2016 HOF Honorees
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- Bill O’Hara (Class of 1972, football, basketball, track),
- Dave Kozlowski (Class of 1975, football, basketball, baseball),
- The 1977 Softball Team,
- Dave Fisher (Class of 1980, wrestling, football, track),
- Gary DuBose (Class of 1981, football, basketball, baseball),
- Mary Bridge Baker (Class of 1984, cross country, indoor track and outdoor track),
- Chas Terni (Class of 1997, baseball, basketball, football), and
- Cy Hess (Class of 1998, baseball, football).
Bill O’Hara is considered as one of first truly exceptional three-sport athletes in school history. Bill earned a total of eleven varsity letters in football, basketball, and track & field. The “quintessential winner” was named All Eastern Connecticut Conference seven times. As the starting quarterback of the 1970 football team, Bill engineered the only undefeated season in program history. On the basketball court, this versatile wing player served as captain and led the team in both rebounds and assists during his junior and senior seasons. As a member of the track and field team, Bill won conference and state titles in both the triple jump and long jump. He still holds the oldest standing record in school history with a 44’9”mark in the triple jump. Upon graduation, Bill attended both Northeastern and Central Connecticut State University. Over the past forty years, he has worked in the construction field throughout the east coast and currently resides in Florida.
David Kozlowski was one of the best combinations of an athlete, student, and leader Montville High School has produced. As a standout football, basketball, and baseball player, Dave earned eight total varsity letters. He served as team captain in each sport his senior season and was named the school’s most outstanding male athlete in 1975. As a two way starter on the football team, Dave enjoyed an outstanding senior season that saw him set the school record for interceptions in a game with four. During an era of run first football, he set what were then school records for passing attempts in a game (50) and season (249), completions in a game (20) and a season (110), passing yards in a season (1513), and touchdowns in a season (12). For these efforts, Dave was named All ECC and honorable mention Class M All State. A member of the National Honor Society at MHS, Dave went on to graduate from UCONN and became a well-regarded high school and middle school teacher and coach in Ellington for thirty-five years.
Montville High School’s 1977 Girls’ Softball Team broke down many gender barriers to become the school’s very first Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference state champion. A product of 1972’s federal Title IX law, the school’s softball program was in just its second year of existence under coach Bill Wojick. The team finished the regular season with an 11-7 record. After wins over Suffield, Sacred Heart of Waterbury, Pomperaug, and Jonathon Law, the Indians found themselves matched against parochial school power Notre Dame of Fairfield in the Class M final. The team completed its improbable run in the state tournament with an 8-6 victory. In five tournament games the Indians’ offense scored sixty-two runs. With this victory Montville became the first softball team in Southeastern Connecticut to win a state title. More importantly, this group of athletes established a level of excellence for future female teams and individuals at MHS to aspire towards. Team members included Jayne Anderson, Kim Wilcox Clark, Sue Scrivens Coffey, Sue Faraci, Sue Malinowsky James, Terry Kobelski Kawalski, Lisa Keel, Janet Lavoie, Jessica Olsen Ringsted, Bianca Scelfo, Sue Turner, Diane Walwork, Kim Watt, and Audrey Burdick Zaccaro.
Dave Fisher was a standout wrestler, football player, and track athlete during his high school career earning a combined nine varsity letters. On the gridiron, Dave was a two-time all conference pick at linebacker and a key member of the 1978 ECC championship team. It was on the wrestling mat that Dave’s star shone brightest. He was a two-time ECC champion, three-time CIAC Class M runner up, and twice named MHS’ Outstanding Wrestler. During his four years under legendary coach Art Ziegler, the wrestling team captured the 1979 conference championship and won back-to-back CIAC Class M State Championships in 1978 and 1979. Dave’s wrestling career culminated in a dramatic come from behind victory in the 1980 CIAC State Open 185 pound final. For his efforts, Dave was presented the State Open’s Outstanding Wrestler Award. He finished his career with an overall record of 69-19-1 and set then school records in pins (36), most points scored (389.5) and takedowns (116). Dave continued sharing his passion for the sport of wrestling by coaching youth wrestling in Griswold for sixteen years.
Gary Dubose was a three-sport star that thrived as a leader on the football field, basketball court, and baseball diamond receiving eleven total varsity letters. Gary served as a stabilizing force on many talented teams. His prowess as a basketball and baseball player is evident as both programs enjoyed continued success during Gary’s four years. However, it was as a running back on the football field that Gary truly excelled. He was an All ECC back during his senior season, teaming with his younger brother Doug in a truly dynamic backfield that is unrivaled in school history. Gary went onto to play three years of football at UCONN from 1982 through 1984. In his collegiate career, Gary amassed 1,834 total yards, 886 kick return yards, and ten touchdowns and averaged over four yards per carry. His teams were Yankee Conference Co-Champions in both 1982 and 1983. After graduating from UCONN, Gary went onto work in the national defense field as a Database Architect. He currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.
Mary Bridge Baker was a vital member of the girls’ cross country dynasty of the early 1980’s. Under the guidance of acclaimed coach Kevin Crowley, Mary’s teams won four Eastern Connecticut Conference championships, four CIAC Class M state titles and three CIAC State Open championships. The program did not lose a regular season meet from 1980-1983. Individually at the State Open, as a sophomore and junior Mary finished fourth overall and then third her senior year earning her All State recognition three times. On the track, Mary was a member of the 1982 girls’ track Class M state championship team. She was the ECC Champion three times in the 3000 meters setting the ECC record with a time of 10:39.7. At the state level she registered a third place finish in the 1500 meters and was the Class M State Champion in the 3000 meters in 1983 after finishing second the two previous years. Upon graduation, Mary went to major in nursing and graduate from the Ona M Wilcox School of Nursing. She has been a registered nurse for the past twenty-eight years and was awarded the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing in 2004.
A member of one of the most recognizable families in MHS athletic history, Chas Terni enjoyed a high school and professional athletic career few in the area can match. He earned two varsity letters in football, three in basketball, and four in baseball. A two-time All ECC basketball player, Chas’ 1,141 career points scored is the third most points in boys basketball history. However, it was on the baseball diamond that this athlete would make the biggest impact. Chas’ teams would win back-to-back regular season ECC Championships (1996, 1997), the ECC Tournament Championship (1997), and reach the Class M state semifinals (1997). In his high school baseball career this four-year starting shortstop would be named All ECC, All Area, and All State three times. Chas ranks in the school’s top three all-time in hits (118), batting average (.418), runs scored (102), triples (13), home runs (11), and stolen bases (52). In June of 1997, Chas was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round of the MLB draft. He went on to enjoy an eleven-year minor league baseball career including a season in which he played with future major leaguers Tony Gwynn Jr., Rickie Weeks, Manny Parra, Craig Breslow, and Prince Fielder. Chas still resides in Montville, where he is a volunteer coach in various youth leagues.
Cy Hess earned seven varsity letters as an exceptional football and baseball player. On the football field, Cy electrified fans as a three-year starting running back. He would be named All ECC twice and All Area twice including his junior year when he rushed for over twelve hundred yards and scored twenty-seven touchdowns for a 9-2 team. The speedy outfielder would garner All ECC and All Area status three times and an All State nod as a senior. His teams would win the ECC regular season championship twice (1996, 1997), the ECC Tournament Championship (1997), twice appear in the Class M state semifinals (1997, 1998) and finish as Class M runners up (1998). His junior season saw him finish with forty-six hits, forty runs batted in, and a .529 batting average – all three are the second highest totals for a season in school history. Statistically, Cy’s career ranks in the top four in games played (89), hits (112), batting average (.409), runs batted in (87), doubles (23), triples (11), home runs (11) and walks (56). Cy would go onto to be a four-year starter and graduate from UCONN. Currently his college career marks rank tenth all-time in runs batted in (131), fourth in walks (108), ninth in on base percentage (.419), fourteenth in home runs (21), twelfth in runs scored (147), and eleventh in games played (179). Cy currently works in the financial field.
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