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Crusaders announce 2016 Hall of Fame honorees

STEUBENVILLE — Catholic Central will add eight new members to its Hall of Fame during the 2016 Homecoming Alumni Weekend.

A reception to honor the inductees is set for 6 p.m. Thursday in the CCHS cafeteria. Buster Yannon, a member of the hall and a former Crusader football great, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Tickets for the event, priced at $20 for adults and $10 for children, are available by contacting Leo Lanaghan at (740) 264-7058.

Lanaghan is a member of the hall of fame committee along with Jim Orlando, Jim Sweeney, Mario Saggio and Mike Lemal.

The 2016 inductees include:

* JoJo Aulet, Class of 1995. He earned first team all-Ohio honors in baseball and basketball. Aulet was the Eastern District player of the year and ranks as Central’s all-time leading scorer. Additionally, he garnered first team all OVAC accolades in both sports. Aulet was a member of a state championship baseball team and earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Toledo.

* Dave Connor, Class of 1995. Connor was a three-year letter winner in football and basketball and a two-year letterman in track. In football, he was a two-year starter on both sides of the ball and received all-Ohio honors. He was a member of the 1992 Central team which beat Big Red for the first time in 11 years. Connor was credited with the final tackle in the game. He was on the 1993 state championship team and during his senior, season, the Crusaders returned to the playoffs. For his career, he had more than 1,600 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. On the hardwood, Connor scored more than 800 points, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game his senior season. The Crusaders reached the district finals during his three seasons. Connor also shined in track, winning two OVAC 400 meter titles and establish a school 400 meter record that still stands. He was undefeated in the 400 meter race his senior year and captured a state championship.

* Doug Duco, Class of 1989. A first team all-Ohio selection as a senior, Duco is the second leading scorer in school history with 1,003 career points. During his 64 game varsity career, he averaged 15.7 points per game. As a senior, his average was 21.8.  He was first team All-OVAC, All District 5 and all EBL as a senior. In addition, he was the Eastern District player of the year. He earned a scholarship to Ohio Dominican University.

* Joe Dugan, Class of 1950. Dugan was a three-sport standout during his days at Central, playing football, basketball and baseball.

* Tiffany (Fingers) Broce, Class of 1989. She earned 12 letters during his Central career in basketball, volleyball and softball. In basketball, she ranks as the school’s all-time leading rebounder and is second in scorer. During her senior year, she was the AP’s Eastern District co-player of the year. In volleyball, she was named the OVAC Class AA player of the year as a senior. On the diamond, Fingers earned honorable mention All-Ohio honors. After graduating from Central, she went on to play basketball at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned four letters.

* Mike Florak, Class of 1985. During his years at Central, Florak was a member of five OVAC championship teams. He played football, basketball and baseball for the Crusaders. In football, he earned All-OVAC honors and led the Crusaders in fumble recoveries, quarterback sacks and touchdown receptions. He also earned honorable mention All-Ohio honors. He was an all-conference selection in baseball and received numerous all-district awards. Florak led the Central team and the entire Ohio Valley in triples and walks. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1985 but opted to attend Ohio University, where he was a four-year starter on the diamond. Florak left O.U. with numerous records. He coached college baseball for 17 years including 13 at Youngstown State University. He was one of the youngest Division I head coaches in the country.

*( Amanda Looman, Class of 2005. At Central, Looman was a four-year letter winner in soccer and still holds three records: Most goals in a game (7), most goals in a season (34) and most career goals (80). During her senior season, she was elected captain of the team and was named first team All-OVAC Class AAA, first team all-Eastern District and first team All-Valley. She was fourth in the state of Ohio with 34 goals. She received the Ohio High School Athletic Association Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award.

* Barbara Straker, Class of 1983. Straker had a fantastic basketball career at CCHS. She earned four letters and capped her career by earing three team All-Ohio honors and first team all-OVAC honors. She also was first team District 5. During her time as a Crusader, Straker scored 1,278 career points. That number made her the school’s all-time scoring leader among boys and girls players. At one point, she held three school records: Points, rebounds and assists. She had 685 career rebounds, 215 assists and 215 steals. She played at Southern Illinois University.

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