Wellsboro Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Derek is a 2002 graduate of Wellsboro where he was a three-sport letterman in football, wrestling and baseball and was the John Antoine Prevost Male Athlete of 2001-02. In 2001 Derek had a season for the ages on the gridiron as he set Wellsboro's single-season rushing record, and the Northern Tier League single-season rushing record until it was broken in 2004, with 2,064 yards. He carried the ball 292 times that season and averaged 7.3 yards per carry.

Derek was named to the 2001 PA Football News' All-State team as a running back, the Star Gazette's All-Twin Tiers Team, was named Offensive Player of the Year, was named MVP of the 2002 District IV North-South All-Star game and was nominated for the Big 33 game. Derek was a three-time Offensive MVP and was the Hornets' Defensive MVP in 2001.

In wrestling Derek won 86 career matches, was team captain in 2001-02, was a three-time team MVP, a three-time District IV qualifier with a third place finish, and a 5th place regional finisher in 2001. Derek was an NTL All-Academic Honorable Mention All-Star in 1998-99, received the PIAA District IV Northern Tier League Chapter of Wrestling Officials Outstanding Sportsmanship award in 2001-02, and was named to the PIAA All-Academic Wrestling Team.

As a member of the baseball team Derek was a member of the 1998-99 NTL championship team, was a three-year starting left fielder and pitcher, team captain, and led the team in wins during his senior year.

After High School Derek attended Lock Haven University on a football scholarship and majored in Sport Administration with minors in Coaching and Recreation Management. Derek played in 44 career games and started 34 consecutive games at linebacker and amassed 238 career tackles. Derek received the "Thomas E. Miller Memorial Award" in 2006 as Lock Haven's Outstanding Defensive Player.

After college Derek went to South East Lineman Training Center to study electrical linework and has been employed at Wellsboro Electric Company since 2009. Derek currently rides in Wellsboro with his wife, Kathryn and three kids, Emily, Payton, and Drew.

A 1996 graduate of Wellsboro High School, Russ was a three-sport letterman in football, wrestling, and track. On the gridiron he earned three varsity letters and received post-season accolades as a junior and senior being named to the Northern Tier League All-Star first team on Offense as a Wide Receiver (junior year) and Running Back (senior year). He was also selected to the NTL All-Star squad for his defensive play as a Linebacker (junior year) and Free Safety (senior year). His senior year he was named "Offensive Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" of the NTL. As a senior in 1995 he rushed for 1,351 yards, averaged 7.7 yards per carry, and scored 20 touchdowns. The Hornets finished the regular season 9-1. He was named to the first team All-Twin Tiers Team for both his offensive and defensive performance. He was then selected and played in the District 4 All-Star game.

Russ was a four-year letterman on the wrestling team, having competed at the District 4 Championships all four seasons in the 119, 135, 160 and 172 weight classes. He was Sectional Champion twice and runner-up twice. He was named to the North Tier League All-Star Wrestling Squad his junior and senior seasons.

Russ also lettered four years on the track team where he competed as a sprinter and hurdler. All four years he qualified for the District 4 Championships and competed in the 110 High Hurdles, the 300 Intermediate Hurdles, the 1600 Relay, and the 400 Relay. During his track career, Russ took home a total of 8 medals in District 4 Track Championships. In 1995 he won the 110 Hurdles District title and finished the regular season undefeated. He placed 2nd in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. That same year he represented Wellsboro at the PIAA State Championships in the 110 hurdles.

Russ was named Outstanding Offensive Player in football, Outstanding Wrestler, and Track Athlete of the Year at the annual WHS Athletic Awards ceremony. He was also selected as John Antoine Prevost Male Athlete of the Year.

Upon graduation, Russ continued his education at Penn State University where he majored in Kinesiology. He was also invited by Coach Paterno to become a preferred walk-on and joined the football team where he played five seasons and earning an athletic scholarship in 1999. During his collegiate football career, he was named four times to the All-Big 10 Academic Team and became a member of the PSU Lettermen's Club. He was on the PSU Dean's List each semester and graduated in December of 2000.

After graduation, Russ went on to earn his Doctor or Chiropractic Degree from the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois. Dr. Manney is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is the owner of IRC Chiropractic and Physical Therapy located in Westmont, Illinois. He resided in Downers Grove, Illinois with his wife Kristy and his two children; Mia age 12 and Max age 10. They are expecting a child in October.

Dale graduated from Wellsboro in 1964 and was a member of the football, boys basketball, and baseball teams from his sophomore through senior years and was the John Antoine Prevost Male Athlete of the Year in 1963-64. As a member of the football team Dale lettered all three years, started at defensive back as a sophomore, then started at both defensive back and quarterback in his junior and senior years. During his senior year, he captained the Hornets to an 8-1 record and was named All-League.

In basketball Dale was a three-year starter at guard and helped lead the Hornets to runner-up finishes in the Tioga County League all three years. As a junior Dale was the 4th leading scorer in the TCL and was a 1st team All-Star and by his senior year he led the TCL in scoring. While a member of the baseball team, Dale guided the Hornets to two TCL championships, was named All-TCL his senior year, and had a .450 career batting average. As a senior, he had three Major League Baseball tryouts with the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

After graduation Dale attended Upsala College to play basketball from 1964-66 then transferred to Mansfield State College to play baseball in 1968 and 1969. He hit in the 4th spot while at Mansfield and compiled a .364 batting average while leading the Mounties to their most wins in a single-season, including a win over Penn State in 1969. Dale earned his B.A. in mathematics from Mansfield State College and later earned a M.Ed. from SUNY, Oswego, NY in 1974.

In 1969 Dale began his coaching career as the head coach at North Penn High School, and won the Tioga County American Legion title, before moving to Fulton, NY. From 1969-78 he was an assistant football coach, in 1970 he was the JV baseball coach, and from 1971-1990 was head baseball coach, winning over 270 career games, several league championships, and received the Outstanding Coaching Award from Central New York Coaches Association Section 3 Baseball. From 1996-98 he was also an assistant basketball coach then came back to baseball as an assistant coach from 1997-2003 after a hiatus to coach his son's Little League teams.

Dale taught mathematics at Fulton High School for 34 years (1969-2003) and then taught in Jonesboro, AR for six years (2004-10) until he retired. He also has an award named after him at Fulton, the Dale Tombs Award, given annually to the senior baseball player at Fulton who displays citizenship, character, and gives back to the sport of baseball, and was inducted into the Tioga County Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Dale and his wife Ronnie now live in Steubenville, OH and have four children and three grandchildren.

Coach Manney is a 1969 graduate of Shamokin Area High School where he lettered in football, wrestling, and track. Coach Manney matriculated to Mansfield University where he majored in Elementary Education and played varsity football for three seasons. In 1973 he began his coaching career at Wellsboro Area High School as the offensive and defensive line coach. He also developed Wellsboro's first strength and conditioning program.

In 1978 Coach Manney became the Offensive Line Coach and Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning at Mansfield University. In 1979 he was promoted to the position of Offensive Coordinator. At the end of a six-year stint, he accepted to position of Head Football Coach at Wellsboro High School. During the first thirteen years of his head coaching career, Coach Manney lead the Hornets to the District 4 playoffs four times and one Eastern Conference playoff appearance. Coach Manney returned to the sidelines for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

Coach Manney was selected five times to coach in the District IV All-Star game, serving two times as the head coach. He is the only coach to have served as the All-Star Head Coach of both the North and South teams having won both games. In 1995 he traveled to London, England as a guest coach/clinician for the American Football Travel International. In 1996 he was selected to coach in the Pennsylvania Big 33 Game where he coached the offensive line and coordinated the special teams against the Ohio All-Stars.

Throughout his coaching tenure, Coach Manney served as a director for District IV for the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association concentrating on the development of a state-wide high school recruiting combine. In 1987 he was one of the founding members of the District IV Football Coaches Association and served two years as president. During that same year he also developed the District IV High School Combine which is held annually in May. For the past 31 years he has held the position of camp coordinator of this highly successful recruiting tool for District IV football athletes.

In 1999, Coach Manney was inducted into the Bernie Romanoski Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and in the 2012 he was inducted into the Tioga County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame for his high school athletic achievements and his coaching successes on the gridiron. During his tenure at Wellsboro, Coach Manney also coached wrestling, track, and strength training. He also founded the Wellsboro Gridders Club in the early 1990's.

Coach Manney retired after 35 years from the Wellsboro School District in 2008. He has been married for 46 years to Carline Manney, a 2009 retiree of the Wellsboro School District. They reside in the suburbs of Wellsboro – Draper, PA. They have three children; Russ III who resides with his wife Kristy and two children Mia (12) and Max (10) in Downers Grove, Ill. His eldest daughter Jennifer, resides in Wellsboro with Jamie Morral and their daughter Nixon (4 mo). And his youngest daughter, Jolene, lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh with her husband Mike O'Leary and their two children Chloe (4) and Mickey (2).