An all-scholastic basketball player and captain of the 1922-23 Cathedral Latin High School team, Ray Zorman became a two-time (1926 and 1927) all-city and all-Ohio cage star at John Carroll University. In the ensuing eight years he played on three Muny League, two Northeastern Ohio AAU and one Industrial League championship teams in Cleveland. Also was an excellent baseball player, he played professionally for four seasons.
In 35 year as a track coach at Shaker Heights High School, Robert Rice never had a losing season, and was elected to the Ohio Track Hall of Fame in 1970. Bob officiated for 25 years in high school and college basketball, 40 years in track, and 17 seasons in football. During his 19 years as an NFL official, he worked the first Pro Bowl in 1950 and two Super Bowls. He has also served as Assistant Supervisor of NFL Officials.
One of Cleveland’s all-time great players, Al “Oppie” Dorenkott was a member of several of the city’s outstanding teams that won numerous Muny League titles in the 1920s and early 1930s. He was invited to join the famous Rosenblum-Celtics team in 1932, but declined. A guard, Oppie excelled in rebounding and was a superior play maker.
A gifted athlete at Cleveland East High School, John Olszewski starred for the Union Trust Bank basketball team which dominated the Cleveland amateur basketball scene in the 1920s, winning league, city, inter-city and national titles. An outstanding scorer and exceptionally fast, he later played professionally with the Rosenblum-Celtics. John was also a talented bowler and sandlot baseball standout.
Eddie Finnigan was an all-around athletic standout at Cleveland John Adams High School and Western Reserve University. He starred in three sports at WRU, achieving his greatest success in basketball, where he was a first team Little All-American. Eddie also earned Little All-American honors in football and starred in track, and garnered new fame as the head track coach at Baldwin-Wallace College, where he produced Olympic champion Harrison Dillard.
After starring with several Cleveland amateur league teams, Willie Smith was signed by the New York Renaissance in 1932 and played with them through the 1941-42 season. He started for the 1935 Rens team which set a pro record by winning 88 straight games, was picked as the top player on the 1937-38 team and played on the first World’s Professional Championship team in 1939. Willie was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964.
An outstanding high school (Euclid Shore) and amateur basketball player, Mel Riebe became a basketball pro at the age of 27 in 1943 and led the National Basketball League in scoring in 1943-44 and 1944-45 as a member of the Cleveland Chase Brass team. After a military stint, he played for the Cleveland Rebels in the Basketball Association of America in 1946-47, was drafted by the Boston Celtics and played two seasons with them.
For her many years and broad service to sports programs, Jane Pease was elected into the Cleveland State University Sports Hall of Fame. A charter member of the National Division of Girls and Womens Sports Committee for Track and Field in the 1950’s, she was a strong contributor to the revision of the rules and techniques of officiating. For stellar service, Jane has received Lifetime Honorary Membership in the Cleveland Physical Education Association and the Cleveland and Great Lakes Field Hockey Associations.
A graduate of Cleveland Central High in 1936, Louis “Babe” Pressley signed with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1937 to launch a professional career that lasted until 1958, captaining and later serving as playing coach of the world-famous team. He was named Outstanding Player in the championship tournament of the 1940 World Professional International Tour and placed on the all-star team in the 1943-44 International Cup Tour.
After a stellar athletic career at Parma High School and Notre Dame, Ron Mottl put his energies into public service and support for many sports programs that have benefitted untold numbers of youngsters. He was elected into the Parma Sports Hall of Fame and the baseball field on the Cuyahoga Community College West Campus bears his name. Ron continues to have a significant influence on the Greater Cleveland sports scene.