The Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame will welcome its sixth class of student
athletes and athletic contributors prior to the September 3rd Friday night football game
against neighboring Freeport. The Hall of Fame Committee suspended its activities
during the 2020 year, so there will be additional inductees over the next few years.
The new class features six student athletes and one teacher/coach. This year’s
honorees include Knoch graduates Barbara Lawson Yates, Gary Bastin, Michael
Crouch, John Ivory, Kelly Meyers Coffield and Amanda Sharbaugh Spaeder. Former
teacher and coach Larry Kunselman will be also be honored.
Barbara Lawson Yates – Barb is a 1979 Knoch graduate who earned nine Varsity
letters at Knoch including four in Track, three years in Basketball and two seasons in
Volleyball. She was the 1978 volleyball MVP and served as one of the team captains.
She was named the MVP of the 1978-79 girl’s basketball team, where as a team
captain she led the team in rebounds. She was a tri-captain of the 1979 track team and
named most valuable field athlete. After graduating from Knoch, Barb played volleyball
and basketball at Grove City College, earning all-conference honorable mention for
volleyball in 1979 before an injury slowed her college career. She also played on
numerous post college volleyball teams including the Morrison Academy Community
team in Taiwan. Barb currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan.
Gary Bastin – A graduate of Knoch in 1980, Gary was a member of the Knight’s 1978
WPIAL Championship football team, and played on the 1979 WPIAL Championship
runner up. He was named to the Pittsburgh Press North All-Star team, and selected to
the all-AIC North conference Team. He earned the Press North Athlete of the Week
award for his performance in the playoff victory over Freeeport – the Knight’s first ever
win over the Yellowjackets. He had nine career interceptions, including two returned for
touchdowns in playoff games against Freeport and the WPIAL Championship against
Beaver Falls. He also was part of a school record that was set in track in the 4×100
relay. Gary would earn an appointment to West Point, and played all 4 years at Army,
earning three varsity letters. He was twice named “player of the game”, one of those
against Boston College where he picked-off eventual Heisman trophy winner Doug
Flutie. He would continue to work with the Army football team as a graduate assistant.
Michael Crouch – Mike is a 1984 Knoch graduate earning three letters each in football
and track & Field. As a tri-captain his senior year, he was named to the Pittsburgh
Press finest 44, and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Fabulous 22. He was the North
Allegheny Free Press defensive player of the year. He finished second in conference
MVP voting behind his team mate AJ Pagano. In track & field, Mike broke the school
shot put record in 1983 – a record that held for 30 years until just recently. In his senior
year at the WPIAL finals he finished 4 th in shot put, 8 th in javelin, and 10 th is discus. After
graduation, Mike attended Phoenix College where he was a two-time all-conference
honoree, and twice named defensive lineman of the year. He has been involved in
youth sports for the past 17 years and is currently an assistant coach for this year’s
Knights. Mike is the third member of the Crouch family to be inducted into the Knoch
Sports Hall of Fame – joining his sister Jen, and brother Stan.
John Ivory – A member of the Knoch class of 1987, John earned eight varsity letters at
Knoch in three different sports – football, basketball and track & field. As the Knight’s
quarterback in 1985 and 1986, John set school records for passing yards and
touchdown passes for both a career and a single season. While those records have
since been surpassed, John’s efforts still rank him as one of the best ever at Knoch. In
addition, his kicking stats were equally as impressive. A team captain, he was an all-
conference selection at both quarterback and kicker in both seasons and selected to the
Post Gazette’s Fabulous 22 in both 1985 and 1986. John took his talents to
Washington & Jefferson College where he started four seasons at quarterback, kicker
and punter, earning all PAC conference honors in 1987 and 1988. His 1987 team was
the first undefeated team at W&J since 1922. John kicked two game winning field goals
that season. In addition to playing football at W&J, John also was a member of the
school’s golf team.
Kelly Meyers Coffield – Kelly graduated from Knoch in 1995 where she was a two-
year team captain in volleyball and a two-time MVP. She was named best defensive
player her sophomore season and was named twice to the first team all-section. Kelly
was also a team captain in track and a two-time team MVP. She earned a silver and
bronze medal in the 1992 Keystone State Games. At the University of Pittsburgh, Kelly
was a two-time volleyball team captain, starting and playing in every game of her four-
year college career. She was a four-time Big East Academic All Star, and served as the
Big East representative to the NCAA Leadership Conference. Kelly was named the
University of Pittsburgh Senior of the Year in 1999, becoming the first female athlete to
ever receive the honor, having her name engraved in the path between the Cathedral of
Learning and Heinz Chapel.
Amanda Sharbaugh Spaeder – The youngest member of the class of 2021, Amanda
is a 2008 graduate of Knoch who earned multiple honors as a four-year starter in
soccer. She is a 4-time WPIAL AAA all-section first team selection, a 4-time WPHS
girls soccer coaches all section first team selection, was twice named to the WPHS girls
soccer coaches all star team, and a 3-time selection to the Post Gazette-north girls all-
star first team. She earned school records for goals scored at 111, adding 38 career
assists and a career total of 260 points. She also earned two letters in track. Amanda
also started all four years in soccer at Gannon University where she is the all time
leader in goals and points. She was a 4-time All-PSAC first team honoree, and was
inducted into the Gannon Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Larry Kunselman – As Knoch’s head football coach from 1980-1988, Coach
Kunselman’s teams were a championship contender every season, including playing for
the WPIAL title in 1982. His teams appeared in the playoffs in six of his nine seasons.
In 1986, he was named Coach of the year by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. After leaving
Knoch in1989, he would spend six years as the head football coach at Kiski Area. He
returned to Saxonburg to join the Knight’s coaching staff as an assistant coach for a
couple of seasons. Coach was elected to the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame in
2008.
Hall of Fame
To be considered for the Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame, an individual must have made a
significant contribution to Knoch sports through athletic excellence and/or exemplary leadership
contribution in sports activity. Applicants must be at least 30 years of age for consideration. More
information on the Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame is available from the Athletic Office at Knoch
High School.
The current Hall of Fame Committee is made up of nine members – seven voting members and two
advisory members. The voting members include retired teachers Ken Elliott, Dave Bracco, and Jerry
Sefton, current teachers Lisa Knappenberger and Diane Geist, and 1973 Knoch graduates Dave Bacon
and committee chairman Scott Briggs. The non-voting advisory members are former athletic director
Mike King and current AD Kurt Reiser.
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