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Members of the Dutchland Rollers, from
left, Beat Red, Treasure Chest, Fujiyama
Mama and Mutha Medusa skate during
a demonstration the Lancaster roller derby
team performed during the 43rd York
Area Sports Night at the old Central York
High School Wednesday, January 24,
2007. (Bill Kalina photo)

York Area Sports Night is always an event that provides plenty of interesting celebrities and excitement.

But former Penn State linebacker Keith Goganious felt obligated to make sure that those who showed up for the 43rd edition of the event last night were sent home with a special memory.

After a halfcourt shooting competition -- in which participants needed to make 2-of-3 shots from midcourt to win $5,000 from the Patton Group -- failed to produce a single made hoop, Goganious stepped on to the floor at the "old" Central High School gymnasium. He then removed one of his AFC Championship rings from his days with the Buffalo Bills, shed his sports coat and stretched out his arms.

Goganious then launched a rainbow high into the air that swished through the net. The near-capacity crowd on hand responded with one of its strongest ovations of the night.

"I said to them, 'Let me shoot one, I bet I can make it,'" Goganious said after his heave from half court. "Nobody believed me, but this will be something to remember for a long time."

The former linebacker's miraculous shot was only part of an evening packed with panel discussions featuring celebrity athletes and athletic demonstrations.

The night started off with members of the Dutchland Rollers from Lancaster introducing the crowd to roller derby by circling the gym floor.

Then the masters of cermonies, Wayne McCullough, Ron Ruman and Gary Sutton, took over the event. The first panel discussion featured Chris Hoiles, Tippy Martinez and Al Bumbry -- all of the York Revolution's coaching staff.
Arians, Bortner, Rothrock added to Hall of Fame: Bruce Arians, Jan Bortner and Dr. Gil Rothrock were then introduced as the newest members of the York Area Sports Hall of Fame, with each sharing stories from their lives in York.

"I always tell people you can take the boy out of York, but you can't take York out of the boy," said Bortner, who won a PIAA singles tennis title and graduated from York High in 1971. "I always tell people I bleed blue. York High blue and Penn State blue.

"If you visit my office at Penn State (where Bortner is an assistant athletic director), chances are the first thing I'll do after I shake your hand is give you a big York Peppermint Patty from the jar on my desk."

Century 21 donated $400 to Special Olympians after the Century 21 Heritage Realty Spot Shot competition, which was followed by another panel discussion with Rollie Fingers, Jay Johnstone, Dave Schultz and Tommy McDonald.

Nittany Lions answer questions: The York College men's soccer team put on a skills competition before Goganious, Blair Thomas and four Penn State players from this year's team -- BranDon Snow, Patrick Hall, Kevin Darling and Darien Hardy -- were asked questions on the gym floor.

"I heard someone say that we had a great mix tonight," talent coordinator Mike Harvey said. "There were a lot of human interest stories and it was a great thing. We set the tone from the start out at Heritage (Hills for a celebrity reception and silent auction), and it was really a great mix of people."

Kendra Ness and Trent Thomas of Red Lion both won the Wolfgang Candy Basketball Shootout, with Ness scoring 20 points and Thomas 22 in the three-point shooting contest.

Then horsemen Roy Jackson and Dr. Bill Solomon were interviewed in the last panel discussion before the 2007 Shipley and Special Achievement Awards were handed out.

"It's a lot different and it's very nerve-racking because you're not really playing a game," Ness said of her win. "I tried to ignore everything and concentrate on shooting.

"It's awesome to come out here and see all these people who are happy to be out here."

-- Reach Jeffrey A. Johnson at Jeffrey A.Johnson or 505-5406.




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