Bubba Kapral Executive Sports Editor

BRILLIANT — The Blue Devil Nation will return to life this summer.

Brilliant High consolidated with Smithfield High in 1972 to form Buckeye North High School. Eighteen years later, Buckeye North merged with Buckeye South and Buckeye West high schools to create the current Buckeye Local High School.

Blue Devils pride still runs deep nearly a half-century after the school’s closing. So much so, the inaugural class for the Brilliant Hall of Fame will be inducted Saturday, Aug. 11.

As is the case with any fledgling hall of fame, the first class is a large one. Brilliant’s initial group of enshrinees number is near 90.

Hall of fame criteria includes: 1. Must be a Brilliant High grad; 2. First team all-state honors leads to automatic induction; 3. Qualifying for state competition in wrestling or track; 4. Win OVAC competition in wrestling or track; 5. Other honorees may be chosen based on stats, postseason honors and post-graduate activities in college.

The inaugural inductees are as follows:

COACHES– Bob Henderson, Carl Hamill, Chuck Mathers, Charlie Becca, Jake Olsavsky and Jack Sweeney.

FOOTBALL — Allen Bateman, Andy Adrian, Dale Degenhardt, Eddie Tarr, Frank Popp, Jerry Dougherty, Jim Presley, Jim Bruce Graham, Pete Adrian, Robert Kirkland, Tom Gardner, R.L. Evans, Phil Harvin, Dick Rine, Gary Schaefer and Glenn Blanchard.

BASKETBALL — Chuck McKinstry, Ernie Miller, James Kennedy, Jim Presley, Matt Kessler, Pete Richards, Steve Peaytt, Sam McCullough, Dewey McKay and Dave Winland.

WRESTLING — Allen Bateman, Bill Freeland, Chip Higgins, Eugene Eastham, Gilbert Sterling, Norman Sterling, Dave Bednarek, Harley McDonald and Roger Taylor.

BASEBALL — Kenny Carter, Dewey McKay, Bruce Clark, Greg Hamilton, Andy Adrian, Bob Schaefer, Charlie Bailey, Joe Taylor, Larry Roush and Tom Joiner.

TRACK– Jim Presley, Eddie Tarr, Glenn Blanchard, Mark Degenhardt, Phil Harvin, Bruce Potts, Chuck Brettell, 4 x 8 relay team, Bill Smythe, Denny Cook, Jim Presley, Jimmy Dean Everson, 4 x 4 relay team, Chuck Brettell, Dave Jenkins, Jimmy Frye, Nick Sipcich, Glenn Blanchard, Gary Belfanst, Ed Lapanja and R.L. Evans.

FANS OF THE BLUE DEVILS — Art Phillibaugm, Birdie Grubb, Bob Evans,

Doc Puncheon, Ed Fox, Elsie Manley, George Kennedy, Howard Cunningham, Jim Cassidy, Jimmy Dean Everson, J.K. Degenhardt, Lorraine Freeling, O.J. Williams, Ougie Shaffer, Rich Jeffers, Stanton Gilchrist and Thelma Robinson.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with several former Blue Devils forming a committee of 25 members to organize the Brilliant Homecoming Celebration. When we started this venture over 14 months ago, our hopes were to reunite former athletes, cheerleaders, coaches and fans once again in our small town. The response has been overwhelming,” Kevin Barr and Chuck Brettell, co-chairmen of the Brilliant All Class Alumni & the Inaugural Hall of Fame, said.

“I want this to be a bucket list for everyone,” Brettell added.

The Brilliant Hall of Fame Committee is turning the induction event into a three-day extravaganza.

Festivities begin Thursday, Aug. 9 with a “Brilliant” get-together at the Fairway River Links Restaurant in Rayland.

A “Brilliant” mixer will be held the following day at Brilliant Memorial Park from 1:30-4:30. Friday will also feature musical entertainment by the Ron Retzer trio at the former Brilliant High football field from 6-8 p.m. A sock hop at the former Brilliant High will close that night’s activities from 9-11.

Saturday will commence with a 10 a.m. parade from the American Legion to the former high school, featuring former homecoming queens, prom queens and Queen of Queens. The 1964 regional-qualifying basketball team and the unbeaten 1968 football will be included.

Induction ceremonies will immediately follow the parade at the former high school. Climaxing the event will be a dinner-dance at Undo’s in Weirton from 6-11 p.m.

“I spent five years coaching at Brilliant. I enjoyed my time there,” Jake Olsavsky said. “We fielded teams that only had 18 players. But they were real good kids.”

This marks the third hall of fame for the former Indiana University standout. He is also enshrined in the Ohio Football Coaches Association hall and Ohio Valley Football Coaches Association shrine.

“At first, I thought Kevin Barr’s vision and ideas were very humorous. I thought, people in Brilliant don’t remember our 1968 football team,” Committee member Greg Hamilton said. “Kevin said, ‘we’re going to bring everybody back to Brilliant for this three-day celebration,’ and it appears now, after all his phone calls, and mine, it’s definitely going to happen. Lots of alumni are excited to come home.”

A Blue Devils house-decorating contest is also in the works — open to anyone who resided in the former boundaries of the local school district.

SPECIAL MAN

You will be hard-pressed to find a more genuine and classier man than Rich Donnelly.

The Steubenville native has enjoyed a tremendous professional life, coaching professional baseball for decades. He also earned a World Series ring while assisting Jim Leyland with the Florida Marlins.

Donnelly, however, has had more than his fair share of tragedy. The most recent being the death of his son, Michael, while helping a stranded motorist in Dallas. Before he was struck by an oncoming vehicle, he pushed a woman out of the way, saving her life.

Donnelly turned tragedy into a positive. He presented $7,400 to the Urban Mission from donations he received in Michael’s memory. Rich Donnelly is special in all aspects of life.

SUPER BOWL

It is nice to be wrong sometimes. I, like most, picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. It was refreshing to see New England go belly up.

Patriots QB Tom Brady is regarded as the best at his position, based on his 5-3 Super Bowl record. That mark should be 3-5 if not for Atlanta melting down after building a 28-3 second-half lead last year and Seattle opting to pass from the 1-yard-line instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch for the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 48.

Now what happens to Nick Foles? The Super Bowl MVP proved he is a big-time QB with his stellar postseason play. He is under contract with the Eagles through the 2018 season. If he stays in Philly, however, he will be nothing more than a backup to Carson Wentz. His stock will remain sky-high even if he doesn’t take a snap next season, leading into free agency.

Best commercial: Eli Manning with his Dirty Dancing rendition. Lastly, Pink nailed the National Anthem.

BUBBA’S BITS

∫ John Marshall grad Kristin Lewicki is making the most of her rookie season in the National Women’s Hockey League. The former Adrian College All-American has been selected to play in today’s NWHL All-Star Game in Saint Paul, Minn. In 10 games for the Buffalo Beauts, Lewicki has netted three goals and two assists. She was the NCAA Division III player of the year last winter.

∫ Lou Mott is one of the finest prep basketball players in Ohio Valley history. The Pine Grove High (now Valley) legend scored 2,117 career points. He was the first 2K scorer in Mountain State history. Mott averaged 33 points a game as a senior, earning state Class B player of the year honors in 1956 an earning a scholarship to Marshall University. On Jan. 20, Mott was honored at the Thundering Herd’s game against UAB. He was awarded a Marshall University Academic Achievement Certificate.

∫ Blaine Stewart, son of New Martinsville native and former WVU head football coach Bill Stewart, has been hired as coaching assistant by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The younger Stewart was a wide receiver for the University of Charleston this past season. Bill Stewart gave Mike Tomlin his first coaching job, hiring him as receivers coach at VMI.

∫ The popular MAC/BMAC WVU Coaches Caravan will be rolling into Wheeling on Monday, May 7. It will be staged at River City Restaurant. Athletics Director Shane Lyons, Tony Caridi — the Voice of the Mountaineers — and a cast of coaches will be featured.

∫ The Bellaire Library hosts an entertaining and informative lecture series sponsored by The Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, Inc. This coming Wednesday the program is “St. John’s Football: Celebrating 90 years of Irish Tradition.” Yours truly will be the guest presenter. The program commences at 6 p.m. There is no admission fee.

Bubba Kapral can be reached via email at: bkapral@timesleaderonline.com