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Aug 16, 2024 By Rob Burchianti 12 min read

Getty Images Paul Archuleta

Actress/Model Caitlin O’Connor is part of the Uniontown Area High School Academic, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

The Uniontown Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame begins its second decade of inducting noteworthy alumni with its Class of 2024.

The class, which includes 13 individuals and two teams, will be recognized on the field at Bill Power Stadium at 6:15 p.m. before the Red Raiders football game against Perry on Friday, Aug. 30.

The official induction ceremony will take place in the high school auditorium on Saturday, Aug. 31 following a brunch in the cafeteria at 9:45 a.m.

Entering the Hall of Fame will be Uniontown football teams from 1951 and 2001, along with Dr. Nicole Dice, Charles Haines and Dr. Rebecca R. Maddas under Academics, Arnold B. Amber, Caitlin O’Connor and Bert Sesler under Arts, Gregory Elias Gabriel, Kevin McLee and Dana G. Vaughns under Athletics, John Fortugna under Coach, Robert Genovese and Charles C. Castor under Special Recognition and Daniel Robert Coffman under Vocational Technology.

Tickets are $30 for the brunch and the induction ceremony and can be purchased by contacting Hall of Fame Board Chairman Tony Mercadante at 301-643-1499 or via email at acmerc@msn.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Following are capsules on the Class of 2024 as provided by the Hall of Fame:

ACADEMICS

Dr. Nicole L. Dice (2003)

Dr. Nicole L. Dice

Nicole began her educational career as an elementary and special education teacher in the Uniontown School District. She later accepted an administrative position as the building principal for the Turkeyfoot Valley School District in Confluence, Pa. Nicole was later hired as the superintendent of TVSD, making her the youngest female to hold that position in Pennsylvania. She worked with her staff at Turkeyfoot to plan and develop a student-centered educational approach in English Language Arts and Mathematics for K-6. Nicole continues to work as an active participant and promoter of educational programs, strategies, and community service.

Charles R. “Chuck” Haines (1958)

Charles R. Haines

Chuck lettered in football, basketball and track and field while in high school. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Statistics. Chuck participated in the Army ROTC program at Penn and joined the Army as an officer. After six years of service, he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. Chuck was the Safety Director for both PPG Industries and Anheuser-Busch. His interest in cars and racing grew into a business of buying, selling and collecting vintage race cars all over the world. While racing in the Goodwood Festival so Speed, one of the most prestigious events in the racing world, Haines shared his car with Bobby Unser, Al Unser Jr. and Bobby Rahal, all of whom are Indy 500 winners.

Dr. Rebecca R. Maddas (1998)

Dr. Rebecca R. Maddas

Rebecca earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at California University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest California). Rebecca taught in the Uniontown Area School District and also served as an administrator. She earned her doctorate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Maddas is employed at PennWest University of Pennsylvania, California Campus, as the coordinator of the Rutledge Institute which awards full scholarships to students seeking to become elementary teachers.

ARTS

Arnold B. “Arnie” Amber (1966)

Arnold B. Amber

During his high school days, Arnie was a member of the 1965 WPIAL championship football team and worked as a columnist for the Uniontown High School newspaper. After finishing high school and college, Arnie worked in the Uniontown Tax Assessment Office for 35 years until his retirement in 2010. While working for the county, he was permitted to fulfill his dream as a radio disc jockey. He began broadcasting on WPQR-FM and WCUI-AM in Connellsville, until he accepted a position with WMBS Radio in Uniontown. The longevity of his radio career is 46 years and counting.

Caitlin O’Connor (2007)

Caitlin O’Connor

Caitlin O’Connor is an actress, television host, and film producer who has crafted a dynamic career in entertainment. Caitlin was born in Los Angeles and raised in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. A 2007 graduate of Uniontown High School; she left the area to attend UCLA where she studied English with a theater minor. Caitlin is the daughter of Lana-Jo O’Connor, a retired international flight attendant, and granddaughter of Joan and James O’Connor of Uniontown.

As an actress, Caitlin played Dyan Cannon on HBO’s “Winning Time: the Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” She also guest starred on the series finale of “Two and a Half Men” on CBS, “Key and Peele” and “Tosh.0” on Comedy Central, and “Ray Donovan” on Showtime.

As a host, Caitlin leveraged talent and an understanding of social media to serve as the red carpet reporter for Maxim Magazine. She hosted a Snapchat TV show with one million daily views. Throughout her career, her work has taken her to film premieres and events worldwide.

Caitlin has an extensive list of national commercial credits, including a starring role for “Dave & Buster’s” and a Super Bowl commercial for Pepsi. She appeared on the cover of Maxim and has modeled for Walmart, Target, Macy’s, and Nickelodeon. Caitlin partnered with companies like Guess, Walmart, Lucky Jeans, and Sony for social media campaigns. Caitlin was featured in Bloomberg’s “Business Week” for her success in social media.

Caitlin has also gained recognition as a film producer, and was recently inducted into The Producer’s Guild of America. Her films include, Glass Jaw, RideShare, Electric Love, and Val.

Bert Sesler (1979)

Bert Sesler

With the encouragement of his family, Bert began his musical interest at the young age of 3. He was influenced by teachers and musicians such as Joe Anastasia, Fred Watson, Bill Rumbaugh, Roddy Hibbs and Tom George. Sesler earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State.University in Business Administration in 1983. He worked in the family business, Searight Insurance Agency, for many years while continually pursuing his love of music. You could hear Bert at the Uniontown Country Club, The Mount Vernon Inn, and Lakeview. He has also held positions in music at Asbury United Methodist Church, Abundant Life Church, and Christ United Methodist Church.

VO-TECH

Daniel Robert Coffman (2007)

Daniel Robert Coffman

Daniel, owner of Coffman Welding LLC in Markleysburg, began his career education in Diesel Mechanics at Fayette CTI. he is a contributing member of the community and serves on the Fayette CTI Occupational Advisory Committee. Coffman Welding provides the best industry standards for completing projects for numerous businesses such as Dollar General, Nemacolin, and Perryman Company Titanium Plant. Daniel is involved in car restoration, local charity fundraisers, and UHS sporting events.

ATHLETICS

Gregory “Greg” Elias Gabriel (1981)

Gregory Elias Gabriel

Greg was an outstanding point guard who ran the offense for Uniontown’s boys basketball team which won the 1981 PIAA state championship. Greg attributed many factors to his performance on the basketball court, including dedicated coaches, the merger of Ben Franklin and Lafayette junior high schools, talented teammates, Uniontown summer playground basketball, hard work, and self discipline. Greg was a die-hard Red Raider surrounded by skilled athletes and a supportive community. Following high school, Greg accepted a scholarship to Carnegie Mellon where he was a key player on the Tartan basketball squads. Greg pursued his career as a math teacher in North Carolina, but he stated that Uniontown will always be his true home.

Kevin “Age” McLee (1973)

Kevin McLee

Kevin emerged from a bloodline of athletes in track and field, football, and basketball, but his passion was for Uniontown Red Raiders football. Former Uniontown football coach Jim Render stated, “Kevin was an outstanding player, one of the best I’ve ever coached.” After high school, he signed a letter of intent to play for Georgia. At that time, he was the first Uniontown athlete to play in the SEC in over 20 years. Kevin led the Bulldogs to the 1976 Southeastern Conference championship and was ranked on Georgia’s all-time career rushing list. Maintaining his strength and agility, Kevin was a powerful force on the team. His coaches were impressed with his positive attitude and commitment to the sport. Georgia coach Vince Dooley commented, “McLee has been our most outstanding pleasant surprise.” Following Georgia, Kevin played briefly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 52.

Dana G. Vaughns (1988)

Dana G. Vaughns

During his senior year at Uniontown, Dana was selected to play in the Pittsburgh Dapper Dan Roundball Classic which showcased the best players in Western Pennsylvania. Dana was part of back-to-back section championship teams with the Red Raiders and was named first team all-section as a senior. Following high school graduation, Dana attended West Virginia Wesleyan College with a full basketball scholarship. After two years at WVWC, he transferred to Lock Haven University where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts in 1995. He became the program director at the Uniontown YMCA in 1996. Dana joined AstraZeneca in 1999 and has had an award-winning, 25-year sales and leadership career spanning seven companies. He and his wife Joni M. Curry-Vaugns currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

COACH

John Fortugna (1970)

John Fortugna

John spent over 35 years in various positions during his UHS career and was initially hired in 1981 as the In-School Superintendent Coordinator. From there, John’s career branched out to where he became assistant football coach, athletic director and eventually his dedication and love for football led him to become the head football coach of his alma mater. John was very student-centered and took a personal interest in the lives of his student-athletes by mentoring and helping them by not only pushing them to be their best on the field, but in their personal lives as well. He was also instrumental in helping his players move forward with higher education by contacting schools to promote his players. John’s best team went 9-0 in the regular season to win the conference championship and secured the No. 1 seed in the 2001 playoffs. John graduated from Salem College with a degree in Psychology and English.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Robert “Bob” Genevese (1955)

Robert Genovese

Bob cited his high school years as an important foundation to becoming one of the area’s winningest basketball coaches at all levels. He began coaching many church and Uniontown YMCA league teams which led to coaching Uniontown, Laurel Highlands and Albert Gallatin high school girls teams. With Bob’s passion for coaching basketball and his commitment to bettering the youth in Fayette County, he served the region for nearly 60 years. Bob was a dedicated mentor for many young athletes, and he encouraged them to set goals and work hard to accomplish them. Bob passed away in 2018 at the age of 81.

Charles C. Castor (1949)

Charles R. Castor

Mr. Castor served as a member of the Uniontown School District School Board with the intent of raising student achievement levels academically and athletically. He coined the term “Raider Pride” to recognize students publicly for their accomplishments. Mr. Castor was supportive of numerous physical school improvements such as: first synthetic grass turf surface, press box, building renovations, and advanced security and technology. He was also instrumental in establishing several extracurricular activities including: coed sports (soccer, swimming, cross country) in both the high school and middle schools. Mr. Castor passed away in 2016 at the age of 85.

TEAM

2001 Football

2001 Football

The excitement was building all summer for the 2001 Uniontown football team, and for good reason. The Red Raiders were coming off their first playoff appearance in 19 years, with close to 20 lettermen returning. Leading the way was Kevin “Boo” McLee, a hard-nosed running back and linebacker, who would eventually move on to star at West Virginia University. The Red Raider offense was loaded at the still positions, along with the all-important offensive line, and the defense was a staunch bunch that punished opposing offenses. Coach John Fortugna led Uniontown to a perfect 9-0 regular season that included a 26-0 win over Thomas Jefferson, and it was rewarded with a No. 1 seed in the WPIAL playoffs. The coaching staff was an outstanding group and included Keith Jeffries (the Red Raiders current head coach), Bob Keys, Von Braddock, Tim Tracy, Josh Hvisdos, Mike Rozgony, Joe Kroskie, Bill McLee, and Dr. Charles Machesky (currently UASD superintendent).

1951 Football

1991 Football

In his fourth season as head coach of the Uniontown Area High School football team, the late Bill Power guided the Red Raiders to the first undefeated season in school history. The Red Raiders posted a 10-0 record but were denied an opportunity to compete for a WPIAL title because they did not have enough Gardner points. Farrell had 128 and Munhall 135, Farrell defeated Munhall in front of 5,600 fans at Ambridge High School to capture the WPIAL title. “We had a beautiful year in 1951,” quarterback Ed Santoro noted. This Red Raider team was composed of 22 young men who had outstanding talent. Coach Power was a players’ coach. John Kruper was the ends coach and Max Zane was the line coach.