JHS HOF seeking nominations

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WANTED: Those former Johnston High School standout athletes who distinguished their alma mater in Rhode Island Interscholastic League athletics during their undergraduate years on Cherry Hill.

If the all-volunteer committee that administers the prestigious JHS Athletic Hall of Fame which was founded by the late Gary V. Mazzie in 2011 purchased an advertisement, it probably would have read like the one above.

In short, Chairman James “Jim” Hopkins, who was perhaps Mazzie’s best friend and a former coaching colleague at JHS, this week announced that the Athletic Hall of Fame is looking for names of those one-time prolific Panthers that will make up the Class of 2020.

Thus, Hopkins said the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is actually looking for candidates in three different areas, the first being male and female athletes who achieved extraordinary success in JHS sports. The second group is for people who have contributed to the success of sports at JHS and the third being a Coaches Category.

All nominations should be sent to the Johnston High School Athletic Hall of Fame, c/o Jim Hopkins, 3345 Cherry Hill Road, Johnston, RI 02919.

The Athletes Category is for those former male and female sports standouts that must have graduated from JHS and played in a sport as a member of the RIIL. Exceptions may be made for students from other school that played their entire high school career for Johnston High School.

Those former Panthers who landed first team All-State honors automatically qualify for the JHS Hall as long as they meet the citizenship requirement at JHS being a primary considering, however, subsequent development may impact the status of the nominee. There is a 5-year waiting period before a former male or female athlete can be elected.

Hopkins this week said consideration will also be given for the following achievements: Second team All-State, All-League, and Participation in Multiple Sports, Other noteworthy accomplishments and team captain.

“The athlete's entire body of work will be reviewed and discussed by the committee,” said Hopkins. “And that’s the way we work in all the categories.”

He announced that the Contributor’s Category is for non-athletes who made significant contribution to the Athletic Program at JHS, such as newspaper writers, public school employees, Johnston residents and students who made major contributions but did not play in a sport.

The Coaches Category is designed to honor those male and female coaches who received a Coach of the Year from the Rhode Island Interscholastic League; who won a state championship at JHS, longevity, contributions to the athletic department and school and other awards and achievements of the nominee.

Finally, the HOF Committee is looking for nominations of those people deserving of receiving the highly-acclaimed Gary V. Mazzie Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award.

“This is a community service award that is presented to former JHS student-athletes who had dedicated themselves through dedicated time, financial donations, etc. for the purpose bettering others,” Hopkins explained. “We hold this honor in high regard and it is our intention to keep Gary’s great name and extraordinary 40-year career as a JHS teacher, coach and athletic administrator alive forever.”

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