Valley Hall adds six with Class of 2025

Monessen’s own Sammy Vasquez Jr. is presented with his commemorative keepsake by Tom Evans (left) following his passionate induction speech during the 30th annual Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet Friday at St. Spyridon Hellenic Center in Monessen. Jenn Codeluppi / MVI Sports

The 30th annual Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held Friday night at St. Spyridon Hellenic Center to welcome six new inductees to the exclusive club.

Tom DeRosa, Scott Mc-Clintock, Andy Popelas, Dennis Stitch, Nicole Sleith Schaffer and Sammy Vasquez Jr. were honored as the newest members of the Hall of Fame after illustrious careers in

WPIAL champion Serra Catholic baseball showed up in support of assistant coach and inductee Dennis Stitch. From left are Stitch, former Eagles shortstop Zach Black, first baseman Max Black and Eagles head coach Brian Dzurenda.

athletics. The event was the quickest sellout in the history of the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame’s induction ceremonies.

Sammy Vasquez Jr.

Vasquez grew up in Belle Vernon and Monessen, where he was bullied as a kid. Boxing became his refuge.

He trained at Ryan Rimsek’s gym in Donora and built a pro career, finishing 21-2 with 15 knockouts.

“Monessen is more than just where I’m from,” Vasquez Jr. said. “It’s where my father grew up. It’s where my family’s roots were planted, and it’s the place that shaped the man who raised me.

“Growing up, life wasn’t easy. I got picked on, bullied, and I didn’t have a traditional home because my mom wasn’t around. But my dad was, and he never gave up on me.”

His father worked on the railroad to support the family. “He worked hard all day and still took me to the gym every single day,” he said. “He didn’t just give up on me, he pushed me.”

After high school, Vasquez served in Iraq and won All-Armed Forces tournaments in 2010 and 2011. He beat future world champion Regis Prograis at the 2012 Olympic Trials and turned pro instead of accepting an alternate Olympic spot.

He won the IBF USBA Welterweight title in 2014 and fought his last match in 2017 against Luis Collazo.

Now, he owns Delta Security and leads the Gold Star Valor Foundation, supporting families of fallen and affected service members.

He and his wife DelRae have five daughters: Natalee, Bailee, Savena, Thyri, and Alorah, who was stillborn in 2020.

Andy Popelas

Popelas graduated from California High School in 1968 as a star in football, baseball, and basketball. His football career ended with a broken collarbone, but he thrived on the basketball court.

In ninth grade, he led the Little Trojans to a 22-0 record and a section title as their leading scorer and assist man. He continued leading the varsity team for three years, helping them reach new heights.

As a sophomore, he led in assists, field goal percentage, and free throws as California went 14-7. His junior year was historic: the Trojans won their first section title, and Popelas averaged 13.1 points in conference play and earned team MVP honors.

His senior year, California reached the WPIAL semifinals, losing to Tarentum 60–53 despite Popelas scoring 20 points. He led all conference scorers with 17 points per game.

At Robert Morris Junior College, Popelas starred under coach Gus Krop and helped the team win 30 straight games, finishing as national runners-up.

He became the first junior college player to receive a scholarship to Penn State, where he played 26 games over two seasons.

Popelas retired in 2014 after 27 years at Mon Valley Hospital. His wife, Barbara, passed away in 2022 and his daughter, Lindsey, in 2005. He has two surviving children, Chaley and Andrew.

“I have two wishes tonight. I wish my wife, Barbara, could see this, and I wish my daughter could be here to see this,” Popelas said emotionally. “They would be so proud of me. I would like to dedicate this honor to my children Andrew and (Chaley).”

Tom DeRosa

Tom DeRosa had a remarkable career in sports, playing football, soccer, and golf professionally after graduating from Elizabeth Forward. He first played for the Steelers as a punter during the 1968 season before being released and trying out with San Francisco, Baltimore, and Detroit.

That marked the end of DeRosa’s professional football career, and he decided to pursue private business alongside soccer. He joined his brother Frank in playing for the Canonsburg Canons in the second division of the American Soccer League, but the team folded at the end of the 1972 season.

Still, he started the Canon- McMillan High School soccer program while with the Canons, coaching the Big Macs for two years before coaching at EF, Robert Morris, and later Ringgold.

During his speech, the charismatic DeRosa told several stories about his life in athletics, including some that highlighted his coaching style.

“Probably the most important hour of your life coaching kids is the first one,” he said. “They’re all undisciplined. I walked up there to them and said ‘Hey, listen up,’ and everyone did. And I said, ‘If I hear a mouse (peeing) on a ball of cotton, you guys are in trouble.’” DeRosa also recalled getting pickleball courts built in Forward Township. People doubted he could reach one of his former players to paint the courts, but he proved them wrong.

“I told him, ‘Tony, listen up,’” DeRosa said. “He said, ‘Is that you coach? What do you need?’ I told him, ‘I need three pickleball courts painted tomorrow in Forward Township.’ He said, ‘I’ll be there at 9 o’clock in the morning.’” At age 50, DeRosa turned his attention to golf, eventually qualifying for and making the cut in two PGA Senior Tour tournaments. He also trained competitive bird dogs, winning several grouse trials over 10 years and earning national recognition.

Today, he lives with his wife of 60 years, Carol, and their daughter Savannah in Forward Township, where he chairs the Board of Supervisors.

Scott McClintock In second grade, McClintock moved from Donora to Belle Vernon, where he struggled to make friends at first.

“Sports gave me a place to go and gave me friends,” he said. “Sports got me out of that awkward situation where I didn’t know anybody at school, and it didn’t matter whether it was football, baseball, ping pong, horseshoes, volleyball—I loved it all.”

He became a star on Belle Vernon’s football team, leading the Leopards to three straight conference titles and deep playoff runs as a fullback and linebacker. He was a two-time first-team allstate linebacker with 440 career tackles and scholarship offers from Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, and Pitt.

A visit to Penn State allowed him to witness Michigan’s dominant defense, and once coach Lloyd Carr offered, McClintock committed on the spot.

“(Carr) was an immense influence on my life,” McClintock said. “He reminded me a lot of my grandfather Ed Kearns, and they hit it off, too. They became friends whenever they were around each other. I looked up to both of them a lot.”

McClintock redshirted in 2001, then played in all 13 games in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he became a starting inside linebacker, tallying 50 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery as Michigan shared the Big Ten title with Iowa.

He played four games in 2005 before an injury ended his season. He later tried out for the Buffalo Bills but didn’t make the roster.

Now he works for Applied Medical as a medical device manager, assisting surgeons in laparoscopic procedures. He and his wife, Krystal, have six children: Grace, Scott, Beau, Kataira, Kaylx and Savvy.

Nicole Sleith Schaffer

Nicole Sleith Schaffer left her mark in softball at Yough and RMU, and she now coaches for Duke’s nationally ranked program.

A 2011 Yough graduate, she posted a 62-10 record with 989 strikeouts, a 0.57 ERA, and 13 no-hitters in high school.

As a senior, she led Yough to its first WPIAL title, pitching every inning for a 19-2 record, 0.56 ERA, 298 strikeouts and three no-hitters. She earned all-state and local honors, and RMU came calling.

“This community is a place that lives and breathes sports,” Sleith Schaffer said. “Games aren’t just a pastime, but a way to bring us together, teach us discipline, perseverance, loyalty and character. I’m proud to say that those things that I am today … were forged here.

“… Getting into this Hall of Fame isn’t just a recollection of my own achievements, but it’s a reflection of the people, teammates and coaches that I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by.”

At RMU, she became a three-time NEC Pitcher of the Year and All-Region selection. She holds school records for strikeouts (932) and wins (78). She even threw a 76-pitch perfect game against Fairleigh Dickinson in the NEC tournament.

She was named to the NEC Mount Rushmore in 2021, inducted into the RMU Hall of Fame in 2022 and the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2024.

Sleith Schaffer coached at Seton Hill before joining Duke’s staff. In 2024, the Blue Devils reached the Women’s College World Series and finished 2025 hosting a regional with a 41-18 record.

She also works as a biomedical engineering manager at Medline. A Dean’s List student, she earned both a bachelor’s and master’s from RMU.

She and her husband Pete have two children: son Luca Lee and daughter Lainey. She joins her grandfather Joe Margonieri in the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame.

Dennis Stitch

Dennis Stitch starred in four sports at Charleroi High, but always loved baseball most. Despite impressive numbers, he didn’t attract much college attention.

After a strong season at Penn State McKeesport, where he was an All-Conference centerfielder, Stitch received interest from top schools like Duke and Maryland but chose Pitt to stay close to home per his mother and aunt’s wishes.

He walked on at Pitt, quickly earned a scholarship, and became a four-year starter, finishing with a .348 batting average. He was also a three-time Academic All-American, earning degrees in business and communications.

Stitch had a tryout with the Pirates and a free-agent offer from the Steelers, but stayed with baseball. Former Steeler Rocky Bleier helped him get a tryout with the Seattle Mariners.

He signed with Seattle and later played in the minor leagues for the Red Sox and Twins.

After retiring, Stitch served on the Charleroi school board and created the COUGAR Award and a college scholarship in memory of his aunt Aquilla.

Currently, he is a pastor at First Christian Church in Charleroi, chairman of the Hall of Fame and president of the New Eagle Housing Authority. He works for Sanofi as a business manager.

He and his wife, Valerie Marraccini, recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. They have five children: Amanda Spina, Adrienne Tracey, Aaron Spina, Sarah Chambers, and Emmanuel Stitch.

“Using a baseball analogy: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Well in baseball, that means we loaded up the bases. It’s time to hit a grand slam, and I hit a grand slam with my beautiful wife, also the First Lady of First Christian Church,” Stitch said.

Honoring student-athletes

The following high school scholar-athletes were honored for excellence in sports and academics: Belle Vernon – Trevor Kovatch, Ava Scalise Brownsville – Sarah Sawka, Michael Ulery Charleroi – McKenna Shields, Kaden Woods Monessen – Kendra Jones Ringgold – Riley Lewis, James Nash Yough – Raidon Kuroda, Carli Reisinger