Jul 17, 2009 5 min read

What began several years ago as a simple plan to host a picnic-type party has mushroomed far beyond George Von Benko’s wildest dreams. The dreams become reality this weekend, when the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame inducts its inaugural class a mere 13 months after the group held its first meeting. Festivities begin at 9 a.m. today, when the Hall of Fame committee hosts a golf outing at Uniontown Country Club.

Saturday night, the Centra Bank Induction Banquet will be held at Anthony’s Lakeside Party Center. The evening will include acknowledgement of many high school and college athletes and the amazing things they accomplished this past school year, but will be topped, undoubtedly and intentionally, by the induction of nine individuals and two teams into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame.

“For us to get this up and running to the point of putting in our first class a year later is phenomenal,” Von Benko said.

When he says “us,” Von Benko means it. He pointed to his right-hand man Jes Hutson, first and foremost.

“With everything else that I do in my profession, I could not have done this without Jes Hutson,” he said. “He did a lot of the heavy lifting. He really took a lot on his shoulders and made this whole thing work.”

“Chris Cluss and Ben Wright also have been very helpful and very generous with their time,” Von Benko said. “From there, we got a lot of input from a lot of influential sports people. Steven Russell from the Mid-Mon Valley Hall of Fame was quite helpful in getting us all of the paperwork and simplified everything for us. He is absolutely amazed at what we have done. It is amazing that from last June we are putting our first class in.

“Centra Bank gave us a $5,000 donation as the title sponsor for the banquet. Their faith in the committee has been great. It solved a lot of the problems having that kind of donation.”

Leading the inaugural class is Heisman Trophy winner John Lujack of Connellsville. Other athletes to be inducted are Olympic gold medal winner John Woodruff also of Connellsville, Uniontown’s Ron Sepic and Sandy Stephens, Redstone’s Bobby Locke, Laurel Highlands Wil Robinson and South Union’s Chuck Davis. Uniontown coach Abe Everhart also will be inducted, as will retired Herald-Standard sports editor Tod Trent. Uniontown’s 1962 basketball team and Geibel’s undefeated 1978 basketball team will be inducted under the “teams” category.

Von Benko is certain to be ecstatic with the events that lie ahead, but he also enters the weekend with a heavy heart after the sudden death last week of his sister, Theodora Lynn Fischer.

“It’s a bittersweet weekend because of what just happened with my sister, but there are a lot of people counting on me,” Von Benko said. “Plus, my sister was proud of what I was doing. I wish she could be here to see all of this. The people coming here from all over the country to be at this banquet is a tribute not to me, but to our sports heritage.

“It’s going to be outstanding. My vision of this, not to minimize the importance of any member of the class, but John Lujack was a no-brainer in my mind as the headliner. And he has become the headliner. And it is really special to him to go into this first class. He is truly enthusiastic about the Hall of Fame we have going here.

“And what a great first class this is. When you think about all of the great athletes from Fayette County who didn’t make this class, it sort of makes you of wonder how great future classes can be and will be.”

Which brings us back to the picnic idea.

“I had wondered for years why there was no Fayette County Hall of Fame,” Von Benko said. “This had always been in the back of my mind. Jes Hutson had been after me to host a picnic or party or something to bring home and meet with some of our great athletes. I guess I dragged my feet on it until one time he asked me about it and I said, ‘OK, but I want to take it one step further.’

“This is something that should have been started years ago.”

This weekend, it catches up in a hurry.

Von Benko said his Saturday morning talk show on WMBS-AM Radio will have a heavy lean toward the Hall of Fame. His guest list includes Lujack and Don Yates, a member of Uniontown’s 1962 state title team, plus a few more surprises. Preparing and constructing the display case for memorabilia of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Thursday are George Von Benko, co-executive chairman of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame, and O.C. Cluss Lumber employees Greg Hanzes (center) and Doug Hilliard (kneeling). The display is housed at the Uniontown Public Library. Ed Cope/Herald-Standard