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Mary Evanco – Caryk

Mary Evanco – Caryk

by | Feb 17, 2023

Mary Evanco was a ground breaking athlete at Bennett H.S. who excelled in three sports during the pre-Title IX era of 1972 – 1976. This was quite an achievement for a time when there were no all girls interscholastic teams funded by the Board of Education in the Buffalo Public High Schools until her senior year.


Mary broke a barrier by becoming the first girl to make Bennett’s all male cross country team in her sophomore year. She was one of the top girl runners in the city and was the first and only girl to make All-High from Bennett in 1974 by finishing in 2nd place in the entire city among girls.

Mary also played two seasons of basketball. In her freshman year Mary was a contributing forward on an “unrecognized” team, with the only undefeated season in the school (12 – 0). In her senior year, she again played as a forward on the basketball team. This was part of the girls sports program, and she earned a varsity letter for basketball. This team went on to win the Buffalo City Championship against East H.S.

Mary also played volleyball for two seasons in the girls sports program. she led Bennett to an undefeated season and the League 1 championship for the City of Buffalo in December 1975. For that she earned another varsity letter and the Buffalo Evening News “Girl Athlete of the Week”. She began playing in junior high school at PS #22 and was on the winning team at several annual Erie County Tournaments, including years when Bennett had no team. She played on many “mens power teams” during high school with men who were at a collegiate or older level. Mary received a full academic/athletic scholarship to attend SUNY at Buffalo (the first year that SUNY schools offered women athletic scholarships). After college Mary continued to play and was a member of the bronze medal Western New York Empire State volleyball team in 1981 . Mary was awarded Bennett’s “Outstanding Female Athlete Award” in 1976.

Academically, Mary finished 11th in a class of over 500 students, and won numerous awards while at Bennett, including Bennett’s “Mathematics Award” at graduation. She was a member of the National Honor Society and a New York State Regents Scholarship winner.

After graduation from college, Mary continued long distance running, including road races and one full marathon.

Vory Billups

Vory Billups

by | Feb 17, 2023

In a rare account of our Bennett Sports Hall Of Fame biographies, these two inductees will be included in one space, since their three year varsity basketball careers were so parallel.

Teammates on the varsity basketball squads of 1981 -’82, 1982-’83, 1983-’84, Vary and Junie both had All-High and AIIWNY careers. The 6’7″ Billups, and the 5’8″ Hemphill formed a perfect compliment to each others skills. In their sophomore year Bennett won the Section VI, Class B title. In their junior year Bennett won the Class B title again, and went on to win the N.Y. State Public High School Class B championship at Glens Falls, N.Y. , then lost to Bishop Laughlin H.S. of Brooklyn for the overall Federation (public-private school) title. That squad was led by All-American Curtis Aiken. In 1983 Aiken graduated, and the question lingered, “how will the Tigers fare without their All-American guard? Whereas Billups and Hemphill languished in teammate Aiken’s huge shadow for two years, they came to the fore on their own in their senior year. The Tigers won the “Yale Cup” in 1984, repeated as the N.Y.S. Public School Class “B” champions, and won the Federation, Class B, overall championship versus the private school champion. The bar was set high, and the Tigers led by this pair of stars gave a truly Hall Of Fame performance. The Tigers could not have accomplished this without both of their AII-WNY stars. Coach Larry Veronica recalls both players as stellar defensive players, as well as scorers. “The memory of Vary blocking shots with that impeccable timing that possessed, and Junie so often stealing the ball from anyone foolish enough to dribble against him, will live with me forever.” “Their leadership and work ethic were exemplary.”

Three year varsity career achievements;

Wins 65 – Losses 11
All-High, AII-WNY 1983 and 1984
Yale Cup champions, 1984

Section VI, Class “B” titles – 3
N.Y.S. Public School Championships – 2
N.Y.S. Federation (overall) Championships – 1

Gerald Schweibel

Gerald Schweibel

by | Feb 17, 2023

Jerry Schweibel starred for Bennett in three sports in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. On the Bennett track team, Schweibel lettered all 4 years at Bennett, running the 100 yard dash and the sprint relays. He finished first or second each year for Bennett in the 1 00, and as a senior, made first team All-High on the 880 yard relay team.


As a football player, Schweibel started from his sophomore year through his senior year at running back and in the defensive backfield. He played in the most famous football game in Bennett history, the 1948 game against Kensington, played before 50,988 fans at Civic Stadium.


A 3 year letterman in basketball, Schweibel led the way as Bennett upset the famous Emerson team that featured college standouts, Jim Home of UB, and Harvey Austin of Purdue, as well as Nazeer Aljuanni. They had won 31 consecutive Yale Cup games until Bennett pulled off the shocking upset. During his outstanding athletic Career, Schweibel also played Classic League softball against such famous teams as Fort Wayne Zollners, Bell Aircraft, as well as the “King and His Court,” starring the legendary Eddie Feigner. Schweibel also ran track for the Downtown “Y” in several international meets.


Jerry is retired, and currently resides with his wife in Williamsville.

Jack Scherer

Jack Scherer

by | Feb 17, 2023

Jack Scherer was a member if the class of 1948 at Bennett, and spent an additional year as a post graduate in 1949, a common practice during that era. During his athletic career at Bennett in the late 1940’s, Scherer was a 3 sport standout in track, football and basketball. He was a first team All-High twice in track, when he anchored the championship Tiger 880 yard relay teams in 1 948 and 1949. As anchor of this speedy group, Scherer was outstanding. He was also a force in the 220 yard dash, finishing second in the All-High meet three consecutive years. Jack was a major point score for the Tiger track team throughout his career on the cinders.

On the football field in 1948, Jack showed his triple threat versatility, as he ran, threw and punted for the Tigers. He was the swiftest halfback for Coach Fred Braun’s successful gridiron teams of the late 1 940’s. Jack played in the famous Bennett-Kensington football game at Civic Stadium that had a record crowd of 50,988 on October 21, 1948. During the 1948 football season, Scherer’s strength and breakaway speed were valuable assets for the Tigers, as he piled up big yardage from his halfback position. Jack also starred in basketball for Bennett, and was one of the leading scorers on the hardwood for many of the Tigers’ conquests during his junior and senior years.


After his career at Bennett, Jack was drafted into the United States Army. Upon completion of his military services he enrolled at Syracuse University, where he spent 3 years. He transferred to UB and received his B.S. in Accounting, and then completed a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Geneseo State.

He currently resides in Lancaster with his wife, Joyce.

Jennie Brummer

Jennie Brummer

by | Feb 17, 2023

Jennie was selected for our 2nd Annual “Earle Y. Hannel Memorial Award” for two reasons. Jennie spent a long teaching career at Bennett and exhibited high-spirited support for all our athletic teams and athletes. We could always count on Jennie being at a game, especially football, basketball and baseball, lending her ever present vocal support to the Tigers. Jennie also helped the coaches by driving athletes to games, arranging special event celebrations and coming to out of town contests. Jennie also helped the athletic programs by collecting and “talking” to athletes who sometimes veered off course a little.

Also, it was Jennie’s vision of a Bennett Sports Hall of Fame that has brought us all together these past five years. After attending a similar function at Canisius HS, Jennie thought “why not Bennett”. She met with a few prominent alumni at school, Earle Hannel one of them, and the rest as they say, is history.

Coaches especially thank Jennie for all she did for the athletes and athletic programs at Bennett HS over the years.