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OVAC Hall of Fame Honoring Williams, Dunlevy

SANDY WILLIAMS

WHEELING – The OVAC Hall of Fame continues to build its 2026 class of honorees by selecting a pair of athletic standouts from the decade of the 1960s.

Steubenville’s Sandy Williams and Warwood’s Bob Dunlevy are the most recent Hall of Fame selections. They join previously announced HOF selections: Weirton Madonna’s Ross Comis and Cambridge’s Eric Fox from the decade of the 2010s; Bellaire’s Ashley Vavrek and Trent Luyster of Harrison Central from the decade of the 2000s while Cameron’s R.C. Anderson and Barnesville’s Ryan Grear are the honorees from the 1990s. The 1980 honorees are Weir’s Erica West and Bellaire’s Charlie Ward while the decade of the 1970s featured St. John Central’s Ed “Buzzy” Evans and St. Clairsville’s Jeff Rice.

All the honorees will be feted at Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Here is a capsule look at the 1960 HOF additions:

SANDY WILLIAMS (Steubenville, Class of 1960) – Williams was a four-year standout for Big Red basketball before enjoying a very successful D-I college hoop career.

BOB DUNLEVY

Williams helped Steubenville to a pair of OVAC Class AAA championships. As a senior, Williams sparkled as the Big Red posted a 19-5 record, bowing to Newark in the regional finals in the OHSAA’s largest classification.

The talented hoopster averaged 25 points and double-digit rebounds that winter. Those numbers, combined with his team’s success, earned him All-Ohio and All-OVAC honors.

Williams played an integral part in Steubenville’s 18-5 season a year prior, averaging 24.6 points per game Big Red captured the OVAC 3A title via their 18-5 mark. Steubenville lost to New Philadelphia in overtime in the district finals. He was a first-team All-OVAC and All-District honoree while being an honorable mention All-Ohio selection.

Williams ended his playing days at Steubenville with 1,416 points.

His remarkable Big Red career earned him a scholarship to St. Francis (Pa.) University.

In both his junior and senior seasons, Williams averaged 24 points a game. He is only one of a handful of players in St. Francis history to score 1,500 points and grab 750 rebounds. He currently sits sixth in the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,546 points and seventh in rebounding (833).

Those impressive numbers earned the 6-5 cager a spot in the St. Francis Hall of Fame. Williams was selected by the Baltimore Bullets with the 100th pick in the 1964 NBA Draft.

BOB DUNLEVY (Warwood High, Class of 1962) – The three-sport prep performer helped the Vikings capture the 1962 state track championship. He placed in two individual events to help propel Warwood to the team crown. Dunlevy finished fourth in the 440-yard dash while tying for seventh in the high jump. He also anchored the Vikings’ mile-relay team to a second-place finish.

Dunlevy also was a standout in football and basketball for the Vikings.

In hoops, he earned second-team All-City and All-OVAC plaudits. He served as the team captain as a senior.

On the gridiron, Dunlevy earned many post-season honors.

He was a first-team All-Valley and All-OVAC honoree while earning second team All-State plaudits. His gridiron prowess earned him a football scholarship to West Virginia University. He played for the Mountaineers from 1962-65. Freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity teams

One of his most memorable moments for WVU was in 1964 when he caught a 50-yard TD pass to help the Mountaineers upset ninth-ranked Syracuse, 28-27, in Morgantown.

The three-year Mountaineer letterman ended his WVU career with 52 catches for 861 and seven touchdowns. He had 29 pass receptions as a senior as he was named All-Southern Conference.

He also earned his B.S. of Education degree at WVU.

Dunlevy was subsequently drafted in 1966 by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. The Cowboys took him in the sixth round with the 86th overall pick while the Chiefs grabbed him in the 19th round.

Dunlevy cast his lot with the Cowboys but was unable to make their final roster. He then suited up for the Wheeling Ironmen.

After his playing days, he enjoyed a successful career outside the realm of athletics.

Dunlevy was an elected member of the Ohio County Board of Education in 1985. He served on that board for 20 years. He was president from 2003-2005.

His two-decade tenure on the Ohio County board led him to gain appointment to the West Virginia State Board of Education on a nine-year term. Then-Gov. Jim Justice re-appointed Dunlevy to serve a second nine-year term.

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