Larry Bailey (1972)

Larry Bailey graduated from Lyons High School in 1972 and dominated in football. He was an All-Conference running back in his junior and senior years and All-Conference Defensive halfback his senior year. Larry played various positions on offense, defense and special teams.  In a single game, Larry scored on a punt return, a kick-off return and on a running play from the line of scrimmage. He was team captain and received many awards, including the American Legion Football award for Outstanding Player of the Year and the Black Glove Award.

Larry also starred in track and field. He participated in several events and was outstanding in the long jump, where he was the 1972 sectional champion. He ran anchor on the 800 relay team which set a Section V Class D record in 1972.

At the collegiate level, Larry attended RIT where he was a first string running back for Coach Tom Coughlin who went on to win two Superbowls with the New York Giants.

After college, Larry moved to Vermont where he became very involved in tennis and skiing.  He played in many pro-am tournaments, winning doubles with Guillermo Vilas and Andres Gomez. Larry was a volunteer coach for Vermont Parks and Recreation for tennis and skiing with underprivileged young people for many years.

Larry has resided in Palm Bay, Florida since 1996. He is a husband and proud father of a daughter, four sons and 5 grandchildren. Larry is a purchasing manager of Ecklers Industries/Mac Antique Auto, which is one of the largest suppliers of parts and accessories for Corvettes.  

Stephan Bailey (2004)

Steve Bailey graduated from Lyons High School in 2004.  His interest in sports began at a young age.  He was a four (4) year all-star in Lyons Little League. He played two (2) years in modified baseball, followed by being a four-year varsity starter as a pitcher and shortstop. Steve holds a current New York state record of three home runs and 11 RBI’s in one game. His batting average over four years in high school was .367, .460, .443 and .520.

He pitched in sectional games as a freshman. In sophomore year, he was a Wayne County All-Star 1^st Team Pitcher.  As a junior, his record was 5-1 with 2 saves, 55 K’s and a 3.11 ERA and he was again a Wayne County All-Star 1^st Team Pitcher.  In his senior year, Steve was team captain, the Bird’s Eye Foods Player of the Year for Wayne County, the League MVP and a Section V All-State Selection, 4^th Team SS/Pitcher.  His record was 7-0 with 72 K’s and a 2.19 ERA.

Steve started his football career playing quarterback in Clyde Vince Lombardi.  He continued to play quarterback from 7^th grade through 12^th grade.  His junior year, he was named Outstanding Offensive back in the Lyons Sectional Championship.  He won the Piehler Motor Car Company Player of the Game in Lyons’ first win over Clyde-Savannah in 20 years.  Steve was All-League Finger Lakes West 2002 1^st Team Offense – quarterback and 2^nd Team Defense – outside linebacker.

In his senior year, Steve was Team Captain and led his team to their second straight Sectional Title and their 1^st Western Regional Championship.  He was named Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman Player of the Sectional Championship game and Defensive MVP for the State Semi-Finals vs. Onondaga.  During the season Steve scored 96 points with 5 rushing touchdowns and 11 passing touchdowns.

Steve attended Cortland where he played baseball as a walk on his freshman year and graduated with a degree in Physical Education.  He teaches for the Syracuse City School District.  He is a Varsity Football Coach, a Varsity Baseball Coach and a modified Basketball Coach.  He is married to Lyons graduate Annie Porter and they reside in Syracuse, New York.

Philip H. Bauer (2016) 

Phil Bauer graduated from Lyons High School in 1995.  He was a three (3) sport athlete, playing football, wrestling and track.

Phil played on the Lyons Varsity Football Team his junior and senior years.  He was named to the All-Conference 1^st Team as an offensive lineman his senior year.  He was part of the offensive line that helped to set records for total rushing yards in a single season and the longest run from the line of scrimmage – 92 yards by Linwood Carswell.

Phil was a four (4) year varsity letter winner in track.  His junior year, he placed 3^rd in discus and 4^th in shot put at sectionals.  His senior year, he was 5^th in discus and 6^th in shot put at sectionals.

Although he enjoyed the other sports, wrestling is where Phil really excelled.  He was on the varsity team for four (4) years.  He was a member of the 50 point club at 215 pounds, his junior year.  His senior year, he was Section V, Class D Champion at 250 pounds, a first for Lyons. He was named 1995 Finger Lakes Wrestler of the Year.  His record was 24-2 and he won three (3) tournaments that year.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was winning super sectionals and advancing to the NYS Tournament.  There was only one tournament back then for all classes, AA-D, so this was an amazing achievement. Phil finished 4^th in New York State.

After high school, Phil joined the U.S. Army.  He served as a scout with the 3^rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.  On November 2, 2013, his chinook helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile near Fallujah, Iraq.  In 2009, Phil joined the Wounded Warrior Program, where he received his 1^st service dog, Reese. He worked for the non-profit ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities) where he raised and trained service dogs.

In 2015, Phil moved back to Lyons.  He has four amazing children, Nick (16), Rian (13), Jackson (11) and Joslyn (10).  He recently received his second service dog, Champ.

Laurie (Wells) Bennett (1993)

Laurie (Wells) Bennett graduated from Lyons High School in 1993. She was a three-sport athlete and excelled in all three. Laurie played JV Volleyball as a 7^th grader and was named Most Valuable Player.  She played on Varsity for the next five (5) years as a hitter/spiker and setter.  She was MVP her senior year and was named to the Wayne County All-Star 1^st Team.

Laurie played point guard on the JV basketball team as a 7^th grader.  She was named Most Valuable Player and best defensive player. From 8^th grade on she played on the Varsity team as a point guard and a shooting guard.  As a senior, she had the highest average on the team averaging 25 points per game. She had the record for the most points in a single game at 37.  She scored over 1000 points in her career and was named Co-Most Valuable Player with Kristin Schott.

Laurie started on the track team for all six years. As the only 7^th grader on the 4x100 meter relay team, they won the State Championship.  Laurie also won many 1^st place medals for the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and the high jump. She made it to state qualifiers every year for at least one event.

After graduation, Laurie went on to FLCC where she played point guard on the basketball team both years. She had the most 3 pointers in a single season and the highest scoring average of 23 points per game. She was named MVP. She earned an A.S. in Business Administration and has continued her education online with Capella University.

Laurie has worked with Walmart Stores U.S. for more than 20 years. She has steadily moved up the ladder until today she is General Manager and has been selected to participate as a member of the Regional Lead Team for Walmart. She also owns her own business “Kona Ice” and has recently added an additional truck to her fleet. She lives in southern Maryland with her husband, high school sweetheart, George Bennett and their beautiful daughter Milani and their dog Dutchess. 

James 'Jim' Blandino (1956) 

Jim Blandino graduated from Lyons High School in 1956.  He played Varsity Football, Basketball and Baseball. He served active duty in the US Army from 1957-1959. He served as Postmaster in Clyde, Lyons and Newark from 1984 - 2000. Jim served as a Lyons Town Justice from 1999-2010 and on the Lyons Village Board of Trustees in 2014 and 2015.

Besides being a civil servant, Jim’s true love was always sports. He was a sports writer for local newspapers covering Lyons football and basketball games, but was most well-known for being in charge of the chain gang for over 40 years.

Jim volunteered in many areas of sports for both school and community teams. He was a Little League umpire and coached for 15 years. He also coached community center basketball, was president of the Lyons Football/Cheerleading league, umpired for the Wayne County Girls’ Softball League and refereed modified soccer and basketball.

Jim was one of the original Lyons Football Booster Club organizers in 1970. The booster club built the field house and concession stand and was instrumental in getting lights on the football field. Jim organized and was master of ceremonies for many banquets from 1970-1994. He was a charter member of the Hall of Fame Committee, chosen because of his knowledge of Lyons sports history. He was Lyons Citizen of the Year in 2013.

Jim has been married to Joanne for 57 years. They have two children; Dr. Doreen Blandino, who teaches at St. Vincent College, and Michael, who is Director of Information Systems at John Hopkins Clinical Practice.

Roger Clark (Coach)

Roger Clark graduated from St. Bonaventure University where he played three years of Varsity Baseball and Varsity Soccer.  His senior year, he was captain, MVP and an All-American nominee in soccer. He coached basketball for eight years before coming to Lyons. He started coaching in Lyons in 1975.  Roger began the first ever Cross Country program in Lyons that year. He coached the team for eleven seasons and served as League Coordinator.  During that time, they had six individual conference champions and two state meet representatives.

In 1975, Roger began coaching outdoor track and field at Lyons as an assistant, working with Ron Wheat. He became the boys’ head coach in 1981 until 2006 when the program became co-ed.  He has coached the co-ed program from 2006 to the present. During that time, he won twelve sectional titles, four as an assistant and eight as boys’ head coach.  Also, there were multiple Conference Championships with a run of five straight from 1993 to 1997. Roger has coached multiple individual sectional champions and many of his athletes have gone on to compete at the collegiate level.

In 1999, Roger started the Indoor Track and Field program and he has coached the team from its inception to the present.  The team is highly successful and has produced eight overall individual Section V Champions, eight State Meet representatives, three National Meet participants, multiple individual Sectional Class Champions and one girls’ sectional team class championship.

Roger was selected Section V Coach of the Year twice and was honored by the Wayne Finger Lakes Officials Association for twenty-five years of outstanding service.  In 2010, he organized the Lyons Track and Field Invitational and has been the meet director for the past seven seasons.  He was also instrumental in hosting Section V Class Championships at Lyons in 2014 and 2016.

Roger is married to Rita and together they own and operate the Lyons Floral Shoppe and Memorials. He has two daughters, Karen (Brian) and Elizabeth (Chris), and three grandchildren: Ethan, Audrey and Elijah. Roger also serves as a lay trustee at St. Joseph the Worker Parish and is chair of the Pastoral Council.

2002 Football team

Under first-year Coach Randy Wadhams, the Lyons Lions won their first Section V Class D title since the 1970’s. The team had an exceptional year, finishing with a 9-2 record and being named the Finger Lakes West Champions. The team also received the Scholar-Athlete Team Award. Strong assistant coaches – John Lawson, Pat Maddock, Tony DeLork, Shawn Solomon, Hugh Spink, Dana Ford and Ed Bailey and JV Coaches Dean Schott II and Dominic Monacelli aided in the successful season.
Highlights of the season included defeating arch rival Clyde-Savannah, not once but twice, for the first time in 20 years (35-0 and 53-8). The team played at Ralph Wilson stadium in the State Quarterfinals.

Members: Nick Alena, Steve Bailey, Erick Byork, Jordan Cinelli, Michael Danzey, DJ Dean, Ryan Durham, Ryan Evans, Geoff Grambo, Tom Horton, Clarence Jackson, Ron Johnson, Robbie Kelley, Bryan Maddock, Jason Rosario, Levi Schutt, Randolph Scott, Ira Smith, Ron Smith, Luke Stoep, Josh Stoep, Gino Tricarico, Mike Weimer, Josh Wunder, Matt Wurzer.

Coach: Randy Wadhams.  Assistant Coaches: John Lawson, Shawn Solomon, Dominic Monacelli, Dean Schott II, Ed Bailey, Hugh Spink, Pat Maddock and Tony DeLork.

Managers: Anthony DeLork, Anthony Heid and Greg Maddock. Missing: DJ Dean, Tom Horton, Clarence Jackson, Levi Schutt, Gino Tricarico.

Sectional honors

• Most Valuable Player: Nick Alena
• Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Geoff Grambo
• Most Outstanding offensive back: Steve Bailey
• Most Outstanding Defensive back: Matt Wurzer

End of the year honors

• Ontario Honda Section V Class D
• Player of the Year: Nick Alena
• Coach of the Year: Randy Wadhams
  
  

2003 Football Team

The 2003 Lyons Varsity Football Team had an extremely successful year with a 9-3 record. They were Section V Class D Champions for the second year in a row. They qualified for the state competition and defeated previously undefeated Randolph High School (32-30). The 2003 team was a NYSPHSAA State Semi-Finalist, advancing further than any team in Lyons history. The team finished the season ranked fourth in the state.

Members: Steve Bailey, Bryan Maddock , Michael Sherman, Randolph Scott, John Loson, Clarence Jackson, Johnny Eckert, John Sergent, Ron Smith, Chancer Brown, Justin Lucia, Tom Conaway, Brenton Davis, Ron Johnson, Tom Horton, Ryan Evans, Kurt Simmons, Gino Tricarico, Levi Schutt, Mike Hockenbruckner, Kyle Ruckdeschel, Josh Stoep, Steven Darcangelis, Ryan Durham, Zach Aunkst, Geoff Grambo, Chad Roegiers, Mike Weimer, Brian Ocque, Jordan Cinelli, Darius Greene, Joe Mastracy, Michael Emmel.  Missing: Steven Darcangelis.

Head Coach Randy Wadhams credits the hard work of his coaches: John Lawson, Pat Maddock, Dominic Monacelli, Tony DeLork, Ed Bailey, Dean Schott II, Hugh Spink, Dana Ford and Marc Vitticore for the team’s success.

Sectional Awards:

• Most Valuable Player: Randolph Scott
• Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Mike Weimer
• Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Steve Bailey

End of the Year Awards:

• State honors went to Randolph Scott
• Team earned the Scholar Athlete Team Award