Bishop Donahue’s Gary Fonner and Wintersville’s Ernie Andria are the latest selections to the conference shrine. They will be formally inducted at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling in August.

Previous enshrines for the 2025 HOF class include Wheeling Park’s Errin Baynes and Indian Creek’s Alex Young from the decade of the 2010s; Martins Ferry’s Clay Tucker and Beaver Local’s Derek Wolfe from the decade of the 2000s; Buckeye Local’s Chet Pobolish and Bellaire’s Richie Mamie from the 1990s; and St. Clairsville’s Ann Osborne of St. Clairsville and Linsly’s Heath Haynes from the 1980s

Here’s capsule look at the honorees for the decade of the 1970s:

GARY FONNER, Bishop Donahue (Class of 1978) – Fonnner was perhaps the most gifted and entertaining athlete to ever grace the halls of Bishop Donahue.

GARY FONNER

As a wide receiver/defensive back in football, Fonner earned All-OVAC first-team honors and duplicated that feat with similar honors in baseball as a centerfielder/pitcher. He had speed and strength rarely seen in a player 5-11 and 160 pounds.

It was in basketball, however, that Fonner really turned heads.

Playing over the rim and oftentimes on the edge of reality, Fonner scored 1,172 career points in two years, averaging 33.4 ppg as a senior, along with 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

He scored 55 points in one game, still a Marshall County high school scoring record, and had 49 points in a memorable match against Sistersville at the Wheeling Civic Center, still the record for that building.

He was named All-OVAC captain, All-Valley ‘Small School’ captain, and first-team All-West Virginia Class A captain. He was also named the OVAC Athlete of the Year in 1978.

Moreover, Fonner was selected by The Intelligencer as one of the OVAC’s Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century, the only Bishop Donahue athlete selected. He earned a basketball scholarship to Wheeling Jesuit University.

Fonner, a resident of McMechen, is also an accomplished golfer. He has won several local amateur golf tournaments.

ERNIE ANDRIA, Wintersville (Class of 1975) – Andria was a three-sport standout – wrestling, track and football – for the Golden Warriors. Not only did he earn letters in each sport all three years, but he also was named captain for each as a senior.

At 6-3, 250 pounds, he actually ran speed events in track. In fact, he participated in the 220 and 440 relay and even anchored the 880-relay team in invitational meets.

Wrestling was another successful endeavor as he competed as a heavyweight and won numerous titles. His senior record was 26-4 and included a fourth-place finish in the OVAC Wrestling Tournament. Although sustaining an injury in his junior season, he accumulated more than 50 varsity wins at WHS.

Football was his meal ticket, however, as he excelled for OVAC Hall of Fame Coach Robert Kettlewell at Wintersville.

Andria was a dominant interior lineman and a starter from day one of his sophomore season. He really entered the big stage in his junior season, however. In a game against Dayton Patterson, he dominated Ohio State senior recruit and future All-American lineman and NFL player Chris Ward, and this performance caused a recruiting boom for Andria’s services.

His Golden Warrior accomplishments and awards are staggering.

They include: 1974 Ohio Class AAA All-State 1st Team offensive guard selection; 1974 Associated Press All-Eastern District Class AAA 1st Team/Lineman of the Year; 1974 All-OVAC 1st Team; 1974 All-Valley 1st Team/Co-Captain; 1974 High School All-American named by Scholastic Magazine -The Schoolboy Top 100 Players; 1975 OVAC All-Star Game Selection/Ohio Team Captain; 1975 Ohio North-South All-Star Game selection; 1975 Wintersville H.S. Top Athlete Award; 1975 Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan High School Special Honoree.

He had multiple Division I scholarship offers and picked The Ohio State University over WVU and others.

At Ohio State, he was a four-year letterman and a two-year starter at guard. As a senior, Andria earned second team UPI All-Big Ten honors while OSU went 11-0 in the 1979 regular season to win the Big Ten Conference and bowed to USC, 17-16, in the 1980 Rose Bowl.

Andria was part of an infamous play in OSU history as he was the messenger guard who brought in the final play that ended the career of Coach Woody Hayes. The play led to the altercation with Hayes hitting Clemson noseguard Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl.

Andria’s fine college career enabled him to ink a free agent contract with the Houston Oilers. Unfortunately, an injury on the first day of training camp ended his professional hopes. He is now retired from the Worthington (Ohio) Public Schools.