ORR Athletic Hall of Fame inducts all stars
The Old Rochester Regional Athletic Hall of Fame honored record breakers, stand out athletes and a beloved coach at its annual induction ceremony on Saturday.
This year saw seven individual inductees and the 1993 football team.
“This is a great class,” said ORRAHOF President Peter Trow. “It’s a great cross section of male and female, younger and older. We’re very pleased with it.”
After dinner, held in the ORR cafeteria, athletes were introduced by someone with a special connection to their time in the high school’s sports program.
Janet Dorr Winslow, ’71, was the first to be recognized by her friend and fellow Hall of Famer Cornelia Dougall.
“I remember her wanting to practice, practice, practice and it showed,” said Dougall.
She called Winslow a “trailblazer” at a time when women’s sports had only just begun to grow. Winslow was a member of the track team, captain of the basketball team for two years and a co-captain of the field hockey team her senior year. She also helped bring her basketball team to its first tournament bid.
“She had the ability to put herself in the right place at the right time,” said Dougall. “She was tenacious, never mean. She always played fair.”
While Winslow excelled on land, James Gardiner was skilled on ice.
Gardiner, ’89, is still considered ORR’s best hockey player and one of the best on the South Coast.
And, joked his long-time best friend, John Santos, “He was the best backup JV quarterback you’ve ever seen.”
Although he wasn’t a hockey player, Santos said Gardiner’s athleticism in high school and at UMass Dartmouth, made him a better player, and he loved cheering for his friend.
“That was his sanctuary, that was his cathedral,” said Santos. “He was a truly special and gifted hockey player.”
Gardiner, who was a Boston Globe All Star and who still holds three records at ORR, said he was honored to be inducted the same year as his coach, Chuck Michaud. Michaud passed away in 2000, but Gardiner said, “He was the best coach I ever had. I hear his voice in my ear to this day. It wouldn’t feel right going into the hall of fame without him.”
Michaud was the head hockey coach from 1985 to 1992, bringing the struggling team from mostly losses to mostly wins with his dedication to the students, his focus on academics and his ability to see talent that the athletes didn’t, said his assistant coach Ray Andrews.
Many who spoke remembered moments from their time at ORR.
Colin Cabral, ’00, an all-star star soccer player and team captain for three years, recalled looking across the field after his final game.
“It was a bittersweet feeling, but I knew I gave everything I had,” he said.
Cabral has continued playing soccer in his current home in California. Tim Titcomb,’90, also said he’s kept up with sports, playing “old man tennis,” while Clifton Lopes Jr., ’00, said he’s already looking ahead to a time when he will cheer on his own son, “CL III.”
When that time comes, he’ll find his dad’s name on the walls of ORR.
“I always wanted to leave my own little piece of history,” said Lopes.
The Hall of Fame also inducted the following:
Ryan Sylvia, ’01, lettered in baseball, track, baseball and football and went on to set an NCAA Division III record of 21 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in 2003.
Cayla Clancy Carbone, ’05, earned 11 varsity letters in soccer, basketball and tennis. She still holds the record for career points, more than 1,000.
Ted Drew Jr. was recognized for his dedication to the school’s athletic programs. While at ORR, he played football, golf and hockey. In the latter, he was a captain and most valuable player. He helped found the ORR Booster Club and has worked with girls’ youth sports.
The 1993 football team, coached by Craig Sherman, was called “one of the finest in the history of Old Rochester Regional football” and finished undefeated as Division 4 Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl champs.