by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Irv Brody played baseball for Bennett High School for four years. He was a multi-talented athlete who starred in baseball as a pitcher and hitter. Although his main position was as pitcher he also batted .473 his senior year. He also pitched for other local teams in WNY. One of the highlights of his senior year was attaining All High status in 1951.
After high school he had a tryout as a pitcher with the St. Louis organization in Thomasville, Georgia. Unfortunately, while he was working out with the team he was drafted into the army. After Basic training he was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado. The following spring in 1954, he tried out for the Fort Carson baseball team. He made the team as a pitcher who started and also relieved in several games.
After his discharge from the army, he enrolled in the University of Buffalo where he received a degree in Physical Education and Health. He also played baseball for UB for 2 years as a starting pitcher and hitter. He had a scintillating record as a pitcher; winning all ten games that he pitched in during that time period. A win he will never forget was defeating highly regarded University of Rochester. He also hit a grand slam in that game.
Brody said that he was thrilled to be inducted into the Bennett Sports Hall of Fame and will always have fond memories of his years at Bennett.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Hassan J King had an outstanding sports and academic career at Bennett. His accomplishments are legendary. He was All High in Cross Country in 1988-89 and on the relay teams the same year. Due to his leadership qualities he was team captain in track in 1988-89 and in cross county in 1989.
Other awards that he attained was being All Western New York in Cross Country in 1988 and 1989, winning the Bennett High School Junior of the Year Award in 1988-89, and the Bennett High School Student of the Year Award in 1989-90.
His record in academics was equally impressive. He was captain and top scorer on the Mathematics team in 1989, National Honor Society President in 1989-90 and Senior Class Vice President in 1989. After graduating from Bennett in 1990 he attended the United States Military Academy, West point and Canisus College. He joined the US Navy in 1990 and served eight years as a translator and intelligence analyst.
Hassan said, “When I received notice that I was going to be inducted into the Bennett Sports Hall of Fame I was in disbelief that I was receiving this prestigious award. I will alway cherish the relationships that I had with my team mates and teachers at Bennett.”
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Debbie Sims was a multi talented athlete as the following will show. She played after school basketball before high school at Canisius College from 1966-1970. Sports played at Bennett were pre-Title IX Basketball 1971, 72 and 74, Intramural Volleyball 1971-72, 1973 – She played volleyball in the Erie County Recreation Women’s Volleyball tournament, Intramural Floor Hockey 1974 and received the Irene Stern Wilkerson Award when she graduated from Bennett.
Other sports activities included basketball at the Delavan Moselle Center in 1970, 71, 72, & 74. College sports played were basketball and volleyball at ECC North. Post college sports were Buffalo Softball League in the 1980’s and Queen City Bowling 2000 and later. Sims was also a volunteer Golf Coach at Elma Meadows from 2017-2018.
Needless to say, Sims had a varied and impressive sports career. However, her mindset and approach to competing were nonpareil. She said, “I tried to accomplish things that other people thought I couldn’t do. Being a person of color in the era that I grew up in, fueled my desire to compete and do well. I thought that I could contribute and make things better. An incident occurred when I was playing softball. I was being heckled constantly by a stranger. I was determined to show him how mentally tough I was. I used his negativity to hit a home run. After the game I ran over to the stands and shook the hecklers hand for inspiring me with his belligerent comments. I always competed to be the best that I could be.” She continued, “I am really humbled and awed to be inducted into the Bennett High School Sports Hall of Fame.”
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Roslyn M. Righetti grew up in North Buffalo. Even at an early age it was obvious that she was very athletic and could play almost any sport. Her mother saw that there was a lack of organized sports for girls. She started an unofficial
softball team at Shoshone Park. Unbelievably, twentyfive girls showed up.
1970-74 St. Joseph CYO basketball. Her senior year her team won the Diocesan Championship. 1970-74 Righetti attended Bennett High School and wanted to play organized sports. Unfortunately, there were no organized sports for girls. The schools gym teachers contacted other schools that had girls that wanted to play sports.There were no uniforms, coaches, referees or buses. The girls had to provide their own transportation. This was the beginning of the movement toward organized women’s sports.
1974-1976 Righetti played basketball and volleyball at ECC North and South. Her team was Intramural Sports Champions in Flag Football and Floor Hockey. In 1976 she played basketball at Buffalo State. 1974-1986 Righetti played on the Buffalo Softball League; winning the championship in 1987. 1979-1986 She played billiards on the Black Rock Women’s Billiard League. She coached boys 7/8 basketball at Hertel North Park and Carroll Turner.
Righetti is the owner of Preservation Pub and still lives in the Buffalo area. She will surely be remembered as one of the greatest woman athletes to have ever gone to Bennett High School.