Geneva High School - Seneca Saga Yearbook (Geneva, NY)

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but not vOhat e ma be. As a defensive tackle. Rick Yannotti ended the year with a FLE first team honor. Rick felt the coaches were definitely an asset to the team. And finally, in this year of wins, defensive halfback Jim Rector learned how to be number one. In his second year of coaching GHS Varsity Football. Coach Wayne Johnson drove the team to the league championship. “We got everything out of the boys that we could and they responded by being the great winners that they are,” Coach Johnson said. That statement certainly sums up the year. Another coach who got “everything out of his team was Vanity Basketball mentor Carl Wenzel. Wenzel, who was selected as Coach of the Year, saw his team take the first league championship in the FLE in eleven years. The point guard on the GHS team, Jim Natelli has learned in his eight years of team playing that “no team should be taken lightly. Jim credite “very serious practices to the team’s success. He has won numerous awards, including the Most Improved Player in 1980-1981 and five foul-shooting trophies. Jim hopes to play ball in college. Playing in the forward position, captain Joe Augustine, who always “took it one game at a time, was a crowd thriller with his accurate outside shooting. Joe emphasizes that the coach stressed learning to play together in order to accomplish anything. Like Jim, Joe plans to play basketball in college. Anthony Grady, another forward, has played for the Geneva schools since he was in seventh grade. The practices, which he called “tough , were responsible, he said, for getting the team ready physically and mentally for their games. Interestingly enough. Anthony feels that basketball — with its constant running — got him into better physical shape than football. Since he was seven years old, Welton Eld ridge has loved basketball. The scoring guard. W’elton commented that the music and the cheerleaders really helped him get psyched for the games. With the team’s great success this year. Welton feels that they have proved to everyone that Geneva is the best. Not to be outshone by their male counterparts, the GHS Girls Varsity Basketball Team, coached by Dan Davids, assured itself a place in the record books by compiling a 12-1 season record and taking the championship in their division. Alma Alvarado, the point guard, credits Mr. Davids for making the team what it is today — a winning combination. Although the practices were hard and they ran a lot, Alma says the team had its share of fun. Alma, who has played for three years and had gotten her share of bruises, feels that she has learned a lot, especially the importance of playing as a team. Echoing Alma’s comment on the girls’ success and teamwork, guard Margaret “Ginger I an no polio also had positive feelings about the team's year. To get psyched for practices, which she labeled “fun”. Ginger wore her lucky Myrtle Beach hat. After she had played for eight years. Mary Hickey’s hard work started to pay off when in ninth grade she received the award for Most Improved. Her position as a forward requires a great deal of practice, and even though Mary thought the sessions were sometimes overlong, she “did what she had to” to get through them. Mary feels that Mr. Davids’ concern for the team was an important factor that contributed to the girls’ feelings of unity. The fact that co-captain Kim Keith has sprained both her ankles did not stop her playing for three years. A forward on the 1982 team. Kim says she now realizes the importance of team spirit. She comments that Mr. Davids’ personal dedication to the game was a key to creating the team feeling that spurred the girls onto a championship. To sum up. the members of the Class of 1982 will remember in the future that all of the practices and hard work paid off in the joys of winning and of being Number One. Feature 5

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 0 z knovO vOhat )e arc no , Geneva High School teams had a stellar year as the athletes earned three championships — in Varsity Football and Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball. Although the backgrounds of the seniors who played on these teams varied, they all had the ability to get psyched for their contests. Some remember tuning out or “smelling Ben-Gay ; others listened to “The Boss , banged heads or “ate rocks . Still others just raised cane in the locker room, paid attention to “Fat Jack, psych drills or bit their opponents! The Seneca Saga staff interviewed those seniors who contributed so much of their time and energy to putting Geneva High School on the Section V map. Their comments and memories of the exciting 1981-1982 athletic season follow. All together Rob Fabrizio played seven years of football, three with the Giants and the remainder at GHS. Along with sportsmanship, Rob learned the secret of winning and losing with class. About being number one, Rob says, “It gives me a good feeling, and I'm proud to be part of a winner. Center Mike DeVito’a hard work in football paid off his senior year when he was named to the FLE second team. Mike thinks the coaches are excellent; he explained, “They worked us hard, but it all paid off. Mike learned that while playing football, an individual cannot survive; it has to be a team effort. He plans to play in college. Injuries did not hamper the team. Jim Alexander, though he suffered from a separated shoulder, still made it to the first team All-League. Jim, who also plans to play in college, said that being number one is “great. Pat Fountain, a college prospect for baseball felt the winning season was “excellent, extraordinary outrageous. Pat also played with an injury. A1 Sutton, who also played on the winning basketball team, played his position as defensive end although he had an injured finger. A1 hopes to play football in college. Also playing with a broken finger, Mike Rice, an offensive end. believed the coach was a good engineer of offense. Fingers weren’t the only injuries this season. Gary Cow lea hurt both his knee and shoulder while playing offensive tackle. Gary played four years in junior football and four years in high school which paid off in 1980-81 when he was named Most Improved Player. Billy Kerr made it through four years without an injury. He played offense and defense; sometimes he ran and sometimes he fought against the run. Through his experiences. Bill learned to accept losing as well as winning. One of the fastest players on the team is halfback Anthony Grady. Having played since he was in sixth grade, Anthony has always loved football. To him, being number one is what he has strived for since he was a freshman. Captain Bill Riker was honored with the defense award and by being named to the first team All-Star. Bill played halfback, linebacker, and was the punter. During his years of GHS football. Bill learned how “to win and lose. The main man on offense this year. Todd Rizzieri, was the quarterback. Todd has played eight years all together, four years at GHS. His experience paid off as he was selected for the third team FLE in 1980 and for Special Mention FLE in 1981. There were other seniors who contributed to the winning year on the football field. For instance, in Andy Morale ’ first year playing defensive end. he learned “to be tough. Matt Rogers, a guard and linebacker, believes that the coach helped in practice, but that it was the players who did it on the field. Jeff Greco, right guard, learned how to achieve good speed and how “to destroy.” Outside linebacker Mike Tanner learned “how to kill.” Mike says, “It was great to be number one in the league, but we should have won the sectionals.” When John Onorato was not busy “getting splinters from the bench, he played tackle. Finishing his year as a defensive back. Welton Eld ridge was chosen for second team FLE. Welton learned sportsmanship, leadership, and pride as a Panther athlete. 4 Feature

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 R6AL WORLD ! In order to donate blood, students must go through a number of steps. Clockwise — Mike DiAntonio gets a drop of blood taken from his ear for testing; Carrie Oyer smiles apprehensively as she gets her blood pressure taken; Finally on the table, Lisa Huie and Trish Lampe donate their bloo After it’s all over, David Reed, far right, is escorted to the snack table. 6 Feature