After long wait due to COVID-19, Allegany County Athletic Association officially inducts Hall of Fame Class of 2020
BELMONT — With the COVID-19 pandemic taking the world by storm over the course of the past year, life was changed right before our very eyes. As a result, many events planned for the year 2020 were put on hold because of the world health crisis. Amongst the group — the Allegany County Hall of Fame Induction ceremony for that year’s class.
It was a moment that all 10 of last year’s inducting class did not get to have together as one. With no planned ceremony for a Class of 2021 this year, the 10 newest members of the Class of 2020 finally had their moment in the limelight, as they all saw their legacies in high school sports around the area become enshrined forever in the County’s elite halls last Saturday night during a banquet held by the Allegany County Athletic Association at Off Duty in Belmont.
Here now is a more in-depth look at your 10 newest members of Allegany County’s Hall of Fame Class of 2020:
Donna Perry Cicirello – Donna Perry Cicirello, a 1992 graduate of Scio Central, was both an outstanding athlete on the court as well as an exemplary leader off the court, earning accolades in both areas. Not only did she win numerous athletic awards, but as a team leader, she guided the Tigers to five Sectional title appearances during her career.
On the soccer field, Donna was named to the Allegany County First Team All-Stars her senior year, and she was selected as the Defensive MVP for the Scio Tournament. In the Spring, she was chosen to the Allegany County First Team All-Stars three times for her softball exploits. She was also selected for the Wellsville Daily Reporter All-Allegany County All-Star Team. A standout at the plate as well as in the field, she held the school record for fielding percentage.
Basketball was Donna’s premier sport, as she earned numerous awards at the local, regional, and sectional levels. Three times she was selected to the Allegany County First Team All-Stars, along with numerous selections to various tournament all-stars. Her junior year she was included on the Wellsville Daily Reporter Fabulous Five All-Star squad. The next year, she was named a Section V All-Star and a member of the second team of the Hornell Spectator Great Eight.
She held the school record for rebounds, both for her career and a single game.
In addition to her athletic career – where she was captain of three sports – Donna still had time to serve as senior class president and participate in the National Honor Society. She finished her academic career as the class Salutatorian.
Her off-the-court awards included winning the Ralph Root Memorial Award, which was given to a senior boy or girl athlete who had displayed the most enthusiasm and dedication to the Scio athletic program. She also earned the Dr. Louis DiGirolamo Sportsmanship Award. This was presented to the senior male or female varsity basketball player who had demonstrated the highest level of sportsmanship.
Zach Coleman – A true three-sport all-star, Zach Coleman dominated the local sports scene in the early 2000’s. With him leading the way, the Whitesville Blue Jays had great success in Allegany County athletics and beyond.
Zach’s greatest accomplishments occurred on the basketball court, but these were sandwiched between some superb fall and spring seasons as well. During soccer season, he was twice-selected to the Allegany County D2 All-Star Team, and his senior year he was also selected as the league MVP. He was the Blue Jays’ Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the Greater Rochester All-Stars. On the baseball diamond, he earned three selections to the Allegany County D2 All-Stars, twice on the second team and once on the first team. He was the team’s Defensive MVP and a member of the Section V Class D Champions.
Zach’s soccer and baseball careers pale in comparison to the basketball legacy that he left behind. He finished with 1248 career points and 881 career rebounds while leading the team to 83 victories. As just a freshman, he made the Allegany County Second Team All-Stars as the Blue Jays won the Section V, Class D Championship. As a sophomore, he again made the same county all-star team, but this time he was also selected to the Hornell Spectator Great Eight Honorable Mention list. His junior year, Whitesville finished with a 25-2 record and the first seed in Section V, where they ended up winning the Section V title and proceeding on to the NYS Class D finals. Zach’s individual accolades that year include: Section V Class D All-Tournament MVP, Allegany County First Team All-Stars, NYS Class D All-Tournament Team, Big 30 All-Star Second Team, and Great Eight Honorable Mention.
His senior year Zach finished off his career with astounding success. Not surprisingly, he was selected as the Whitesville Outstanding Senior Athlete. His basketball honors included: Allegany County Class D MVP, Section V Class D Tournament MVP, Section V, Class D Allegany County Player of the Year, Big 30 First Team All-Star, Great Eight First Team All-Star, and selection to the Ronald McDonald All-Star Team. The Blue Jays were undefeated Class D champions that year, and Zach was named to the Section V Class D All-Tournament Team.
Darren DeRock – Belfast Central School’s Darren DeRock was an outstanding athlete in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. As if often the case, inductees into this hall of fame often follow-up with highly successful adult careers.
Darren played four years of varsity soccer and helped the Bulldogs to the Allegany County title twice (1988 and 1990). His skills on the basketball court eventually helped him finish as the third-highest scorer all-time at Belfast Central School with 1261 points. He was voted MVP of the team his senior season, and that year, he was selected to the Hornell Spectator Great Eight Team. Over the course of his career, three times he was selected to the Allegany County All-Star Team. During sectionals his senior year, he scored 35 points in one game.
Outside the athletic venue, Darren stayed very involved with various organizations and activities. While in high school, he was involved with the Belfast Golf Club and the Toys for Tots Committee. He eventually attended SUNY Brockport where he earned his Business Administration/Finance degree.
During his professional career, he has worked as vice-president for both M&T and Chase Banks. Living in Rochester, he has volunteered for the C.A.S.H. (Creating Assets Savings and Hope) program where he prepares tax returns for disabled and low-income individuals. He has helped provide financial literacy classes to those clients to help them obtain financial security.
Scott Evingham – Scott Evingham, one of the finest athletes in the Big 30 in the mid-1980’s, had an exemplary career at Richburg Central School. A standout for the Bearcats in both baseball and basketball, it was on the soccer field where his athletic aptitude really stood out.
On the diamond he set a school record for steals his senior year in 1988, and he complemented that with a phenomenal .560 batting average. During his sophomore season, he once threw 21 strikeouts in a seven-inning game. During basketball season, he was no less prolific. His junior year he averaged 23.3 points per game, which was third highest in the entire Big 30, and his senior campaign he upped that to 25.7 points per game.
Yet, it was on the soccer field where Scott really excelled. During his career, Richburg won one Section V title as Scott scored 40 goals his junior season followed up by scoring 41 the next. By the time his scholastic career had ended, he was the all-time New York State goal scorer with 119 (a mark since bested). This mark was also the highest in Allegany County until 2018.
Scott’s soccer ability allowed him a chance at a Division 1 scholarship at nearby St. Bonaventure University. From that institution he earned his undergrad degrees in PE and Biology and a Master’s in School Administration. He taught at the local Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES for 21 years and is now the owner of Evingham Auto in Olean.
Marty Kane – Angelica’s Marty Kane was a prolific scorer for the Red Raider basketball teams of the mid-late 1970’s. Along the way he received numerous accolades.
Marty was a member of the school’s soccer and baseball teams, but his greatest athletic achievements came on the basketball court. He was a two-time first team all-star selection to the Angelica Christmas Tournament. A two-time Allegany County Class D North All-Star for both his junior and senior seasons (1976-77 and 1977-78), he led the team to a Section V title in 1978. He was named MVP of the Section V Class D All-Tournament team that year. At the state level he was selected to the NYS Class D All-Star team, the only player selected from a team not playing in the state championship game. He was chosen for the second team of the All-Greater Rochester All-Star Team sponsored by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
Marty was the true definition of a “student-athlete” as he was selected to the National Honor Society while in high school. He exhibited the traits of a leader by his inclusion on the Student Council, and he also participated in the Drama Club.
Since graduation, Marty has made a positive impact on his community wherever he has lived. He was the past president of both the Lions Club and Fire Department/Rescue Squad in Angelica. In Friendship, he served as president of the Little League, and he was a former coach in the Wellsville Little League organization. He volunteered to help the Allegany County Senior League All-Star Team that won a state championship in 2013.
Todd Monahan – Todd Monahan, a 1982 graduate of Andover Central School, was a three-sport all-star during the early 80’s. His athletic exploits helped lead the way to several championships for the Panthers.
On the soccer field, Todd played halfback for a team that won the 1980 Section V Class C championship, with that group eventually reaching the state qualifier game. He was a four-year member of the varsity soccer team.
During the winter he led Andover to the Allegany County basketball championship on two occasions in 1980 and 1981. His senior year he was picked as the Allegany County MVP. That same year, he made the Big 30 Basketball All-Star Team and was selected to the all-tournament team at the Wellsville Winter Tournament. For his career, Todd scored 1100 points on the hardwood.
Completing his career as a three-sport athlete, Todd was also a member of the varsity baseball team each Spring for four years. A tremendous slugger, his junior year he hit .451 with six doubles, two triples, and one home run with 17 RBI. His senior year was just as successful as he hit .378 with nine RBI's.
Jamie Mullen – Fillmore’s Jamie Mullen is one of the most-accomplished coaches ever to come out of Allegany County. Combined with his professional educational achievements, he has had a storied adult career.
A graduate of Fillmore Central, Jamie played soccer, basketball, and tennis, and was captain of each squad. He made the county First Team All-Stars in soccer and won multiple titles in tennis, both singles and doubles. After graduation, he attended nearby Houghton College, where he was a three-year starter and senior captain on their soccer team. He was selected as an NAIA Academic All-American his senior year, and that same season, he was chosen to the NAIA District 18 First Team All-Stars.
After graduation, Jamie returned to his alma mater to begin a long and illustrious coaching career. Among his coaching jobs were JV teams in boys’ and girls’ soccer, baseball, and boys’ basketball. At the varsity level, he has coached boys’ tennis, boys’ basketball, and boys’ soccer. His tennis team won the Allegany County Championship twice, and he had several Section V Class D singles and doubles champs.
The mentor of the Eagles basketball team for 13 years, he compiled a 185-77 record highlighted by two Section V, Class DD Championships. They were the outright County champs once, sharing the title on three more occasions. He also earned several Coach of the Year Awards for these exploits: Great Eight (2011), Section V (2011), and in 2012 both Section V and Ronald McDonald House Charities Boys’ Coach.
To top off his career Jamie developed a Fillmore soccer program into one of the best in Western New York. Beginning in 1990, he has led his teams to a cumulative record of 432-94-41, an 82% winning percentage. In 2000, he led the team to the State finals, and on four other occasions, they made it to the State semis. They have been both Far West Regional and Section V Class DD Champions five times. Jamie’s teams have had a near-monopoly in Allegany County play, winning 23 league titles in his 29 years. His squads won the Expressway League several times, and eight times they were the number one seed in Section V Class DD sectionals. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle named Fillmore the Section V Small School of the Year twice, and they were the number one Boys Soccer Team of the Year five times as ranked by the Olean Times Herald.
Jamie’s personal coaching accolades include several Section V standards: eighth in coaching wins (432), fourth in winning percentage (82%), and second among active coaches in wins. He won the Doug Burke Big 30 Soccer Coach of the Year twice and the Paul Vienna Award as Allegany County Coach of the Year in 2008.
Jamie began his teaching career in Fillmore in 1987, and over the years he taught a variety of classes including senior high English. Working part-time at Houghton College, he served as both an adjunct professor teaching Secondary English Teaching Methods as well as a supervisor of student teachers. Over the course of his career at Fillmore, he was class advisor eight times, and he directed 22 musicals or plays.
Steve Yatzkanic – Steve Yatzkanic has been a fixture in the Cuba-Rushford – and before that Cuba Central – hallways for the last 35 years or so. That time period also correlates with his highly-successful coaching career in Allegany County.
Steve has coached several different sports, including various levels of basketball: JV boys for one year, JV girls for one year, and modified boys for five years. On Saturdays, he ran a program for children in grades 5-8 for 10 years. He was also a varsity football assistant for seven years, highlighted in 1991 by the Greyhounds finishing 10-0 and winning the school’s only Section V title.
Steve’s coaching career is notable mostly for his outstanding success as the varsity baseball coach. Over the past 31 years, he has compiled an overall record of 328-245. During that span he was selected Section V, Class C Coach of the Year once, and he led his squad to a sectional banner four times. During those four seasons, the team progressed to the NYS Final Eight twice and the NYS Final Four once.
Steve is also very busy outside the coaching venue. In the Fall, he has been the announcer for Rebel home football games since 1995, and he has announced both boys’ and girls’ basketball games since 2009. He also ran the clock and compiled stats for the soccer team from 1995-2019. As part of his school duties, he organized the annual union retirement dinner for some nine years, and he has served as a homework tutor for five years. His teaching responsibilities include drivers’ education and the associated five-hour course instruction, and he was class advisor nine times.
Outside school he has served the St. John’s Catholic Church as lector (20 years), trainer of servers, and member of the Liturgy Committee. For his efforts both inside and outside school, he was presented with the Cuba Chamber of Commerce Service Award.
Carl Saglimben – A graduate of Dunkirk High School, Hinsdale’s Carl Saglimben went on to a long and successful career. He played college basketball, served in the military, and was a school superintendent for many years.
During his days attending Dunkirk, he played basketball, volleyball and track. He earned a scholarship to play basketball at St. Bonaventure University in the 1950’s. He led the Bonnies with 220 rebounds as a senior and was second in scoring that year (11.5 points per game). He helped lead the Brown Indians to their second-ever berth in the NIT (at that time, the more prestigious post-season basketball tournament) where they made it until the third round.
After college, Carl served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1958, reaching the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Shortly thereafter, he began a long career in Hinsdale, a term that eventually stretched from 1958-1992. He coached physical education and health from 1958-1972, and during that span he also coached the boys basketball team. His teams went a combined 198-84 and won nine Class C League titles. They made the sectionals nine times with one Section VI championship game appearance. In 1969, he won the Olean Times Herald Coach of the Year Award, an award named for Thomas K. Oakley, a Hinsdale student who played for Carl, who was killed in an automobile accident.
Along the way, Carl helped coach both versions of football that Hinsdale offered – 6 man and later 11 man. In 1975, he was chosen as the Western New York School Counselors’ Association Administrator of the Year. He was inducted into the Big 30 Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, and in 2002, he was part of the inaugural class of the Cattaraugus County Sports Hall of Fame. He also served as a member and president of the Olean Lions Club.
Joe Carucci – Any sports fan in the Southern Tier is familiar with Joe Carucci, a long-time official in numerous local sports. A 1953 Olean Huskie, Joe has umpired countless athletic events in the area at both the high school and rec league levels.
Outside of the high school setting for the past 30 years or so, Joe has officiated summer basketball, volleyball, tavern league softball, and church league softball. He worked the Gus Macker Basketball Tournaments in Warren, PA, along with Olean and Jamestown for 20 years. In addition, he has umpired countless softball tournaments over that same period of time. He was also the co-founder of the St. Mary’s of the Angels Spring Festival.
At the high school level, Joe served as an official for the local IAABO Basketball Officials’ Tournament from 1986-2018. He had been a member of the Cattaraugus County Board of Basketball officials from 1987-2019, retiring from that sport in the last year. He has also officiated softball and volleyball as a member of the Cattaraugus County Board of Officials for those two sports.
