PAULSBORO — Six former outstanding athletes and a coach/contributor will be inducted into the 22nd class of the Paulsboro High School Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 9, in the Paulsboro High School gymnasium. The evening will start with a pepperoni and cheese social hour at 6 p.m. A buffet dinner will precede formal induction ceremonies. Tickets are $40...
PAULSBORO -- Six former outstanding athletes and a coach/contributor will be inducted into the 22nd class of the Paulsboro High School Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 9, in the Paulsboro High School gymnasium. The evening will start with a pepperoni and cheese social hour at 6 p.m. A buffet dinner will precede formal induction ceremonies.
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling Irma Stevenson, 856-423-3787, or Elaine Kosuh, 856-423-2234. Deadline for ordering tickets is Sept. 30.
The 2015 Class athletes includes:
- Tom Davis 1969
- Warren Lopez 1970
- Rob Salvatore 1974
- Chuck Ramsey 1991
- Jon Kalnas 1998
- Troy Bennett 2000
- The coach/contributor is Nick Morina 1977
THOMAS FRANCIS DAVIS, 1969
Tom Davis Davis was a four-year varsity letter winner in football and honorable mention All-Gloucester County center. Davis was also PHS varsity letter winner in indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. He followed up his experience in the pole vault to continue in the sport at Gloucester County College and Drexel University. He was the MVP recipient for GCC in 1971 after winning the Eastern National Junior College Championship for pole vaulting at 14 feet, 2 inches. At Drexel University he set the Drexel University Record and placed 4th in the MAC conference championship. Davis, while growing up in the Paulsboro community, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1967. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Drexel University in 1974 and Masters of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982. During the time since, Davis has held executive positions with Fortune 500 Companies. To continue to promote the sport of pole vaulting Davis created High Performance Athletic Co. that in 2002 and setup 12,000 square foot indoor facility in Mt. Laurel. The facility was a development for young athletes interested in pole vaulting through 2008. Davis currently lives in Haddonfield. He and his wife Leona have three children, and three grandchildren.
WARREN OK LOPEZ, 1970
Warren Lopez A member of the football, wrestling and track teams for four years at Paulsboro High School, Lopez (knick named "Choo-Choo") earned seven varsity letters (two each in football and wrestling, three in track). Among his awards/achievements: Most Improved football player in 1969; first in Colonial Conference wrestling at 178 pounds in 1967 and second in districts and third in regions at 157 pounds in 1970 (wrestled at 157, 168, 177 and heavyweight during his career; captain of wrestling team in 1970; ran the 100, 220 and was on the relay teams; a member of the 1967 frosh 880-yard relay team that won a county title. Following graduation, he continued wrestling at Gloucester County College and was a Garden State Conference all-star at 177 pounds in 1991.Currently lives in Franklinville.
ROB SALVATORE 1974
Rob Salvatore A three-year starter in football and baseball, Salvatore was the 2nd leading hitter in South Jersey in his senior year, when he hit for a .500 average. He was selected 1st team All Colonial Conference as a sophomore, junior and his senior year. He was also All Gloucester County all three years. He was named 2nd team All South Jersey as a junior and 1st team All South Jersey his senior year. Salvatore was an outstanding left-handed pitcher as well as position player at PHS. He went on to Christian Brothers College were he earned four varsity letters in baseball. He set the college's school record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game with 15. At Paulsboro he was class president in both his junior and senior years. He coached girls softball on a youth and club level for many years.
NICK MORINA 1977
Nick MorinaMorina was a volunteer assistant wrestling coach at PHS for the past 22 seasons when the team won 20 Colonial Conference and 19 District titles during that period. The wrestling team also won 21 sectional and 18 state titles while Morina was a member of the staff. In 1999 and 2000 the wrestling team was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey. He has served as District 29 seeding and ranking representative for the past 20 years and computer operator at the District 29 Tournament for the past 8 years. Morina has been coaching on the high school level for the past 36 years, including seven years as head coach at St. James High School, where his teams won three Sectional Titles. Morina was selected S.J. Coach of the Year in 1989. As an athlete, he played four years of football at PHS. He was the starting defensive end on the 1976 Colonial Conference team as a senior. As a wrestler, he placed 3rd in District 29 as a senior for the undefeated Red Raiders, which won the Colonial Conference, District 29 titles and was No. 1 in South Jersey.
CHUCK RAMSEY 1991
Chick Ramsey A three-year varsity letter winner in football, Ramsey had an outstanding career on both sides of the ball. He was selected first team All Colonial Conference both as a quarterback and defensive back in his junior and senior seasons. He was S.J. All Group I defense back as a junior and All Group I quarterback in his senior year. In his junior year, Ramsey played the second half of the SJ Group I Championship game with a broken collar bone. He made All State as a defensive back as a senior. Ramsey lettered as junior and senior in wrestling and won two District 29 titles at 171 pounds. He finished 2nd in Region 8 as a junior. In his senior year, he won the Caldwell tournament and finished 2nd at Deep Creek. He won the Region 8 title and placed 6th in the state when he was injured in the state semifinals and had to default his last three matches. He was All Colonial Conference in wrestling twice and named All South Jersey as a senior. He was vice president of his junior class. Ramsey attended George Mason University were he wrestled for two seasons and in 1993 placed in the Towson State Invitational.
JONATHAN KALNAS 1998
Jon KalnasKalnas was a three-year starter during Paulsboro's South Jersey record unbeaten streak as the football teams went 44-0 during his four seasons. He was selected All Colonial Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior and All Group I as a junior and senior. In his senior year, Kalnas was chosen to the All South Jersey 1st team and was picked 2nd team All State. In track and field Kalnas won three Group I state titles in the shot put and was the runner-up in the State Meet of Champions his junior and senior year. In his senior year, he finished 3d in the shot in the Nike Outdoor Nationals. He holds the school record in the shot put. As a freshman, he competed for Manhattan College and won the MACC indoor and outdoor shot put titles. He transferred to Monmouth University, where he won the North Eastern conference indoor and outdoor titles all three years. He was the IC4A champion in 2001 and 2002 and was Monmouth's 1st NCAA Division I All American. Three times he earned All American honors while at Monmouth. During his senior year, his best finishes at the NCAA Division I Championships were 2nd place for both indoor and our door competitions. In 2002, Kalnas placed 8th in the 2002 USA Outdoor Nationals, the only collegiate in the top 8. He represented the USA at the NACAC International Competition and finishing 1st 32 participating countries. In 2010 he was inducted into the Monmouth University Hall of Fame.
TROY BENNETT 2000
Troy Bennett The 2000 PHS Male Athlete of the Year, Bennett was a two-way star on three Colonial Conference Championship teams. A starter at fullback and inside linebacker, he was selected All Colonial Conference in 1997 and Second Team All South Jersey. In wrestling, Bennett won three Caldwell and one Deep Creek title. He won the District 29 tournament four times and three Region 8 titles. As a sophomore, Bennett placed 5th in the state at 189 pounds. A four-time 1st team All Colonial Conference all star was selected 1st team All South Jersey twice. Bennett was a captain of the 1999 and 2000 teams that were ranked No. 1 in the State of New Jersey. He finished with a career record of 126-12. Bennett earned an athletic scholarship to Temple University and was a four-year starter at inside linebacker. He was team captain in 2004 and was selected College Defensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of South Jersey. His senior year at PHS he received the Brotherhood Award.
