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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.

John Thomas

John Thomas

by | Feb 17, 2023

John came to Bennett as a sophomore, and immediately became a star in basketball. As the starting point guard John was named 1st team all-high in both his junior and senior years. In 1989 John also was named 1st team all-WNY in basketball, More important to John, the Tiger basketball squad went undefeated in “Yale Cup” action during the ’86/’87 season, capturing the cup with a won 13 lost 0 record. The Tigers defeated Newark HS in the far west regional, before losing their first game at the state championship at Glens Falls, NY, finishing with a 22 win 1 loss record, ranked 7th in NYS. John
finished his three year career at Bennett with over 1,015 points.

John attended Samford U. (AL) on a basketball scholarship. John’s work with the 4/11 charity brings him back to Buffalo every summer to promote a Yale Cup alumni basketball exhibition.

Kisha West

Kisha West

by | Feb 17, 2023

Came to Bennett as a freshman in 1978 and “hit the ground running”, literally. Kisha became a sprinter in the 1979 champion girls track squad, running the 1OOm, 200m and 400m relay. The 1979 relay team was all-high, all WNY, winning the section VI championship. The relay team advanced to the state meet at West Point where they finished 5th in NY State with a time of 48.5 sec. In her sophomore year, Kisha was all-high in the 200m (26.2 sec.), 400m relay (50.2 sec.) and a new event for her, the long jump(16’1 O”). As a junior, Kisha earned all-highs # 5,6,7,and 8, in the 1 00m(11 .48 sec.), 200m (26.2 sec.), 400m relay(51.1 sec.) and the long jump, with a city record distance of 1 7’5″. In her senior year, Kisha continued piling up all- high # 9, 10, 11 and 1 2, adding yet another event, the 11 Om high hurdles, in a city record of 14.9 sec. The other all-high events in 1982 were the 1 00m, 400m relay and long jump. Kisha returned to the NYS meet at Cornell U. in the 11 Om high hurdles, finishing 4th in NYS. Kisha also finished in the top 5 in WNY in five different events in 1982.

Career summary, 12 all-highs in five different events, all WNY twice, two appearances in state meets, city records in the 400m relay, long jump and 11 Om high hurdles. Oh yes, and a track scholarship to the University of Hawaii.