By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Ravenna High School will induct eight into its Athletic Hall of Fame during a special ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26. The inductees will include:

DIANDRA GIBSON

Class of 2012

Gibson played soccer (4 letters), basketball (4 letters) and softball (2 letters). She was a four-year starter for the girls basketball team, helping the Ravens win more than 80 games during her career. She was named First Team All-League all four years and was also the league Player of the Year two times. She was also named the Northeast Inland District Player of the Year, as well as First Team All-Ohio. During her senior year, she broke the school record for rebounding and helped the Ravens to a perfect 20-0 record. She finished her career with 1,126 points, 843 rebounds, 270 steals and 232 assists. After graduating from Ravenna, she played basketball at the University of Akron, starting in three of her four years and won a Mid-American Conference championship in 2014 to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. She is the daughter of Hank and Andrea Gibson. She is currently employed by the United States Federal Probation Services as a Federal Probation Officer and lives in Berea with her fiancé Anthony and their daughter Maddox.

BRETT DUBINSKY (1976),

ED JORDAN (1972),

LEE JORDAN (1976),

JAKE SCHMAUCH (1968)

(THE FAB FOUR)

These four friends, known affectionately as The Fab Four, have given back to the community for decades through their love of Ravenna football. Their years of coaching the Ravenna Rams included many Suburban Youth championships, including 1979 (undefeated), 1983, 1991, 1994, 1998 and 2000. They made six appearances in the Youth National Championship Game, with the Rams winning the title in Daytona Beach in 1994. In 2004, they all moved up to coach the Ravens’ high school team with head coach Jim Lunardi. They started with the Freshman team and had undefeated seasons in 2005, 2007, 2014 and 2016. They also were assistants on the varsity staff and were part of league titles in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2018. All four used football as an opportunity to teach life lessons to their players, with locker room talks about work ethic, importance of education, the ups and downs of everyday life and how to be part of something that is bigger than yourself.

LAWRENCE BOWIE

Born and raised in the Appalachian town of Pike, W.V., Bowie and his younger brother, Tony, were orphaned and forced into farm labor as wards of the state. As teenagers, Larry’s father was found in Ravenna and was required to take the brothers to raise. In addition to attending school in Ravenna, Bowie worked two jobs and played football. The most significant person in his life during this time ws Bill Dickerson, from Kent, who was Vice President at B.F. Goodrich. After seeing Bowie play, Dickerson was so impressed by his athleticism and skills that he was essentially taken in by the Dickerson family. Dickerson arranged for Bowie to get a football scholarship at Purdue University, where he excelled academically and on the football team. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1962 and was named the starter at right guard on the offensive line. He played under Norm  Van Brooklyn and Bud Grant, but suffered a career-ending head injury in 1968 that required brain surgery. From that point, he continued his NFL career as a scout for the Vikings. After the NFL, Bowie worked as a stockbroker for PaineWebber in St. Paul, Minn., then became involved with the hospitality business. He and his wife, Karen, owned and operated several successful local bars and restaurants. Bowie suffered severe symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). He was know for loving his family and friends. He died in 2012.

JOE LEIGH

Leigh graduated from East Liverpool in 1959, then Hiram College in 1963. He also earned his Master’s at the University of Akron in 1979. He began his teaching career at St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs, Col., in 1964, then came to Ravenna to teach in 1968. That same year, he was named an assistant on the Ravenna football staff, then took over as head coach in 1970, serving as the head coach until 1989. During that time, he won 119 career games and won three Metro League Championships outright and shared two others. He also was the track and field head coach for five years, winning two league championships. Leigh went on to be an assistant coach at Mount Union, where he was part of seven national championship teams from 1989 to 2005, and was part of a record of 109-1 during that span. Leigh is also credited with forming the Ravenna Youth Wrestling program, and he also coached baseball, was the Intramural Director at Ravenna, was the Ravenna Recreation League Sports Supervisor for 14 years, Ski Club Director for 21 years and was the Ravenna athletic director for four years. Leigh was part of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Board of Directors, President of the Greater Akron Football Association, Game Ghairmain of the Beacon Journal All-Star Football Game and was part of the Portage County Umpires Association. Locally, he served on the Ravenna Parks and Recreation Board, Kiwanis Club of Ravenna and was inducted into the Portage County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Leigh and his wife, Linda, currently live in Cincoteague, Va.

ELDRID “BUS” WILLYARD

Class of 1920

Willyard was born on Dec. 9, 1902, and he was raised in southern Ravenna Township. He was a natural athlete at the same time that George “Babe” Ruth had just Burt onto the scene. Willard’s abilities led to local youth calling Willyard by the same nickname, “Babe.” His mother was known for stopping the use of the nickname, not wanting anyone to call him “Babe,” so she suggested “Buster.” The name stuck and was shortened to “Bus.” Willard was a standout football and basketball player for Ravenna Township High School, then played both sports at the University of Akron. He earned All-Ohio Conference in both sports. He served on the Ravenna Board of Education for nearly 16 years and was part of the leadership that consolidated the district’s city and township schools. Willyard Elementary is named in his honor. “Bus” owned Ravenna Lumber and Coal Company. During rough times, he was know to spread coal on the railroad tracks so that people who could not afford it, could collect it and not be beholden to anyone. He also served as a member of the Ravenna Savings and Loan Board of Directors. He is also a member of the University of Akron’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Portage County Sports Hall of Fame.