PHS Announces Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

When Lou Panzanaro one year ago became athletic director at his alma mater, Peekskill High School, among his goals was to revive the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.

He accomplished that goal at last November's induction dinner at Colonial Terrace. Before then, the last time Peekskill had inducted people into its HOF was in 1999.

“It is something I felt very strongly about, that it was very important to recognize those athletes and coaches and other individuals that have meant so much to the Peekskill sports program,” Panzanaro said. “One of my goals was to resurrect that Hall of Fame committee and get those people the recognition they deserve.”

Peekskill will hold this year’s induction dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, also at Colonial Terrace.

Headlining the list of honorees is ‘97 PHS graduate Elton Brand, who is currently a member of the National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers.

Brand led Peekskill to its first two state titles in school history in '95 (Class C) and ’96 (Class B). In his senior year in ’97 he was named New York State Mr. Basketball.

Brand went on to play at Duke University, where he was named the John R. Wooden College Player of the Year in April ’99. Two months later, his NBA career began when the Chicago Bulls named him the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

In his rookie year, the '99-2000 campaign with the Bulls, he was named NBA co-rookie of the year, sharing the honor with Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets.

He also was selected to play in the '02 and '06 NBA all-star games, both as members of the Los Angeles Clippers.

For Panzanaro, the induction of Brand into the HOF is a personal one since he coached the 76ers’ forward when he was in high school. Panzanaro has been coaching boys basketball at Peekskill since the '83-84 season.

“From the time he came into high school as a ninth grader, he has had a special impact on our school district and all the people in the community,” Panzanaro said. “Not only his accomplishments but his interaction with people and what he has meant to this district, I don’t think it has been paralleled by any other athlete that I am aware of.”

Brand’s interaction with the community includes the Elton Brand Academy, where students can get after-school tutoring at Peekskill High School among other activities and a basketball camp he runs each year as part of Peekskill Celebration.

“This is just another example of the kind backing he has in the Peekskill community,” Panzanaro said. “It’s well deserved by everything he has done not only athletically but what he has done for the community as well. It’s just tremendous to see him get this recognition.”

Also being inducted are the below:

Joe Boniello-Class of '76, was a three-year varsity baseball player and the ace of the pitching staff his junior and senior years. As a senior, he was 9-2 with a 1.28 earned run average and 109 strikeouts for a team that won the Northern Westchester Interscholastic League Championship.

For his efforts, he was named Daily News NWIL MVP. He was also a Con Ed Scholar-Athlete Award winner and was both an all-county and all-league selection.

During his junior year, Boniello finished 5-3-1, with a 1.50 ERA and 125 strikeouts, good enough to earn him all-league honors.

Dana (Bennett) Dapson-Class of '89, was the leading goal scorer for a girls soccer squad that finished 13-1-3 and won the first girls soccer league championship in school history in her senior year. The all-section forward, who also played volleyball, registered 20 goals, the second highest in League 3A, and tallied 10 assists that season.

During her junior year, she was all-league honorable mention, as she had a team-high 12 goals in addition to four assists, making her one of the top 20 scorers in the county.

She has given back to her community as an adult as coach for the Peekskill Recreation Deparment's Northern Westchester Swim Conference youth squad.

James Enterlein-Class of '55, was an offensive and defensive end for the football squad. In his senior year, was an all-metropolitan area honorable mention selection, earned second-team all-county honors and was a first team All-Hudson River League member for a Peekskill squad that won the Hudson River League Championship.

Enterlein also was a standout catcher/pitcher in baseball, a captain his senior year in basketball and a high jumper in track. 

Larry Cook-Coached the Peekskill wrestling squad for 15 years beginning in '63. In that time, Peekskill won two Section 1 Open team championships and four divisional titles. Under his tutelage, the Red Devils also had nine individual Section 1 champions.

Cook, who was a physical education teacher at Peekskill, also coached wrestling at Hendrick Hudson and Lakeland/Panas and was a wrestling official for seven years. He served two years as vice-president of the officials association before taking over as its president for another two seasons.

‘80 softball team-Was a sectional finalist as it made it to the championship game of the Section 1 postseason tournament.

Dinner info

The fee to attend is $50 for the buffet dinner. There will also be a cash bar.

Those interested in attending can call PHS athletic department secretary Eileen Alexander at 914-737-3300 Ext. 316 or email her at ealexander@peekskillcsd.org.

Any proceeds from the dinner will go directly toward the creation of the new Jason C. Paige Wellness and Fitness Center to be constructed in the high school.