Southampton Wall of Distinction

This event will also be live streamed on the Southampton athletic page on YouTube

The Southampton Union Free School District invites the public to attend its Wall of Distinction induction ceremony on Friday, April 28, at 6 p.m. in the Southampton High School auditorium, 141 Narrow Lane, Southampton.

During the ceremony, the district will honor 2023 inductees Kevin Guidera, Geary Gubbins, Timothy Maran and members of the 1992-1993 boys golf team.

Guidera taught in the Southampton School District for 30 years. In addition to teaching seventh and eighth graders, he coached baseball and was the director of the Southampton Youth Baseball League. He was also president of the Southampton Teachers Association for 10 years and served on the negotiating team. Outside of school, Guidera and his wife belonged to Our Lady of Poland Parish for 60 years and served as lectors and Eucharistic ministers. Guidera was also a member and chairman of the Southampton Vil-lage Zoning Board of Appeals for 35 years.

Gubbins was a standout athlete during his tenure at Southampton High School from 2000-2005. He was an all-American indoor champion in the 2-mile and set a school record at the Nike Indoor Nationals with a time 9:16.53. He placed second in the New York State Cross Country Championships with a time of 16:58.4 as a junior, earned third place overall in the New York State 1,600-meter indoor championships with a time of 4:22.01 and earned fourth place at the Penn Relays 3,000-meter, setting a school record of 8:33.65. Following graduation, Gubbins attended Duke University, where he continued to thrive. He was named Duke’s Cross Country 2005 Freshman of the Year, was a member of the IC4A Champion Cross Country Team in 2005 and was a four-year letter recipient in cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track and field.

Maran graduated from Southampton High School in 1959. While attending South-ampton, he was active in theatrical productions, band and chorus. He was also class president and student council vice president in his senior year. Additionally, he was a four-year letterman in football and track. Following graduation, Maran attended the University of Rhode Island and graduated with a degree in insurance and general business. He, his father and his brother owned and operated a successful local insurance agency with offic-es in Bridgehampton, Southampton, Hampton Bays and Westhampton. Maran also served as the director of Bridgehampton Bank and as a Southampton Hospital trustee, a position in which he helped coordinate and raise the funds to rehabilitate the maternity unit. He also coordinated the creation of the Water Mill Park District in the mid 1990s, as well as the purchases of Settlers Field in 2000, the Burden property for use as a town park in 2022, and the Carpenter and Pollack properties to expand Water Mill fields. Additionally, he served as a Suffolk County Parks trustee, chaired the Southampton Town Transportation Committee and worked on various land preservation projects in Water Mill and Hampton Bays.

The members of the 1992-1993 boys golf team delivered an extraordinary per-formance, going undefeated in the league (10-0) for the fifth straight year (50-0, over five years), outscoring league opponents 85.5-4.5. The team also achieved several im-pressive milestones, including setting the team nine-hole scoring record for Southampton High School (187), winning the third straight Suffolk County Fall Golf Championship with a team victory margin of 12 strokes, setting the team Suffolk County Fall Golf Champion-ship 18-hole scoring record (391), winning the fourth straight conference championship, and winning the Suffolk County Championship by an impressive 43 strokes. The team went on to make history by defeating the Nassau County champion Bellmore-Merrick at Bethpage State Park Red Course to win the 1993 Long Island golf title, the first such title in Southampton High School history. Leading the team was Louis de Kerillis (1993), who won the individual Suffolk County Golf title by an incredible 10 strokes. The team also boasted other talented members, including William Duggan (1994), Richard DePetris Jr. (1993), Tim Fox (1993), James Reister (1993) and Ted “TJ” Jankowski (1993). Glenn MacDougall (1992) and Brad Gaedje (1992) were also integral members of the dynastic legacy of the 1993 team, contributing to the previous years of league and county champi-onship successes. Marshall Garypie, the esteemed coach of the golf team, was a true lead-er and mentor who inspired his players to achieve their full potential both on and off the course.

Today we recognize another Southampton legend Coach Goldsmith. Herb came to Southampton to work in 1955 and was the Head Football Coach for 24 years. Coach Goldsmith’s extraordinary trail of accomplishments included the creation of new sports programs, such as lacrosse, tennis and golf, as well as coaching wrestling and baseball, winning two division championships in 3 years and you could also find him in the gym running the famous Friday Night Square Dance Events. Coach Goldsmith is the winningest coach in Southampton history compiling a record of 130-50-8, winning 70% of his games along with 13 championships which included 4 undefeated seasons. Coach ranks in the top 10 wins of all time in Suffolk County. Coach Goldsmith was a man of great character whose humility was not about him but his players and underserved students, helping and shaping their lives, not only getting them scholarships to further their education but ultimately changing and producing great athletes into outstanding young men. Coach Goldsmith was elected in the National Football Foundation’s Long Island High School Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1964-65 Southampton was the recipient of the Grid Iron Champs of America – this national award is presented only to those schools whose outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and athletic ability have made their school, team and coaches champions.

If you know of a deserving person or team to nominate go to www.southamptonschools.org Wall of Distinction and fill out the nomination form.

Today we highlight the legendary Coach Romo. Coach Romo was a 2nd round draft pick for the Baltimore Colts in 1950. In 1958 he moved to Southampton accepting a position as a social studies and driver education teacher, coaching varsity football and basketball. Coach Romo's Mariner basketball teams were legendary owning many State and Long Island records, including a 61-game winning streak that has yet to be equaled. His teams won numerous Suffolk County championships. He was inducted in the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame and many organizations for basketball, football and education. He has been honored at the local, state and national levels for his accomplishments.

In honor of Veteran's day tomorrow I would like to recognize the Fallen Heroes in the Southampton Wall of Distinction
A 1982 graduate of Southampton High School, after graduation Donald enlisted in the US Army and underwent Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for the Army Corps of Engineering before being assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was assigned to Company C, 19th Engineer Battalion. It was there that he achieved the rank of Pvt, earned the Hand-Grenade Sharpshooter Qualification Badge, the M16A1 Rifle Expert Qualification Badge, and the Army Service Ribbon. He was also instructed in the operation of heavy duty equipment. Part of his duties included training recruits how to repel off cliffs. In July 1983 he was sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, to train the Ohio National Guard during the “Summer War Games”. He had been trained to act as a “terrorist” or Russian Guerrilla. The conditions under which the soldiers were “fighting” were very harsh with high temperatures and humidity, constant use of smoke bombs and tear gas. Live ammunition was banned, but a Guardsman had stolen a 40mm parachute flare and gave it to another soldier who shot it at the truck in which Donnie was riding. It struck him in the head and he died five days later on July 25, 1983. At age seven, for a school writing assignment, Donnie wrote this: “When I grow up I want to be an army man. I want to help our country. I want to be in a tank.” His last letter (unfinished) to his family stated his love for the Army and his training and experiences as a Combat Construction Specialist. His fellow soldiers remember him best for his jovial attitude and compassion for those with whom he served.

In honor of Veteran's day tomorrow I would like to recognize the Fallen Heroes in the Southampton Wall of Distinction
Private Price lost his life in on March 3, 1945 in Germany during WWII. Private Price was awarded the Silver Star Medal “for gallantry in action against the enemy in Germany. In order to bring artillery fire upon the enemy, Private Price volunteered to secure the only available map from members of a squad pinned down in a factory building in the outskirts of the town of Blumenthal, Germany. Although is route was subjected to heavy enemy mortar, machine gun and small arms fire, he bravely crossed the open terrain, waded a stream and successfully reached his destination. With the important map in his possession, Private Price while courageously making the return trip through some intense hostile fire he stepped on an enemy mine. Although on the threshold of death he continued to display unusual valor, crawling approximately 50 yards in order to give the map to a soldier in his unit. Through his supreme sacrifice, US artillery was brought to bear upon the enemy, enabling his platoon to completely annihilate the Germans and continue its mission.

In honor of Veteran's day tomorrow I would like to recognize the Fallen Heroes in the Southampton Wall of Distinction
Graduated in 1960 from Southampton High School, Peter enlisted in the Air Force and served during the Vietnam Conflict. He rose to the Rank of Captain, served with 7th Air Force, 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Captain Grubb experienced a serious casualty and/or loss of life and/or was declared dead on September 17th, 1967. This occurred in or around North Vietnam, offshore province and military region Un province. Circumstances of casualty attributed to .. “Died while missing in action .. air crash on land .. body not recovered”. Captain Grubb was 24 when his F-4 Phantom II jet disappeared from radar over rugged mountains near the North Vietnamese border. That overcast night, Captain Grubb, a Southampton native, became one of the East End’s three known casualties of the Vietnam War. His parents lit candles in their windows for years, waiting for news, but his remains were never found. Captain Grubb received the following medal for his service: National Defense Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal.

In honor of Veteran's day tomorrow I would like to recognize the Fallen Heroes in the Southampton Wall of Distinction
Vincent G. Danz was born on February 26th 1963 at Booth Memorial Hospital in Queens New York. He was the last of 9 children born to Joe and Ellen Danz. The family had a small summer cottage in Shinnecock Hills, at which they would spend quite a lot of time. Eventually Joe and Ellen made the decision to move out to Southampton permanently and Vincent would graduate from Southampton High School in 1981. Vincent joined the United States Marine Corps after High School and became a reservist. He was in the Dockbuilders Union after BOCES. In 1987, Vincent joined the New York City Police Department. He started out in the Housing Department and eventually became an Emergency Services Unit Cop working out of the Bronx, Truck 3. He married Angela Reilly, (from Dublin Ireland) in Southampton on June 17, 1989. They had three daughters together, Winifred, Emily and Abigail. Vincent was one of the first responders to the World Trade Center on September 11th, he entered the towers after the first and before the second of the hijacked planes struck. He was believed to be on the fourth floor of the north tower. He left a message on his home answering machine for his wife and daughters that he was at the World Trade Center. His last words were “Pray for me and pray for these people, I love you, I’ll talk to you soon.” His remains were recovered in December of 2001. Vincent is survived by his wife Angela and his three daughters Winifred, Emily and Abigail. Vincent loved the United States of America, he loved his family and he loved Southampton. This was his “home”. No place else in the world held his heart the way Southampton did.

In honor of Veteran's day tomorrow I would like to recognize the Fallen Heroes in the Southampton Wall of Distinction
Class of 1965, Sergeant James Burnett Jr. was awarded the Silver Star(posthumously), US Army, for gallantry in action involving close combat with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Sergeant Burnett distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on January 27th, 1969 while serving as Squad Leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, on an ambush patrol in the Dinh Tuong Province. When his patrol came under intense hostile fire as they moved toward their night location, Sergeant Burnett courageously led his squad in an assault on the enemy emplacements. He was mortality wounded during his valiant action, but saved the lives of many other men in the patrol by giving them time to reach cover and return effective fire against the enemy. Sergeant Burnett’s extraordinary heroism in close combat with an armed hostile force was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 9th Infantry Division and the US Army. In addition Silver Star Sergeant Burnett was awarded the following badges and medals: US Army Vietnam, 9th Infantry Division, Combat Infantry, 39th Infantry, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, National Defense, Vietnam Service and Vietnam Campaign.

Today we highlight Andre Johnson
A high school All-American who was named NY State Gatorade Player of the Year, Andre received a full scholarship to Penn State where he played on the 1994 Rose Bowl Championship team that finished ranked 2nd in the country. He anchored the Penn State offensive line for three years including 1994 when he provided enough protection for Kerry Collins to command one of the greatest offenses in college football history. He was named to the Big Ten All Conference 2nd team and was named to the Penn State All Decade Team of the 1990’s. He was a first round draft pick in 1996 selected 30th by the Washington Redskins. Andre spent 4 years in the NFL. In addition, Andre was a tremendous basketball player in high school, he received All County honors and was named to the All Long Island First Team his senior year at Southampton, scoring 1,287 points for his career.

Deadline to nominate a person/team to Southampton Wall of Distinction is December 1st.

A key member of the Mariner basketball team that won 61 straight games, earned All League, All County and All Long Island honors his junior and senior year. Led the Mariners to 2 Overall County titles in 1968 and 1969 earning tournament MVP in 1969. Went to Vincennes University helping the 33-0 Trailblazers capture their 3rd NJCAA National Championship. He then went to West Georgia State, leading the team to the 1974 NAIA National Championship, named tournament MVP. Walker was drafted in the 3rd round(38th pick) of the 1974 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played 10 seasons in the NBA and remains in the Cavs’ top 10 in assists and steals. He was the first Cavalier to record a triple double which he did in 1979. He is a member of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame, University of West Georgia State Hall of Fame and NAIA Hall of Fame. Newsday selected Foots in 1998 as “one of the most intriguing athletes to cross Long Island’s landscape in the 20th century…a mythical figure on the East End of Long Islan

It is that time again, we are seeking nominations of Southampton's finest for our Wall of Distinction. Attached is the information on how to nominate a deserving individual or team. In addition I will post each day a WOD inductee. The deadline for initial nomination form is December 1 with supporting documentation by February 1st. The 2023 WOD induction ceremony will be in April on a date TBD.
https://www.southamptonschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=10144&dataid=27426&FileName=Wall%20of%20Distinction%20Nomination%20Form.pdf

https://www.southamptonschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=10144&dataid=27427&FileName=Wall%20of%20Distinction%20Suggestions%20for%20Application%20Development.pdf

www.southamptonschools.org

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Wall of Distinction induction ceremony and to those of you who watched it live streamed on YouTube. It was a great event and it was so nice to see so many people from the Southampton community come out to support Mark Johnson and Elton Etheridge and his family on this remarkable accomplishment. Thank you to Michael Mackey for being the MC and to Juni for presenting on Mark Johnson. If you didn't get a chance to attend or watch, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilHET1Hqq6k
If you know of a deserving candidate please visit www.southamptonschools.org and go to wall of distinction and print out a nomination form to submit. We are always looking for deserving nominees.