BHS Athletic Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductees Announced

Back in February, Bethel High School announced its intentions to start an and were seeking nominations.

"A lot of us believe in recognizing our best athletes and teams," Hall of Fame committee member Lou Valenti had said. "By recognizing their accomplishments and honoring them through a permanent place in the high school, they will serve as inspiration for our current athletes."

On Wednesday, the names of the Hall of Fame Inaugural Class were revealed in a Bethel Public Schools newsletter:

It said: "Bethel High is pleased to announce it inaugural inductees into the newly formed Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Committee met four times during the 2010-2011 school year, and on June 14 selected the first class. The committee was comprised of twelve members (2 community members and 10 Alumni). Thirty-seven Bethel High graduates were nominated for our inaugural class. The first induction ceremony will take place during the fall of 2011 at the homecoming game and a reception will be held (location to be determined).  The Induction Class of 2011 is:" 

Burr Carlson: Burr Carlson was a member of BHS’s HVSL championship basketball team during the 1944-45 season. In the championship game, the final score was 28-21. For Bethel, Carlson scored 22 points, singlehandedly outscoring the other team. Carlson also played baseball for Bethel, and pitched two no hitters during his career. He went on to play basketball at UConn, and was instrumental in UConn’s 63-58 upset over Villanova in 1952. Carlson was drafted in the third round of the NBA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors, and was selected to UConn’s All-Century Hall of Fame (1951-52). Carlson coached basketball at Bassick High School, and was appointed the assistant basketball coach at UConn. He was later promoted to the head coaching position at UConn. In 1983, the UConn Club presented Carlson with the Dr. Martin (Red) O’Neill award for bringing honor to the University of Connecticut and to his fellow alumni for his distinguished achievements in the fields of Education and Business.

David Burke: David Burke participated in cross-country, track and basketball at Bethel High School from 1975-79. He was a member of four WCC championship teams and two Class M championship teams in cross-country. He was the 1978 WCC individual cross-country champion. He was the BHS cross-country course record holder, and most importantly the 1979 Connecticut State Open champion in the mile run. He still holds the school record for the mile run at 4:18.2.  He went on to participate in track and cross-country at Northeastern University.  He later also provided community service by acting as a member of the board of directors for the Bethel Visiting Nurses’ Society for over five years.

Scott Daniels: During his four years at BHS, Scott Daniels earned nine varsity letters and football all-state honors. He went on to play football at UConn, and was a scholarship athlete there all four years. He earned UPI All-New England honors (1st team), AP All-New England honors (2nd team) and All-Yankee Conference honors (1st team). Daniels also had a brief stay with the Toronto Argonauts. Daniels is presently a volunteer football coach at BHS, and attends forty hours of training annually to be qualified, while taking no pay from the town. He is heavily involved with the youth football programs in Bethel, and gives freely of his time to girls’ basketball. Daniels lives in Bethel while he supports and attends fundraisers and events supporting Bethel athletic programs.

Ralph DeSantis: Ralph DeSantis was one of the greatest coaches in Bethel High School history. During the 1980s, he had one of the highest winning percentages in the State of Connecticut. As a coach, DeSantis got the most out of every one of his players. His motivation led to some truly great teams during his tenure as head coach. His teams went to six WCC championship games, and walked away with five titles. He was the first coach in the history of Bethel football to take a team to the state finals. DeSantis' door was always open to his athletes, and to anyone who needed him. He was just hitting his stride when he was felled by cancer in 1993 at the age of 43. The Fairfield County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame was renamed the Ralph DeSantis Chapter, and the field on which his teams achieved no small measure of gridiron glory was dedicated to Ralph J. DeSantis. 

Thomas Duffy: Thomas Duffy graduated from BHS in 1982 with honors, and turned down a scholarship at Columbia University where he would have played football to sign with the LA Dodgers as a pitcher to play baseball. In high school, Duffy lettered in three sports (basketball, baseball, and football), and earned all conference honors in 1980 and 1981 (football), and earned all-state honors in baseball and football in 1981-82. He went on to play five years with minor league teams for the Dodgers’ organization, and from that experience has an LA Dodgers’ championship ring. Duffy also coached several sports for BHS in the 1980s, including girls’ basketball, and football. He now lives in Bethel with his wife and three children, who are all Bethel High School athletes.

Francis Selleck: Fran Selleck was the first boys’ soccer coach at BHS, and built a program that was not only respected in state circles for its success, but also for its demeanor. Selleck was the epitome of good sportsmanship, and instilled that into his players. His record of over 100 wins, four league titles and three state championships left a legacy at BHS. Selleck still teaches driver’s education at the high school, and serves the school as a substitute teacher.

Erin St. John Erin St. John graduated in 1993 and was one of the most dominant runners in New England during her four years at BHS. She was a four-time All-State Cross Country performer while capturing three WCC titles and earning two All-American honors. In the spring, St. John continued her dominance in the middle and long distance runs. She captured six WCC titles, three state titles, and one New England crown during her four years in track. St. John still holds seventeen assorted school records for the girls’ track program. Upon leaving BHS, she continued a successful running career at Penn State University and is now a special education teacher outside of Pittsburgh.

Greg Sutton: Greg Sutton was a two-sport star at BHS. He played basketball and soccer during his four years in high school. He earned all-state honors in soccer (1994) and all-state honors in basketball (1995). Greg graduated from BHS in 1995, and went on to play soccer for the Canadian National Team. He currently plays professional soccer for the New York Red Bulls as their goalkeeper.

William Swanson: William Swanson started and coached eleven-man football at Bethel. He was the first Athletic Director Bethel had (1955-92), and was instrumental in the design, maintenance, and preservation of the best athletic fields in the area, if not the state. As an Athletic Director, Swanson hired legendary coaches like Bill Hunt (retired baseball coach of 42 years) and Tom Pardalis (former boys’ basketball coach at Danbury High) and Ralph DeSantis (football). Swanson impacted many people at Bethel High School throughout the years, including coaches, parents and students. He also received the honor of having Bethel’s new gymnasium named after him.

1996 Boys Soccer Team: The 1996 boys’ soccer team won the state title in ’96 (and also in ’94). From 1994-96, they went 56-1-5, played 50 regular season games without a loss, and won three SWC championships. They were ranked as high as #4 nationally in the USA Today poll in 1996. This team went 21-0 in 1996; no area team has done that since. The 1996 boys’ soccer team was coached by Ray Flannigan, and boasted three all-state players (Steven DeMoura, Kyle Clearly and Nick Vitti).