2015 Inaugural Inductees

Jessica Bernius

Curtis Hollomon

Edmond Jones
William(Billy) Maisel

Dale Pescitelli

Tristan Smith

Fred Thompson
Ernie Wyatt
1946 &1947 Long Island Champion Field Hockey Team
2002 & 2003 Boys NY State Champion Relay Team
(Omar Logan, Narada Brooks, Jerod Watling, Max Rose, Ian Morgan & David Jackson)

Jessica "Thole" Bernius

Class of 1962 | Athlete

Jessica is Amityville through and through! She was born in Brunswick Hospital, lived on Avon Place and walked to every school she attended in Amityville. She had two older brothers, Bruce and Glenn, and was always pestering them to play in their pick up games. She loves sports!

In seventh grade, Jessica Started participating in the after school intramural program where she first learned to play and love field hockey. The sports played in intramurals changed with the seasons. Fall was field hockey, basketball and volleyball were played in the winter, and spring meant it was time for softball. Summer she would compete in the Friday swimming races at Amityville Beach.

Moving up to Amityville Memorial High School, she continued participating in intramurals but learned that from the intramural program honor teams were selected for each sport to play against other schools. Usually upper classmen were selected for those teams but Jessica made the field hockey team her freshman year and for each successive year. She was also selected for the volleyball, basketball and softball honor teams. They were the four teams that were inter-scholastic teams.

Until Title IX was passed, girls played all sports for the “love of the games” with no special emphasis on any sport. Sports Night was a very special time for the girls of AMHS. The girls were divided into the red and gray teams and there was fierce competition between the teams. At the conclusion of each Sports Night, the new inductees for membership in the prestigious Girl's Leaders Club were announced. Jessica was inducted and in her senior year was President of Leader's Club. Jessica along with 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Albert “Allie” Leftenant was elected “Most Athletic” for the Class of 1962. She was awarded the “Gold Key,” the highest honor award a woman athlete in Suffolk County could achieve.

Jessica's love of sports and teaching made her decide to make her life's vocation a teacher of physical education. She attended Valparaiso University in Indiana where in her freshman year she played left wing on the varsity field hockey team. Her most memorable game that season was playing at Michigan State. Deciding that she wasn't a Midwestern girl, she transferred to Adelphi University where she played on all the varsity sports teams. Jessica received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and a Master ofArts degree in Health Education. She has taught both physical education and health in South Huntington and Amityville Schools. She was an adjunct professor of health, wellness and physical education at Suffolk County Community College. She has taught at all grade levels through her teaching career and loved every day of teaching.

Although women's sports weren't treated the same as men's sports before Title IX and so there were no records kept on the accomplishments of women, Jessica only has great memories of her days playing sports at AMHS. Participating in sports has produced life long friendships as well as being the foundation of developing life time skills of teamwork and leadership.

Jessica's goal after retiring from teaching was to learn how to fly fish. That has not been accomplished yet, being distracted by the two feet of water Super Storm Sandy deposited in her house as well as being elected a village trustee in Amityville. She presently serves as deputy mayor.

“My thanks to my fellow AMHS Hall of Fame Board members for bestowing this honor on me, it is great working with you. I love you guys!”

Curtis J. Hollomon

Class of 1994 | Athlete

Curtis J. Hollomon attended his entire high school career in the Amityville School District. A true student/athlete, Curtis excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field.

Curtis played football and ran track at AMHS. In football, Curtis was a standout on offense. In his sophomore year, he made All-League and All County. In his junior year, he was named to the All-League and All County teams as well as being named to the All Long Island team. In that year, he led Suffolk County in rushing yardage and touch downs. With this outstanding record, Curtis was named runner-up for the Hansen Award. The award is given to the best football player in Suffolk County.

In his senior year, Curtis was All-League, All County and All Long Island. He led the county in rushing and receiving yardage. Curtis was again runner-up for the Hansen Award.

Curtis was also outstanding as a member of the AMHS Track and Field team. Curtis holds the track record for the 2-man team relay longjump of 41’51/2" set in 1992. In 1993 he set the school pentathlon record with 3330 points. In the 1993-94 winter track season, he was the record holder in the long jump set at 22’83/4".

As a four year football starter, Curtis was offered scholarships to some of the largest universities in the nation including Tulane, Wisconsin, and Georgia Tech. He accepted a full athletic scholarship to play football for Georgia Tech.

Curtis is a 1999 graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a 3-year letterman in football and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in History, Technology, and Society. He holds a Master's Degree in Sports Administration from St. Cloud State University.

Curtis is the Director of Leadership Development at the NCAA. His primary duties include development and implementation of broadly defined skill enhancement, professional development and career advancement programs, grants, and workshops for the NCAA student-athletes, coaches and athletic professionals.

Curtis also assists the executive vice president/chief inclusion officer with strategic planning in the area of programming: in the primary administrator for the Champion Forum, the NCAA-BCA Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) Forum and the alumni group of the Leadership Institute.

Edmond Jones

Class of 1989 | Athlete

Edmond was a three sport athlete at Amityville HS from 1985 to 1989. He was a member of the soccer, basketball, and track teams. He excelled at the high jump during his junior and senior years where he won three consecutive New York State Championships. In addition to the high jump, Edmond also was a very talented hurdler.

Edmond's first success in the High Jump came after basketball of his junior year. He traveled to Yale University and finished 6° at the National Scholastic Track and Field Championships with a jump of 6’8".

Edmond's first state title came later that spring. Suffolk County was very strong in this event, sweeping the first three places at the state championships that year. At the meet, Edmond missed his first jump and then did not miss again until he attempted a County Record of7’ U2”.After some narrow misses, Edmond settled for a state title and a school record jump of6’ 11". During the summer of 1988, Edmond and teammate Michael Addison traveled to Helsinki Finland and Russia(Moscow and Minsk) to compete in several track and field meets due to the success they had experienced.

Entering his senior year, Edmond had to make a decision whether to continue playing basketball or compete in Winter track. After making the tough choice to compete in track and field, Edmond had an outstanding season. At the Suffolk County championships, he won the high jump and placed second in the 55m hurdles. He then went onto capture his second state title in the high jump with a jump of 6’ 8".

The spring season was going to be a tough one for Edmond. With all three of last year's high jumpers returning, competition was intense.Athirdp1acefinishattheSuffolk County championships had his coaches nervous for the next week's state championships. Like the true champion Edmond was, he rose to the occasion and secured his third and final state victory with a jump of 6’ 9".

William (Billy) Maisel

Class of 1989 | Athlete & Coach

I am a proud life long resident of Amityville. I attended the Amityville school district from kindergarten through my graduation in 1989. I spent my entire childhood on the wrestling mat, starting at 5 years of age. Having a father as a wrestling coach always put me around the sport. I was a very successful kid wrestler for the Town of Babylon wrestling program. In 1984, I began my school wrestling career in the Amityville Middle School under the guidance of long time coaches Toby Mullin and Hank Carpenter. As a 7* grader, I went undefeated for the entire season. In 1985 as an 8" grader, I was pulled up to wrestle on the varsity level. I won my first varsity tournament as an 8'h grader earning my “Black Japs”, a feat that had never been done before by an 8" grader.

Throughout my High School career, I won several tournament championships as well as many tournament outstanding wrestler awards. I was a captain of the wrestling team for 3 straight years. My junior year of 1988, Joined an elite group of Amityville wrestlers by winning a Section 11 wrestling title. I then also won a sectional title in 1989 making me a 2-time Suffolk County Champion, an joining a very small group of wrestlers to ever attain the status of2-time Sectional Champion. From 1989 until 2010, Held the school's varsity wrestling record for the most varsity wins at 123.

I am a member of the Suffolk County century club (over 100 varsity wins). During my wrestling career I wrestled under Hall of Fame coaches Norm Maisel and Jerry Pollock, both of whom were tremendous influence on my wrestling and coaching careers. In high school I was also a member of the varsity football team where I competed for 4 years, and as a Junior and Senior was named captain of the team.

After High School I attended West Virginia University from 1989-1994 where I was a member of the West Virginia University wrestling team. I then attended Graduate school at Hofstra University from 2000-2002, where I earned my Masters Degree in Education.

In 1995 I began my teaching career as a Physical Education teacher in the Amityville School District, as well as beginning my coaching career in the district. Over the years, I was the Assistant Varsity Football Coach, Girls Varsity Track Coach and Varsity Wrestling Coach.

I have won championships in each of the sports I coached. The Girls won the 2000 League and Conference titles. The 2000 Football Team won a League and Couty Title and also finished as runner-up for the Long Island Championship. The Wrestling Team won League Titles in 2003 and 2005 and the Section XI Title on 2003. I have had many All-County Wrestlers including t County Champions and one State Champion.

I retired from coaching in 2012 but have come back to be the varsity assistant wrestling coach from 2014 until the present. I am also the Head Middle School football coach.

As a coach and athlete for Amityville, I am truly honored to become a part of the Amityville Sports Hall of Fame. I am also honored to share this privilege with so many amazing people who have been inducted to the Hall of Fame.

Dale Pescitelli

Class of 1975 | Athlete

Dale Pescitelli was born in Amityville to Pat (2013 AMHS Hall of Fame inductee) and Barbara Pescitelli. He was the oldest of four boys, all of whom excelled in many sports.

Growing up in a neighborhood where most kids were soon to be Amityville stars, sports was not an option, it was mandatory. Living around the corner from the Formans, Williams, Ebners, Pollocks, Walters, Booths and Murphys, Dale had to prove to himself each and every day that he could compete with the older kids. This experience would benefit him later in life.

In high school, Dale played both baseball and football. He excelled in both. Playing quarterback on the 1974 football, Dale had a great year. He threw for almost 1000 yards and 8 touch down passes. His best game came against Riverhead where he threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and kicked an extra point in a 46-6 victory. But it was the Conference Championship game he remembers best. Facing a Babylon team who was the highest scoring team on Long Island, the Tide rolled, defeating Babylon 38-8. Carrying Vic Neimi (2014 AMHS Hall of Fame inductee) off the field, is one of his fondest memories to date. “We brought a championship back to Amityville.” Dale was selected to the All-Conference team at season's end.

The 1975 baseball team also had great success. Coached by Bill King (2012 AMHS Hall of Fame inductee) the team went 20-5 losing to West Islip in the county semi-finals. But it was the 2°d round game that he still talks about to today. Falling behind 4-2 against Center Moriches, Dale hit a bases loaded triple to put Amityville ahead for good. The pitcher for Center Moriches was a freshman named Paul Gibson, soon to be a major league star. Dale was named to the All-County Baseball team that year.

After high school Dale attended the University of New Haven along with Kenny Young (2014 AMHS Hall of Fame inductee) to play baseball. Dale transferred to Nassau Community College where he found his passion for football again.

At Nassau, Dale played two seasons and was named to the Coastal Conference All-Star team after his second year. During one game against Wesley Junior College, Dale passed for a school record (since broken) 375 yards and 4 TD passes. The recipient of 3 of those TD passes was Paul Smith, his former teammate at AMHS. Dale's performance that year earned him a scholarship to CW Post.

Dale played two seasons at CW Post garnering ECAC weekly All Star team honors four times. His best game came against Kings Point when he ran for 3 TD's in the first half, in a 55-0 win. Dale graduated from CW Post with a degree in Physical Education, earned his Master's Degree from SUNY Stony Brook in Environmental Science and has a degree in Administration. Dale's teaching career began at John Adams High School in Queens, he then moved to Miller Place High School where he taught Physical Education and was varsity football coach for 5 years. Presently, Dale is teaching and coaching football at Bay Shore Middle School.

Dale has been married to his wife Teresa for 33 years. They have two children, Sara and Dale Jr. and three grandsons.

Tristan Smith

Class of 2001 | Athlete

Tristan Smith exemplifies a true scholar athlete with a 91 GPA upon graduation from Amityville Memorial High School. He excelled in two sports, football and basketball and his teammates on both teams respected his leadership abilities voting him captain of both teams in his junior and senior years.

Tristan was a versatile varsity football starter for his sophomore, junior, and, senior years, playing safety-cornerback, wide receiver, and then switched to quarterback after two games in his senior year. His junior year stats included 36 catches, 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. In his senior year he had 7 touchdowns, l thrown interception, but he made up for that one by intercepting the opposing team 6 times with one of those interceptions leading to a touchdown. His football career record totaled 24 wins and 8 losses.

The 1999 Crimson Tide won the LI Class B Football Championship and Tristan was selected as a pre-season Honorable Mention All-American Football Wide Receiver. He was also a 2-time All League and All County football player.

Tristan was honored to be a player on the 2000 Crimson Tide that won the coveted LI Rutgers Trophy. This was the first times since Coach/AMHS Hall of Fame member Lou Howard's teams had won several in the 1960’s.

Tristan was a4-year starter on the Varsity Basketball team playing point guard and was a key player in the Warriors wining the 2000 and 2001 NY Public School Basketball Championships. In 2001, the team also won the NY Federation Basketball Championship.

In his four years on the basketball team, Tristan earned a number of individual honors. He was named an All League player four times and three times he took home All County honors. Other honors include being named a McDonald's All-American top 100 player in his senior year. Also in his senior year, he was named Suffolk County Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 23.1 points per game, 7.8 assists and 4.1 steals.

His senior year brought more basketball honors being named to the 1st team AllTri State, as well as 1“team All NYS.

Tristan left a basketball legacy at AMHS that present day players admire. His basketball career stats include a tota1 of 1,419 points, 607 assists and a very respectable 81-13 win/loss record.

Fred B. Thompson

Class of 1982 | Athlete

Fred was a member of the Amityville Memorial High School Basketball and Track and Field teams. He began playing both sports in 7th grade and continued through his four years of high school. In basketball, as a senior he was named an All League member and Captain of the AMHS team.

While running track, Fred was named All County and All Conference in the 400IM hurdles in his junior year. As a senior, he was named All County and All Conference in the l00mand 200m where he was also County Champion. He was named MVP of the Town of Babylon Track Meet, winning the 100m, 200m, and 400m hurdles and currently holds the record for 2-man hurdles.

Upon graduating from AMHS, Fred attended SUNY at Fredonia where he participated on both the Men's Basketball and Track teams. He was a 3-year Captain on the basketball team, which he ranked among the top ten in assists and helped the team win the first ECAC championship in the school's history.

On the track team, Fred was an All American in the 400mand on the 4x400m relay team, NY State Champion in the 400mandthe 4x400m relay team, the SUNY Conference Champion in 200m, 400m, and on 4xl00m and 4x400m relay teams. He was elected to SUNY at Fredonia Hall of Fame in 1995.

Fred currently works in the pharmaceutical industry and enjoys volunteering at UNAYO, the community center in Amityville as a basketball coach.

Fred would like to thank the AMHS Hall of Fame committee for his selection. He thanks the coaches who laid the foundation for his success, including Mr. Beyer, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Gonser, and Mr. Fred Williams who instilled discipline that he uses in sports and everyday life.

Ernest "Ernie" Wyatt

Class of 1949 | Sports Contributor

Ernie was a lifelong resident of Amityville. The son of Ernst and Clara Wyatt, he had two sisters, Mary, and Vera and a brother AMHS Hall of Fame member Bernie Wyatt. Until his retirement, he was employed by the Amityville School District on the custodial and grounds keeping staff.

The 1949 Amityville High School yearbook lists Ernie as manager for the football, wrestling, and baseball teams. According to the yearbook, he is remembered by his fellow seniors “for his skillful managing of our athletic teams.”

In 1965 Ernie was one of the co-founders of “The Dads ‘Varsity Club. The goal of the organization was to honor boys and girls varsity players with an end of the year dinner. It was held at the Amityville American Legion Hall on Park Ave. Each year a guest speaker addressed the dinner guests. One year the speaker was AMHS Hall of Fame member and Dallas Cowboy great John Niland. Each athlete would receive atrophy at the dinner.

According to AMHS Hall of Famer Jerry Pollock, for many years if you attended an AMHS basketball game or wrestling match, you would see Ernie at the head table either working the clock or as a statistician. Ernie also was seated at the head table working at the Suffolk County Wrestling Championship meets. Ernie was a huge track fan as well and could be found on Saturday's attending the track invitational meets.

His brother Bernie sent a letter from his home in Iowa stating, “Ernie was an avid supporter of Amityville athletics and proud to call Amityville home. He would have been thrilled to know of his induction into the AMHS Sports Hall of Fame.”

1946 & 1947 Long Island Champion Field Hockey Team

Front Row(Left to Right): R. Demarco, C. Lawrence, R Mazur, J. Hackett, D. Hook, R. Nuss

Back ROW (Left to Right): D. Green, I. Wiemer, P. Ehle, Miss Muncy, I. McDermott, M. Beeg, D. Schwartz

As written in the 1947 Amityville High School yearbook, the first hard cover year book ever printed, ‘Under the leadership of Coach Muncy the team came through with flying colors, and was chosen as one of the most outstanding teams on Long Island for playing ability.”

This is important history in the fabric of Amityville High School sports because until Title XI was instituted, which gave women athletes equal opportunities with male athletes, no official records were kept about female athletes or team accomplishments.

Two members of the team, Coach Berneice Muncy Giordano and Rosalie DeMarco Hauswirth are both residents of Amityville and are attending this year's annual induction ceremony.

In speaking to Coach Muncy Giordano, this team was LI Champions two consecutive years. They racked up a very enviable record at the two play days in which they participated in the fall of 1946. At the Valley Stream Play Day, they were undefeated and scored upon only once. At the Play Day at Adelphi College, they were undefeated and unscored upon.

According to the 1947 yearbook account; “At the end of the season a bang-up party was held at the school. The girls and Miss Muncy acted as hostesses and entertained their guests, Mr. Painter, Mr. Gage, Mrs. Colmey, Miss Delano, Mrs. Gregory, Mr Ball, Mr Dolson, and Mr. Stevenson with skits and songs.”

The yearbook review concludes: “The girls achieved this success through the guidance of Miss Muncy and they wish to express their appreciation and thanks for her untiring efforts.”

2002 & 2003 Boys NY State Champion Relay Team

Top Row (Left to Right): Jonathan Jackson, *David Jackson, Thabiti Lee, *Jerod Gatling, *Omar Logan Bottom Row (Left to Right): Danny Deservire, *Ian Morgan, *Narada Brooks

Missing from Photo: *Max Rose

*Members of the Championship Relay Team

Amityville Memorial High School Track Coach and 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Reynolds Hawkins, who was this team's coach, is quoted as saying, “the 2001 and 2002 Boys' Relay Team has set the mark of excellence on Long Island to which all sprint relay teams measure themselves, in both indoor and outdoor track.”

The team's accomplishments include being named the 2001, 4X100 Relay NY State and Federation Champions as well as the 2002 4X400 NY State Champions and Federation Runner-Up. In 2000 and 2001, the teams competed in winter track and were the NY and Federation Champions.

Other accomplishments of this team in 2001 and 2002 are Outdoor County Champions in the 4X100 and the 4X400 as well as Indoor County Champs in the 4X200.

They completed and placed in a number of prestigious races inluding a 5th Place finish in the 4X100 relay at the “Meet the Champions” Penn Relays in 2001. Also competing in the 4X100 at the Glenn Loucks Games held at White Plains High School, they beat the National Indoor record-holding team from Deep Creek, VA. They had a 4th Place finish in the 4X100 and 5th Place in the 4X200 in the Outdoor Nationals. Competing in the sprint medley relay (100-100-200-400), they earned a 5th Place finish.

The records this relay team established include Amityville School records in the outdoor 4Xl 00, 4X200, 4X400 and the sprint medley as well as 4X200 relay.

On the County level, they hold the outdoor records in the 4X100, 4X200, 4X400 as well as setting the 4X200 indoor record. They hold the Long Island outdoor records in the 4X100 and 4X200 relays and the indoor record in the 4X200 relay.

One of the highest compliments given to them was being recognized by the NY State Track and Field Association for winning the “top 5 best-run relays in NY State history, based on the accomplishments and the range from 100, 200 and 400 meters.”

They were exremely talented runners and great ambassadors for Amityville Memorial High School.