10/12/2025
From Neil Greenberger
Ellenville High School today inducted three individuals--Desiree Montanez, Coach Lee Roberts and Raymond Younger, Jr.--and its1972 championship football team into its Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremonies at my hometown school in Upstate New York were held in the new elementary school cafeteria, which with great design thought has an open window back wall that overlooks the school's athletic fields and shows off the area's still vibrant mountains. My personal role in today's event was small: over the past two years I tried to build the case that the 1972 football team deserved to be honored for showing that, after 10 hard seasons, Ellenville could have a winning football tradition. The ceremonies attracted a full house of more than 125 people and were led by John Burns, who has been the driving force behind the hall of fame. Still proud football team members came today from current homes as far as Alaska, California, Texas, Florida and the Carolinas. Making the ceremonies was Coach Dave Frank (speaking in one photo), who had not been back to Ellenville for decades. My favorite line of the day was from my good friend Kyle Hoar, the team quarterback, who said: We are still proud of the championship we won together, and 52 years later, to show our bond is still strong, we all agreed to dye our hair the same color for today's ceremonies. . . . Among my good friends who were on that team were Gary Wilhelm, Kyle and Stan Foo, who quietly saved his varsity jacket for five decades--and proved he could still fit into it. This was a wonderful day for Ellenville.
