Local Football Legends Inducted Into Centre County Sports Hall of Fame

Tagged under: Centre County Report, District 6, News, pfn

Kerry Shawley | October 22, 2023

There were eleven new members inducted into the Centre County Sports Hall of Fame at a banquet that took place on Sunday October 22, at the Penn Stater Hotel. Among the honorees were six people whose contributions to football were a significant reason for their induction.

Jon Condo
The 2000 Philipsburg-Osceola graduate was a multi-sport standout. He enjoyed a senior year for the ages. He was a first-team all-state linebacker in the fall. In the winter, he captured a PIAA heavyweight wrestling championship. Finally, in the Spring, hit .483 as a first-team all-state catcher in baseball. He was also named to the Big 33 team. Following high school, Condo went on to play football at the University of Maryland, where he started 50 consecutive games as a long snapper. He earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors and was a captain for the 2004 Maryland squad.
He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders where he distinguished himself for 15 years as a long snapper. He was twice named to the Pro Bowl. While with the Raiders, he was named a team captain and was awarded their Commitment to Excellence Award.
At his induction ceremony, Condo talked about the decision he had to make about what sport he wanted to pursue in college. He said that he figured that when he was 30 years old, he could still step on the wrestling match as a coach. He also said that if he wanted to play baseball when he was 30 years old, he could join a hardball league. He felt that if he passed up the opportunity to pursue football in college, the opportunity would not be there for him to play when he got older.
When recalling his favorite memory from a long pro football career, Condo said that it was snapping the ball on a game winning field goal, at Heinz Field, against his favorite team growing up, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Josh Hull
Josh Hull graduated from Penns Valley in 2005. He was a two-way star on the football team, playing fullback on offense and linebacker on defense. On offense, Hull primarily served as the lead blocker for 1,000-yard rusher, Evan Lietch, but was still able to run for 454 yards and three touchdowns in 2004. He also caught 12 passes for 141 yards. At linebacker, Hull dominated, earning all-conference honors. Hull also starred on the baseball team where he was named a Mountain Athletic Conference all-star. As a senior, he hit .407 and stole 10 bases.
Following high school, Hull walked on to the Penn State football team where he would eventually become a starter at linebacker. He would distinguish himself both on the football field and in the classroom. He earned second-team, All-Big 10 linebacker status for his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was also selected to the All-Big Ten Academic team and was the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award winner. He was an Academic All-American.
Hull was drafted by the NFL’s St. Louis Rams where he played the majority of his career. He also spent time with the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
At his induction ceremony, Hull recounted an amusing moment from his sports career. He shared a story from his true freshman year in college. As a walk-on, and eager to prove he belonged, he talked of getting in a fight with the starting left tackle in his very first practice. He recounted that during the scuffle someone came up from behind him and grabbed his face mask. When he came face to face with the person holding his mask, he was surprised to learn that it was none other than legendary football coach, Joe Paterno. Imitating Paterno, Hull shared that Paterno told him if he thought he was such a tough guy he could go out back and fight him. Coach Paterno assured him that if they fought, he would “whoop him”.
Hull also spoke poignantly about how this day “was not about Josh” but about the people who helped him reach his goals. One of those people was his father, Jeff who recently found himself in need of a Liver transplant. Josh started the process of becoming a live donor for his father, but discovered they were not a match. Josh was still able to help his father by participating in a program in which he donated to another person who was a match with him, while his father would receive the transplant he needed from a donor who matched up with him. Josh shared that everyone involved was doing well.

Ken Walker
Ken Walker was a 1987 Bellefonte graduate where he starred in football, wrestling, and baseball. He was a three-year letter winner in football and wrestling. He earned two letters in baseball. As a senior, he placed third in the PIAA wresting tournament.
Walker

continued his football and wrestling careers at Lock Haven University. He was a four-year starter on the football team, serving as a team captain in 1990 and 1991; he was named the PSAC Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a two-time NCAA qualifier as a wrestler.
At the induction ceremony, Walker said one of the most satisfying things about his sports career was how the entire community of Bellefonte rallied around all of the teams during the 1986/87 school year.
Walker is still involved in sports as a high school coach in South Carolina, where he coaches golf in addition to football and wrestling.
 
Larry Wiser
Larry Wiser is a 1968 graduate of Bald Eagle High School, where he was a starred in football, wrestling, and baseball. For his accomplishments in athletics and academics, he was awarded the prestigious James H. Snyder Award in 1968.
Wiser is a member of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame. He posted a record of 217-97-1 as the head coach at Clarion High School. His teams won four District championships and reached the state’s semifinals in 2013 and the quarterfinals in 1997 and 2017. His teams won or shared 10 conference championships and he is the second winningest coach in District 9 history.
Wiser recently learned that the Clarion football field would be named in his honor.

Ron Pavlechko
Ron Pavlechko lettered as an offensive lineman at Penn State from 1968-1970. Following college, he coached football at State College High School. He was an assistant coach under Jim Williams for the legendary teams that included Matt Suhey in the early to mid-70’s. He would replace Williams when he became an assistant coach at Penn State.
Pavlechko would post a career record of 117-103-4. His 1981 and 1992 teams would both post undefeated regular seasons. The 1992 team would reach the state semifinals. He would coach his teams to four District 6 championships.
Ron Pavelechko passed away in 2020.

Gawen Stoker
Gawen Stoker was known as an innovator who was not afraid to think outside the box. Perhaps his most famous brainchild was a formation known as the “Polecat”. In this formation, he would have his quarterback lined up in the shotgun, away from the rest of the team, which was lined up 10-15 yards away. He was also known to send a player in motion and have them do a cartwheel right before the snap, all in an effort to distract the defense.
The uniqueness of his strategies should in no way obscure that above all, he was a great football coach, who won wherever he went. He coached at several schools throughout his career, but he did most of his winning at Bald Eagle Area, where from 1972-1994, he posted a record of 145-93-2. He led Bald Eagle to their first District 6 championship in 1988.
His passion for football went far beyond the schools he coached. He was the District 6 and District 7 director of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association and he served as the head coach of the west squad in the 1981 Big 33 game.
Gawen Stoker passed away in 2011.

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