Classes of 2021 and 2022 inducted into Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo by Kerry Patrick
Class of 2021: Six individuals were inducted into the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame Saturday at Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center in Vienna. The new inductees are, from left, Carl Alloway (Belpre), Phillip Parsons (Parkersurg), Bernie Rees (Ravenswood), Ben Howlett (Marietta), John Schaly (Marietta) and Erica Dye Cross (Wirt County).

VIENNA — Between the two classes inducted into the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, quite the basketball team is in the makings.

At Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center, six individuals were honored for both the Class of 2021 and 2022. Four of the 12 were recognized for their accomplishments on the basketball court, including Marietta High School graduate Ben Howlett, who currently reins as the boys basketball program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,362.

“There are a community of people who need to be recognized,” Howlett said during his acceptance speech. “They include my teammates, coaches and my family. My junior high coach Gene Mullen didn’t want me to shoot. He expected me to shoot.”

Howlett, who has won 128 games in five seasons coaching the West Liberty men’s basketball team, joins former Ravenswood High School standout Bernie Rees in the Class of 2021. While Howlett continued his scoring prowess as a player at West Liberty, Rees made his living outside the 3-point arc. He owns the school record for all-time 3-point percentage and total 3-pointers in a season. His 964 career points included a game where he made 10-of-10 from beyond 3-point range.

Rees touched on several individuals who made an impact on his life. Current Ravenswood boys basketball coach Mick Price ranked among the top.

Photo by Kerry Patrick
Class of 2022: Six individuals were inducted into the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame Saturday at Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center in Vienna. The new inductees are, from left, Joe Safety (St. Marys), Donald Lowe (Fort Frye), Jesse Wells (Shenandoah), Kim Creel (Ravenswood), Alannah Sheets (Ripley) and Mitch Smith (Ripley).

“Mick builds character,” Rees said. “He has poured his life into Jackson County, West Virginia.”

On the women’s side, Jackson County representatives Kim Creel and Alannah Sheets both used basketball as an avenue for success. After graduating from Ravenswood High School, Creel enrolled at Glenville State College as a 17-year-old. She was a starter on the first GSC women’s basketball team to advance to the NAIA National Tournament.

“I can’t believe it’s been 35 years since all that happened,” Creel said. “I remember growing up my dad driving the Ford tractor and running behind me. When I got to Glenville, I had to grow up quick.”

Sheets, a 2010 Ripley graduate, left a legacy during her playing career at Shawnee State. She ranks first or second in nine career categories.

She finished with 1,967 points, which ranks third all-time at the school. Sheets, who works for the FBI and has a son soon to be a year old, is engaged to be married in October.

Among those Sheets thanked were her high school and college coaches.

“Coach Steve Hunt at Ripley had a passion for the game that was undeniable,” Sheets said. “As for college, I did not get a lot of offers because I was so small. But they put me in positions to be successful.”

Rounding out the Class of 2021 inductees were Marietta’s John Schaly, Belpre’s Carl Alloway, Parkersburg’s Phillip Parsons and Wirt County’s Erica Dye Cross.

Schaly, who just completed his 25th season as head coach at Ashland University and 35 seasons overall, has accumulated 1,204 wins entering the 2022 college baseball season. Named a First Team, All-American and Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year during his senior year at Marietta College, Schaly still holds five school records.

“My two biggest mentors were my dad (Don Schaly) and Paul Page, who are both members of the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame,” John Schaly said. “Probably 90-95 percent of what I do is because of my dad. Paul Page was the best hitting instructor I’ve ever been around.”

Erica Dye Cross, who is married to former state champion wrestler Josh Cross, advanced to the WVSSAC High School State Tournament, finishing fourth as a junior and second as a senior. She also competed internationally, winning a gold medal and being named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2001 Klippan Open in Sweden.

Alloway’s achievements at Belpre High School took place in football and track. He continued his football career at Glenville State College and led the All-West Virginia Conference in rushing during his junior year.

For Parsons, he played three years of football as a Big Red, but gained notoriety on the track. The 1966 PHS graduate was a member of the state champion shuttle hurdle relay team that set a school and state record. The record still stands as the PHS track and field standard.

Coaching has been Parsons’ passion, especially with youth sports.

“It’s been 52 years since I competed at my last meet — it seems like yesterday,” Parsons said. “Coaching youth sports is great. My father unfortunately died at the age of 95 — he instilled in me to never quit and not give up. He had great faith in me and I try to do that for others. I miss him.”

Closing out the final four inductees for the Class of 2022 were Mitch Smith (Ripley), Donald Lowe (Fort Frye), Joe Safety (St. Marys) and Jesse Wells (Shenandoah).

Smith became the first Viking to win three high school state championships as a wrestler. In college,. he became a two-time All-American at West Liberty, where he finished with a career record of 58-9.

“I was 9 years old and I remember my mom putting us kids in the car — and driving 2 1/2 hours one way to practice,” Smith said. “I was fortunate to get great support from my family.”

Lowe became an expert in the field of athletic training. While attending Kent State, the 1960 Fort Frye graduate treated the likes of Thurman Munson, Jack Lambert and Nick Saban. He transitioned to Syracuse and worked with Donovan McNabb and Art Monk. His favorite athlete, however, was his son.

“I have quite a few memories when Syracuse would play West Virginia,” Lowe said.

Lowe also made a stop at Georgia Tech and his United States Olympic Committee experience found him at the 1983 Pan American Games and a member of the 1992 Olympic training staff in Barcelona.

“There was a gentleman working on an article on me several years ago and he said small town boy made good,” Lowe said. “I’ve received numerous awards. To be recognized for this Hall of Fame is very special.”

Joe Safety has gone full circle since graduating from St. Marys in 1970. His career in public relations started by being in the right place at the right time. He was an usher at a friend’s wedding when he met someone who was the neighbor of an executive with the Pittsburgh Pirates. By the age of 23, Safety was an executive in P.R. for the Pirates. After the Pirates won the World Series in 1979, he spent three years working with George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees.

Safety them moved out West working for the Los Angeles Clippers. He retired from the NBA in 2013. Today, he lives in St. Marys and works alongside the Chamber of Commerce.

“St. Marys is where I am from — it is what I am,” Safety said. “I am perfectly satisfied with the lifestyle and I am glad to be back.”

The final speech of the night was delivered by Wells, who took over as coach of a Shenandoah football team which had finished 2-28 in its previous three seasons. Over Wells’ first six seasons, the Zeps qualified for the playoffs three times.

As a student at Shenandoah, Wells was a member of the wrestling program which advanced to state — and marked the first time for any SHS sport. At Mount Union, he finished his career as the school’s all-time leading tackler for a defensive lineman. Wells also played three seasons of Arena Football League.

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com