-
February 5, 2025Two former Elyria Catholic standouts, along with a former coach, a longtime volunteer and championship team are included in the upcoming Elyria Sports Hall of Fame induction class, announced Tuesday (2/4) by the selection committee.
Danny Reaser ('11, football) and Erich Barnes ('90, basketball) highlighted a star-studded class, which also includes former longtime track/cross country coach Chuck Lynch ('73), football videographer Mark Meecha, and the 2011 girls basketball team. This year's induction ceremony will take place on May 3 at Lorain County Community College.
Reaser, a former Golden Helmet winner, still owns the Lorain County passing record for yards in a season (3,788) en route to being an All-Ohio selection in 2010. The former signal-caller also had six games of 300 yards or better for his prep career, including a pair of six-touchdown performances and three five-TD outings.
The third-highest scorer in EC basketball history, Barnes finishes his career with 1,191 points. During his season, the 1990 Mr. Basketball recipient averaged 27.9 points a night, shooting 52-percent from the field, along with averaging 9.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a Division III All-Ohioan.
Lynch guided both the track and field and cross country programs for over three decades, coaching 19 All-Ohio harriers and 16 state qualifiers throughout his career. Under his guidance, the Panthers won four state cross country championships and were runner-up four times.
Under the direction of veteran coach Eric Rothgery, the 2010-11 EC girls basketball team qualified for the first state tournament in school history in finishing 24-3 overall. With the 1-2 punch of Emily Taylor and Ashley Schuster -- each of which finished their careers scoring over 1,000 points -- the Panthers took down Gilmour Academy and Youngstown Ursuline in their run to Columbus.
Meecha was selected as the Distinguished Service award recipient by the Hall of Fame after serving as EC's football videographer, along with serving as a volunteer basketball and volleyball coach at St. Jude. He also spent four decades working for the City of Elyria, maintaining the ice at North Park and working on soccer and softball fields at West Park.