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.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Carol Caserta received her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from UB in 1964. She received her Masters Degree in Guidance Counseling from the New York University in 1965. She returned to Bennett three months later to teach Spanish. At that time you had to teach at least two years before becoming a counselor. Carol taught Spanish for three years and then started her guidance career in 1968.
She was married in 1969 to her late husband Pat who was a graduate of Lafayette High School. After her daughter and son had grown up, Carol returned to Bennett to teach ESL.
When the opportunity presented itself to join the Bennett High School Alumni Association Board of Directors Carol readily accepted the invitation. Mentoring and tutoring are important components of the association. They certainly had a great impact on Carol. She also became a part of the Redesign Team which has strived to solidify the present and future existence of Lewis J. Bennett High School. A woman of many talents, she joined the Sports Hall of Fame Committee in 2002. She noted that it has been a great pleasure to have taken part in honoring so many outstanding athletes; including the athletes who will be inducted into the Bennett Hall of Fame this coming October at the 16th annual induction ceremony.
Carol is known for her hard work and dedication to Bennett. She truly believes that the best is yet to be at the L.J. Bennett High School of Innovative Technology. She also stressed that former graduates should try in any way to give back to their beloved Alma Mater.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Gary Cohen starred in baseball from 1958-1961. He was a Cornell Cup All Star and was All High in baseball. He was an outstanding center fielder and was a phenomenal hitter, attaining a mind boggling batting average of .460 his senior year.
The Buffalo Evening News lauded the 1961 All High baseball player with a glowing report on his overall game. Basically, the paper said that Cohen’s .460 batting average was one of the main reasons that helped lead the Bennett Tigers to their winning the league championship. Cohen also stated that Sam Miloro, his Bennett team mate and great friend (Shortstop for Bennett) who batted .430 for Bennett was also a key reason for Bennett’s success.
Cohen also stressed that players had great coaches such as the legendary Fred Braun and Nicholas Mogavero. In addition he noted that the players on his team learned from former Bennett greats such as Carmen Iannaccone, Don Gilbert, Doug Baker and Jerry Obstein.
Cohen graduated Cum Laude in 1968 from SUNY at Buffalo Law School and was the editor of the Law review. He stated that he was extremely delighted to receive the prestige award from Bennett. He noted that Bennett provided some of the greatest moments of his life; especially in sports and scholastically.
