40th West Branch Sports Hall of Fame Honors Locals

by Tom Elling

WILLIAMSPORT – A more-than-capacity crowd gathered at the Williamsport Genetti Hotel on Sunday to honor thirteen former athletes, coaches, and officials into the West Branch Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

Among the thirteen were four with local ties: Bill Bowes, Gray Simons, Neil Turner, and the late Larry Rippey.

Bowes, the former Lock Haven High three-sport star who went on to star at Penn State for Rip Engle, and successfully served as head coach for 27 years at New Hampshire, gave credit to his high school coach Don Malinak, his college coach Rip Engle, his parents, but most of all to his brother Ron.

“I emulated Ron. He was a year older so the sibling rivalry kicked in and if he played football, I had to play football and be better than he was.”

Simons also credited his parents and his coach at Granby (VA) Billy Martin as his major influences. He had high praise for the late Hubert Jack and thanked all of his former teammates and former wrestlers who were at the banquet. He made the audience smile when he told the story about asking Coach Jack if Lock Haven State offered a scholarship. He said Coach Jack looked at him and said, No, sir, but we haven’t had a wrestler starve to death yet.” Gray came North and the rest is history. Simons was a three-time NCAA Champion and the OW twice, and was on two Olympic teams before coaching at several venues.

 

 

Turner was especially effusive with his praise for his wife Marcella for supporting him through his many journeys in his life of wrestling. “Wrestling has been my life, ” he stated, “but I am not through yet.” The Clearfield native coached at Altoona High, Stevens Trade, Clarion University, Athletes-in-Action, Lock Haven University and Messiah College before returning to Clinton County where he has been head of the MatTown Wrestling Club. He also thanked his parents for their guidance. He credited Ron Bowes with offering “much support” since he has been involved in Mattown.

 

 

 

Shan Rippey accepted the award for his late father Larry Rippey. “Dad, never pushed me into wrestling, but he was a tremendous support when I went to him after my junior year and told him I was tired of losing. He told me that if I was willing to work hard with him all summer for an hour a day, he’d guarantee I’d be better.” He continued, “I did that and I went to the state finals where I was given another flight lesson by Cary Kolat.” Some still point to Larry Rippey’s 11-1 decision over defending state champ Allen Uyeda of Conestoga Valley as one of the most dominant performances in the PIAAs EVER.

Others honored include: Christine Persun-Dunn, Jason Eck, Bob Greenly, Robert Loudenstager, Marty Maurer, Karl Schnure, Randy Watts, Steve Wiser, and the late Larry Kelly (a Heisman Trophy Winner). Williamsport Mayor Gabe Campana accepted for the Kelly Family.

(L-R) Jack Day, Rod Hoover, Ron Bowes, Tom Elling, Tom Thompson, Gray Simons, Vic Stanley, Dick Rhoades, unknown (Ron Bowes would know) I’ll email him.