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Dascenzo, Hairston headline Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Doug Dascenzo, who spent seven seasons in the major leagues, and James Hairston, Fayette County鈥檚 all-time leading scorer in basketball, headline the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Brownsville graduate Dascenzo, the top vote-getter, and Connellsville graduate Hairston are among 11 individuals, including two deceased, who will be inducted on June 20 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club in Connellsville, along with two teams.
Hall of Fame co-founder George Von Benko discussed the new list of inductees.
鈥淲e had been hoping to put Doug Dascenzo in for a long time,鈥� said Von Benko, who pointed out the Hall of Fame prefers an athlete be able to attend the banquet to be inducted. 鈥淗e was actually voted in quite a while ago but he was still involved in Major League Baseball but he鈥檚 since retired and now he鈥檚 able to come.
鈥淚鈥檓 very pleased. Doug is very deserving, had a great career, 40-plus years as a player, a scout and a coach in the major leagues.鈥�
Hairston ended his high school career with 2,138 points. His mark withstood a recent charge by Laurel Highlands鈥� Rodney Gallagher who finished with 2,035 points in 2023.
鈥淗airston is very deserving as the all-time leading scorer in Fayette County among boys basketball players,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淲hat an outstanding player and he played at Cal U.鈥�
Joining Dascenzo and Hairston in the Class of 2025 are Uniontown graduates Marc Vasser, Pete Smith and the late Roger Miller, Laurel Highlands graduates Candace John, Mike Revak and Stephanie Smith, Albert Gallatin graduate Katie Kelly, Geibel Catholic graduate Tara Cochrane Warrington and Brownsville graduate the late Buck Grover.
The two teams are the 2002 Uniontown boys basketball WPIAL championship team that was coached by Dave Shucu along with assistants Rich Bierbower and Rob Kezmarsky, and the 1983 Penn State Fayette men鈥檚 basketball team, which won the PSUAC title under coach Rick Hauger.
鈥淲e have another diverse class with a few really good female basketball players going in,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淭ara Cochrane Warrington was a great player at Geibel and was also a 1,000-point scorer at Saint Vincent College. Candace John is the all-time leading female scorer at Laurel Highlands who had a great career at Robert Morris.
鈥淜atie Kelly was a tremendous player at Albert Gallatin who went on to a nice career at Eastern Kentucky. We鈥檝e been trying to get her in the last couple years but her job as a secret service agent has prevented her from attending although she said she鈥檒l be able to make the induction ceremony this year.鈥�
While Hairston was able to withstand Gallagher鈥檚 run at his Fayette County scoring title, Vasser was bumped down from second to fourth on the Red Raiders career scoring list this past season with seniors Notorious Grooms and Calvin Winfrey III both surpassing him.
鈥淢arc Vasser is a multi-sport star who is just a class individual and was a tremendous basketball player who is still right around the top of Uniontown鈥檚 all-time scorers list,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淏ut a lot of people forget he was an outstanding track athlete in high school, too, in the high jump.鈥�
The Hall of Fame uncovered a hidden gem also.
鈥淥ne that I鈥檓 very proud of because I think we overlooked him is Pete Smith from Uniontown,鈥� Von Benko said of the 1962 graduate. 鈥淗ow many guys were the point guard on a WPIAL and state championship basketball team and the quarterback of a WPIAL championship football team? Then he played four years of basketball at Pitt.鈥�
A golfer and an equestrian athlete are included in the Class of 2025 as well.
鈥淢ike Revak of Laurel Highlands, a quality athlete, was a great golfer not only at LH but at W&J, which honored him last year,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淪tephanie Smith is from a sport that doesn鈥檛 get a lot of publicity but she鈥檚 a champion equestrian rider from Laurel Highlands.鈥�
Von Benko also lauded the two deceased members of the Class of 2025.
鈥淚 think the two of them are very deserving,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淏uck Grover is the stuff of legend from Brownsville, a three-sport star who went on to a longtime officiating career. He played minor league baseball and in football was the very last cut by Buddy Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1960.
鈥淩oger Miller from Uniontown left us way too soon but what a pitcher. He made it to the major leagues with the Brewers and is an absolute legend in the Fayette County Baseball League.鈥�
The two teams also drew praise from Von Benko.
鈥淭he 2002 Uniontown WPIAL championship team coached had Terrance Vaughns, Uniontown鈥檚 all-time leading scorer, and a nice mix of players on it,鈥� Von Benko said.
The Red Raiders鈥� starting lineup also included Dierre Jenkins, David Winfrey, Carl Farrell and Chris Jacobs.
鈥淭he Penn State Fayette team coached by Rick Hauger that won the commonwealth championship was made up of all LH and Uniontown kids,鈥� Von Benko pointed out. 鈥淭hey had a great run to win the Penn State commonwealth championship.
鈥淥verall, I think it鈥檚 a diverse class and a very, very solid class,鈥� Von Benko said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to the event.鈥�
The Class of 2025 will be recognized through the TikTok成人版, Von Benko鈥檚 Sports Line Talk Show on WMBS Radio and on the Hall of Fame web page and Facebook page up until the induction.
The highly popular annual golf outing which precedes the induction luncheon ceremony is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday. Golfers can register for the event and luncheon tickets can be purchased by contacting Katie Propes by phone (724-415-2211) or email (kpropes@occluss.com).