Belle Vernon Adds To Football Hall Of Fame

None — By: Bruce Wald, Tribune-Review

Adding to the excitement of Belle Vernon Area High School's home opening football game will be a memorable halftime.

As part of the festivities when the Leopards host McGuffey on Sept. 9 will be the induction of five members into the 12th class of the Belle Vernon Area Football Hall of Fame.

Also recognized will be two special honorees and players from the 1963 undefeated Bellmar High School football team.

The five inductees are Darrin Belsick, Dennis Carson, Dana Chester, Brett Kalakewich, and Ben Keefer.

Recognized for their various contributions to Belle Vernon's athletic programs will be recently retired sports editor Brian Herman and the late Frank Indof Sr.

To honor their own

Established in 2000, the Belle Vernon Area Football Hall of Fame is designed to preserve and honor those student-athletes, teams, coaches, and contributors who have helped bring recognition and excellence to the school's football program.

To be eligible, an alumnus must have participated on a varsity football team or at one of the pre-merger schools and had a distinctive career. Teams, coaches, and contributors are also eligible.

Belsick was a standout at offensive line, outside linebacker, long snapper, and special teams under head coach Chuck Machesky before graduating in 1984. He led the Leopards in tackles and sacks during his all-conference senior season.

A 1980 graduate, Carson was a two-time all-conference offensive and defensive tackle that helped the Leopards win consecutive Big 10 Conference titles his final two seasons under Mon Valley Hall of Fame coach Jeff Petrucci. Belle Vernon went undefeated in the 1978 regular season. Carson also was an all-conference player at Slippery Rock University.

"Dennis worked everyday to become a better football player," Petrucci said. "He was a big part of our success and then I had to coach against him when he was in college."

Chester, a 1982 graduate, was a two-time all-conference placekicker for Belle Vernon in 1980 and 1981 and played for both Petrucci and Machesky. He kicked a then school record seven field goals during his junior season.

An explosive receiver from 1994 through 1996 who was also a cornerback, safety and returned punts, Kalakewich helped the Leopards and head coach Gary Dongilli reach the 1994 WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, win the 1995 WPIAL title and return to the WPIAL championship game in 1996.

A punishing fullback and defensive end who also played under Dongilli, Keefer rushed for over 1,000 career yards while paving the way for running back and eventual Notre Dame player Jason Murray to gain over 4,000 yards. Keefer went on to play football at Edinboro University.

Herman, a longtime resident of Rostraver who is originally from Donora, retired in May 2011 after a 46-year career at The Valley Independent.

Indof was a tight end for the Rostraver Leopards from 1960-1962 and a Belle Vernon school board member for nine years. Along with helping hire successful coaches Bill Connors and Dongilli, Indof was chairman of the athletic committee and served on the Belle Vernon Football and Cheerleader Association. He died of a heart attack while watching his youngest son, Brian, at the Leopards' 1994 training camp.

Coached by the late Bap Manzini, the 1963 Bellmar Hurricanes compiled a perfect 10-0 overall record but were denied a WPIAL playoff spot due to the tiebreaking system of Gardner Points.

For more information about the Hall of Fame or about attending the induction ceremony, contact Todd Vaccaro at todd.vaccaro@bellevernonarea.net, Darrin Belsick at dbelsick@frazierschooldistrict.org, or Stephen Russell at stephen.russell@bellevernonarea.net.

WPXI