2014 HOF Inductees : Boardman Booster Club

Bill Amero

Contributor

As head girls softball coach at BHS from 1997-2008, Bill Amero took the program to new heights that culminated in the school’s first Division I State Championship in 2001. During Bill’s tenure as Head Coach, he compiled a record of 270 wins and 100 losses, which also included: 5 SVC, 12 Sectional, 5 District, and 3 Regional Championships. Besides the State title in 2001, he also led the team to a State Runner-Up in 2000 and in 2002 it was a Semi-Finalist. Bill was selected as the VindicatorMahoning County Coach of the Year in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and Northeast District Softball Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2004.

In 2009, Bill became Head Softball Coach at Lowellville High School, then moved on to coach Howland from 2010-2013. Since 2014 he has been Head Coach at Liberty High School. Bill has held numerous administrative positions of leadership in the Ohio High School Fast Pitch Softball Coaches Association as well as in Boardman Community Baseball. He currently teaches at Summit Academy in Warren, OH and owns Sluggers Indoor Baseball & Softball Facility. He and his wife Maddalena (Foreign Language Department Leader at BHS) have raised four daughters, all BHS graduates.

Nik Amstutz

Contributor (Posthumous) (1981)

Nik Amstutz was part of a great Boardman family whose roots in and contributions to our schools and community go back generations. As a student at BHS, Nik lettered in football and track, and was also active as a student leader in his graduating class of 1981. After attending Ohio University and YSU, he settled down to work and continue the family tradition of Boardman community involvement. He was a member of the Rotary Club, serving as president and Paul Harris Fellow. He also belonged to the Argus Lodge No. 545 F. & A.M., the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Youngstown. He had served as Most Wise Master of the Youngstown Chapter of Rose Croix and was serving as 2^nd Lieutenant Commander of the Mahoning Consistory at the time of his passing in June. Nik also belonged to the Youngstown Shrine Club and the Four Square Club.

However, Nik’s primary public passion was the Boardman Schools and especially their athletic programs. Following his grandfather and mother, he served on the School Board and was its current president. He was also a past president of the Boardman Booster Club and a member of the Boardman Civic Association, Alumni Association, and Football Alumni as well. His sad recent passing was deeply felt—not only by his wife Virginia, his son and daughter, two brothers, and both parents—but by the entire Boardman community.

Jay Anzellotti

Track/Cross Country (1988)

Jay Anzellotti led the BHS long distance boys runners in the late 1980’s in both track and cross country. In XC, Jay qualified for the State Meet in 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grades. He was the Champion of both the Sim Earlich and Alliance Invitational Meets in 1986. In track, Jay was a State Qualifier in the 1600m run in both 1986 and 1987, earning the Regional Championship in the latter year. He also anchored the 4×800 meter relay team his senior year, which qualified for the State Track Meet and set the school record at that time.

After graduating with honors, Jay attended the University of Rochester, where he no longer competed in running but played club sports: ultimate Frisbee and Nordic Ski racing, which he captained his last two years. He received his B.S. in optical engineering in 1993, graduating Cum Laude and was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society. He is currently employed at Semrock, Inc. in Rochester New York as an engineering manager, where he resides with his wife, Jen and children, Catherine (9) and Samuel (7).

Mike Bodnar

Football (1997)

Mike Bodnar was one of the best all-around offensive linemen to play at BHS during the 20^th century. Physically imposing and athletically gifted, Mike earned three varsity letters as a starting tackle, culminating in a senior year in which he made 1^st-Team All-SVC, All-NEO, and All-Ohio. He also earned the team’s Offensive MVP Award.

After graduation, Mike attended Bowling Green State University and played varsity football from 1997-2001, earning letters his last three years. After receiving his B.A. from BGSU in 2003, he made his way to Georgia, where he earned his Master’s Degree in Education at the University of West Georgia in 2012. Mike is currently a Special Education/ English Teacher at North Forsyth High School and resides in Alpharetta, Georgia with his wife Kate.

Bryan Ignazio

Football (1998)

A three-sport varsity letterman, Bryan Ignazio excelled in football, basketball, and baseball at BHS, but it was his achievements on the football field which earned him Hall of Fame status. As a senior, Bryan was selected 1^st-Team All-SVC, 1^st-Team All-NEO, and Hon. Mention All-Ohio. Voted both Team Captain and Back of the Year, he was also chosen SVC Player of the Week for his performance against Cardinal Mooney and led his 8-2 Spartans to the SVC Championship. In his junior year, he made 2^nd-Team All-SVC. As a senior, Bryan was also basketball Team Captain and received the coveted Darl V. Dolan Award. He also made 2^nd-Team All-SVC in baseball in both 11^th and 12^thgrades, capping off his BHS athletic career by winning the prestigious George Brownlee Scholarship.Bryan moved on to Mount Union College where he was part of the 1998 National Championship football team, graduating in 2002. He is currently Asstistant Vice President at Cortland Banks in Mahoning County, is a member of the Youngstown/ Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce and received the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Award in 2010. He and his wife Peppe reside in Canfield with their two children, Benjamin (5) and Eleanor (2).

Stephanie (Matasek) Myers

Golf (1998)

Coincidentally but deservedly, Stephanie Matasek is being inducted into not only the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame this fall, but also the Youngstown State Hall of Fame. In high school, Stephanie’s golfing career spanned four personally undefeated seasons which were also part of four Team-SVC championships, three Regional titles, and four years of Top-four State rankings. Individually, she compiled a record of 242 wins and 10 losses, making All-SVC three times and 2^nd-Team All-State twice. Stephanie still holds the school record score of 76 for 18 holes of golf.

Attending YSU after graduation, she continued her golfing career, earning MVP honors all four years. She was named Newcomer of the Year for the Mid-Continent Conference in 1999, as well as 1^st-Team All-Conference, which she also did in 2001, making 2^nd-Team in 2000. Stephanie still holds the 3^rd lowest scoring average in YSU history, all of which has led to her selection for YSU’s Hall of Fame.

Earning her bachelor’s degree in 2002 and a Master’s in Sports Management from Kent State in 2003, Stephanie enjoys her profession as a sports manager. She has worked at the Canton Civic Center, the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and has recently landed a job as Director of Event Services in the Nationwide Arena in Columbus. She and her husband Brian reside in Grove City, OH.

Brandy Steinhauser

Tennis (1998)

A four-time 1^st Team All-State tennis player, Brandy Steinhauser dominated girl’s singles tennis while at BHS. In her four years here, she was undefeated in both SVC and Sectionals tournament play. She attended the singles State Tournament each year she played for the Spartans, finishing 3^rdas a sophomore and 2^nd as a senior. During her prep years, Brandy was ranked in the top 55 players in the nation. During the College Summer Circuits she was in the top 80 as a junior playing in the USTA, qualifying for the International Hard Courts and Grass Courts in 1997.

Earning a Division I scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, Brandy continued her tennis career as a two-time National Zonal Team and Whiteman Cup qualifier. She finished at UC with a winning record in both singles and doubles play. After graduating in 2003 from Ohio State, she settled in the Columbus area where she now runs the Northeast Sales Division for Vanguard Wines, LLC, having recently been designated a CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine). She is also involved in several charitable activities there.

Ken Tirpack

Baseball (1999)

Named Ohio Player of the Year by the State Baseball Coaches Association as a senior, Ken Tirpack put together a baseball career at BHS (and beyond) second to none. A 1^st-Team All-State selection as a senior, and 3-time All-SVC 1^st Team member, Ken was recognized as an outstanding catcher and hitter throughout his prep playing days. In 1998 he was the MVP of the East Coast Professional Baseball Showcase and in 1999 was chosen as National Defensive Player of the Year by Easton Redline.

Ken went on to play at Stanford University where his team placed 2^nd in the NCAA College World Series in 2000 and 2001. Later transferring to the University of Louisville, he made Second Team All-Conference USA. An outstanding student as well, he earned undergraduate degrees from both Stanford and Louisville, and in 2007 received his Master’s Degree in Economics from Kent State. Ken is presently working as a CPA and financial analyst for Abercrombie & Fitch in Columbus, where he also serves as an adjunct professor of economics at Franklin University, where he was recently given their Teaching Excellence Award.

Andy Zetts

Football (1999)

Leadership and courage have characterized Andy Zetts in every phase of his life as an athlete and career soldier in his country’s armed services.

At BHS, Andy played football, baseball, and track, earning two letters as a shot putter. His football success included three varsity letters, culminating in All-Ohio Honorable Mention and Team Captain selection as a senior.

Receiving an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, Andy lettered in football for three years there before earning his undergraduate degree in 2003. He then continued his education with advanced flight training in Texas and the Navy’s TOPGUN school, later joining the Marine Corps where he continues to work to this day as a Naval Aviator and Pilot Training Officer. He has seen multiple military deployments in his career, which have earned him decorations that include the Air Medal and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He is currently serving and living in California, where he will be getting married in less than one week to Lindsay Bechtel.