Former coach, tracksters officially inducted into Baldwin sports hall of fame

It was a hall of fame night at Baldwin Stadium.

Two individuals and one track relay team were inducted last week into the Baldwin sports hall of fame.

Don Yannessa, former athletic director and head football coach; and T.J. Hobart, a three-time WPIAL champion in track and field in 2008-09; were inducted in the contributor/coach and individual categories.

The 2009 Highlanders' 3,200-meter relay unit, consisting of Hobart, Matt Cecala, Dennis Logan and George “Jeep” Crompton, also were inducted in the team category. Cecela was unable to attend becuase of his military commitment.

“It was great to see Jeep, T.J. and Dennis,” said Ed Helbig, head coach of the Baldwin track and field program. “They definitely deserved to be inducted. Their accomplishments speak for themselves. They set goals, focused on achieving those goals and worked hard to accomplish those goals. In doing so, they became the team leaders who were able to motivate the entire team simply by their actions.

“Knowing how they were in high school, I knew that this success would carry over in whatever they decided to do after high school. A group of great kids have turned out to be very successful young men.”

The hall of fame induction ceremony took place at Baldwin Stadium prior to the start of the Baldwin-Upper St. Clair football game.

Yannessa, who is retired, is the all-time winningest football coach in school history. He compiled an 82-58-2 record during his 14-year reign from 1989 to 2002, with 10 winning seasons.

Hobart was the WPIAL 1,600-meter champion in 2008; and both the 800- and 1,600-meter champion in 2009.

The Highlanders' 3,200-meter relayers captured a WPIAL championship in 2009.

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Yannessa, 75, has had a storied playing and coaching career on the gridiron. He has been inducted into nine halls of fame.

Yannessa coached a total of 37 seasons at Aliquippa, Baldwin and Ambridge and compiled a 249-137-7 career record.

His 17-year record at Aliquippa, his alma mater, was 142-44-5 as his teams won four WPIAL championships and finished as WPIAL runner-up three times.

Yanessa served a dual role at Baldwin as coach/athletic director for 14 years, and coach at Ambridge for six seasons before retiring following the 2008 season.

He had only three losing seasons at Baldwin and owns virtually every coaching record in the school's football history, including most wins (82), winning seasons (10) and WPIAL playoff appearances (6).

“My induction represents a great personal honor for me and involves the successful participation of many,” Yannessa said. “I had 14 wonderful years here with a lot of great student-athletes. I enjoyed a great relationship with the students, athletes, faculty members, administrators and community members who made up our fan base, as well as booster club supporters. The community support I had was awesome. It was a great place to work, and we won football games. My relationship with the kids, including my football players, stands out as a very positive experience. I felt many things were accomplished in all programs that in some cases had never been achieved in the past and have not been duplicated in recent years.

“We made athletics important to the school's mission and did so in a way that enhanced the student-athletes' participation. We insisted that interference from those outside the school environment would not be tolerated.”

Yannessa was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

“Every time someone says to you that you did a good job, that's something to be proud of,” Yannessa said. “I coached at three places, Aliquippa, Ambridge and Baldwin, and each brought me back a second time. That's also something to be proud of.”

Casey Phillips, an assistant football coach/sixth-grade world geography teacher and middle school basketball coach at Brentwood, and head softball coach at West Mifflin, manned the quarterback position at Baldwin from 1992-94.

Phillips also was an assistant football coach at Baldwin from 1997 to 2002.

“There are so many aspects of Don's tenure at Baldwin that had a positive impact on the school and community,” Phillips said. “First of all, I am certain you remember what the state of the program was like before his arrival. I know I do. I grew up in the 80's and vividly remember going to the games and the stadium being bare. When Don got here, he brought a sense of excitement, a sense of hope. The community was starved for a winner and Coach Yanessa made us feel like we could win on any night. People rallied around football. You started to see ‘Hail to the Fighting Highlanders' banners hung up all over the community. It meant something to be a member of the football team, and I think it spilled over in meaning something to go to Baldwin High School.

“Don was and is larger than life. He has this boisterous personality that if you don't know him well, like I do, often gets mistaken for arrogance. But I can tell you this, Don was not a micro-manager. He empowered his assistants. He trusted his people, and put his assistants in a position to be successful. Another key to Don's success were those great assistant coaches who were there as long as he was. There was consistency in the staff, with coaches like Mike Silianoff, Karl Geisler, the Helbig brothers, Ed and Chuck, Rob Modero, Dexter Hairston, Dennis Squeglia and others. There was a common vision and mission.

“I think I was a good football player. Don made be believe I could be great; he almost willed you into it. He was the type of person you never wanted to let down. That really drove my work ethic as a young man and it still happens today. I have consulted him numerous times for advice, sometimes for X's and O's strategy, but mostly from a leadership standpoint. I am a head coach, although not for football, but the leadership aspects of being the head guy are the same in any sport. He has taught me that the most important things if you are to be successful are to be organized, disciplined, consistent and charismatic. I have had some success at West Mifflin, and we took on a Baldwin-type rebuilding job when we got there as they were perennial losers. I have tried to instill in my players and staff the same things coach did for me. In my opinion, he was to Aliquippa what Herman Boone was to the Titans; at Baldwin and Ambridge, the guy who built and rebuilt two downtrodden programs. And I could never thank him enough for what he has done for me personally and professionally.”

Hobart, 24, is one of the most highly decorated athletes ever to compete at Baldwin High School.

He is a 2009 Baldwin graduate and one of the top distance runners in school history. He was a four-time All-American and a state runner-up twice.

Hobart previously was inducted into the Baldwin hall of fame as a member of WPIAL-winning 3,200-meter relay units, along with David Adley, Mike Meade and Chris Wolfe in 2006, and Adley, Brandon Hahn and Wolfe in 2007.

He was a member of five WPIAL champion relay teams at Baldwin. This was is first individual HOF honor.

“Going into the hall of fame is very gratifying. It feels like a real accomplishment within the community to be inducted,” Hobart said. “As a kid playing sports, it was always something to aspire to — to have your face on the wall with your place in Baldwin athletics. I'm glad I have been able to forge my place in the hall of fame as an individual.”

Hobart continued his career at the University of Virginia, and currently is employed as a trauma and reconstruction representative for an orthopedic device company in Baltimore, Md.

“My fondest memories were those I shared with my teammates,” he said. “The memories that stand out were those I shared with some of my best friends.

“As far as the relay team goes, the team aspect of track has always been my favorite part. Matt, Dennis and Jeep were amazing competitors and were incredibly exciting to run with. We always showed up to compete and win, and refused to let one another down no matter the circumstances. We were closely knit and great friends. We had a ton of fun, and I'm thankful for having them as friends and teammates.”

One of the biggest influences in Hobart's magnificent running career was Rich Wright, co-head coach of the Baldwin cross country program and an assistant coach in the track and field program.

“Mr. Wright played an enormous role in my high school success,” Hobart said. “He has a passion for running like I have never seen in anyone about anything. He wants to see his runners succeed, on and off the track, and will do anything for them.”

Logan, 23, is a Bucknell University graduate. He currently works in Philadelphia as an insurance underwriter for The Ace group insurance carrier.

“Being inducted is both an honor and humbling experience. I always dreamed of being in the hall of fame since the wall was built along the new gym,” Logan said. “This is such an honor to be on a wall with the legends I looked up to, like Dan Mazzacco and Ryan Sheehan. I am just so thankful to everyone that contributed to my success at Baldwin and continued success at Bucknell.

“I am extremely grateful to coaches Wright and Helbig for guiding me over obstacles and pushing me to be in the top 20 in events, from the 200 to the 3,200. I obviously could not have had any success were it not for God and my parents. I can count on one hand how many meets my parents have missed, and that support fueled me to work through injuries and other setbacks.”

Cecala attended the U.S. Naval Academy and now is in training to become an officer for the U.S. Navy SEALs.

Crompton recently moved back to the Pittsburgh area from New Hampshire, where he was employed as a lobster fisherman and a carpenter.

“We have a list of the best times, heights and distances in all track and field events in school history.” Helbig said. “I tell current teams that it is important to get your name on that list as part of their legacy they will leave behind when they graduate. I also tell them how many past athletes come back and check the honor roll.

“After the ceremony, the first thing Jeep, T.J. and Dennis did was check the honor roll. Even though they are young men living their lives away from Baldwin High School, they want to make sure their legacy lives on. They are still motivating the athletes today. I'm very proud of them and their accomplishments.”

Ray Fisher is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at 412-388-5820 or rfisher@tribweb.com.