Lagrange/Keystone Men's Basketball Players in the
Hall of Fame

Class of 1997 - Clay Dill
Clay Dill, Class of 1978 Even though Clay earned four varsity letters in baseball, Clay's accomplishments on the basketball court are unparalleled at LaGrange and Keystone. Clay began his freshman year on the junior varsity squad and was quickly promoted to the varsity team. His first start yielded 12 points versus Columbia. As a sophomore, Clay averaged 14.6 points per game and earned Honorable Mention All-State honors and established the school record for the most points in a game, with 47 against Black River. Clay was named first team All-Conference, All-County and All-District, second team All-State, appointed to the Cleveland Press Dream Team and awarded the Keystone MVP and Coaches Award. Clay averaged 28.0 points as a senior, finishing second in the area and led the team with 246 rebounds. He was named first team All-Conference, All-County, All-District and All-State. Clay was named the Class A "Player of the Year" for the northeast district, appointed to the Plain Dealer Dream Team, played in the AA-A All-Star game and was named "Mr. Basketball" for Lorain County along with his twin brother Jay. Clay remains the leading career scoring leader at Keystone. His effort against Black River remains a single game record and he is the only boy's basketball player to ever receive first team All-State recognition. Clay continued to play basketball and baseball at Baldwin-Wallace College where he earned his degree.


Class of 1997 - Fred Hazlett
Fred "Fritz" Hazlett, Class of 1953 During Fritz's high school athletic career that included both Belden and LaGrange, he earned 12 varsity letters; 4 in basketball, 4 in baseball, 3 in track and 1 letter in football. Fritz scored over 1,000 points during his basketball career and was the leading scorer in the 1951-1952 season. In addition to operating the 5th and 6th grade basketball program for many years. Fritz became involved in Hot Stove at the local, county and state levels. Presently filling the Vice-President position on the State Board, Fritz previously was the director of umpires for the entire state. Fritz's contributions to Hot Stove has not gone unnoticed. In 1981, he received the Sy Butler Award which is the highest award one can receive from Hot Stove. Additionally, Fritz was inducted into the Hot Stove Hall of Fame during the summer of 1997 to recognize his outstanding efforts, accomplishments and contributions.


Class of 1997 - Keith Sooy
Keith "Butch" Sooy, Class of 1964 Butch earned seven varsity letters at Keystone; 4 in baseball, 2 in basketball and 1 in football. He was recognized as a first team All-Conference performer in Baseball and Basketball during both his junior and senior years. Butch continued his athletic career at Findlay College earning three varsity letters in basketball and one in baseball. Even though he was an outstanding athlete, Butch is perhaps better known for his accomplishments as a varsity basketball coach. He began his career at Firelands, where he attained a record of 188-45 over 11 seasons and was named "Coach Of The Year" eight times. Butch then moved to Elyria, where he compiled a record of 65-27 over four years and was named conference "Coach Of The Year" once. Beginning with the 1987-88 season, Butch moved to the Medina system, where he presently coaches. Through the 1996-97 season, Butch has a record of 151-69 at Medina over 10 seasons and has been honored as "Coach Of The Year" once. At this point in his career Butch ranks as one of the top coaches in the state of Ohio.


Class of 1997 - Dick Smith
Richard "Dick" Smith, Class of 1941 Dick was a two sport star at LaGrange High School. In basketball, Dick was the captain of the team, as well as the leading scorer. Dick was also captain of the baseball team and the leading hitter. He continued his athletic career at Fort Riley, playing for the service team where the opponents included the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. Dick continued supporting athletics long after his playing days. He sponsored Hot Stove League teams for over 20 years and coached or managed teams for over 10 years. He also sponsored and managed one of the state's premier softball teams, LaGrange Screw Products, along with Wellington Gear. He managed and sponsored softball teams for 18 years. Dick was a major force in forming our school's first booster club. He was the president for many years and during his tenure the football field and track field were built. In addition to starting our 5th and 6th grade basketball program, Dick served as the announcer for Keystone's home football games for 30 years.


Class of 1997 - Bob Hyatt
Robert "Bob" Hyatt, Class of 1973 Bob earned 14 varsity letters at Keystone; 4 each in basketball and track, 3 in football, 2 in golf and 1 in baseball. During his junior year, Bob was a member of the undefeated 1971 football team and had 1,611 yards rushing. He earned 1st team All-Conference, All-County and All-Ohio honors as well as being named to the Cleveland Plain Dealer Dream Team. As a senior, in football, Bob was named 1st team All-Conference, All-County and All-Ohio. Also, he was awarded the Golden Helmet, which is given annually to the county's top football player. Currently, Bob still holds many of Keystone's rushing and scoring records such as most yards in a season (1,611) and career (3,121), most points in a season (143) and career (239), most touchdowns in a season (21) and career (35). Bob remains the only Keystone football player ever to be named 1st team All-State in two consecutive years. Bob continued his football career at Ohio State University, where he earned three varsity letters. s


Class of 1997 - Curt Karpinski
Curtis "Curt" Karpinski, Class of 1968 Curt earned nine varsity letters; 4 in baseball, 3 in football, and 2 in basketball while at Keystone. He continued his athletic career earning letters in baseball and football at Baldwin-Wallace College. As a junior at B-W, Curt averaged 1.48 strikeouts per inning pitched and was named Honorable-Mention, All-Ohio Athletic Conference on a team ranked 7th in the nation. During Curt's senior year, he was 2nd in the nation with a 0.63 E.R.A., had a record of 6-0 with 66 strikeouts and 11 walks. He established a record that still stands for strikeouts in a championship game and was named First Team, All-OAC. Curt went on to play professional baseball, signing with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent. During his first year in 1972, Curt struck out 70 batters in 66 innings and finished fourth in the league with a 1.77 E.R.A. He was named to the All-Star squad for the Gulf Coast League following his strong rookie year. Curt went on to play two more years before injuries curtailed his professional career. Staying close to athletics, Curt moved to coaching where he established a three-year record for wins at Oberlin College. Curt recently completed his 10th year as varsity baseball coach at Elyria High School. His teams have earned five championships, one co-championship, three 2nd place finishes and only one losing season (10-11) during his tenure. They have made six district tournament appearances, three regional and one state. Curt's ten-year record is 159-64, giving him a .713 winning percentage.


Class of 1998 - Carl Knapp
Carl Knapp, Class of 1957 Carl played four sports for LaGrange High School earning 12 varsity letters. He played football, basketball, and ran track for four years. He also played baseball his senior year. Carl's greatest accomplishments were in track and basketball. In track, he ran the 440 and the 880 yard dash establishing records which stood for numerous years. He qualified for the State Finals held at Ohio State University during his junior year. In basketball, Carl established a career scoring record for LaGrange High School with a total of 1,155 points. He lead the county in scoring with a game average of over 26 points. Carl's best season from a scoring standpoint was a 26.6 points per game average, pouring in a total of 452 points for the season. He held the single game scoring record of 41 points for numerous years
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Class of 1998 - Bob Renninger
Bob Renninger, Class of 1967 Bob was a two-sport star for Keystone. He earned two varsity letters in basketball and was named first team, Inland Conference his senior year. Bob earned four varsity letters in baseball and as a pitcher, compiled a high school career record of 43 wins and two losses. During Bob's senior year he compiled an ERA of 1.25 and in a Sectional tournament game, struck out 20 of the 21 batters he faced. He was named first team All Inland, named to the Dream Team, chosen first team All-Ohio East and participated in the Class A Northeast Ohio All-Star game. Bob continued his baseball career playing in the Cincinnati Reds organization from 1967 to 1969. His career was interrupted for two years after being drafted into the U.S. Army. Bob returned from the military to play with the Houston Astros organization from 1971 to 1974


Class of 1998 - Jim Waldecker
Jim Waldecker, Class of 1966 Jim was a three sport star at Keystone earning 10 varsity letters. In track, Jim earned four varsity letters and held the school's discus record for over 30 years. Jim earned three varsity letters in basketball and was the team's leading rebounder his senior year. Jim continued his football career at Bowling Green State University and lettered during his freshman season. Unfortunately, Jim's gridiron career came to an end due to a back injury suffered in an automobile accident. Staying close to athletics, Jim moved to coaching where he achieved outstanding success in both boy's and girl's sports. His greatest coaching accomplishment was in girl's basketball at Columbia High School. Jim's team won a conference championship, eight sectional championships, one district runner-up and three district championships. He was voted MAC-8 Conference Coach of the Year four times and received the honor of coaching in the Lorain County All-Star game eight times.


Class of 1999 - Dale Gregory
Dale Gregory, Class of 1979 Dale was a 3 sport star at Keystone earning 9 varsity letters. In basketball, Dale earned 2 letters while being named to the first team, all-conference his junior and senior years. An outstanding shooter, Dale averaged 17.6 points his senior year and shot over 76% from the free throw line, leading the team in both categories. He was named first team all county and the KHS Most Valuable Player his Senior Year. Dale lettered 3 times in varsity football and was named the KHS Most Valuable Offensive Back his junior and senior years after leading the team in rushing each year. He gained first team, all conference honors as a junior and senior and was named first team, all-Northeast District his senior year. Dale's greatest accomplishments were in baseball where he earned 4 varsity letters. He was named first team, all-conference and was the KHS Most Valuable Player in both his junior and senior years. As a senior, Dale pitched 73.3 innings and struck out 140 batters. He pitched 4 no-hitters while compiling an ERA of .056. His pitching record of 8-2 along with a batting average of .363 led the team to a conference runner-up position. At the Lorain County All Star Game, Dale posted a record of 19-10 while pitching 218.6 innings, striking out 344 batters and posting an ERA of .092. Dale gained a baseball scholarship to Bowling Green State University where he earned 3 varsity letters. As a junior, Dale was third on the team in appearances. Unfortunately, Dale's baseball career ended prematurely during the last game of his junior year due to an injury as a result of a line drive.


Class of 1999 - Dave Leffew
Dave coached basketball at Keystone from 1980-83.
Dave has the distinction of becoming the first inductee into the LaGrange Keystone Hall of Fame who did not graduate from the school. Dave is a 1966 graduate of North Ridgeville High School and began his teaching career at Keystone in 1972. While Dave has coached other sports at Keystone, his tenure as a softball coach will long be remembered. His softball coaching career began in 1978 assisting his wife Suzanne who was Keystone's first fastpitch softball coach. Dave later took over as the head softball coach in 1980 and held the position for 20 years, retiring this year. Over this period, Coach Leffew led his teams to an overall record of 424 wins and 77 losses or a winning percentage of 84.6%. The team claimed 13 conference titles, 1 in the Inland and 12 in the Lorain County Conference. For all 20 years, Dave's teams won the Sectional Championship. Thirteen Teams went on to win District Championships and 6 of those teams won Regional Championships. His teams 6 Final Four Appearances were in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. They were the State Division II Champion in 1999. The accomplishments of Coach Leffew's teams have not gone unnoticed by his peers. He was named Coach of the Year in the conference 12 times, Lorain County Coach of the Year 9 times and twice selected the Northeast District Coach of the year. He was given the Sportsmanship Award, as voted on by local umpires, on two occasions. He was elected President of the Lorain County Coaches Association 5 times and the Northeast District 3 times. This induction is not Dave's first exposure to a Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was inducted into the Ohio Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame. Dave Leffew is the first and only coach in the history of LaGrange Keystone schools to lead a team to an appearance at a State Championship Tournament, earn a State Runner-up and win a State Championship.


Class of 2000 - Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell, Class of 1955 Bruce earned 13 varsity letters, 4 each in basketball, baseball and track and one in football. Although an all-around athlete, Bruce’s greatest accomplishments were in basketball. His basketball career began at Belden High School in the 1951-52 school year. As a freshman, Bruce started on the varsity team and averaged 16 points per game. He was named to the 2nd team All Lorain County League All-Stars. Bruce was the first freshman ever to be elected to play in the March of Dimes All-Star game which was a high profile, annual event at the time. Prior to Bruce’s sophomore year, Belden High School closed and Bruce transferred to LaGrange High School. Bruce led the basketball team to a 14-6 record and scored 19.5 points per game. He was a unanimous choice to the 1st team All Lorain County League All-Star. As a junior, Bruce scored 22.3 points per game and led the team to a 16-6 record. The team scored over 100 points twice (102 and 104 points) which were the highest totals in Lorain County basketball history to that point. LaGrange won the Lorain County League Western Division with a perfect 8-0 record. LaGrange also won the Lorain County Tournament Championship. Bruce had a high of 38 points versus Henrietta. Bruce was honored as a 1st team All Lorain County League All-Star. In Bruce’s senior year, he scored 464 points and averaged 21 points per game. He led the team to a 19-3 record which included a Lorain County League Championship (undefeated 9-0 record) and a Lorain County Tournament Championship. The team again scored 100 points and Bruce once more was named a 1st team All Lorain County League All-Star. Bruce had a high his senior year of 37 points against Elyria Catholic. Over his 4-year basketball career, Bruce played in 75 games and scored 1495 points or an average of nearly 20 points per game. His career scoring total broke the previous county record of 1424 points held by Larry Schaefer of Belden. Bruce’s county career scoring record remained in tact for almost 20 years.


Class of 2000 - Tony Monday
Tony Monday, Class of 1972 Tony earned 7 varsity letters at Keystone. In Track in Field, Tony earned 4 varsity letters. His specialty was the sprints where he excelled in the open 440 yard dash and all of the relay events. As a junior, Tony was part of the Mile relay team which won the State title and was subsequently enshrined with the 1998 LaGrange Keystone K.A.T.S. Hall of Fame class. In Tony’s senior year, he qualified for the Track & Field State Championship meet in both the open 440-yard dash and the mile relay. Tony earned 3 letters in football playing both ways as a running back and defensive back. The team posted a perfect 9-0 record his senior year, which remains the only undefeated season for a Keystone varsity football team. That 1971 Inland Conference Championship team was inducted into the LaGrange Keystone K.A.T.S. 1997 Hall of Fame class. Tony continued his football career at Fairmont State University where he earned 4 varsity letters. Tony led the team in tackles for 3 consecutive years. During his sophomore year, Tony was named Honorable Mention All-WVIAC. He was named 1st team All-WVIAC his junior and senior years as a defensive strong safety. In the North-South Shrine game, Tony was elected the Defensive Most Valuable Player. Tony currently owns the 3rd longest punt return for a touchdown in Fairmont State University history of 75 yards. He presently holds 3 records at FSU: Most interceptions returned for touchdown at 4; longest interception returned for a touchdown at 88 yards; most interceptions in a four year career at 13. Tony earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education and Health from FSU and was a 23rd round selection of the Cleveland Browns. He subsequently tried out as a free agent. Tony played 3 years for the Buffalo Bills farm club. After his professional football career, Tony returned to Fairmont State University and coached the special teams for two years.


Class of 2000 - Gene Legeza


Class of 2001 - Jay Dill
Jay Dill, class of 1978, was a two sport star at Keystone High School. He excelled both on the baseball diamond and on the basketball courts of Lorain County. In basketball, Jay teamed up with his twin brother Clay to form one of the most formidable duos in the history of Lorain County. Jay played varsity as a freshmen and by this sophomore year he averaged 14.5 points a game. He lead the team that year in free throw percentage at 73.2%. In Jay's junior season he averaged 14.1 points with 109 assists and 149 rebounds. He received second team all-Inland Conference, Honorable Mention All-County, First Team All_District, and Special Mention All-Ohio. Jay capped off his career with a stellar senior season. He averaged 16.7 points and garnered 115 assists, 218 rebounds, 51 steals, and 29 blocked shots. He earned Special Mention All-Ohio, Honorable Mention All-County, First Team All-District, Second Team All-Inland Conference. He also shared Lorain County Mr. Basketball with his brother Clay in 1978. Jay and his brother Clay have their uniforms retired.


Class of 2001 - Ron Shaw
Ron Shaw, class of 1980, was a three sport star at Keystone High School. Ron was a three year letter winner in golf, a two year letter winner in baseball and a two year letter winner in basketball. Ron earned Defensive Player of the Year honors for both seasons of varsity basketball. He was selected to play int he Lorain County All-Star Game and participated on the Lorain County All-Star Team, which competed at Copley High School. He also earned Second Team All-Inland Conference his senior season.


Class of 2003 - Mike Conrad
Mike Conrad, a 1985 graduate, earned three letters in basketball and had all-star seasons as a junior and senior averaging 18.2 and 19.8 points in the respective seasons. He finished his career with 1,017 points, sixth in school history, and is 10th in career rebounds. He also was a two-time all league and all-county selection and a MVP in the county all-star game. Mike also played four years of college basketball, two at Baldwin Wallace College and two at Tiffin University. At Tiffin he helped his team to 25 wins and a berth in the NAIA Nationals. He was a team captain and finished with 925 points. He also earned the school's Flechtner Award, given for hard work and dedication.