv led the way as the first great High School runner
at Pennridge. During his high school career, he won numerous Buxmont, District
One and PIAA State Track titles. After High School he continued his track and
field career at West Chester University and upon graduation returned to Pennridge
as both a Teacher and a Coach. As a high school coach, Merv was credited with
starting the first girls, Cross Country and Track Teams. In addition, Merv had
run in over (7) Boston Marathons and officiated hundreds of PIAA Track and Field
meets.
Ron Grace - Ron is a 1968 graduate of Pennridge High School. He
participated in Varsity Basketball where he was a starter and lettered in both
years. It was in Cross-Country and Track, both winter and spring, that some
noteworthy achievements were realized. He was undefeated in all (11) Cross-Country
dual meets in 1967. He came in 2nd in the Bux-Mont Cross Country Championships
and that same year he broke the previous course record of 13:14.5 by running
12:36. In the 9th dual meet against Dieruff High School, Ron broke the old Pennridge
course record of 13:13.6 by running 12:54.1. All of the above achievements were
accomplished during Ron's first year competing as a Junior. He was voted MVP
of Pennridge's Cross-Country team in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, he was selected
as Pennridge's Outstanding Scholar-Athlete as designated by the Evening and
Sunday Bulletin. In track Ron excelled as well. In 1967, he won all (8) 2-mile
run events and set records each time he ran. The signature event for Ron came
in 1967 when he broke the 2-mile barrier by running 9:57.2 which was the first
time this feat was accomplished in Bux-Mont history. He then proceeded to win
the Bux-Mont 2-mile Championship in a new record time of 10:01.4. He won the
Philadelphia Department of Recreation Indoor 2-mile run at Convention Hall outdistancing
runners from 44 schools in a time of 9:55.1. He ran 9:57.1 to win the meet of
champions at the University of Delaware. In 1968, he won all the 2-mile events
he entered running notably 9:56.1 against Quakertown and a 9:53 against Souderton.
Ron went on to run at West Chester University where he set a Freshman Fieldhouse
record against Lafayette University in a time 9:44.2. He also finished that
year with 2-mile run wins against Temple University, Lehigh University and the
Philadelphia Pioneers Club. Ron concluded his noteworthy achievements by recording
the highest placing Freshman time for West Chester University at the IC4A Championships
in Van Cortland Park in New York City finishing 9th. Ron credits former standout
athletes and coaches
Trevor Pepkowski - Was a 1993 Pennridge High School graduate
who excelled in football and baseball. He was a three-year starter in baseball
and a two-year starter in football. He was a member of the Suburban I League
Carpenter Cup All-Stars in 1991, 1992, and 1993, winning in 1993. He was an
All- League pitcher from 1991-1993. A dominating pitcher for Pennridge, he finished
with an 8-0 record and 98 strikeouts his senior year. As a junior, Trevor pitched
31 scoreless innings at Veterans Stadium for both the Carpenter Cup and later
for Villanova. He was voted player of the year in Buxmont Legion in 1992 and
1993. During his senior year, he was voted North Penn Reporters Male Athlete
of the year for baseball and football. He pitched an ERA of .048 during his
senior year at Pennridge. With 21 wins and only 1 loss, he had the record for
combined pitching record for Pennridge High and Legion. Trevor played for the
Quakertown Blazers in 1995 and 1996 and their All-Star team, as well as the
Atlantic Coast summer baseball league Allstars. He also left quite a lasting
legacy through his football career. He was voted Junior and Senior All League
Suburban One Quarterback. He also was 1st team defense punter and 3rd team all-state
punter. He broke the record for most passes completed, beating former head coach
Jeff Hollenbach for the record, which still stands. After multiple D1 scholarship
offers for both football and baseball, Trevor decided to continue his baseball
career at Villanova University. He won Big East Rookie of the Year in 1994,
with a Villanova career record of 20-12 with 9 complete games. He held the single
season saves record for 15 years. His career batting average was .371, with
his first college at-bat being a home run. He was the Big East Champion in 1996
when the team was ranked as high as 23rd in the country in route to a 40-win
season. Trevor beat Notre Dame twice in 1997 to advance to the Big East Championship.
The Chicago Cubs wanted him right out of high school. He and his parents wanted
to pursue an education first. He is a proud father of three daughters who play
softball and share his love of the game. After his elbow surgery, the dream
to play in the major league was lost. Trevor coaches for the East Coast Bullets
and the Outlaws softball teams, with a total of about 150 games per season among
all three daughters. He teaches his girls the basics of the game, but more importantly
to have integrity both on and off the field. His legacy carries on through his
daughters and all those he coaches. While his dream was to play in the major
leagues, Trevor is quite happy with the way things worked out.
Chad Scholl - Is a 1990 graduate of Pennridge High School where
he played both football and baseball. From 1988-1990 Chad was a Varsity football
letter winner and was named team captain and the teams MVP in 1990.b Chads honors
included selection to the All Suburban First Team as a WR, DB & KR. He led
the team with 4 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries, 43 receptions
and 470 receiving yards. Averaged over 21 yards per kick return and was a 1990
Bux-Mont Lions All Star Game WR. In baseball he was a 2-year letter winner 1988-1990
and was selected team Captain and MVP winner in 1990. During his career he hit
over 370, stole 25 bases including 5 stolen bases in a single game against Quakertown.
His baseball honors included All Suburban 1 Outfield and All Intel All Star
Outfielder. He played in the Carpenter Cup as a Suburban 1 All Star outfielder.
Started in RF in the Carpenter Cup at Veterans Stadium in the morning, and played
the same night starting as a WR in the Lions Bux-Mont All Star Football game.
Chad continued his sports career at Delaware Valley College (Del Val), where
he was a 2-year football letter winner 1991-1992 and was defensive captain in
1992. In his career at Del Val he had 78 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble
recoveries, 3 blocked punts, 2 blocked field goals and 7 interceptions. He received
the honor of being named 3-time East Coast Athletic Conference Player of the
Week. He holds a school record for 3 interceptions in a game against Weidner
University including 71 return yards on those interceptions, also a school record.
At Del Val he was a 3-year letter winner 1992-1995 in baseball. He was a Captain
and MVP in his Senior year. Career batting average of .308, Senior year batting
champion at .406. Held a school record with 2 home runs in a single game against
Muhlenberg. He was named All Middle Atlantic Conference Outfielder in his final
season. Post college he was a 2-time member of a Nationally Qualified Fast Pitch
Softball Team Class B. Playing in Orlando Florida and Eugene Oregon. He was
also the MVP of the Pennridge Fast Pitch Softball Tournament hitting 17-21 in
the tournament. He also played in many State Tournaments Class B Fastpitch as
well as Church League State Tournaments.
Quakertown Inductees
George Banas - Was a 1994 Quakertown Community High School graduate
where he won numerous awards as a three-sport athlete. He went on to play at
Shippensburg University on a football scholarship, and eventually returned to
coach at QCHS. As a Panther, George earned varsity letters in football, basketball
and baseball in 1993 and 1994. In 1994 he was voted Quakertown High School "Male
Athlete of the Year". He was named All League 1st Team Offense and Defense
in football; 1st Team catcher in baseball, 2nd Team forward in basketball for
the 1993 and 1994 seasons. He received a nomination to play in the Big 33 football
game and holds a spot in the Panthers' 1,000-yard rushing club. He set a school
record for single season touchdowns with 22. Selected for the Bucks County All-Star
Football Game, he served as captain and was named MVP. George earned Carpenter
Cup selection for baseball and was selected captain of the team. A 1998 Graduate
of Shippensburg University, George started all four years on the football team.
He was moved from running back his freshmen year to outside linebacker for his
sophomore year. George was in the top three for tackles on the team all three
years as a linebacker, earning All-PSAC honors as a senior. He also earned the
Ray Ellis Fighting Heart award for coming back from multiple knee injuries to
help lead his team to a second-place finish in the PSAC conference his senior
year. George started giving back early to the community by coaching Senior Legion
Baseball when he was 19 years old. He has never stopped leading teams and has
coached multiple sports including football, baseball, basketball and softball
for the past 23 years. He recently completed his ninth season as head football
coach at his alma mater, after performing the defensive coordinator duties the
prior five years. He teaches Project Lead the Way technology courses at the
school. His Quakertown football teams have gone 60-49; won the first district
playoff game in school history in 2014; won a conference title in 2014; and
won three district playoff games. George coached 125 SOL all-league selections,
100 players to set team records at QCHS, five 1000-yard rushers, four 1000-yard
passers and has sent over thirty players to play at the collegiate level. George
was also named Suburban One Coach of the Year in 2014.
Thomas Barrow - Tom started teaching at QCHS in 1966 after teaching
2 years at Stroudsburg HS and 2 years at Souderton HS. Tom coached 3 sports.
He was hired to replace "Spider" Meyers as the 9th grade Health and
PE teacher and Varsity Baseball Coach. The following year he became QCHS's first
Varsity Soccer Coach, a position he held for 11 years. In 1970 he filled in
as the assistant Wrestling coach. The following year he resigned the baseball
job and became the Head Wrestling Coach, a position he held for 4 years. On
Saturdays he held Elementary and Jr High clinics until the Quakertown Youth
Wrestling Club was formed. Just before giving up the HS soccer job Tom was one
of the co-founders and first president of the Quakertown Soccer Club. He ran
the T-shirt program and coached both girls and boys traveling teams. In the
late 70's Tom officiated club soccer, became a PIAA wrestling official and a
PIAA baseball umpire. After a one-year teaching sabbatical in 1982-83 Tom returned
to coaching as a JV and then an assistant Varsity baseball coach for a number
of years. In 1990 he became an assistant soccer coach under his former assistant,
Bruce Knauss. He became Head Varsity Coach again in 1993 when Bruce retired
from coaching. Tom retired from coaching and teaching 3 years later. In that
time the soccer team won two Liberty Division Championships. Tom's own baseball
career spanned over 60 years. He was the top pitcher in HS, College and four
different Adult baseball leagues in eastern PA. He pitched his last game in
PA at the age of 47 for Al Frick's Souderton Warriors Perkiomen Valley Twilight
League team. After retiring to Colorado and Arizona he founded an Over 60 hardball
team in Tucson and for 10 years pitched locally and in National Age Level Tournaments.
At the age of 70 he won his 200th career game at the Philadelphia Phillies 2011
Phantasy Camp. Today he stays active playing golf, tennis and over 60 softball.
Jen Carlson-Pietraszek - Is a 1989 Quakertown High School graduate
who excelled in Field Hockey and Basketball. During her high school career (grades
10-12) Jen received a total of seven Varsity Letters, three in Field Hockey
and four in Basketball. Coach Fred Richter brought her up from Strayer Junior
High as a ninth grader, and she played four years of HS Varsity basketball.
While she did not play soccer for the high school, Jen was also an avid soccer
player who played for Larry Bliss on a very successful Quakertown travel team
for many years. Her honors in these sports included being named to the All Suburban
One team, the All-Intelligencer team, Suburban One League All-Star (American),
the William Penn Classic Game (North team), MVP of the Philadelphia Girls Basketball
Shootout, captain, and MVP. Jen scored her 1000th point during her senior year
and finished with the second highest scoring in the school's history, 12 points
shy of the late Marian Afflerbach's first place record from the 1930's. Recruited
for both sports, Jen continued her basketball career at Princeton University.
In her freshman year her teammates joked that she had a "pact with the
devil" because she tended to hit her first shot off the bench. After her
sophomore season, however, back-to-back surgeries on her right then left shoulder
ended her college career. As with most things in life, though, each ending is
also a beginning. Jen began coaching in earnest during her junior and senior
years of college, serving as an assistant varsity soccer and basketball coach
at the local Princeton High School. After graduating from Princeton in 1993,
Jen taught and coached soccer and basketball at The Masters School in Dobbs
Ferry, NY. She earned her MA in Education at Columbia University's Teachers
College in 1997 before moving up to Dedham, MA, to the Noble & Greenough
School, where she has worked for the last 22 years. Throughout her years there,
in addition to various teaching and administrative roles, Jen has coached field
hockey, soccer, basketball, and outdoor adventure. When her own children, now
aged 15 and 16, were younger, Jen coached soccer and basketball in town and
travel leagues. She continues to play in an informal women's basketball league
and to coach individual players now and again. Jen has been an educator, in
the classroom and on the field and court, for 29 years, and she credits her
upbringing in the town of Quakertown with her love of and commitment to sport.
William "Bill" Murray - Was a 1988 Quakertown High
School graduate where he was an outstanding athlete in Wrestling and Football.
Bill compiled a 76-18-1 career high school wrestling record where he received
countless All League and District awards. His high school wrestling career culminated
in 1988, with a record of 30-2 in his senior season, after he placed 4th in
the 1988 PIAA State Wrestling Championship at Heavyweight. At the time of his
graduation he was 8th in the Quakertown All-Time Career Winners list and 3rd
in the Quakertown All-Time Career Pinners list with 40. Bill was also an excellent
offensive tackle and defensive end at Quakertown. Following graduation, he went
on to wrestle and play football at the United States Naval Academy Prep School
for one year and then wrestled for 4 years and played football for 3 years,
while attending the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1993. Bill, still
serving as an officer in the United States Navy as of 2019, has continued his
love of wrestling by serving as a volunteer coach at numerous high schools across
the country, throughout his Navy career.