Panther Valley’s newly created Athletic Hall of Fame inducted eight athletes, one coach and a championship basketball team Sept. 4.

The induction ceremony occurred prior to the Panthers’ football game against Marian at Panther Valley Stadium.

Paul McArdle, a member of the induction committee, announced the inductees. They entered the stadium accompanied by a committee member.

Each inductee was awarded a plaque by Kristin Black, athletic director and also a committee member.

McArdle said a plaque listing the names of all those inducted will be placed in the Panther Valley Intermediate School.

Inductees are:

• Erika Dubosky

• Lacey Gonzalez

• Cazzie Kosciolek

• William Maynard (accepted by his son, Bill Maynard)

• William Pilconis (accepted by his friend, Dr. Ken Vermillion)

• Robert Polinsky (accepted by his wife, Karen)

• Peter Radocha

• Allysa Vavra

• John Harkins (accepted by his son, Tim Harkins)

• The 1985-86 boys basketball team

Coincidentally, two members of the Dubosky family are among the inductees. Besides Erika, her father, Michael, was a member of the honored basketball team.

Hall of Fame committee members besides McArdle and Black are Jimmy Kravelk, Bob Pavlick, Pat Leonzi, Tony Demarco, Bob Thomas, Bill Gardiner and Dennis Vavra.

Erika Dubosky excelled in both volleyball and basketball at Panther Valley, then continued her outstanding volleyball career at Chestnut Hill University.

At Panther Valley, she received all-state honors in both sports. In basketball, she is the all-time leading scorer, accumulating 1,572 career points.

Gonzalez, a member of PV’s Class of 1999, won multiple championships in cross country and track and field. She also scored over 1,500 points in basketball and was a member of the best Lady Panthers team in school history. In track and field, she holds individual and relay records in six events.

Kosciolek, a four-sport athlete for Panther Valley, is most noted for his prowess on the football field. When he graduated in 1993, he was second in career passing yards in District 11 history. He finished his Panther Valley career with 5,425 passing yards and 47 touchdown passes. As a senior, he threw for 2,618 yards and 25 touchdowns. In college, he led the University of New Haven to the Division II national championship game. He is a member of the University of New Haven Athletics Hall of Fame.

Maynard, a 1967 graduate of PV, was a three-sport star. He played baseball, basketball and football. In basketball, he averaged 17 points per game for a team that won its first 23 games and didn’t lose until the state playoffs. In football, he was the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher. He earned a full athletic scholarship to play football at Penn State University.

Pilconis graduated from Panther Valley in 1967. He was a three-sport star in football, basketball and track and field. In football, he led the Panthers to a 9-1 record and played in the annual Big 33 game, scoring a touchdown against Texas. In basketball, he was a key member of the team that went 23-1 and made the state playoffs. In track and field, he set three district records and was a triple medalist at the state meet, including a gold medal in the 120-yard hurdles. He went on to star on the gridiron for the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Detroit Lions.

Polinsky, a 1969 PV graduate, was a three-sport athlete at PV. He scored over 700 points in basketball. In baseball, he was drafted right out of high school by the New York Yankees. Instead of taking that offer, he decided to continue his education at Delaware Valley College, where he starred in basketball and baseball. He was inducted into the Delaware Valley College Hall of Fame. He was again drafted by the New York Yankees and went on to play several years of professional baseball both in the United States and internationally.

Radocha, a 1972 graduate, earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He played in the Big 33 football game and kicked an extra point in Pennsylvania’s victory over Ohio. In basketball, he once scored 42 points in a game, which at the time was a school record. He finished his career with 953 points. In baseball, he played all four years and had an impressive career batting average of .398. He attended East Stroudsburg University, where he played football and baseball and was named all-conference in baseball and All-American in football with over 2,000 career yards. He is in the ESU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Vavra is regarded as the greatest swimmer in Panther Valley School District history, as well as Schuylkill League and District 11 history, McArdle said. She went on to incredible success at Indiana University, where she earned many accolades, including Big Ten Swimmer of the Year as a senior, and was selected as the 2012 Indiana University Female Athlete of the Year. She also had tremendous swimming success representing the United States on the international level.

Harkins is the first coach honored in the Panther Valley Athletic Hall of Fame. McArdle said he “was incredibly successful as a head basketball coach, and he also was an assistant football coach.”

The 1985-86 boys basketball team won the Schuylkill League championship and District 11 title before advancing to the Pennsylvania state tournament Eastern final.

McArdle said, “With a record of 29-2 that represents the most wins in one season in school history, the 1986 boys basketball team left an indelible mark on Panther Valley athletics history.”

The head coach of that team was Rich Dividyock, and the assistant coach was Mike Frendak.

Players were Michael Dubosky, Robert Fritzinger, Paul Goida, Shawn Hoben, Tim Hoben, Gary Karnish, Buddy Ligenza, Jimmy Mikovich, Brian Ouly, Jimmy Paluck, Brian Raabe, Tom Schlemmer, Ted Shober, Gene Snisky and Robbie Thear.

Managers of the team were Kevin Szczecina and Mike Hughes.