BHS to Celebrate Inaugural Class of Athletic Hall of Fame

The Bethel High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is honored to announce the induction of its first class. The inductees will be honored at two ceremonies. The first ceremony will take place on Friday, November 11 during halftime of the varsity football game. On Saturday, November 12, there will be an induction ceremony held at Ridgewood Country Club in Danbury from 6-10 p.m.

If you wish to join in the celebration please contact Chris Troetti at 203-794-8600 extention 402 or e-mail troettic@bethel.k12.ct.us. 

Below is a brief biography for each of the inductees. The committee hopes you will join as we honor these men and women for their outstanding accomplishments. 

Erin St. John, Class of 1993

• Four time All-State runner in Cross Country
• Captured three WCC championships and two All American honors in Cross Country
• Captured six WCC titles and three state titles in Outdoor Track
• Earned a New England Crown in Outdoor Track
• Ran at Penn State University

Burr Carlson, Class of 1945

• Played baseball and basketball at BHS, and basketball at UConn
• First basketball player from UConn to be drafted into the NBA
• Inducted into UConn’s All-Century Hall of Fame (1951-1952)
• Coached basketball at Bristol Eastern High School in Bristol, CT
• Appointed the assistant, and then the head men’s basketball coach at UConn
• Received the Dr. Martin (Red) O’Neill award from UConn

Thomas Duffy, Class of 1982

• Graduated from BHS in 1982 with honors
• Lettered in football, basketball, and baseball
• Earned All-State, All-Conference, and All-Area honors in baseball and football
• Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, played four years in the Dodger’s organization, and earned a championship ring
• Returned to BHS to coach football and girls’ basketball

David Burke, Class of 1979

• Participated in Cross Country, Track, and Basketball from 1975-1979
• Member of four WCC championship teams and two class “M” state championship Cross Country teams
• In 1978 he earned the title of “WCC Individual Cross-Country Champion”
• 1979 CT State Open Champion in the mile run
• Currently holds the Bethel High record for the mile at 4:18.2
• Graduated from Northeastern University as a four year scholarship athlete
• In 1990, at the age of 29, won the 25th John Demille Bethel Firecracker Road Race 

Fran Selleck, Coach

• Started the first boys soccer program at Bethel High School
• Taught at BHS from 1955 to 1997 (retired from teaching)
• Earned over 180 wins in his soccer coaching career at BHS
• Earned four league titles and three state championships in soccer at BHS

Greg Sutton, Class of 1995

• Earned All-State honors in soccer at BHS
• Drafted in the second round of the MLS College Draft
• Won the Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2003 with the Montreal Impact
• Signed with the New York Red Bulls as a goalkeeper in 2010

William Swanson, Athletic Director 

• Started and coached 11-man football at BHS
• Served as Bethel High School’s first Athletic Director
• Established the soccer, wrestling, and volleyball programs at BHS
• Respected by peers for his professionalism and dedication to sports and education

Ralph DeSantis, Coach

• Third highest winning percentages for football in the state in the 1980s
• The football teams he coached at BHS went to six WCC championship games, and won five titles
• First coach in history of BHS to take a team to the state finals
• The Fairfield County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame was renamed the Ralph DeSantis Chapter
• The stadium field at Bethel High School was dedicated to the late Ralph J. DeSantis 

Scott Daniels, Class of 1984 

• Earned eight Varsity Letters and All-State Football honors at BHS
• Played football at the University of Connecticut, earning four Varsity Letters
• Named to UConn’s first team All-Yankee Conference
• Earned All-New England first team defense and third team All-American honors 

The 1996 Boys Soccer Team 

• 21-0 and won the state championship.
• Between 1994 and 1996, the team went 56-1-5, played 50 regular season games without a loss, and won three South West Conference championships. 
• The team was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally in the USA Today poll. 
• Coached by Ray Flannigan, the 1996 team boasted three all-state players: Steven DeMoura, Kyle Clearly, and Nick Vitti. The rest of the team consisted of Tamin Bteddini, Josh Coughlin, Jamie Everhardt, Chris Genarelli, Jackson Gonda, Eric Graves, Brock Lagakis, Mike Nero, Ryan O'Connor, Brett Oberacker, Ryan Olzewski, Dave Ortiz, Rich Perrault, Mike Rasch, Jayson Seymour, Adam Sutton, Glen Sutton, Jeff Vitti and Tyler Wragg.