Central Catholic Inducts 37th Class into Athletic Hall of Fame

Central Catholic High School inducted seven individual members and two teams into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday at the Parkway Place in Maumee.

This was the 37th class to be inducted into the CCHS Athletic Hall of Fame.  The first inductee was Frank Gilhooley, Class of 1942, in 1981.

This Year’s Inductees:
Kyle Burkhardt, 2010
Brianna Jones, 2009
Emma Kertesz, 2008
Matt Kregel, 1987
David Pickerel, 2009

1989 Baseball Team
2009 Girls’ Tennis Team

Citizens Award - Steve Scarbrough, 1984
Coach’s Award - Jim Welling

Kyle Burkhardt l Class of 2010
Kyle Burkhardt earned three varsity letters in baseball.  As a junior, he was named first-team All-City and first-team All-Ohio.  As a senior, he was selected first-team All-TRAC and first-team All-State.

Kyle was also the placekicker for the Fighting Irish football team and was tabbed first-team All-TRAC, first-team All-District, and first-team All-State as a senior.  He kicked field goals of 48, 52, and 57 yards, all breaking 20-year-old school records.

After graduating from Central Catholic, Kyle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Bowling Green State University.  He currently works in orthopedic medical device sales for Zimmer Biomet.

“Central Catholic allowed me to grow as a person at a young age,” Kyle said.  “I appreciated the opportunity to interact with such a diverse student body.  I learned a lot in the classroom and through school events, and I’m thankful for the coaches and teachers who impacted me in such a positive way.  I’m humbled to be honored."

Brianna Jones l Class of 2009
Brianna Jones was a member of the varsity basketball team for four years.  She was named first-team All-City as a junior and senior, and first-team All-Ohio her senior season.  She received a full ride scholarship to play basketball at the University of Illinois and transferred to The University of Toledo for her final three seasons.

Brianna graduated from UToledo with a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing and a master’s degree in recreation administration.  She now works as a group leader at General Motors in Toledo.

“Central Catholic definitely helped prepare me for life,” Brianna said.  “The discipline that is required to keep up with grades and basketball still impacts me daily, and I contribute my success to that.  My teachers, coaches, and teammates pushed me to be better at an early age, and looking back, I appreciate them more than anything.  It’s an absolute honor to be inducted into Central Catholic High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

“My family has always been my support and my rock.  I thank them for all they have done for me and still do to get me to where I am today.  There will never be enough words or actions to express my gratitude.  Thank you all for everything.”

Emma Kertesz l Class of 2008
Emma Kertesz ran cross country and was a member of the Lady Irish track team for four years.  She was named All-City for both sports as a senior.  Emma was an individual champion at the City League Cross Country meet and at the district meet, finishing more than seven seconds ahead of the second-place runner.  She finished 30th at the Ohio Cross Country Championship, which was the highest finish of any Northwest Ohio competitor.  She received a scholarship to The University of Toledo.

Emma earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UToledo and a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Colorado.  She is a two-time Olympic Trials marathon qualifier.  She wrote a book, The Boy Behind the Door, about her father’s life as an adopted Native American.  Emma is married to Noah Droddy, and they have two dogs - Sarah and Chandler.

“Central Catholic was where I truly fell in love with sports, and it also gave me a great education,” said Emma.  “I’m a proud CCHS alumna, and I feel that my teachers and coaches prepared me well, not just for rigorous college academics, but for life.”

Matt Kregel l Class of 1987
Matt Kregel was a three-year letterwinner in football.  During his junior year, the team finished 8-3, qualified for the playoffs for just the second time, and were Toledo Blade poll champions.  Matt was named first-team All-Red Division, first-team All-City, and first-team All-District.  He was a captain his senior year, and the team finished 7-3, won the Red Division, and was the City League runner-up.  As a senior, Matt was named first-team All-City, first-team All-District, and third-team All-Ohio.

After graduating from Central Catholic, Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in classroom technology from BGSU.  He also has an endorsement in career tech education from Kent State University.  Matt has been teaching and coaching for over 30 years, including a stint as an assistant football coach at Central Catholic from 1992-98.

In 2001, Matt took a teaching job at Perrysburg High School, and in 2006 he took over as head football coach.  During his coaching tenure, Perrysburg won six league championships, made seven state playoff appearances, won a regional championship, and played in a state semifinal.  He retired from coaching after the 2020 season, but he continues to teach at Perrysburg High School.  He and his wife, Jennifer, have three daughters - Madi, Ellie, and Rylie - and they live in Bowling Green.

“All the things that have made me a successful husband, father, teacher, and coach I learned at CCHS,” Matt said.  “The friendships and mentors I gained at Central Catholic helped me to become the person I am today.  If we all approached every day of life like it was a pep rally in the front gym at Central Catholic High School, the world would be a better place.”

David Pickerel l Class of 2009
David Pickerel was a member of the Fighting Irish wrestling team for four years.  He was named first-team All-City as a sophomore, junior, and senior.  As a junior, his team finished 8-3 and won the City League title.  His senior year, the team also won the City League title and finished the season a perfect 10-0 and ranked second in the final poll.  He was named first-team All-District and honorable mention All-Ohio.  He competed at the state championship at 215 lbs. and finished as runner-up.

1989 Baseball Team
The 1989 Irish baseball team started the season with a record of 5-7 before getting on a roll and winning 15 games in a row, eventually losing in the regional final.  The Irish finished the season 20-8, as Red Division runner-up and regional runner-up.  In the regional semifinal, they beat Lima Senior, 18-2, but were then defeated by Upper Arlington, 5-3, in the regional final.  The team was led by captains Ned Mehling and Ty Fries.

Head Coach: Jeff Mielcarek
Assistant Coaches: Mike Johnson, Mike Padgett

Team Members:
Andy Bialorucki, 1989
Dave Borkowski, 1989
Matt Carpenter, 1990
Chris Cement, 1989
Ty Fries, 1989
T.J. Hunt, 1990
Chris Jazwiecki, 1990
Ned Mehling, 1989
Mike Miller, 1990
Alan Podbielnak, 1990
Joe Przeniczny, 1990
Jerry Russell, 1990
Joel Sanchez, 1990
Tim Shefferly, 1989
Kurt Snyder, 1990
Steve Wagner, 1990

2009 Girls’ Tennis Team
The 2009 Lady Irish tennis team was undefeated in match play, finishing with a 14-0 record.  They were the first Central Catholic tennis team to win a league title.  Four players were named first-team All-City - Morgan Delp, Sydney Delp, McKenna Hunter, and Anna Scherting.  Morgan Delp was named City League Player of the Year, and Coach Lisa Bialorucki was named City League Coach of the Year.  Morgan and Sydney Delp advanced to the state tennis tournament in doubles.

Head Coach: Lisa Bialorucki

Team Members:
Casey (Boyle) Smith, 2010
Lexi Brown, 2012
Morgan Delp, 2011
Sydney (Delp) Gurnee, 2012
Bethany Diacou, 2010
McKenna (Hunter) Bonamigo, 2011
Maria Mitchell, 2011
Maggie Naseem, 2010
Shannon (O’Hearn) Manno, 2012
Anna Scherting, 2011
Brooke Welling, 2010

Steve Scarbrough l Class of 1984
Citizens Award (Posthumous)
Steve Scarbrough was in the biotech industry for 15 years, most recently serving as the Senior Director of Medical Affairs for Sage Therapeutics out of Cambridge, Mass.

As a graduate of Central Catholic High School, he was motivated by a lifelong pursuit of knowledge which led him to earn his bachelor's degree in business administration from The University of Toledo and later, a degree in nursing from Mercy College.  He went on to obtain his MBA from the University of Findlay and earned his doctorate in health sciences in 2018 from A.T. Still University.

Steve passed away unexpectedly on January 28, 2020.  He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Carey Scarbrough; his two daughters, Elena (David) Breininger (CCHS Class of 2012) and Olivia Scarbrough (CCHS Class of 2016); and grandsons Noah and Welles Breininger.

Steve was a member of the football team during his time at CCHS.  He went on to serve on Central Catholic’s Board of Directors for several years and was a loyal supporter of Irish Athletics.  He consulted with Irish athletic teams, helped secure needed equipment, supported student team managers, and was a generous financial donor.  He believed in the coaches and wanted to help student-athletes become successful in sports and in life.  Steve also contributed to the CCHS science department and supported student financial aid and scholarships.  He was very moved and humbled when he was informed before his passing that he would be recognized with this award.

Jim Welling
Coach’s Award
Jim Welling was the head boys’ basketball coach at Central Catholic for five seasons, from 2008-14.  His overall record was 110-31 (.780 winning percentage).  His coaching highlights included:

• 2009 - City League runner-up, losing to St. John’s Jesuit in Central Catholic’s first City League final game in 14 years.

• 2010 - Defeated St. Francis de Sales, 36-28, for Central Catholic’s first City League title in 42 years.

• 2011 - The team won its first regional title and made its first state Final Four appearance since 1949, losing to eventual state champion Cincinnati LaSalle.

• 2014 - Won Central Catholic’s first and only TRAC basketball title.

Jim also worked in Central Catholic’s enrollment office and as coordinator of the international student program from 2014-18.  He currently works as the lead field materials coordinator for the Toledo Refinery Company.  Jim and his wife Susan have two children - Chad (wife Megan) and Brooke - and a granddaughter, Quinn (age 2).

“Working and coaching at Central Catholic was an honor and privilege!” Jim said.  “Thanks to my daughter, Brooke (Class of 2010), our entire family fell in love with the school in 2006 and have loved it ever since.  Thank you, CCHS!”