Charleroi High School and the greater Charleroi community will be well represented again when the annual Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held Saturday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m. at California University of Pennsylvania.

Perpetuating the CHS presence in the mythical Hall of Fame will be James Bayens, Class of 1948; Ron Hughes, Class of 1961, and Dennis Laskey, Class of 1968.

Joining them as Class of 2007 inductees will be the late Peter J. Daley Sr., a 1939 Brownsville High School graduate who was a scholastic football coach in the area for many years; Brad Ferrara, M.D., a 1988 graduate of Ringgold High School who was a national track star in high school and college; Bob Johnson, a 1960 Monongahela High School graduate who was an all-stater in football and basketball, and basketball standout Tom Parks, a 1978 graduate of Belle Vernon Area High School.

Here are capsule looks at the Charleroi graduates:

PHOTO (left to right)... James Byens, Dennis Laskey and Ron Hughes.
ZOOM picture to full size when clicked.

JAMES BAYENS

He is being honored posthumously for his outstanding career as an executive in professional
baseball.

At Charleroi High School, Bayens was an excellent trumpet player. He and classmate George Zuraw, an outstanding athlete, developed a friendship that eventually led to Bayens' career in baseball.

Bayens served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict and was a member of various Air Force bands from 1951 to 1953. Following his discharge from military service, he enrolled at the University of Miami in Florida and earned a business degree in 1958.

Ensuingly, he was employed for six years in public relations with Prentice-Hall, Inc., the New York City based publishing firm.

Zuraw, who played professional baseball and also was a top Major League scout for many years, recommended Bayens to the Rock Hill Cardinals of the Class A South Atlanta League in South Carolina and served as general manager in 1963 and '64. His field manager was Sparky Anderson, who would later enjoy a distinguished career with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1964, Bayens was named Class A Executive of the Year by The Sporting News.

In 1965, he became assistant general manager of the Jacksonville Suns, a Class AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1966, he moved up to the Texas League with the Class AA Arkansas Travelers in Little Rock. A year later, he landed his first job in the Major Leagues as director of promotion and sales with the Cardinals in St. Louis. He also served as traveling secretary and director of scouting and player development with the Cardinals through 1980.

His baseball career continued until 1997 with positions as general manager of the Shelby Mets in North Carolina, the Gastonia Cardinals in North Carolina and the Savannah Cardinals in Georgia and scouting duties with the Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bayens died May 20, 2006 at age 75 at his home in Richmond Hill, Georgia. His and his wife Lynne had two daughters, Kelly and Ashley, and a son, James (Mickey).

RON HUGHES

Hughes graduated in 1961 from Charleroi High School, where he was an outstanding football and baseball player. He continued his education at California State College, where he earned a degree in education and also starred as center/linebacker in football.
He taught biology and coached on the scholastic level for 14 years including being head coach for six years at North Catholic High in Pittsburgh.

In 1979, he joined BLESTO, a National Football League scouting combine and worked four years as a regional scout. In 1982, he transitioned to the Detroit Lions and worked two years as a college scout before moving on to pro scouting. He then worked six years as Director of Pro Personnel with the Lions. In that position he was responsible for personnel evaluation of all NFL teams, advance scouting of the Lions' opponents and scouting the top 100 college prospects each year.

Hughes then worked 10 years as Director of Player Personnel for the Lions, coordinating and supervising all college and professional scouting. He was promoted to Vice President of Player Personnel in 1996.

He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2001, working as draft consultant until 2003. He advanced to his current position as college scouting coordinator in May 2003.

In 1996 Hughes received the Michael J. Duda Award for Athletic Achievement at California University of Pennsylvania.

He and his wife, the former Adrianne Corno, are the parents of three children Ted, Scott and Mrs. Jennifer Antoniotti  and also have three grandchildren. He and Adrianne reside in Detroit.

DENNIS LASKEY

Laskey's career as a soccer player and coach spans well over 40 years and he is recognized as one
of the legendary figures in the sport in the Mon Valley region and beyond.

He played his first game of organized soccer at age 15 for the Dunlevy Redbirds of the senior Keystone League. That playing career ended in June 2006 with the Mon Valley United team in the West Penn Adult Soccer Association.

A 1968 graduate of Charleroi High, he also starred at Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, WV.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Laskey entered the coaching profession as men�s soccer coach at Charleroi Area High School in 1978 and served in that position until 1983. In 1978 he also was co-founder and the first president of the Mon Valley Youth Soccer Association, one of the oldest organizations of its kind in western Pennsylvania.

In 1984 he was named to guide California University of Pennsylvania's first men's soccer team and has served in that position for all but two years since that time. His absence from the California program came when he coached the Upper St. Clair High School women"s team to WPIAL championships in 1989 and 1990.

As coach of the California University men's team, Laskey had guided the Vulcans to four regular-season Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships, four berths in the PSAC title games and spots in the NCAA Division 2 Regional Tournament twice. His teams also won three West Penn Intercollegiate Soccer Conference championships. More than three dozen of his players have been named to PSAC all-star and NSCAA All-American teams and several have advanced to professional teams.

Laskey also was instrumental in the formation of a women's varsity soccer team at California in 1991. He coached both the men's and women's teams until 2001, when he turned the reigns over to current coach Nicole "Nikki" Bartkus.

In addition to his success as a scholastic and high school coach, Laskey also has gained a strong national reputation for his work with the U.S. Olympic Development Program. His annual summer camp at California also is recognized as one of the best programs of its kind. Through the ODP, summer camp and other affiliations, Laskey is credited with the development of hundreds, perhaps thousands of young soccer players.

As a player, Laskey has performed for numerous teams throughout western Pennsylvania. After earning post-season honors as a four-year starting defender at Alderson-Broaddus College, he entered the Navy in 1972. He continued his playing career in Europe with the U.S. Navy Phiblant team in the Mediterranean. Following his discharge from the military, he completed his degree at California University.

A native of Dunlevy, Laskey also was a member of national championship senior teams in 2003 and 2004.

He continues today as varsity men's coach and coordinator of soccer programs at California University.

Laskey and his wife, the former Jeanne DiFranks of Roscoe, are the parents of three children; daughters Deni Lynn and Marissa and son Deiter. Dennis and Jeanne reside in Fallowfield Township.

The June 16 induction ceremonies and banquet are open to the public. They will begin with a reception at 5:30 in the Elmo Natali Performance Center at California University of Pennsylvania. Tickets are $30 apiece and additional information is available by contacting Steve Russell, general chairman of the Hall of Fame, at 724-929-9030 or visiting the Web site, www.mmvashof.org.