SHS Athletic Hall of Fame honors five
By KEVIN HOWELLArticle Photos
By KEVIN HOWELL, Salem News staff writer
SALEM- The Salem High School Athletic Hall of Fame hosted its 4th annual Induction Ceremony Thursday night at the Salem Community Center, welcoming five new members into the annals of Salem High School sports lore.
Salem native and 1988 graduate Dan DeCrow, former anchor with Fox Sports Net Ohio and Ohio News Network, served as master of ceremonies.
The 2008 induction class includes:
Dr. John W. Alexander, Class of 1956 - Track and Field / Basketball / Football
At a time when Salem's athletic teams were extremely competitive and rich with tradition, Alexander lettered four years basketball and track and three years in football just missing lettering his freshman year.
In football, the three-year letterman led his team in scoring his senior year with 68 points. He was awarded the Coaches' Award, the Most Valuable Player Award, and the Knights of Columbus Trophy, which was presented to the fridder with the highest scholastic average.
On the basketball court, Alexander, a senior captain, is only one of a handful of former Salem players to score over 1000 career points, establishing a then school record in doing so and finishing career with 1050 points. His highlight was scoring 30 points in a tough loss against an outstanding Warren Harding team in 1956. The score of the game, 106-103, resulted in a new scoring record for Salem.
In Alexander's senior year, the Quakers, who were coached by John Cabas, finished 13-5 and established a new record for total points in a season at 1,355, averaging a little more than 75 points a game.
In track and field, Alexander's participation in the high jump, broad jump, high hurdles and shot put helped to lead the Quakers to consecutive undefeated seasons and to three county track and field titles. Along the way he shattered the county and high school high jump records. Competing at the Mansfield Relays, he soared 6 feet, 5 1/4 inches for a new school mark and then went 6 feet 3 7/8 inches to break the Columbiana County record.
During his senior year he was the district high jump winner and placed fourth in the state track meet, which was the fourth consecutive year he had earned points at the state contest. He was then named to the 1956 All-American Track Team.
After high school, Alexander accepted a dual basketball/track scholarship to attend Pueblo College in Colorado (later to become Southern Colorado State College). While there, he lettered two years in both sports. After completing those two years and earning an A.A. degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he accepted a dual scholarship to Boston University where he would earn his B.S. in Mathematics.
While at Boston, he lettered both years in both sports. During his junior year in basketball, he helped to lead the team to the Final Eight of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Tournament where they were ousted by the Jerry West-led West Virginia. He then led the team in scoring his senior year.
After attaining several post-graduate degrees, Alexander has enjoyed a long and distinguished career that has taken him all over the world and allowed him to work for some of our country's finest corporations. Nationally, he has been recognized many times for his leadership in education and locally has been named the Salem High School Alumni Association Honored Alumnus of the Year (1996) and a Salem Historical Society Citizen of Honor. He was also selected to the Karlis-Lowdermilk Salem Hall of Fame. He currently resides in North Miami where he is a professor of mathematics at Miami Dade College.
"These types of honors are things that don't happen to everybody," Alexander said. "So when they do happen, you take it to heart. I'm very honored today."
Fred E. Cope, Class of 1925 - Track & Field / Coach / Contributor (Posthumously)
Fred Cope, or F.E., as he was known by most everyone, was an enthusiastic promoter of track and field sports both locally and state-wide. He was an outstanding athlete and for over 42 years served Salem High School as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. As an athlete at SHS, he was the Columbiana County Champion and school record holder for the mile run.
After high school, Cope attended Mount Union College where he won every cross country race in which he competed. In track, he served as a two-time captain of the track team and was the school's first runner to break 10 minutes in the two-mile run, doing so in 9:34 at the NCAA meet to finish in 6th place. His time in the two-mile run would prove to be a school record at MUC for over 26 years.
Cope narrowly missed making the 1932 U.S. Olympic Team which competed in Los Angeles. He was, however, chosen as an alternate. In 1936, Cope was selected as a trainer for the Olympic Team which competed in Berlin, Germany. There, his roommate was four-time gold-medalist Jesse Owens, with whom he became life-long friends.
Cope returned to Salem in 1933 after starting his teaching and coaching career at Bucyrus High School in Ohio. At Salem, he coached the track and cross country teams, taught English, Social Studies and physical education and eventually became the school's athletic director, a position he held until his retirement in 1975.
While a coach at SHS, Cope's teams won numerous county track titles and many of his individual athletes qualified for state. For example, the 1944 track team qualified more athletes for state than any other school in their district meet and one of his cross country runners was a state champion. One of his proudest moments came when Salem won its own famed Night Relays in 1937. He was named Ohio Athletic Director of the Year in 1972 and was runner-up as national Athletic Director of the Year.
Cope was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches' Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials' Hall of Fame in 1992. Both of these associations have named state awards after him. He was also inducted into the Karlis-Lowdermilk Salem Hall of Fame and the Mount Union College Hall of Fame.
Other honors and accomplishments include being head track inspector at the state meet for 30 years, as well as at the Mansfield Relays and N.E. Ohio District Cross Country Meets, being named a Salem Historical Society Citizen of Honor and earning the 1958 Salem High School Alumni Association Honored Alumnus of the Year.
He was the first in Ohio to direct a district track and field meet for 50 consecutive years, the drive leading from North Lincoln Avenue into the back of SHS is named after him and Salem track teams still proudly compete in the F.E. Cope Relays held each spring.
Mr. Cope, who passed away in 1997, was married to the former Doris Shoop. Their three daughters are Nancy, Michele (Mickey), and Susan.
"My dad was very proud of this school and its children," Mickey said. "He would have been very proud to be inducted with this class, and of all his honors, this would have been the most special."
Brian Davidson, Class of 1983 - Wrestling (Posthumously)
Born in 1962, Davidson lost his eyesight at the age of one. Motivated by the disability, Davidson began wrestling nine years later while attending Ohio State School for the Blind in Columbus. During 1978-1979, he finished the season 27-0 and was invited to participate in the United States Association of Blind and Partially Sighted Athletes' wrestling tournament. It was here that he finished second in the nation in his respective weight class.
In all, Davidson competed in 14 different state tournaments where he faced wrestlers from local high schools as well as those from other blind schools in the country. He won those tournaments on two occasions, in 1978 and 1979.
In the fall of 1979, Davidson enrolled at Salem High School where he was among the first to be "mainstreamed" among other students. He attended regular classes with the general population and had many volunteers who were kind enough to read his assignments to him.
It was on the "mats" where Davidson found the most athletic success. Wrestling for SHS as a junior, he was a sectional champion, finished his season at 23-6 and made the All-County Second Team. During his senior year, he represented SHS at the Ohio High School State Championships as a regional qualifier and finished 16th. This past January, Davidson was inducted into the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League Hall of Fame.
As a competitor in football and track, he was the first recipient of the Rolf Vogt Memorial Award that was given in honor of the late Salem News employee. Brian often commented that the only handicap for him was the yelling of the crowd, which kept him from hearing the directions from his coaches.
After graduation Davidson attended Mount Union College. He later went on to work as a truck mechanic, and it was not uncommon for him to overhaul engines and make changes by himself.
Although Brian Davidson passed away earlier this year, the Hall of Fame Committee was able to share with him this award before his passing. He is survived by his parents, Bill and Sue; brother, Doug; sisters, Cathy and Joan; and their families.
"We are all so proud of his accomplishments despite his being blind," Cathy said. "I never thought of it when I was growing up, but in retrospect...he was a strong person."
"He made a better person out of all of us," Bill said.
C. Elliott Dunlap, Class of 1970 - Football (Posthumously)
A standout player for the Quakers, Dunlap earned three letters in football. His senior year, he was selected Co-Captain and was named to the All-County Football Team. He also earned four letters in track and one in wrestling for the Quakers.
Following his senior year, Dunlap was awarded a football scholarship to Youngstown State University where he played for the legendary coach Dwight "Dike" Beede. While at YSU, Dunlap started all four years; his selection as captain for both his junior and senior seasons is a feat that has been accomplished only two other times since. He participated in the NCAA Division II College playoffs and was named to the annual All-Ohio Shrine Bowl Game.
Dunlap blocked for several players who went on to the NFL, but two of the most notable were Ron Jaworski and Cliff Stoudt. He is listed in the "Who's Who" 1974 edition of Outstanding College Athletes.
After graduation from YSU with a degree in business administration, Dunlap returned to his hometown to work within the family business that has been around for over 80 years in the waste management industry.
Passing away in 2004, he is survived by his wife, Darla, and his two children, Reuben and Courtney, who were both notable athletes during their years at SHS.
"It makes me proud as a daughter to see so many people recognize what a great athlete my father was," Courtney said.
Tom Jesko Sr., Class of 1974 - Football
A talented multi-sport athlete, Jesko established himself as a leader on the basketball court, but separated himself from others the gridiron.
A two-way standout, he led his team in receiving his senior year with 14 receptions for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he had three interceptions and recovered a fumble. He served as team co-captain, earning First Team All-Columbiana County (offense) and UPI Second Team All-Ohio honors.
Averaging over 10 points per game as a senior in basketball, Jesko earned team MVP, First Team All-Columbiana County, All-Ohio NEO Honorable Mention and a Second Team Ohio Big 8 Conference All-Star. He also participated in the Ohio/Pennsylvania Basketball Classic.
After graduation, Jesko earned a full scholarship to Kent State University to continue his football career. While at Kent State, he earned three letters at offensive tackle. He was also a First Team All-MAC Selection two years in a row. After completion of his collegiate career, he was offered a tryout in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, but instead chose to focus on his career.
Jesko currently resides in Salem with his wife Bernie, daughters Amanda and Lizzie and son Tom Jr. He is also active in the community and president of Jesko & Associates.
"I'm very proud to be associated with Salem High School," Jesko said. "Considering that we have had such great athletes, to be named to the Hall of Fame is really a great honor."
